.Thanksgiving Gifts to Bring the Gracious Host
Entry #339, November 22, 2010
While we are not ‘officially’ into the Christmas season, I thought about the Host(ess) who welcomes guests into their home this year. Instead of bringing another casserole dish or the 100th bottle of wine, why not bring inexpensive gifts that can be organic too?
Here are some great suggestions for organic gift ideas from Organic Soul:
1.) Homemade Soaps, Scrubs, and Salts
Beware cold-season’s drying effect. Help equip your friends and loved ones with some moisturizing goodness. Mix four parts oil to one part organic sugar for a good cuticle scrub, or try your hand at your favorite soap recipe. Also, some natural aromatherapy is also a great gift to give. These are cheap to make and can be a part of a wonderful gift basket!
2.) Reusable Bags
Now’s the perfect time to get your family and friends stocked up on reusable bags; at any other time of the year, you would just look like an eco-nut trying to get everyone off plastic. But alas, Christmas allows us the perfect forum to spread our ideas around along with our love. Be sure to get quality reusable bags, preferable from recycled materials. You can also make your own from old shirts. In any form, if you can get one or more persons a year to stop using plastic bags, that’s a Christmas present for the Earth!
3.) Eco Toys for Kids
For the kids be sure to get non-toxic, eco-safe toys. With all the focus on toxic toys, it’s understandable why many people want to go green in this department. For the youngest, try “Eco House” – a miniature playhouse made eco-friendly rubber wood, and recycled paper. Oh, it comes with a solar panel and wind turbine too (no, no – they’re non-functional). If that doesn’t do it for you, try some beeswax crayons or organic cotton finger puppets.
4.) A Juicer
If you’re buying a gift for someone you already know to be a “greenie”, consider a juicer. Seem lame and impersonal? Allow me to elaborate. Having your own juicer is a major step in the pathway for better living. Not only does it allow you to create your own flavors, but because you don’t have to worry about transport and refrigeration like a big company, you don’t have to worry about pasteurization and preservatives. This means more nutrients and flavor remain in the juice. Anyone with a juicer will attest to the benefits!
5.) Charity
Want to give the gift that keeps on giving? Please, please, please go donate your time, money, and energy to charity. It seems like a lot to do, granted the whole idea of winter break, but for those without a warm home and full plate, the holidays can be the hardest time of the year. Bring a box of presents to a children’s hospital or go visit your disabled veterans. Maybe take your whole family with you. It’s fun, you meet great people, and you feel good about yourself afterward.
For more Thanksgiving ideas on Stagetecture, click here.
