Recycle that Christmas Tree

If you are earth conscience and want to leave a very small carbon footprint; recycle, reduce, reuse. I remember getting taught that in elementary school. And like everything else I learned back then, it still holds true as an adult. I think we forget everything we were taught in hopes of proving people wrong, but all we do is throw away some very valuable information. How does this play into Christmas? Think about what you buy at this time of year. I'm sure you buy a tree, presents, wrapping paper, etc. Where does most of that stuff end up? It usually ends up in the trash and then into the local landfill. What happens after that? That trash sits there...And sits there. Here are some tips that I hope will help you help yourselves and your world.

Even before you pack the car to go tree hunting this year, take a cue from families of old. Instead of going to a tree farm where the trees were cut days ago and shipped down to your town, go into your own backyard. If you are blessed with a forest on your property then you have a wealth of trees to pick from. Now, the question is, to cut or not to cut? Either one you choose is fine. If you decide to not cut the tree, you can still decorate it much like you would if you had it in the house. You could even use bird friendly ornaments like pine cones and berries strung together. The birds will eat your decorations, but isn't that okay? If you do cut it down and bring it inside, make sure there are no inhabitants first. You don't want to have the tree trimming ceremony under way and then a rascal raccoon comes bounding out and scaring the whole family. When Christmas is over, don't just throw that tree on the curb and wait for the town or city to come pick it up. You can take care of this by yourself. If you do live in the city, make sure you can do this before you actually do it. Burn it. Yes, our forefathers lived by a live fire. Savor the warmth of a nice old fashioned Christmas by building a fire with your Christmas tree cut to nice two foot lengths. That way, the only sign that you had a Christmas tree is the ashes that are in the bottom of your fire pit.

Life doesn't have to cost much. We can make due with what we have and thrive. I hope this Christmas, you and your family will embrace each other sitting around a campfire in your own backyard and create a family tradition, and also take one less thing out of our landfills.