Gift Ideas for an Environmentally-Friendly Holiday Season

Even though the leaves have just begun to fall off of the trees, the thought of Christmas gifts is still starting to pop up into eager holiday shoppers' minds. This holiday season, however, try out some ways to keep your holiday habits environmentally friendly. While this doesn't have to mean not enjoying the fun of wrapping Christmas gifts or hanging wreathes on your door, there still are some affordable and fun ways to keep your holiday very "green." Here are some great, green gifts for your loved ones this holiday season.

1. Check out Etsy: Keeping products out of landfills often just means recycling or "upcycling" used items into usable jewelry or other vintage accessories. Perfect for the lovely females in your life, many different Etsy shop owners offer their takes on upcycling various scraps of fabric and metals into cleverly created headbands, broaches, and more.

2. Give out Scout Books: Made from 100% recycled papers and soy inks (so as not to add any additional pollution to the environment), Scout Books are a perfect gift for the creative doodler or aspiring author on your gift list. Scout Books are ordered in packages of three, which is perfect, considering how these little eco-friendly books are only 3.5x5" (a perfect size for fitting into back pockets.) If you want a larger order of these green little notebooks, you can even create your own custom designed Scout Books to give to all your friends and family.

3. Paraben-free, Environmentally-friendly cosmetics: Every girl likes to pamper herself, and enjoying eco-conscious products just makes these pampering sessions even better. While several companies exist that offer such products, one company that offers a full variety of products (lotions, hair products, make-up, etc.) is SIRJJ Organics; SIRJJ focuses on creating all-natural products with no parabens and minimal preservatives.

4. Bake it! Homemade baked goods always beats store-made baked goods any day. Your friends will be sure to appreciate cookies, cakes, pies, brownies, or breads that you deliver with your holiday greetings and their quick consumption of your gifts will ensure that your carbon footprint from your gifts will be minimal. For those friends and family who may be watching their weight, try out different low calorie recipes to offer them the best of both the green and healthy worlds.

This holiday season, remember to try to keep your gift-giving and shopping as earth-friendly as possible. Check the ingredients on all products that you buy for harmful dyes or chemicals. Do your shopping with a minimal amount of driving; walk or carpool to stores whenever possible. Use old newspapers or magazines as wrapping paper.