Be in Grist's gift guide

We need your presents

Posted by Katharine Wroth at 6:18 AM on 09 Nov 2006

Read more about: holiday

This year, Grist's holiday gift guide will be chock full of recommendations from our staff and readers -- hey, that's you!

Have you come across a snazzy new eco-product? Got a time-tested gift-giving tradition that fits your green lifestyle? Let us know what you're giving this year, and why. We'll include some of the most creative suggestions in our merry little guide. (Yes, yes, we know consumption is evil and wrong, and we'll be sure to point that out as well.)

Thanks for your ideas -- and if you need a little inspiration, give last year's guide a whirl.

For story: Be in Grist's gift guide
17 Comments | Post a Comment

self-promotion

I used to design products for Resource Revival in Portland Oregon, and am still a partner. Self-interest aside, we make really cool products out of recycled bike parts. I'd love it if you included us in your guide. The bottle openers and picture frames are particularly snazzy!

by Kif Scheuer at 9:08 AM on 09 Nov 2006

Hot Water Bottles...

I gave hot water bottles to some children for Christmas a few years ago. They enjoyed filling them at the sink (they were three and five years old and this constituted an exciting activity as far as they were concerned, but we had to be sure they used warm and not hot water.) One of them smiled blissfully as he held the waterbottle to his chest and said "I can't wait to take a nap!" which made his mom's jaw drop.
It's a low tech gift that makes adults happy too. I recently found some at Whole Foods in the expensive soaps and make-up section that have fuzzy covers with "Hot Wheels" type flames embroidered on the sides. I bought some for some of the older kids I know, as they are totally cool looking. Maybe Santa will bring me one too.

by Roz Cummins at 10:31 AM on 09 Nov 2006

Natural/WIldlife Garden Book

Here's another self-promotional suggestion: my book "Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife" makes a great holiday gift to anyone interested in backyard birding/wildlife, gardening, or living more sustainably. It retails for just $12.95 and can be purchased at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and other book retailers, or directly from National Wildlife Federation at www.nwf.org.

by DMizejewski at 10:41 AM on 09 Nov 2006

Earth-friendly Magazine Subscriptions

How about giving gift subscriptions to some magazines that help us all live a little greener? Try Mother Earth News, Natural Home or Utne Reader!

by talterman at 11:37 AM on 09 Nov 2006

A couple of Faves

I find lovely nature-themed books, watercolors and films at the Heron Dance non-profit website, run by a painter & his wife. (This is where I bought the 7 copies of Being Caribou that I gave out last year!)

I have also been lucky with A Greater Gift a non-profit that sells fair-trade products from around the world.

The Y Catalog is a relatively new spot wherein a bunch of manufacturers have pledged to donate 10% of anything you buy to the charity of their choice. Yoga gear,clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc.

Patagonia is one of those sneaky-eco gifts. Most people don't know that all their cotton is organic, the wool is not bleached, the 1% for the planet initiative... they just think they are getting a cool shirt.

I think our fellow eco-friends are easy... TerraPass, planting trees, organic soap, etc. It's getting something for the not-so-eco-minded that doesn't smack of "crunchy-granola," but also is not mass-produced crap, that can be difficult.

I give a lot of "weekends away:" a snowboard lesson, a night at a B&B and passes to a National Park for hiking, snowshoeing or XC skiing lessons. For my less active friends, a night at a spa for two... generally I get to join in on these activites and so it's like two gifts in one - I get to spend time with friends and we get to do something we both enjoy. I also enjoy giving (and getting) so called "consumable" gifts; stuff that is not going to sit around the house collecting dust. Opera tickets, a Broadway show, the ballet, a concert.

Of course, there is always jewelry and chocolate.

As for the inevitable dilemma of wrapping gifts, I have been using paper & ribbon from Paporganics (when I am not using funky boxes, reusable bags, etc) and I can tell you the paper quality is absolutely fantastic and 100% sustainable (recycled & hemp). They have some really beautiful cards as well.

Happy Shopping!

by kmp at 11:44 AM on 09 Nov 2006

My faves and some news

Our group of friends gets together and pools the money we would gift each other towards Heifer International (or other organizations helping others around the globe) and either makes or buys token gifts for each other priced under $5 each. We've been able to support sustainable self-help for villages all over the world!

Also with my new web site just launched, I thought readers might like to know about a couple of unique gift ideas: Liquid Smudge (a natural product to clear your space, made in a sacred way by traditional native americans)-- and custom-blended flower essences for people and pets.

For people, a popular formula is "Quantum Prosperity" -- to help attract that "other" green stuff in abundance.

For pets, two popular formulas are:

"Receiving Kindness At Last" (for animals who have been rescued from shelters or other living situations)

"Phobias" for animals who panic at loud noises

"Claustrophobia" for animals that need to be confined for short periods (such as in a crate to be transported.)

Hope everyone's holiday season is filled with goodness and health!

Working for a better world, Nancy Boyd Make today awesome! Visit our web site for tips and tools to make YOUR world sing.

by Bright Wings at 2:17 PM on 09 Nov 2006

And also consider NOT giving gifts..

I always give holiday gifts to the kids I know, but some of my friends and I decided a few years ago that the best gift we could give to eachother was to not exchange gifts at the holidays. (We refer to it as "Our Most Cherished Holiday Tradition.") What we do instead is all go out to a big Chinese dinner together, which is fun because you can order stuff you don't normally order, like two eggplant dishes, etc., and split the cost. Doing this cuts down on expense, stress, and having too many "things" around, and it leaves us money to give to causes we really care about. And it beats the hell out of getting regifted scented candles!

by Roz Cummins at 4:34 PM on 09 Nov 2006

Gift Giving

My friends and family have a tradition of giving to others (various charitable organizations, food banks, etc.) as a way of giving each other gifts. One can often get gift cards to send to acknowledge the donation made in another's honor.

We also gather for a meal and time together.

Another gift-giving tradition is the gift of prayers and hopes, given to another in the form of a card or letter. It isn't just "happy holidays." These are thoughtful, prayerful short writings that offer specific prayers based on knowledge of the person's life.

I have given small jars with tiny scrolls of blessings. These take a little time, but are always one-of-a-kind.

by Raye at 5:35 PM on 09 Nov 2006

Shopping Bags

I got an email today fr a local (Philly area) charity that the Whole Fds stores here will be selling a reusable shopping bag for $2, now thru the end of the yr, with the entire $2 going to MANNA, which prepares & delivers meals to those living w/ AIDS/HIV and/or cancer. This is a special version of the bag w/ clementines on it (a fruit associated w/ the hols), but I have silmilar ones fr WF w/ other pics on them, & I can tell you that they are attractive, very lg, sturdy & useful for more than groceries. They'd make great stocking stuffers or gift bags. I don't know if WF stores in other parts of the country are doing the same sort of charity tie-in, or if any other chains are doing something similar, but it's worth checking out. It's cheap, & you're helping a worthwhile charity & the environment, at the same time. Sounds like a perfect holiday fit to me. :-)

by bunyipk at 9:44 PM on 09 Nov 2006

Grist's Gift Guide; COFFEE

A great gift to the environment, to our neighboring farmers in Chiapas,Mexico and to the taste buds of coffee drinkers, JUST COFFEE is a cooperative that offers 100 per cent pure Arabica Coffee - shade-grown. I just ordered my next batch. What a morning treat! I am willing to pay more for the privilege of doing good. My reward? great coffee.

For more information go to www.justcoffee.org

by NancyBee at 4:28 AM on 10 Nov 2006

ChicoBag

I was given three ChicoBags for my birthday this year, and I plan on giving them as a perfect gift for families and friends. Everyone needs to go grocery shopping, so everyone can use these reusable bags! They fold into an integrated pouch with a hook, can fit in or hook on to your pocket or purse, and come in 5 colors! Imagine not having to deal with 300 to 700 plastic shopping bags (which in turn saves 3 to 7 gallons of cude oil)a year anymore.

by sparrott825 at 7:45 AM on 10 Nov 2006

For the book lover

I recently read an insightful book on Biosphere 2, the ambitious self-sustaining project in Tucson that would make a great gift for the bookworm on your list. The biography, Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2 by crewmember Jane Poynter (www.janepoynter.com), shares the behind-the-scenes story of how eight people live insided a sealed environment for two years. Ms. Poynter's recollection is informative as well as entertaining and really shows us how our actions directly impacts our environment. Biosphere 2's closed ecosystem was a great study on the ecology.

by Bios2 at 8:01 AM on 10 Nov 2006

give peace

I like to give friends and family Peace bonds www.buypeacebonds.com Sold by the non profit Nonviolent Peaceforce(NP), they suport NP's mission of sending well trained, unarmed, 3rd party peace keepers in to countries that invite them to come. Currently they have peace keepers living and working in Sri Lanka.

I also like to make breads, or liquors for gifts, and give them in home made canvas bags, or pieces of pretty material secured with decorative saftey pins.

by lylee at 9:44 AM on 10 Nov 2006

Homemade, Butterflies, Music!

We usually make our gifts each year, often out of materials we have on hand. We've done a lot of renovating over the years, so one year we painted leftover ceramic tiles and added a felt bottom for coasters; another year we used leftover paint on leftover Homasote to make bulletin boards; and so on. This year, since people are so busy during the holidays or often succumb to whatever bug is going around, we thought we'd make a meal a week in December to give people a respite from cooking. We have to cook for ourselves anyway and we use all organic ingredients, so why not make extras for the rest of the family?!

Since that doesn't give anyone a link to something they can actually buy, give this place a go: Monarch Watch. You can purchase a Monarch butterfly waystation kit or a cool Monarch t-shirt which promotes the conservation of Monarch butterflies.

Another idea we had was to put together a basket of goodies that would encourage energy efficiency. Since more and more people are learning about global warming and wondering what they can do, a sampler of things like compact flourescent bulbs and a copy of "An Inconvenient Truth" tucked in a locally-made Amish basket or reusable cloth grocery bag would gently get loved ones on the right path.

And finally, instead of the eco-friendly digital music download service, you could give the gift of music from independent musicians who are trying to make a difference. I myself am in a couple of eco-minded music groups, and there are tons of them out there in many genres who offer eco-friendly CD packaging and organic cotton t-shirts. What teenager doesn't want to be the first to "discover" a cool new band?!

by clatteramy at 8:48 PM on 11 Nov 2006

The possibilities

Over the years I have put more and more time into trying to find, or make something more unique than the average everyday gift. I have given away monogram luggage tags, hour glass', hand painted Christmas balls, etc. But the best gifts to give whilst giving back to the earth are eco gifts. I have found a few places that I really like shopping at like www.arenaturals.com, www.vivaterra.com , www.easternleaf.com . A.R.E Naturals have beautiful organic wreaths as well as other eco gifts, viva terra has a new line of root baskets with naturals soaps, and eastern leaf have really unique asian inspired "money trees". I have gotten raves about my recent gift giving, and I have loved giving them just as much.

by ecolover at 5:17 PM on 15 Nov 2006

glad you asked!

why not give the gift of the oceans by adopting an endangered marine creature? your donation to Oceana helps us protect sea turtles, dolphins, sharks and whales and promote healthy oceans. and as a token of our thanks, you'll receive a special cookie cutter in the shape of your favorite marine creature.

Andrew Sharpless CEO Oceana

by Andrew Sharpless at 1:48 PM on 20 Nov 2006

Awesome Green Gifts at GreenHome.com

Hi all,

I'm committed to giving green gifts this holiday season, and I found an awesome website where I can get gifts for everyone -- my friends, family, nieces, boyfriend -- all at one place! I've shopped around and I've done a lot of research, and GreenHome.com is truly the best, fastest resource for getting all your green holiday gift-giving out of the way. Thank God for online shopping!

Here are a few of the cool eco-friendly gifts from GreenHome.com that I am giving to various people:

Mom: Organic Cotton Bathrobe, Organic Eye Pillow and Bath Gift Pack

Dad: Freeplay Emergency Radio and Flashlight Kit (it's solar-powered and wind-up in case of a power outtage -- my dad is a freak about being prepared for emergencies...)

Boyfriend: Organic cotton boxers and this awesome solar-powered iPod/cell phone charger called the Solio (i'm getting myself a Solio, too!)

Older Sister: All natural rubber yoga mat and this really cute and trendy hemp yoga mat bag

Younger Sister: Beautiful Recycled Glass champagne flutes (she just got a new apartment so these will be perfect)

5-year-old niece: Soy stuffed animal named "Hairy" and eco-adventure game from Xeko.

Younger brother: organic cotton tie -- he just started a new job so this is perfect.

My Puppy: Organic Hemp Dog Collar

Check out all these great products and more at GreenHome.com... Happy Holidays! And Happy Shopping!

Cheers! Natasha Stuart Green Product Guru

by Natasha at 6:12 PM on 07 Dec 2006

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