http://www.care2.com/greenliving/25-great-consumer-less-gift-ideas.html
25 Great, Consumer-Less Gift Ideas
By Annie B. Bond
One of the very best things we can do for the Earth is simply to preserve natural resources by consuming less, but this does not mean that we must forgo gift giving.
Here are some wonderful, simple gift ideas that help to sustain the Earth, an act of friendship toward all living things, not just the single recipient of the gift.
Giving experiences you can share, rather than material goods, saves resources. And you can also simply give a gift of yourself. The key to giving a gift of yourself is to know the wants and needs of the person to whom you are giving the gift. Equally important, don’t underestimate your own special skills and talents. One valuable aspect of giving a gift of yourself is that it is the perfect solution for those who “have everything.”
Give a Gift of Yourself or Your Time
Make homemade bread and deliver it every week for a month
Collect family recipes and compile in a wooden recipe box
Make one dinner a week for a month that you deliver
Offer baby-sitting time
Offer a monthly lunch date with an elderly relative or friend
Offer free lessons in a sport in which you excel
Weed a friend’s garden
Offer your talents, such as photography, financial planing, or hairstyling
Offer yourself as a willing cheerful worker for a day
Put together a photo album
Make a video of people the gift recipient loves
Offer to do a chore for a month that a family member dislikes
Give a Green Gift that Isn’t a Thing
Give tickets—to concerts, sporting events, whale watching trips, etc.
Give a pair of weekend tickets to a ski area
Giive frequent flyer miles
Give a museum pass or membership
Give an experience (a day kayaking)
Provide a gift certificate for a lesson (tennis, swimming, drums, for example)
Provide a gift certificate for a dinner for two
Donate something in the name of a friend or relative, in a subject area of interest to them (such as for Literacy Training, or to protect the Rainforest)
Give a gift certificate to a used book store
Give a plant or a tree
Give a Gift for the Earth
Giving a membership to a non-profit organization that does hands-on work to protect a part of the Earth’s ecosystem is giving a gift that gives a gift. Not only do you enrich the life of the person to whom you give the gift, but you help organizations that are trying to make a difference.
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102 comments
add your comment »Make cookies and have a cookie party, keep it low budget by doing a potluck style or having everyone bring a low budget gift for yankee swap. For food just serve a few simple appetizers and some homemade beverages or buy organic apple cider and simmer on low for a warm beverage that fills your house with holiday aromas. *You can also ask guests to bring a can of food or an article of clothing to donate.
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Concert tickets aren't consumerless. I like the idea of experiences and would recommend lessons or workshops (do you know you can join a big band workshop or a cajun fiddle class, even if you don't know how to play yet?)
Centrum in Washington state
Elkins Arts workshop in West Virginia
and many more
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My wife and I sell these reusable glass water bottles that would make the perfect gift for someone trying to break the bottled water habit! Bonus: They look pretty cool and 2% of our profits goes to the UNICEF Tap Project :) www.livinglavidaverde.net
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TickleMe Plant
My favorite green gift to give away is the TickleMe Plant Greenhouse. I got it as a gift and now I buy it for others. In it you can grow a real house plant that instantly closes its leaves when it is tickled! It is easy to grow and such a fun way to share my love and my love of nature. I found it at http://www.ticklemeplant.com See the video it really does move!
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I gave my bro-in-law a kitchen sized recycling bin with his favorite beverage. Its an effort to encourage him to remember where they belong. I also gave my sister-in-law an assortment of reusable shopping bags that can easily be stored in her purse for easy access.
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We always had a abundance of plastic bags laying arounf our home,,now we use our canvas bags have a few plastic bags left that are used and reused as small trash can bags.If we forget our bags,,then we only take paper.
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I don't suppose you ladies have seen Oprah's "green" episodes? She just loves the Shaklee Basic-H. It only takes 3 drops to one pint of water for a window cleaner. Basic-H has many other uses too. Most will surprise you. Save your time spent "making" scratch cleaners and go for a walk. http://www.shaklee.net/steve/getclean/index
Yes, it is a business but no unsafe or expensive cleaners are here. They really do work wonderfully. Stains, spots, dishes, cars, floors, bathrooms etc and only pennies per gallon of solution.
Steve
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I'm not too incredibly "crafty" but i am a pretty good baker. This year I am making lots of cookies, cakes, and candies for all my friends and family.
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I made canvas shopping bags full of 'green' things for my daughters and some friends. Things like: cfl bulbs, green cleaning products, reusable coffee mugs and reusable water bottles.
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Catherine M. Thank you for the site. What a wonderful idea that is. My family and friends will love it!
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