For holiday shoppers who like to plan a bit ahead of time and give a gift that could make the difference in someone’s life, here are ten holiday gift ideas that help others and the environment.
Give the Gift of Your Time
One of the nicest things a loved one can give is the gift of their time, whether that means as a babysitter, errand runner, shuttle driver or something else equally helpful. This is an especially wonderful gift for someone who is ill or older. Give the gift of time by reading to them or making a meal.
Give the Gift of Service
One of the easiest gifts to give is personal hand-crafted gift cards redeemable for things like a manicure or pedicure, back or foot massage, home-cooked meal, house cleaning or some other service a friend or loved one might appreciate.
Give an Activity Gift Certificate
While the standard gift cards generally come from local department or grocery stores, this is the year to consider giving something a little different. A gift certificate to a special class at a local school, the movies or theater, or a sporting event is a nice change of pace.
Give Gifts from Recycled Materials
One of the best ways to promote sustainability is by making or buying gifts made from recycled materials. Consider giving and using handmade paper products like stationery or holiday cards. Check out your neighborhood or the internet for stores that sell goods made from recycled materials.
Give Gifts that are Recycled
Not necessarily a gift made from recycled materials and definitely not Aunt Ellie’s fruit cake that just arrived by express mail yesterday, but something that was purchased at a flea market, yard sale, estate sale or second-hand store. Lots of people have collections to add to, so a special token found in some dusty corner of an antique store might be just the ticket.
Give Homemade/Handmade Gifts
Nothing says lovin’ like something from the oven! Homemade gifts for the holidays are the best. Bake, sew, paint, craft or whatever. Make up a batch of cookies and fudge or create a photo album, scrapbook, family DVD or memory box. Better yet, how about creating something from baker’s clay?
Give a Gift that is Living
While it is not outlandish to give someone who is very close to a pet – rescue the little feller from the local pound — a nice flower or potted plant might be a better choice. You might want to consider giving a selection of flower or vegetable seeds, bulbs to plant in the spring or a hummingbird feeder – just add sugar water.
Give a Donation in Someone’s Name
If friends and family are particularly devoted to a certain charity, making a donation in their name might be the right idea. Otherwise there are a lot of worthy organizations to choose from environmental or otherwise.
Be Sure to Shop Locally
There are so many local merchants that offer services that friends and family can utilize that it may be difficult to settle on just one. Shop locally and eliminate the middleman, reduce transportation costs and help the local economy, all of which helps shoppers and the environment. Plus local businesses typically return an average of 80 percent of each dollar spent back to the community.
Use and Give Eco-Bags or Shopping
Want to give the gift that keeps on giving? Give canvas shopping bags available in small sizes at many grocery stores and help friends and family eliminate the use of plastic shopping bags. Or choose larger bags from the local craft store that can be used for lots of different occasions.
The whole idea is to find new and different ways to make the holiday season people- and earth-friendly.