Enter “Eco Balls”, amazing little balls which, when thrown into your wash, do all the work your regular soap does (and claim to kill bacteria too) without any chemicals, detergents and the like. When you work out what you save on soap, the savings are enormous, with something like 6 cents a load with the balls, to approx. 80 cents with detergent, more depending on what brand you buy. You can buy kits which come with refills, stain remover (it doesn’t do that great with heavy stains) as well as dryer balls for “fabric softer” role.

So does it really work? While I wait for my order to arrive, I found a good review worth checking out. The verdict? Some liked it, others were disappointed with its cleaning power. There was also one complaint about how the ball came apart and broke her washing machine. Either way, its a product I think worth trying out for yourself -because I think eliminating detergents would be a great thing.

For your Easter egg hunt, if you can afford it, why not go organic? Organic eggs will definitely be more expensive than “ordinary” ones but if you really want to make every little bit of difference, then going organic is great. You can also choose to use free-range or free-farmed eggs. Of course, the dying of the eggs is quite important as well. Instead of buying chemical dying materials, just use dyes that are vegetable and fruit based. You can even create your own dyes by boiling vegetables and fruits! Think cranberry for red or pink. Think blueberries for blue. Grape juice can work, but the shade will be more light purple.

As for the baskets, don’t even think of buying new ones! Dig into your trunks or the attic – you are sure to find old ones that you can reuse.

Also, don’t use plastic or cellophane. It might look pretty but you can always use art paper or real grass and weeds to decorate Easter baskets. These materials are definitely better for the earth than cellophane or other non-biodegradable material.

As usual, use your imagination and the sky’s the limit!

Looking at the tree got me thinking about the “real” trees – countless trees! – that were used over the holidays. Where do people put them after the festivities are over? If you use real trees for decoration, what do you do when the month of January comes around?

It’s comforting to know that there are groups that help the average person to dispose of their trees with the environment in mind. One such group is the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. What the group does is to go around recycling centers in the state and gather used trees. They then sink these trees into fresh water bodies – making sure they’re upright. This is because the trees attract fish and provide an conducive environment for them to live in.

There are other groups which rent out Christmas trees. This is also great for the environment as they have options such as maintaining the tree for you for the rest of the year. There are groups like that offer this service in the UK, in Canada, and some states in the US.

At the end of the day, what matters is that you recycle that tree.

Mountains of the Moon
From dresses to shirts and tops to baby clothes, you can find these in this web site. Their products are made in the U.S.A. – sweatshop free! The materials used range from cotton to hemp and the designs are actually quite beautiful. I took a look at some dresses, and prices range from $80++ to hundreds of dollars.

Eco-artware
This site offers all sorts of things made from recycled, reused, and natural materials. Some things that you can buy are bags, baskets, bath products, furniture, kitchen tools, and jewelry. Prices vary depending on the item but you can find things for less than $50.

Eco Express
If it’s food that you want to buy and give as a gift, then this is the site for you. Fruits, wines, and other products are on sale especially for the holidays. You can also buy wreaths and gift baskets.

Have fun shopping!

“Green” food
I don’t mean green leafy vegetables, but that would also work if that is your preference. What I was thinking of was food products such as turkey, game fowl, honey, jams, etc. You can always get these at the supermarket but a better alternative would be to go to bazaars and markets where you can find products that are made in an earth-friendly manner. More so, you can never go wrong with food!

Beauty products
These may cater more to the women population, but who says men do not appreciate soaps and lotions? There are more metrosexuals out there than we probably know. Just make sure you buy organic products – they’re much better for the skin and they don’t have such a bad impact on the environment.

Herbs and spices
These days, you can buy all sorts of herbs and spices in pots. They would be excellent gifts for those who love to cook and don’t have space for their own herb gardens. Choose one or two pots and send them on their way.

Beeswax candles
I am a candle addict, seriously. While some people think that candles are generic gifts, I would love to receive tons of these! Again, choose natural products to lessen your impact on the environment.

Any other ideas?

Perhaps you may be too caught up in all the other “regular” aspects of this holiday: making sure there is (more than) enough food for everyone, buying presents (if you do this), buying drinks, decorating the house, planning entertainment, and so on. Why don’t you take a look at a few simple reminders that can help you with your planning? At the same time, these tips will go a long way towards helping the environment.

Let’s start with portion control. I have a feeling that some may have problems with this suggestion, but hear me out. Year in and year out, TONS of food go to waste after Thanksgiving. That’s because no one wants to get caught with “not enough” food. If you think about it, though, you don’t have to go overboard. Why not estimate how much each person eats and prepare just enough? Call it portion control if you wish.

Now on to setting the table…what decorations and utensils do you use? Instead of using paper napkins, consider cloth napkins. If you have a huge crowd coming over, why not consider going potluck where the guests have to bring their own utensils and napkins – just so you can avoid using plastic, Styrofoam, and similar products? On the other hand, you can opt for disposable plates and utensils – this will help reduce water and detergent use for cleaning up. However, make sure that you buy earth-friendly products.

Fly economy instead of first class. The latter may be more comfortable but since there are fewer people in first class (more space is given per person), it technically uses up more fuel. More than this, however, you should also consider taking the most direct route. It is common sense, as it will get you to your destination faster, but flying directly also lessens your carbon emissions contribution.

Better yet, take the bus. Yeah I know, the bus is not your first choice. If you have time to spare, however, and you do not have that much luggage on you, why not take the bus instead of driving or flying? You will save a LOT on fares and your carbon footprint will benefit from it as well.

Avoid holiday traffic jams. We all want this, but probably for a different reason – who likes getting stuck in traffic anyway? Another reason for avoiding traffic jams, however, is the fact that your car uses up much more fuel when sitting idly. This means higher emissions. As such, plan your trip so that you won’t have to battle it out on the roads with other travelers.

Any tips of your own?

Photo courtesy of Boeing

Go as a skunk! What is better than going around on Halloween dressed as something that repulses everyone? You can be a skunk without having to buy a costume. Just go find a black turtleneck and black pants or tights. You can then create the white stripe using a piece of cloth or even tissue paper.

How about a spider? Here is another creature that creeps out a lot of people. You can also use black clothing – tight articles are the best. For the legs, you can use black stockings that are stuffed to the max.

The same article suggests going as a rag doll or a jack in the box – you will not need much to come up with these costumes, both in terms of money and other resources. The bottom line is letting your creativity flow and use materials that will not add to the strain that the earth is already experiencing.

A few more tips – when your kids go around trick or treating, make sure you bring an extra bag with you, for the trash. This way, you will not be guilty of leaving around trash. Also, instead of using plastic bags, why not use recycle bags? This will also help impart the value of recycling to the kids. For more tips, visit the whole article.

Lighten up on the wrapping. Individually wrapped candy can create so much waste, even if you don’t immediately realize it. This Halloween, why not try to lessen this waste? Instead of giving individually wrapped candy, buy candy in bulk. Not only will that help you save on the waste but you’ll probably get discounts too. Another option is to find treats that are wrapped in biodegradable material, or not wrapped at all. Fruits are a good idea.

Make your own costumes. I know it is so much easier to go to the store and buy ready made costumes, but more often than not, these costumes are made of non-biodegradable material OR the process by which they are made is not good for the environment. A good alternative would be to get creative and make your own costumes! Of course, it goes without saying that you have to choose earth-friendly materials as much as you can.

Swap costumes. If you are not so good with crafts, another way you can have a green Halloween is to re-use costumes. Naturally, kids would not want to wear what they wore last year, so what you can do is get together some friends and see what you all have. You can then swap so that the kids can have something “new” to wear this year without having to buy a new set.

Halloween is around the corner! Have you taken steps to make sure that this holiday is an eco-friendly one? If you didn’t know this already, fun holidays like Halloween are some of the most wasteful times of the year – think of the amount of new costumes, decorations, candy, and pumpkins consumed…..then the waste that comes afterwards? Fear not, your family can still have a terrific Halloween while still caring for Mother Earth. Plus, you can save money too. That’s another great reason to go green- it’s definitely good for the budget!

Read on for my very easy, tried-and-tested tips:

1. Decorations
First off, the most obvious and easiest thing you can do is RECYCLE!! Your old decorations, I mean (this goes for costumes too, but more on that below). Last year, I had this in mind, so I made that extra effort to carefully store all my decorations to minimize breakages and maximize use for years to come in spite of 3 children under 9 and their rowdy Halloween parties. I purchased a few of those large plastic, airtight boxes, which may not seem so green an idea at first, but when you think of the durability and protection against the elements, it made sense. In the past I used old cartons, and lost a lot of things because of bugs, damp and rain.

If you need new decorations, do make them yourself, and this doubles up as a great weekend, playgroup or after-school activity you can do with the kids. Use items like old cereal boxes, milk jugs and so on. Look in thrift shops for extra supplies. There are loads of things at home that we no longer need and can use. Kids love it when one thing transforms into another- especially when they do it themselves!

2. Costumes
Apparently, every year, millions of Americans, young and old, spend a whopping $5.77 BILLION on new costumes which will rarely get used again. Great for the retailers, not so great for the environment. This year, do your bit by NOT buying.

This is easy for parents with same-gender kids like me. For instance, my younger son now has all his older brother’s costumes to use (long may this last). My daughter, on the other hand does not have any hand-me-downs so we’ve been looking for some DIY ideas form stuff we already have at home. Good for your kids imagination, creativity, and for the environment! Homemade costumes are more interesting anyway, and it enriches the experience for both parent and child. If you aren’t a parent, don’t let it stop you from getting creative too. Non crafty nor good with your hands? Enlist help from a friend who is!

3. Trick or Treating and Parties
Before heading out to the warehouse shopping club and stocking up on huge bags of candy, think about greener alternatives for the trick-or-treaters. Like healthy snacks or fruit? Last year, one house in our neighborhood doled out small cups of juice instead of candy, while another gave out biscuits- a welcome respite for tired trick-or-treaters!

If you’re planning a Halloween party, the aptly named Green Halloween has some terrific tips on how easy it is to be eco-friendly and still have all the fun. I do wonder though how organic tea and agave sticks will go down with my kids……

For more inspiration and instructions, the Internet is brimming with great ideas on how to make this year an eco-friendly Halloween.

Here are some of my favourites, worth checking out:

Eco Friendly Crafts from Kiwi Magazine- The Kiwis show you a great way to spend an afternoon with the kids, using things from the rubbish bin at home. Easy and with good photos.

4 East Tips From Planet Green – Simple things we can all remember and do to make it this Green Halloween.

365 Green Halloween – The folks who enjoy Halloween all year round also have some cool ideas on how to go green this 31st. Ideas for treat bags, costumes and more abound.

4 Ways To A Green Halloween Costume- The most fun thing about Halloween has got to be the costumes, right? This article has 4 of the best ideas I’ve seen around. Sure to inspire, and will definitely get your kids to stop whining about buying that pricey costume from the web.

Buy Green This Halloween - If you must shop this Halloween, then forgo the cheap plastic stuff and buy something made from sustainable material, of good quality and made through Fair Trade. Not only are they good on party tips, but the non-profit Green Halloween also rounds up some great things like that, like this very cool Fair Trade Trick or Treat Action Kit and adorable Alpaca Animal Mask and Tail Sets.