Put your presents where your politics are

This year, I plan to make all the stocking stuffers if nothing else…

Here are some ideas:
Photo magnets and thumbtacks (see MS Living Jan 2008)
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/personalized-magnets-and-tins
http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=bcfba47ea0bc6110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

Travel accessories for the ladies (shoes bags, jewelry rolls, emergency sewing kit)

*Those purse organizers like pursekit
(maybe along with a bought gift such as Hold-It Portable Purse Hanger)

Now that I’m close to done with Grad school I should have more time to do thoughtful gifts.

but I did do it. Mostly home-made but local businesses when I bought things, mostly organic or environmentally-friendly materials, mostly the way I’d like the world to work.

I’ll try again next Holiday season and anytime I have a gift to give, but it’s off my list for now.

Found an uber-simple recipe, actually on an animal shelter website! It suggested making them for community service credit, or for scout badges, etc. What a cool idea!!

Well, I made them just for fun! And this way I got to play with cookie cutters without adding a whole batch of cookies to my holiday treat intake. A bag for Meg’s Emmett, a bag for Doug’s Scoober Doom, and the rest for my beloved Humane Society of Chittenden County!!

Peanut Butter Dog Cookies
4 c whole wheat flour
2 c oatmeal
1/2 c peanut butter
2 c warm water

Mix together with your hands, roll out to 1/4” and use cookies cutters or just cut with a knife. Bake on greased cookie sheet for 40min at 350, flipping the cookies at 20min.

Okay, so I kind of made up a recipe after reading a bunch online.
I just melted together lard and peanut butter in a double boiler, then mixed in the seeds until it looked good. I did one in the star cookie cutter, and two bells. I already popped a bell out of the mold, looks pretty good! The mixture was a lot more fluid than I expected. I ended up just leaving the straw in them to chill to make the hole. Tonight I’ll remove the star and decide how to attach hanging ribbons. I’m considering making a wire frame for at least the star…we’ll see. So far, fun and painless!

Heifer International got a huge chunk of my shopping this year.
Mom gets a flock of chicks,
Dad gets ducks,
Trio of bunnies for Meg,
A goat for Dan.
Through Oxfam, Lesa gets a pair of school uniforms.

My parents and I are traveling this spring to my cousin’s wedding. I bought carbon offsets for the three of us for each part of the trip.

Started my beaded-wire snowflake ornaments last night, harder than I anticipated!!

Planning to make my crazy birdfeeder project tonight. Wish me luck, pretty sure I’ll need it!!

So last year I was all excited when I found beautiful recycled wrapping paper. This year for my parents, sister, and BFF, I’m going to use fabric. I’ve got DRAWERS full of it! And I won’t even cut it, I’ll use pieces that are the right size to begin with. Then I’ll just take it back once the gift is unwrapped!!

I followed from the “make a smaller ecological footprint” goal, because this is already a personal goal. I’m trying to make all my holiday gifts, although I don’t think that I can make 100% of them, so what I can’t make will fall under the larger umbrella of this category.

Thanks for the idea!

Off to a good start – got inspired by the snowflake ornament bird feeders at Gardener’s Supply, attempting to come up with a recipe to make them myself!

JOIN ME IN THIS GOAL!!!

What a great day, filled with fair trade, locally-made, or personally handmade gifts all around!

So in addition to GIVING sustainable presents, I also made sure MY list was full of them! I got a low-flow shower head, faucet aerator, draft dodger, and weather stripping!! In addition, my parents got hip to the “have yourself a local little christmas” vibe, filling my stocking with Littleton Grist Mill organic granola, locally-made hand cream and lip balm, and clothing from socially responsible companies.

I’m so pleased with my efforts this year, little as they are.