Musings about an eco-chic lifestyle from Tread Light Gifts

Plastic packing peanuts can be really annoying.  They get all over the house.  And because they are not made of biodegradable materials, you are often left with the burden of finding a new home for them or worse throwing them out.  In a dream world, companies would only use biodegradable packing peanuts that are made of of corn and can be re-used, composted or simply disposed of by dissolving it in a sink or bath tub.  But until then, The Plastic Loose Fill Council is helping companies and consumers find a new life for those annoying buggers

The Plastic Loose Fill Council (PLFC) was founded in 1991 to develop, promote and implement the original use and subsequent recovery, reuse and recycling of polystyrene loose fill, commonly known as “packing peanuts.” The Council operates the Peanut Hotline, the national reuse program for plastic loose fill. The Peanut Hotline and web site let consumers find places in their neighborhood that will take your old plastic packing peanuts and reuse them. It’s amazing that there are over 1500 collections sites in the US.  We found four drop-off points within 5 minutes of our office.

As you are unwrapping all your Valentine’s Day gifts this year, please consider giving your packing peanuts to a local company to reuse. You will save them money and help keep waste out of the land fills.

Recycle your packing peanuts TODAY!

How will you show your love this Valentine’s Day?  Here’s our handpicked list of eco and budget friendly gifts that will impress. All items are available at Tread Light Gifts

Plantable Eco-Valentine Day Cards:Ten eco-friendly Valentine’s Day cards are packaged with 10 plantable wildflower seed embedded hearts that grow wildflowers when the heart is planted.  What a great card alternative for your child’s classmates!

Flip & Tumble 24-7 Bag - Berrydots: This stylish shopping bag get around the problem of remembering the bags because they are small enough to simply live in your purse or messenger bag all the time. The elastic pouch design makes it a snap to convert the bag into a small ball quickly.

TikoSoy Candle: Escape to a luxurious spa in your own house. If you are after an awe-inspiring aromatic experience, look no further than these hand-poured soy candle made with 100% natural wax and containing no paraffin.

Garden Bon-Bons: This line of garden truffles is for planting, not for eating. Handcrafted bon bon balls of clay, organic compost and seed wrapped in a lovely presentation package. They are a perfect gift for novice and expert gardener alike.

thinknow Bouquet Earrings - The thinknow jewelry line is made from 100% natural materials and water-based adhesives. All wood products are sourced from managed growth forests, and sealed with beeswax and linseed oil.

As you may know by now, we are big fans of Corey and Lynn from Celebrate Green. These women have amazing ideas on how we can “green” all our holiday celebrations. This month, Corey and Lynn share with us some simple ideas to implement today that will send you on your way to creating celebrations that are better for the planet and people. An added bonus? You’re likely to save a bunch of cash as well.

1. Plan.

• Take advantage of the new year to get a calendar and fill in the dates for every event you think you’ll celebrate this year. Include birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, weddings, graduations, family reunions, even office parties, then add every holiday you celebrate in any way big or small.
• Now make a list of items you’ll need, i.e. tableware, decor, gifts, food etc.
• Check off what you already own. Then list what you need to beg, borrow, exchange or purchase.
• Print out the list (on recycled paper of course) or put it in your phone, PDA or calendar you carry with you.
• When you’re at the thrift store or a garage sale, or see a great local sale, check the item off your list. Or, if you’re into setting up an exchange, one month before the event on your calendar, add in a date for a neighborhood get together to trade costumes, decor, plates or anything else you come up with.

2. Throw no-waste celebrations. No waste doesn’t mean no trash (unfortunately). It means that everything purchased around a celebration can be recycled, composted or reused. Planning ahead (see tip #1) helps a lot.

Here are a few ideas to make it easier still:

• Be sure to have labeled bins available.
• Ask guests to bring unwrapped gifts, then hide them (the gifts, not the guests) and have the recipient hunt for them
• Collect glass jars, decorate them if you like and have them available for guests to take home leftovers
• Resist purchasing throw away decor–plates, cups, tablecloths etc.–no matter how cute or how well they match your theme

3. Make gifts and decor from items you already own, can collect, trade with friends or re-purpose. Before throwing anything away, ask yourself whether it can be turned into a gift or decor item. Once you start looking at “trash” this way, you’ll be amazed how often the answer will be, “Yes!”

Did you know that an extra 25 MILLION tons of garbage will be generated this holiday season? That’s a 25% increase in a mere six-week period.  You can do your part in reducing the waste by wrapping your gifts in decorated newspapers, craft paper, or paper bags.  Other great alternatives include using reusable bags, boxes, and containers. If you still really want to use gift wrap, try to find ones made of recycled materials with no foil or glitter embellishments.

The Gift Whisperer is in the house and ready to share all her gifting secrets with you. Ever wonder how much to spend on a gift, what are appropriate gifts for the people on your list, or even basics such as shipping or wrapping? The Gift Whisperer has all the answers for you.

Get ready to learn, laugh, and be inspired. If you have a question for the Gift Whisperer, please leave a comment and we will make sure to get it answered

We have sorted through 100’s of web sites and blogs to find the best information on living an eco-friendly lifestyle.  Here are our picks for ways to have an eco-friendly Thanksgiving.

Go Green: Thanksgiving Day - If you are looking for a good and simple starting point for ways to green your Thanksgiving, this guide by  Treehugger, a online magazine by the Discovery company, will be handy.

5 “100 Mile Thanksgiving” Menus for 5 U.S. Regions - The Daily Green has put together these menus to help you prepare a Thanksgiving dinner using foods from within 100 miles of where you live. Unsure of your 100 mile circle, visit 100 Mile where you can punch in your zip code to map out your local 100-mile circle.

Don’t eat turkey, try some of these scrumptious meatless Thanksgiving menus: Food Network, Gourmet Magazine (R.I.P.), Food & Style -A vegetarian Thanksgiving feast: 5-course seasonal menu with wine pairing and game plan!

Decorate an eco-friendly Thanksgiving dinner table - This Thanksgiving, The Green Your Guide shows us how to ditch the petroleum-based plastic and synthetic decorations and adorn your table with natural and homemade festive decor.

Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving flowers and treats - We suggest trying your local farmer’s market for flowers and other decorations.  If you do’t have accessibility to local markets, this article highlights some amazing organic flowers that can be delivered to your house.

Each November, we gather together to celebrate Thanksgiving - a holiday of thankfulness and gut-busting meals.  In November,  I also celebrate my birthday.  This year, I am thankful for my friends, family, customers, and loyal followers/fans on Facebook, Twitter, and blog.  To show my thanks, I’m giving away to one lucky person a $36 gift certificate to use at Tread Light Gifts.  For me, 36 years of love and laughter.  For the winner, $36 towards your holiday shopping.

Entering to win is a cinch.  Simply answer the following question in the comments of this blog post.

What is the most thoughtful gift you have ever received?

Good Luck.  Deadline to enter is November 20th at 5pm P.S.T.

Simple, Elegant, and Sustainable.  These words design the new line of jewelry by thinknow newly available in our store, Tread Light Gifts .

We meet the designer of this fabulous jewelry line, Becky Ellis, over the summer and were blown away by the simplicity and beauty of her creations.  When designing the jewelry, Becky sets out to create pieces that fit into 4 core values:

• Have we created a simply elegant product that is unique and beautiful?
• Is this product as green, recycled, rapidly renewable, and harmless to the environment as possible?
• Is each design special enough, different enough, and unprecedented in a wide world of international fashion?
• Have we captured the essence of simple materials and cultural patterns in such a way that is attractive, inspiring, and even innovative?

We are honored to join over 30 Seattle, mom-owned businesses on Saturday November 7th for the Northwest Enterprising Moms Fall Event.  There will be over $2000 of vendor give-aways, free massages, plus a children’s area for art and face painting. Best part of all - the event is FREE.

We plan to give away one of these adorable Scout, the Cloud Idbid, Eco-friendly Starter Kits.

Come and you could win this and more!

Saturday November 7th, 2009
11 am - 4 pm
Magnolia Community Center
2550 34th Ave W
Seattle, WA 98199

Halloween should be fun, but every year it gets scarier–for parents and the planet. From the discovery of lead in fake teeth and candy, to chemicals in costumes, to the garbage left in the holiday’s wake, it’s a wonder more of us haven’t given up the festivities and spent October 31 watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

The good news is, there are loads of child- and earth-friendly alternatives to the usual Halloween fare.

The most important point when planning to green up any holiday or celebration, especially those involving children, is to get their “buy-in.” And of course, your approach makes all the difference. Telling kids, “We’re going green this Halloween–that means, no candy,” isn’t helpful. What can be is a discussion about the challenges that Halloween brings. Obviously, what you say (or don’t), depends on the age of your children. But helping them to see the wider ramifications of their actions can help make transitioning to healthier choices more appealing or at least understandable.

Many kids are learning about eco-issues in school. They often want to do something about them, but need guidance on where to begin. Talking to them about the excess and waste associated with Halloween (and all holidays and celebrations) and discussing how they can make a difference, may spark their altruism and inspire them to act in positive ways.

A great way to start a discussion is to list each aspect of Halloween (costumes, treats, decor and activities), and brainstorm child- and earth-friendly choices to what you’ve done in the past. Then, encourage your kids to choose one or two of the ideas to implement this year. After Halloween, talk about what worked, what didn’t and what you’ll do next year.

Costumes

In the “olden days,” (the eighties?), many kids made their costumes, often with help from parents. Making the costume was actually an enjoyable, bonding activity. Today, millions of people spend millions of dollars on costumes that are made from non-sustainable materials (like petroleum), that are worn once, then discarded.

But there are earth-friendlier alternatives. If you usually buy costumes, consider:

• Making them. Kids are incredibly gifted and creative when we encourage them. There are almost no costumes that cannot be handmade. If your children are stuck on turning a popular TV or movie character into a costume, brainstorm how you can make it happen with items you already own or can get at no cost by borrowing or making. Be sure to check online for ideas.
• Purchasing costumes made from more eco-friendly materials or at least not from plastics. Choose cotton, organic cotton, silk or hemp, for instance. Unfortunately, these alternatives are not yet widely available, but if you’re interested in them, ask local stores to consider carrying them next year. And check at the end of this post for some great online sources.
• Trading them. Arrange a costume swap with neighbors, check online at swap sites like Green Halloween, or see if you can interest a local child-focused organization in sponsoring a swap.

When Halloween is over, don’t throw costumes away. Save them, dismantle and hold on to the “parts,” trade or take them to a thrift store.

Treats and treasures

Halloween may be all about the treats, but happily, there are great alternatives that kids, when given the option, will happily embrace. You can’t do much about the sweets your children receive on their foray around the neighborhood (although you can have the “Halloween Fairy” replace the confections with a wonderful gift when the children are brushing their teeth…shhhh…), but when it comes to what your family hands out, planning ahead so that you are not making a last-minute dash to the grocery store, will help you avoid limiting choices to what’s on the shelves at the moment.

If you have a local natural foods store, check out their offerings. Take your kids along and choose a few items to sample if you don’t normally shop there. Honey sticks are a favorite and are very inexpensive (never give honey to children under age 2). Many natural food companies make small “bars” in flavors kids love like peanut butter and chocolate. Assuming you have the time to order online, check out www.GreenHalloween.org for dozens of alternatives.

One issue that often comes up when discussing organic or green choices is cost. While it is true that many healthier items cost more, there is a simple solution. Instead of handing out fistfuls (or allowing kids to take as much as they want, which has become the norm), try this: Fill a bowl with a variety of great choices, whether sweets or “treasures” like sparkly stones, feathers (yes, kids love these), hair decorations, temporary tatoos, stickers etc. Cover the bowl with a cloth. When children come to the door, get down to their level and whisper, “At our house, we have some very, very special treats and treasures. You may now choose your favorite.” Then with a flourish, whip off the cloth and let them sift. Compliment them on their choice afterwards.

If you’re not yet ready to totally embrace greener treats and treasures you can still help cut down on expense and waste by choosing one of these options:

• Put out two bowls, one with conventional candy, the other with “treasures.” Let kids choose one item from either bowl.
• Hand children whatever you are giving them. Do not allow them to take as much as they want.
• Let older children know that unwrapped candy can be composted.

Whatever you do this Halloween, taking time to plan and implement will make the holiday a lot less spooky!

Photos Copyright Holli Dunn, www.HolliDunn.com

Thanks Lynn and Corey for sharing with us! Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, available at www.CelebrateGreen.net