OK, so maybe the worm bin isn’t right for everyone on your shopping list, but that doesn’t mean you need to abandon green this season.  Start with a green goal for your holiday shopping:  Green products or simply gifts that will encourage greener living rather than consumption.

Stress relief – think gardening tools rather than bath salts.  Instead of encouraging someone to use a ton of water to temporarily relieve stress, have them get out in their yard.  Think of the concept – give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.  Try to go the whole month without buying anything needing a ton of water added.

Electronic gadgets - before you buy, think about whether they are really making life easier.  We often get caught up in what sounds cool – useful, even necessary.  My favorite was an electronic voice activated shopping list recorder that you mount to your refrigerator.  It then prints your shopping list when you’re ready.  Nice idea, but was paper and pencil really not working that well?  Imagine your frustration when this gadget runs out of batteries, or when you’re standing at the store wondering what cat chop is.  See if you can buy nothing that needs batteries!

Person who has everything – try a gift certificate for fruit trees rather than yet another tie, golf club or wine opener.  Buy nothing you know they already should own.

Busy body - how about a gift certificate to an exercise class rather than yet another bottle of wine.  Go to that club/gym/studio and buy 10 of them to give out.  What if every gift you gave this season started something?  Something green, something healthy, something volunteer/donation oriented.  Try it.

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Last week I wrote about my favorite green gift item – home made sparkling water or soda from SodaStream.com. Now what else can you get? There’s always the stainless steel water bottles and the reusable bags, but let’s get beyond that – though if you know that someone needs them: ReUseableBags.com. Let’s get creative:

1. Mint tea – no, don’t go buy any. That weed that you grumble about during the summer – it takes over your garden beds and you can’t seem to get rid of it – remember what they say about life giving you lemons. To make tea – pick long stems, group and tie tightly with twine, hang in a paper bag in a dark closet for 2-4 weeks. When it’s dry, remove the leaves, crush, buy cool tins – give away as holiday gifts.

2. Rosemary rub – same idea as above, only pick rosemary sprigs, dry the same way, add equal parts salt, pepper and dried minced garlic. Buy cool tins or bottles – SpecialtyBottle.com

3. Nothing – a wonderful gift: Available in many flavors: make someone dinner, host a party for them, deliver Sunday brunch, donate to their favorite charity, volunteer your time in their honor. StoryofStuff.com

4. Seeds – get the kids involved. Got a pile of pumpkin seeds you meant to roast? Still have some corn on the cob in the garden? String beans getting huge and inedible? Package up some dried seeds in small coin envelopes and let the kids decorate the envelopes or make cool sticker labels.

5. Worm bin – OK you may need to save this for the eco-geek on your shopping list, but they are fun, educational, clean (no odor), and very useful – worm casings are one of the best fertilizers around. RealGoods.com

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Last year at this time, I wrote about one of my favorite green purchases of the year.  After 18 months of use, I am still a huge fan of the home soda maker from Soda Stream.

No I don’t get any kickbacks, I just love this thing for a number of reasons.  Prior to using it, my family would use about 4-5 bottles of sparkling water each week.  Add to that the 6 bottles of Snapple we put away, and a carton or two of juice.  While we recycled all those bottles, it still took a fair bit of energy to make, transport and recycle.  Now, almost all of it has been replaced by sparkling water – made with tap water in a few seconds.

The soda maker costs about $200 and comes with glass bottles and CO2 cartridges.  Each cartridge is good for about 30 bottles of sparkling water.  After you use up a couple of CO2 cartridges, you log onto the website, order replacements (about $30 for 2), put yours on your doorstep and in a couple days you have new ones.

The results:

About 40 less bottles being bought, carried, stored and recycled each month

I’ve lost weight skipping those Snapples and drinking half sparkling water and half juice in the morning

We’ve saved approximately $500 including the cost of the soda maker and the CO2 refills.

http://www.sodastreamusa.com/

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One thing third graders think is really stupid (and they will certainly let you know) is seeing lawns being watered in the rain.  The rainy season has started, shut off your sprinklers, period.  Don’t be afraid of your sprinkler system.  There’s a controller – usually a small gray box mounted to a wall – inside you’ll see an on/off switch.  Turn it off, you won’t mess up the programming, just turn it back on next Spring and you’ll be fine.

Want to make it even easier? Self-Adjusting Irrigation Controllers

What is it?  Traditional sprinkler controllers turn on the water at a set time for set duration – always the same.  Self-Adjusting Irrigation Controllers monitor on-site environmental conditions.  They measure different climate conditions such as temperature, humidity, soil moisture, and then they vary the sprinkler timing accordingly.  Simply put, it’s a controller that knows if it’s rained.  Result: less water, healthier plants, fewer third graders thinking you’re .. well, less than smart.

Rebates? Yes, installation of these controllers qualifies for EBMUD rebates up to $200.

So, be sure to turn off your sprinklers now.  With shorter cooler days, your grass will do fine, even if it’s dry for a week or two between showers.  And, when you turn them back on in the Spring – have them run in the early morning.  Why?

Benefits of watering in the early morning (5-6 AM):

• Less wind – avoids blowing the water off into the street
• Less sun – avoids evaporation before the water has made it into the roots
• Leaves dry off before the sun is high – water droplets on plant leaves can focus the sun’s rays and burn the leaves – think Ant Bully with a magnifying glass
• Keeps third graders from seeing when you are watering
  

More info:
http://ebmud.com/conserving_&_recycling/residential/WSIC/default.htm

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This one is a win win win – put it on your to do list.

November – food donation month.  There are food drives everywhere.  Use this regular, annual reminder as a great way to keep track of your earthquake preparedness emergency food.  Every year in November, our family takes out all the earthquake food.  With the kids making a shopping list, we pull out each item, collect the food that hasn’t expired, and make it ready for the donation drop off at school.  After the next trip to the grocery store we replenish the emergency food for another year.

Nothing wasted – food nor money.  The process gets you updated food in your earthquake kit, and gets a great donation for food banks.  No standing in the grocery store deciding what to buy for a donation – should you get Chunk Light tuna for the donation or Albacore?  Whatever you buy for your family this year, will be next year’s donation.  Just check the expiration dates when you buy it – the food banks will use the food quick enough, but don’t cut it too close.

And, no need to put it on your calendar – you always remember when you see the food bank requests at the holidays.

While you’re in that earthquake kit – check everything else too.  Feed your potted plants last year’s water and replenish with new.  Check on the condition of the flashlight batteries.  Make sure the matches didn’t get wet.  Got a little cash in there?  How about medical information, updated emergency numbers, account and insurance info?  Then check your emergency clothes.  If the kids have grown, you may have things to donate to the Warm Coat drives this winter.  Replace with this year’s almost too small stuff – making room in the drawers for the holidays.

Donations benefit, earthquake prep benefits, environment benefits, and your wallet benefits.

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