The Washington, DC City Guide
Eco-Decorating: More than Your Tree Should be Green
When it comes to decorating for the holidays, green decor means more than hanging a pine wreath on the door. To start, research organic Christmas tree farms in your area by logging on to GreenPromise.com or LocalHarvest.com, both of which feature farm directories by zip code. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, there are 25-30 million real Christmas trees sold in the U.S. every year, which means buying organically-grown trees is crucial in terms of reducing the amount of pesticides released into the atmosphere. Buying a live tree that can be replanted in your back yard is the best choice, but if you choose a cut tree be sure to recycle your tree responsibly. Many towns will chip trees to be used as mulch. Check earth911.com to find a recycling location near you.
To decorate your tree use LED lights, which consume significantly less energy than regular lights and last years longer. HolidayLEDS has a large selection in a variety of bulb shapes and sizes. And choose eco-friendly ornanments made from recycled materials. We love the christmas tree ornament ($12) made from recycled magazines from New Leaf Project, the angel ornament ($12) made from a recycled soda can from Ten Thousand Villages, recycled glass balls ($9 each) from One World Projects and these pretty recycled glass infused pottery ornaments ($7.50) from Paloma Pottery.
To decorate other areas of your home, check out the Organic Herb Wreath ($39.99) that you can eat after the holidays (talk about recycling!) and these amber and red recycled glass pebbles from Crate & Barrel, that can be used at the bottom of a vase, to dress up a candle holder or to add some bling to your holiday table, for under $10. We also love the Eco-Friendly Modern Menorah ($85) from Eco-Artware and these Fair Trade Menorah candles.
Recycled Wrapping and Compostable Cards
Wasted wrapping paper is not only one of Zem’s pet peeves, it is one of the more egregious eco sins committed around the holidays. If you must wrap (and we know most of you will) use biodegradable wrapping paper from the Green Event Shop. At $14 per roll, it is a bit more expensive than the average roll of holiday wrap but it is also prettier and will break down in your compost bin rather than landing in a landfill. Or, consider 100 percent recycled wrapping paper from Peaceful Valley Greetings, which comes in lots of pretty prints for the holidays and other occasions. The paper costs under $6 for two 20 x 26 inch sheets and two gift tags.
Holidays cards are another culprit, which is why we love the personalized cards from Minted (about $120 for 50 cards) and Night Owl Paper Goods ($2.25 per card), both of which are printed on 100 percent recycled FSC-certified paper. Or check out the line of hemp cards from Pristine Planet, which are printed using soy-based inks and can be recycled by planting them in the garden.
Or skip snail mail altogether and send an e-card from Mokugift.com, where for $1 you can send an electronic holiday greeting that funds the planting of a real tree through Sustainable Harvest.
Sustainable Stocking Stuffers
Stocking stuffers should not be an afterthought, especially when it comes to packing them with environmentally-friendly products. Natural beauty products are a natural fit, small and wonderful as most are. We like Juice Beauty’s Tinted Moisturizer ($29), which combines chemical-free, SPF 30 sun protection with certified organic white grape and pomegranate juices, vitamin antioxidants, and essential nutrients for maximum moisture, sheer coverage, and enough protection to keep your complexion juicy and beautiful. Or, make your princess even prettier by slipping a bottle of Priti nail polish in her stocking. The nail polishes, which retail for $12, are all free of toluene, formaldehyde, DPBs and other nasty chemicals found in other polishes.
Give your gift list some juice by adding a battery charger, which retail for about $11 and a pack of rechargeable batteries, for under $12. It is a great gift for almost anyone, considering the average person throws out at least eight household batteries per year, according to Environment, Health & Safety Online. Batteries contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel, which can contaminate the environment when batteries are improperly disposed of.
And for kids, pick up a mini-tube of Eco-Dough, an eco-alternative to Play-Doh, which is made with plant, fruit and veggie extracts and no chemicals, artificial dyes or metals. The containers are made from cornstarch and are 100 percent compostable. Also it doesn’t dry out like name brands. If it’s left out overnight just add a few drops of olive oil and it comes right back! For Hanukah, replace your traditional chocolate coins for an organic version from the Natural Candy Store. Or, if they were naughty this year instead of nice, slip some Soy Crayon Rocks ($7.50) into their stockings instead of coal.
And don’t forget the stocking stuffer staple, organic socks. We like these from EcoBodyWear, which come in a 3-pack for $16.49.
The Bah Hum Zum’s holiday ornament is made entirely of goat’s milk soap and makes a great holiday novelty. For only $6, the peppermint soap with a hint of almond oil can be hung on the tree or in your bath. Beware, it could inspire a shower rendition of “Jingle Bells.”
Gifts of the Next Generation of Green
If your teen insists on green (and we hope the next generation will!) and you are stumped as to how to meet her strict standards, look no further. We dig these Elf Earrings ($12) made from recycled soda cans and wire by Kenyan artisans from Ten Thousand Villages. Or this super cool Galaxy’s Sleeves skateboard from Comet Skateboard, which is made using sustainable bamboo and retails for $200.
If fashion is your teen’s cup of tea, check out this organic cotton Branch Tee from Mossimo (under $8), or the I’m Tired bracelet from a company that makes its jewelry from recycled tires and will donate 50 percent of the cost of the bracelet to the charity of your choice. And since gift giving is a great way to introduce a young person to a new healthy habit, slip a Nutcracker Sweet Collectible Lip Balm Set from Anti-Body for under $8 into her stocking, an all natural product that will make her feel beautiful without the harmful chemicals.
For little girls, we fell in love with this dollhouse, made of 100 percent biodegradable recycled cardboard from Oompa Toys (under $20). For the fancy little girl, give the Weston dress from Loyale Clothing, the only thing that might make your princess even prettier. Made of 100 percent organic cotton, this fabulous frock retails for $110.
For the Rockstar
Whether you have a husband whose guitar skills rival those of Eric Clapton, or teenager whose mission it is to blow out your ear drums, the gift of music is one that will keep on giving (whether you like it or not). Check out the Bambuza guitar from First Act (about $400), which is constructed entirely of bamboo with a water-based finish, making it as eco-friendly as it is cool. And for the front man in your life - or the karaoke enthusiast, as the case may be - pick up Vocal E-Z Throat Spray ($10.99), an all natural spray which is guaranteed to keep the pipes in tiptop shape. Or, for the armchair rock star, pick up an iTunes gift card, a smart way to cut down on Christmas waste by eliminating the plastic wrap those CDs come in.
For the Green Thumb
What could be greener than gardening? Organic gardening, that’s what! For the person in your who life can’t get enough time in the dirt, a copy of Rodale’s All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (under $15 on Amazon.com) is the perfect reference, especially with a gift certificate from One Green World, a nursery that has pledged to be a model of sustainability in the world of nurseries, tucked inside. And for bug bites and other mishaps that befall those whose passions bring them outside, pick up Burt’s Bees Great Outdoors gift set for $15.99, which is packed with natural bug repellant along with salves to heal every outdoor woe.
A Fresh Face in the New Year
Alabaster complexions don’t grow on trees, which is why skin care is such an important part of a woman’s life. Pamper your lady (or yourself) with one of Zem’s personal favorite’s, the Terralina Skincare gift set for $100, which includes a cleanser, toner and facial moisturizer, as well as full- and travel-sized body lotions. Zem also recommends Duchess Marden’s darling skin care travel set for about $25, which is perfect for skin care on the fly. The set contains the company’s most popular products, Pure Rose Water, Foaming Cleanser and Face Crème, and will keep skin looking fresh in any time zone.
If a friend’s resolution for 2009 is to use only eco-friendly cosmetics, start her off with Jane Iredale’s Lip Crayons. The set of five pencils line and color lips, or in a pinch can be used to add color to cheeks. The pencils, which retail for $55, are paraben-free and never tested on animals.
For Those Who Like to be Showered (with Gifts)
Sometimes locking yourself in the bathroom is the only way to get some time alone, so why not make the time sequestered in the powder room a little bit more luxurious? There are a slew of decadent products for the bath and shower that are all natural and make amazing gifts. We love the organic Lavender Spa Set from Pharmacopia for about $40, which includes bath salts, body lotion, lavender body oil and a clean burning soy candle, all in a decorative, reusable, Fair-Trade certified, handwoven grass basket. As if that wasn’t enough, all orders over $25 will receive the company’s lip elixir free of change. Or check out Shea Terra’s Bourbon Vanilla Indigenous Shea Butter body set for $48, which includes a Silk & Shea Body Lotion, the Silk & Shea Shower Elixir and a Shea Butter Dead Sea Salt Scrub in a handmade sinimay bag. Plus, if you order now the company will include a 3.5 ounce Divine Chocolate bar with your order, which may be the only thing to keep you from sampling your shower gel.
For guys, the Pangea “Harmony” holiday gift set, which retails for $35, might be just the ticket. In gender-neutral scents like white pine and Indian green tea, the soaps, shower gels and lotions will inspire him to create his own skin care regimen. Looking for a fantastic gift for those whose idea of heaven is a tub full of suds? Pick up EO’s Bubble Bubble gift set, for about $35, which is packed with three bottles of the company’s certified organic bubble bath and two envelopes of its bath salts, to transport you to relaxation in a way that Calgon never could.
While you are at it, why not redecorate your little sanctuary a little bit with an organic shower curtain ($49) and bath mat ($29) from West Elm, and an organic cotton monogrammed bathrobe ($99, plus $6.50 for monogramming) from Pottery Barn.
For the Eco-Athlete & Fitness Freak
Athletic gear is finally hitting its stride in sustainability and with the holidays upon us it is just in a nick of time. For the athletic boys and men in your life, an eco-certified, vegan basketball from Fair Trade Sports for under $20 and Ethletic high top sneakers from Autonomie Project ($56) - made of organic cotton canvas and an FSC-certified sole - are sure to inspire a little one-on-one out in the driveway. For the female athlete, we suggest the Bamboo Zip-up iPod Jacket from Omala, made of 100 percent bamboo and featuring a hidden spot for her iPod on the front of the jacket ($78), or the Natural Yoga Mat from Prana, which retails for $48, is biodegradable and made with absolutely nothing toxic.
And to keep all the athletes in your life healthy and hydrated, pick up a Kleen Kanteen bottle for $18. The bottle is made of 100 percent recyclable, high-quality, food grade stainless steel, which means it is completely BPA-free and won’t leach chemicals, toxins, or funky flavors into your water, unlike some plastic water bottles. The company also makes some cool accessories, like the Bike Cage for $6.95, which clips onto a bicycle for H2O on the go.
For the Babe that Craves Bling
Has your lady been a very good girl? If so, reward her with some sustainable baubles this year. We like the Shoot Ring from Bario-Neal, a Philadelphia-based company that uses only reclaimed precious metals, ethically-sourced stones and low-impact, environmentally conscious practices. Plus, 1 percent of the $141 price tag will be donated to the Association for Responsible Mining.
Our hearts also went aflutter for the 3 Circle Flower Earrings from Alkemie, which forges all of its jewelry from 100 percent reclaimed metals. A pair costs $121. Another item she’d love to find under the tree is the Choco pendant from Brilliant Earth. Feminine without being fussy, the two-sided pendant is made from one of the first truly fair trade sources of gold from Oro Verde, responsibly harvested from cooperatives in the Choco region in Colombia, South America. It is adorned on one side with a pre-Colombian petroglyph pattern, while the other side glimmers with a rough-hewn hand-hammered finish, giving two looks for the price of one. The necklace retails for $425.
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