Green Ideas for the Holidays

If the visions dancing in your head this holiday season are of safe toys, minimal plastic packaging, and fewer trips to the mall, this guide is for you. We’ve put together some eco-friendly ideas to prep your house for entertaining and fill it with seasonal spirit and natural scents. We’ve also gathered tips for choosing and wrapping green gifts that minimize waste, expense, and stress -- and maximize your time to enjoy the holidays.

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Give the House a Green Cleaning

The holiday season is a time of cozying up in the house, so it’s also a good time to clear the air inside of toxins as well as dirt and dust. Use mild, biodegradable natural and non-toxic cleaning products. Look for ones that don't contain harsh chemical solvents, chlorine, ammonia, or synthetic fragrances.  Baking soda or vinegar mixed with a little water also make good multipurpose cleaners.

While cleaning -- and every day, if you can -- crack the windows a little to let toxins out and fresh air in.

Getting the Greenest Christmas Tree

Avoid artificial trees that are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Fresh trees have these benefits:  

• Live, potted trees are reusable. After the holidays, you can plant your tree or leave it potted in your yard and use it again next year.
• Freshly cut trees are recyclable. Look for a lot that sells trees grown locally (not trucked in from miles away) and without pesticides. Chopping down a tree at a local organic tree farm is one way to ensure you’re getting both.

When the holidays are over, don’t put your tree out with the trash, where it will end up in a landfill. Instead, see if your community has a tree-recycling pick-up day. Recycling services turn trees into compost or mulch for community parks and other public areas. Visit earth911.com to find a tree recycler in your area.

Natural Holiday Fragrances and Decorations

Instead of heading to the store for decorations, go for a walk. Berries, flowers, and evergreen branches are beautiful decorations and, like a fresh tree, fill the house with real seasonal aromas. Incorporate some of the special beauty of your area of the country -- such as seashells or magnolia leaves -- into your decorations.

Mingle in seasonal scents by baking gingerbread cookies. Or make a fragrant holiday potpourri by simmering ingredients such as lemon or orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg.

Instead of buying new decorations, reuse vintage ornaments from your family attic or a thrift store. Or help your children make ornaments from homemade clay, scraps of fabric, old holiday cards, and nontoxic paints and glue.

Children can also help make snow globes in watertight recycled jars. Instructions are easy to find online, and several snow globes displayed together on a table or mantel make a winter wonderland.