Kindnessgirl

synge and some other friends who are joining the recycle christmas challenge had some great ideas…

1. amazon.com and half.com are great for buying used books, movies and cd’s. you just can’t wait until the last minute, shipping can take forever with these transactions.

2. ebay is awesome for big lots of construction toys (i.e. legos, bionicles) and countless other things. it’s great to get buckets full of some kid’s old toys- there are sure to be parts or old lines that even my lego obsessed boys have not seen yet.

3. kid-to-kid (thank you nan!), once upon a child might be a good place to start for toys if the idea of the thrift store skeeves you out completely. the stores are cleaner for sure!

4. homemade loveliness- one year my youngest sister asked 4 of her friends to make a cd with their most favorite music in the whole wide world. her friends happen to be like the coolest people in america- experts on all things hip, indie, fresh and cool. this said sister then gave them as a gift to my oldest sister who is ever on the quest to stay ahead of her own personal cool curve.

5. send e-mail christmas letters (unless the idea of pretty paper in your hand is good for your soul) instead of cards- save paper, postage and standing-in-line post office hell.

6. forget the coupon books, go local- just forget the homemade coupon book for a massage, foot rub, do the dishes- no woman ever actually collects on those anyway. if you want to give an experience, go local. save your pennies and buy gift certificates to your local coffee shop, sub shop or burger joint. if you wanna spend the big bucks, head for your local spa or your favorite massage therapist hippie friend that you met at yoga.

7. etsy– not exactly recycled but good for artists everywhere. promoting the starving artist is also good for the earth and you are sure to find something amazing and unique. here is a great place to start. and when you decide you have to break the recycle christmas oath, you should just run here. you’ll be laughing all the way home.

7. be picky! don’t buy it just because it’s a good deal. think about the present part. is it meaningful? does it fit (soul, not size) the person? are you excited to give it?

one more….jorge reminded me how every year (not on purpose) we wait to get our tree until christmas eve. he says we help a tree (a la phoebe from friends) fulfill it’s christmas destiny. not exactly green buying a tree in the first place but i just haven’t worked my way into fake tree yet. i need the smell and needles all over the floor, maybe even the special rare find of a bird’s nest , the charlie brownier the better, or it’s just not christmas. bonus- they are always pretty cheap by then too.

recycling has never been so fun…