1. give with intention.
We challenge you to not just give for the sake of giving stuff, or because you are enticed by the merchandising or the brilliant price point in store windows. As Dora the Explorer says “stop and think”. Give to fewer people with more intention. Put more thought and energy into buying items and focus on giving quality.

2. spread the green around you.
Local, handmade, and artisan make timeless, unique gifts that keep the green in your community and strengthen the local economy. Or even better redistribute your wealth. Instead of traditional gift giving support a local non-profit that is making a difference in your local community. Tell your friends and family what you’ve done.

3. creative wrapping. don’t look for the silver lining.
Don’t kill the messenger. Use your vivid imagination and have fun with creating green wrapping – from the classic newspaper comics & magazine pages to silk scarves, cloth bags, storage containers, cereal boxes, kid’s painting, or even star shaped potato stamps pressed on post paper – really the sky is the limit. Start thinking about it now and set aside supplies (this will prevent you from resorting to the cheap, and not so cheerful solution). Use it as a good excuse to break out some cheer and have some quality bonding time.
At all costs avoid the silver lined gift paper – it can’t be recycled! If you must buy wrapping paper look for 100% post-consumer waste content that is processed chlorine-free.

4. give your time. being present is the best present.
Celebrate with the ones you love. Limit your party hoping, and plan to invest quantity of time with quality people. It seems simple, but as you get caught up in the craziness of the season it easy to over look, over book, feel frazzled, and not enjoy yourself.

5. celebrate what’s on the table.
Creative menu planning with food that shows taste and respect for your guest creates a memorable meal that is cause enough for good conversation. Focus on quality ingredients that are local, artisan, organic, fairly traded, homemade, and minimally processed. As for centerpieces, glass bowls full of cranberries, and citrus are festive and will live another day. Invest in beeswax (or soy) candles with all-cotton wicks, they burn cleaner and smell divine. And for the star of the show, we highly recommend Organa Farm birds raised with care in the Cascade Mountains by the Deschamp family. If you want to skip the dishes, use biodegradable cutlery, plates, and re-useable cloth napkins.

Green Gift resources worth checking out:

My favourite:
Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Others:
we’re dreaming of a green christmas
when visions of quince and hazelnuts dance in your head – Bill Jones
8 green ways to wrap gifts
20+ Ways to Give Without Giving “Stuff”

Giving

Treehugger 2008 Green gift guide

Sustainable Food Organization Membership:
Vancouver’s FarmFolk/CityFolk Society sells $30 memberships ($15 student/senior) that include a quarterly newsletter, voting rights so you can influence how the organization runs, discounts at events like the harvest celebration Feast of Fields, and access to a community of like-minded people who want to make the world better through food.

In his forthcoming book now released book, Almost Green, James Glave tells the story of building a green studio in the front yard – and changing his life forever.

Recording at James Glave’s eco-shed on Bowen Island.

The book will be published in the fall of 2008 by Skyhorse Publishing in the US, and by Greystone Books in Canada.

Read more about James Glave on his web site, www.glave.com

Robert’s notes…

I’ve known James since the mid-90′s. We both fumbled our way onto the then new world wide web – he was with Vancouver Magazine and I was with CBC Vancouver.

I always looked forward to seeing a new magazine article by James – they were smart, witty and superbly crafted. He brought the same high quality to his online work; it stood out then, and it stands out now.

When he left Vancouver for San Francisco and Wired News in 1997, many of us were envious of his determination to carve out a living ‘on the internet’. He became a regular guest speaker at the Simon Fraser University summer web publishing courses, and he regaled us with news from the front lines of life in Silicon Valley.

I’m glad James is back in Vancouver – and thrilled to see him bringing outstanding journalism and his determined voice to stories about the environment and sustainability.

While we wait for his book to come out – do check out his mini-book Buck The System on his web site – add your contribution to his PayPal fund – and enjoy the articles he’s distributing online.