Give the gift of a happy green year

December 15th, 2008 at 02:03pm Jennie Pollock

This weekend, I was shopping locally (!) when I saw this calendar with green tips for every day in 2009. Good ideas, I thought, but have to admit that I bought a shoes calendar for this particular friend instead. More up her alley.

I’m sure the bookshelves are also filled with green books to buy as gifts. I got a press release last week for one — “The Green Year” ($14.95, by author Jodi Helmer) – that takes the day-by-day approach.

Examples include:

* August 18: Place tennis balls in the dryer to speed up the drying time as well as to fluff up items like comforters and pillows.* December 14: Wrap presents in gift bags. If every family in the United States reused two feet of holiday ribbon, it would save 38,000 miles of ribbon-enough to tie a bow around the entire planet.

* May 26: Plant mint in your garden for a natural solution to keep mice at bay.

* July 17: Try the 100-mile diet – eat food that is grown within 100 miles of home

Entry Filed under: Green home