Reflecting on 2010

Hard to believe we are at the end of 2010!  Seems like yesterday we were all wondering about Y2K at this time!

Before your write down your New Year’s Resolutions or goals for 2011, reflect on this year. What went well?  What didn’t?  What is really important to you?  I suggest examining your actions; many times we say something is the priority, but our actions do not reflect that.

What do you really want in the coming year?  Be clear. Once you have in mind what you want, write it down. Also, take a look at your environment.  Does it reflect your priorities?

Wishing everyone a fantastic start to 2011~

Post Holiday: Organizing your Decorations

While your packing up your decorations for the year,  save yourself some time and stress by organizing them now!

Take all your decorations and place in one area.  Be sure to include anything that is stored but you didn’t use this year.  By putting everything in one area, you will really SEE EVERYTHING you have! Many times people underestimate what they own.

Separate all of your decorations into categories that make the most sense to you: ornaments, lights, stockings. etc. Hint: you might want to do by how you are most likely to retrieve something. Next go through everything once and then again asking yourself “Do I love it and does it fits with who I am?”

Once you have gone though you can decide what you would like to donate or sell.

Pack decorations into containers. I am a huge fan of repurposing empty wine cases to store ornaments.  Label everything.  I suggest making a master inventory list so you don’t have to go through boxes every year. Store in one area.

Donate items to charity and sell the rest.

Try and bring some eco-friendly and green decorations into your celebration next year:  look to the natural world for a source of inexpensive decorations: Gold-tipped pine cones into bowls, pine garlands, dried apple wreaths, etc. are beautiful!  Also, look around your home to see what you can repurpose to store your decorations!

Organizing holiday feasts!

When I lived in Los Angeles I had an annual holiday dessert party where I would make about 15 desserts from scratch.  I learned the hard way that I needed to be organized to save me time, money and stress!  Trust me, there is nothing worse than being in the middle of a baking marathon and discover you don’t have an ingredient!

Spending some time now will save multiple trips to the grocery store later. Just ask my father who in one month went to Kroger’s for my mother 28 times!

First, plan all your menus for your parties, dinners, any baking you are doing, etc.  Go through every recipe and create a master list of all ingredients you will need with the amount.  (If this is something you do annually create a master ingredient list on your computer; also a good idea for grocery list).  Add up everything and have one list for the store.

Remember to shop when the stores are least likely to be busy when you won’t feel rushed.  Figure out what can be prepared ahead of an event.

The ingredients for the average U.S. meal have traveled 1,200 miles by the time they reach the plate. This travel requires oil for transport and refrigeration. Buying locally grown food tastes better, too. Choosing food that is in season and isn’t flown in saves energy. When you shop at farmers’ markets, you support small farms and organic food reduces toxic pesticides.

Raleigh has many great places to choose from: Whole Foods, Harmony Farms, Earth Fare, and the State Farmers Market.

Organzing Your Wrapping/Green Ideas

Still need to wrap?  Here are some suggestions:

Instead of getting all different kinds of wrapping paper for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, etc. consider getting butcher block paper that you can dress up with bows, artwork, etc.;

create  your  signature color (purple should stand out at every event!): or simply choose three colors such as silver, white and red that you can mix and match for the occasion.

When wrapping gifts consider assigning one color for each group of people to make mix ups less likely and easier for you to organize.  Immediate family could be white; co-workers could be red; cousins silver, etc.

Some eco-friendly options instead of wrapping paper include: using newspaper (foreign & comics are good choices); old maps; reusing paper from last year (simply set an iron on low and smooth); leftover fabric; old calendars, catalogs, magazines; jars and other resusable items such as a cake pan.  Have fun getting creative!

Look for non-paper  (http://www.islandnet.com/~ecodette/ecosource.htm)  and high post consumer content ( http://www.endoprint.com/wrapping-paper-s/3.htm&click=16 and   http://www.greenraising.com/Recycled-Gift-Wrap-C12.aspx ) as this closes the loop. Also check out reusable wrapsacks:  http://wrapsacks.com/

Remember to reuse bows; my mother has been doing this since I was a child and they last several gifts.  I also like to use the clear containers curtains come in to keep ribbons.

Organize Your Holiday Shopping

When I posted on Facebook I had only one gift left to buy I was bombarded by jealous, stressed out and overwhelmed friends! With the days counting down many people are more frantic than ever.  Here are some tips to make shopping more efficient!

When your gift list is completed, is there one place the majority of gifts can be found?

List stores in geographical order to make as few trips as possible.   Group trips.  Have a clear plan so you don’t make several trips to the store.

Carry your list with you on all errands.  Maybe you  discover a gift you need.

Record each purchase and price beneath the recipient’s name.  Keep a running total of money spent to stay within your budget.

The internet saves time, money and resources.    Most e-commerce warehouses use 1/16th of the energy used to operate retail stores. And even overnight air shipping uses 40% less fuel than the average car trip to the store.

If you are travelling for the holidays you can have gifts shipped directly to your destination. Not only do you save time by avoiding long lines and packed parking lots, but you can comparison shop and save money too!

Eco friendly gifts

Think about giving one meaningful gift (or asking for one!)  rather than focusing on the number of gifts given and urge others to do the same.  The less stuff you give/get, the less you/others have to organize! Or give an experience (a class, a ticket to a sporting event, free babysitting services, etc.) instead.

Here are some great sources for eco-friendly gifts:

http://worldofgood.ebay.com/

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

http://www.uncommongoods.com/

http://ecofriendlygifts.com/

http://www.eco-artware.com/

http://www.findgift.com/Categories/Eco-Friendly

http://www.gifts.com/ideas/eco-friendly

In Raleigh, check out Calm & Sense on Glenwood Avenue, www.calmandsense.biz, Belize and Ten Thousand Villages in Cameron Village.

Holiday Lights for Less!

Watch your bills flatline and help the environment!

We  use an extraordinary amount of additional electricity during the holidays.  A 2003 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy determined that Americans consume about 2220 GWh of electricity each holiday season by using standard incandescent holiday lights -which is equivalent to all the energy used by Angola in one year.  The study concluded that a mere 20% switch by American households to LED Christmas lights would save 440 GWh (or 1/5^th of electricity) during the holiday season.

You can purchase LED lights and recycle your old incandescents here:

www.holidayleds.com

http://www.holidayleds.com/holidayledscom_christmas_light_recycling_program

To help organize your lights and/or extension cords re-use plastic curtain containers.  You can loosely wrap and store them.  Most are see through and easy to label with a sharpie!

Green Alternatives for Holiday Cards

Hallmark says Americans send 1.8 billion cards during the holidays.  That’s a lot of cards to end up in the landfill!  You can still spread news and joy.  If you are short on time and money sending out cards this year, consider these options.

You can send holiday cards on line free.  It saves time, money, trees.

http://www.123greetings.com You can send the same card to up to 100 people.

http://www.treegreetings.com Sends an e-card and plants a tree!

http://www.birthdayalarm.com/ Allows you to set up reminders with your e-cards.

Remember, it’s okay to make the holidays affordable and save yourself time and money as well as reducing your stress!

Organizing Holiday Cards, Part 2

Time for the next steps. You can do most of these while watching TV/listening to carols/hanging out with the family. Some of these tasks your older children can help you with.  Enlist the entire family and make a fun night of it!

Put Return Address Labels on envelopes.

Put Stamps on envelopes.

Put Recipient Address Labels/Write address on envelopes.

Do final edit, print and fold Newsletters/photos and put inside cards.

Put each card with stamped & addressed envelope. Divide into manageable sets.

Write personal notes and sign. Each day work on a set; carry with you. Anytime you have to wait don’t get steamed! work on your cards!

Mail/E-mail!

Send Out Cards are printed on recycled paper. You can set up this system to keep all your addresses, send them out at a certain date, choose your signature, etc.

If you can’t get them out early, get them out late. New Year’s is close or if you are really behind how about Christmas in July (July 25^th) that is often celebrated in our national parks.