Decking the Halls - The Sustainable Way

Here we are again, preparing for the holiday season.  I'm always chuffed to watch the news and read magazines that provide their top ten list of ways to 'go green' at the holidays.  The lists are diverse and thought-provoking.  Some suggestions are costly, some are free.  I'm a big fan of the free options (because there is NO excuse not to implement them), and I love having philosophical debates over the others.  (Are they really green?  What is the synergy with other environmental issues?  What will Grandma think if we do it?)

Also, the economy is in a relatively bad way right now.  (If I could figure out a way, I'd send the economy a Get Well Card.  Maybe with a little kitten 'hanging in there'.)  So, my thoughts this year are of the various shades of green - the green of our planet and the green of those ever-disappearing dollars in my wallet.  Very often, sustainability is good for your budget.  Let's focus on those right now.

Here is a list of some of the things that may work for you this year:

• Virtual Holiday Cards:  I know Miss Manners and Emily Post's descendents are currently engaged in symposiums on the etiquette of virtual holiday cards but I still fully support the sustainability of the option.  One:  I don't spend half a dollar per card to mail them.  Two:  I don't purchase another completely disposable product.  Three:  I save a little piece of my sanity by not stressing over gathering snail mail addresses for every last cousin, colleague, and classmate. 
• Reused Fake Christmas Trees:  OK, stay with me on this one.  I've had the same fake tree for over ten years now.  It was given to me by someone that decided they no longer wanted to 'deal with the trappings of Christmas'.  Instead of driving to a lot of tree lots and spending $50 each year, I go to my garage and pull out my old box and reuse my fake tree.  I save money.  That's green.  I don't drive my car around to numerous tree lots.  That's totally green. Fake trees need no water.  That's super green.
• Just Saying NO to malls:  It's been said over and over and I will say it as well:  WHEN did Christmas become a battle of how much money we can spend on people?  Who purchases a Mercedes for their wife on Christmas morning?  Scale back, people.  Just scale back.  Set a limit and stick to it.  Don't let the ads get to you.  Those marketing people are super clever.  Be wary.
• Walking through the neighborhood to look at lights:  For those of us that live in Florida, there is no reason to get in your car and drive through your own neighborhood to look at holiday lights.  Put on your walking shoes and enjoy a leisurely walk with your family.  Maybe stop and speak with your neighbor.  Crazy?  No, really.  Before parents drove their kids around on Halloween, there was this remarkable trend of walking through your neighborhood.  Save the gas, spend some time with your family, meet your neighbors and go for a walk.
• LED really is a good option:  Yes, they cost more.  But, aren't you the one standing next to me in the aisle at Walgreens buying new lights each year?  Let's buy a higher quality of lights this year and NOT go back each year because the junky lights we bought last year seemed to short out in the box between January and November.  How about this year I meet you in the Walgreens aisle on the day after Christmas, pick them up at 50% off and set a sustainable trend for next year? 
• Reusable bags instead of wrapping paper:  My mother introduced me to the concept of grabbing up all the gift bags after the unwrapping occurs and saving them until the next year.  Buy the pretty ones once and be that 'frugal' person that collects them and stores them until next year.  We have one bag that has been gifted to every person in our family.  It's a topic of conversation and a standing joke.  And a GREAT example of reuse. 
• No disposables:  Isn't this the time of year to pull out the pretty dishes?  If you don't have enough, tell your in-laws they can't come.  (OK, so that's not REALLY an option.  But doesn't it always sound appealing?)  If you absolutely must buy disposables, please buy the ones that are compostable.  Maybe borrow from your neighbor?  We always have one neighbor that goes away for the holiday.  We borrow their pretty dishes and watch their house while they're away.  Win-win. 
• Holiday lights need to be on a timer:  Raise your hand if you sometimes forget to turn off your lights?  Me, too.  Buy a timer.  Preferably on sale the day after Christmas.
• Web cam instead of travel:  This is a tough one, but in today's economy, more people are sacrificing the flights out of town and staying home.  That does not mean you can't have a meaningful, quality conversation with your Grandma in Pennsylvania.  All she needs is someone to show her how to log onto Skype and smile at the little red light on the camera.  When was the last time you sat down for an hour and just talked to your dad in Wisconsin?  A web cam encourages that.  (I know this for a fact.  It's how I met my husband.)  :-)
• Embrace a true, old fashioned Holiday:  Turn off the lights and all the electronic devices.  Sit by a crackling fire (lit by gathered branches from your back garden ), light a candle, and illuminate your tree.  Tell stories.  Sing a song.  Talk to each other.  Enjoy the energy savings, but more importantly, enjoy the time you spend with your family and the memories you'll recall for years.  Recently, my three children, my husband and I organized a campfire in the yard.  $1 on marshmallows.  $0 on gathered firewood.  $0 on blankets from the closet.  Two hours of singing and storytelling:  Priceless.  They're still retelling the stories from that night.

Environmental stewardship builds so much more than energy savings.  It can save money.  It creates memories.  It builds relationships.  It shifts paradigms.  It relives the past. 

Sustainability is about people, planet, and profit.  I encourage you to enjoy a beautifully sustainable holiday season.