This Holiday Season, Go Green

Thanksgiving has come and gone. What does that mean? Time to start stressing about holiday gift giving! Every year, I tell myself the same thing: get an earlier jump on shopping and spend less money.

Well, this year, I’ve finally found the perfect way to accomplish these lofty goals while also doing something good for our planet: I’ve pledged to give GREEN gifts (you can sign the pledge here, too!).

The Nature Conservancy is running a special campaign called Green Gift Monday, which happens tomorrow, November 28. Instead of wasting hours surfing the web on Cyber Monday, they’re asking folks to join the green movement and give responsible, meaningful gifts. Love it.

Style Me Thrifty has a few green gift ideas to share. See below. The best part? Giving the gift of green can save you, ahem, green! Yey thriftiness!

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Shop Etsy
Where else can you find wine charms made from beer bottles? Or how about sustainably harvested cheese boards? Etsy currently boasts 11 million handmade items from across the world, which means there is something for everyone on your list. Etsy even has a search engine that helps you find items from local sellers. Handmade + local = homerun.

Try a DIY Project
I sincerely believe you’re never too old for a little crafting. Any excuse to get out the hot glue gun! Invest in one and then start perusing the web for DIY ideas. I love this list of 101 green handmade DIY projects and fashion buffs need to follow the blog PS I Made This for chic DIY ideas. Pinterest is another great spot for DIY inspiration.

Give an Experience
Remember when you used to give your parents handmade coupon books redeemable for “one free room cleaning” or “free hugs”? Channel your inner seven-year-old and give your loved ones an experience — like a meal to their fav sustainable seafood restaurant or day of kayaking on the Potomac River. You won’t waste paper wrapping the gift and the experience is more meaningful than anything from a big box store.

Hop over to the Green Gift Monday site for more green ideas >>

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You might also like:
Easy DIY Holiday Gift Idea
Fashionable Stocking Stuffers

Easy DIY Holiday Gift Idea

If you have 45 minutes and a family member that loves a heartfelt gift, this DIY project is for you. Using my sister’s wedding invitation, I whipped up a handmade Christmas ornament for her and her husband (yes, that’s her curled up invitation inside!).

My step-by-step instructions are available over at Cool Green Science, the blog of The Nature Conservancy.

This DIY project is truly thrifty (hellooo $1.25) and so easy peasy that you can do it while watching Dancing with the Stars with a spastic kitten on the loose! Trust me!

See the instructions >>

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You might also like:
DIY Wedding Signs
Style Tips from THE Royal Wedding

Easy Housewarming Party Decorations

The boxes are unpacked. Food is in the fridge. Art is on the walls. This can only mean 1 thing:

It’s time for a housewarming party!

This weekend, the bf and I invited over our lovely friends to make them super jealous of our new townhouse, er, I mean… for a housewarming party! Yay, an excuse to go to Party City!

After wandering the aisles for 30 minutes however, I discovered that Party City sells a ton of pinatas and glow sticks, but no specific housewarming decorations. Time to get crafty… which is actually a blessing in disguise. Why was this thrifty gal going to spend gobs of $$$ on cheapo decorations anyway? DIY decorations are a thriftier and greener option! Here are a few ideas for your own housewarming party:

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Use Color: Bright, cheerful dishes liven finger food up. Using your own collection of dishes — instead of buying disposable stuff — is def the green way to go.

Do-It-Yourself Decor: Dig up old scrapbooking or art supplies to make whimsical table tents. Then find a friend (like Erin here) and put her to work!

Add a Little Humor: Appetizers are even more delish when they have witty names!

Get Creative: We used the sink in our mudroom as a makeshift cooler. You won’t be wasting energy from opening & closing the fridge all night AND it makes for easy clean up  — just unplug the sink!

Add Guests: Who needs cheesy party decor when you have smiling faces and classy new art to fill the space? Just light some candles, add fresh flowers, and you’re ready to party! [My yellow dress is from Ruche].

Lustworthy Water Bottles

I must confess, I own a lot of accessories. And shoes — a lot of shoes. I have accepted this about myself. It’s just who I am.

But I realized something new about yours truly. I also seem to hoard water bottles. Um… when did this start happening???

Me and the bf were organizing our shelves this weekend and stumbled upon this little known fact about each other. Between the two of us, we counted 15 water bottles. Nalgene, steel, squirt tops, BPA free, BPA not-so-free, you name it, it was sitting on our shelf. Why do we secretly collect water bottles?! Do you guys have this problem, too? It’s like they’re making water bottle babies when we’re not looking!

Even with a plethora of bottles to choose from, I like to play favorites. My stainless steel 20 oz. bottle from Earthlust is well, lustworthy. I love the small sport top and its skinny shape. Plus, it’s just so pretty! — say hello to girly neutral colors, a matte finish, and totally chic chandelier design.

What can I say, I like my “accessories” to be show stoppers! (yes, water bottles can be considered accessories). So take a lesson from me: buy one of Earthlust’s chic water bottles and purge the outdated oldies. You’ll be green AND fashionable for just $18.99.