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