Now that we’ve gotten the stocking stuffers out of the way, it’s time to move on to the bigger gifts . . . the ones that you’ll have to spend a bit more on—come on ‘tis the season to give.

Lets start with the hardest person to buy green gifts for—the eco-chic style maven. Finding green gifts is a daunting task to begin with, but finding gifts that are eco-friendly for the most spoiled of shoppers is a mission almost impossible. Or is it?

Any eco-fashionista will love Organic Cotton Tank Tops from Eileen Fisher (pictured on the model here). Or what about the new line Desert Essence and their Organic Bulgarian Lavender Hand and Body Lotion? Made from the purest of organic ingredients, this lotion will calm, soothe, and impress even the harshest of cosmetic critics. Another popular beauty gift is Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Shampoo Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo.

A combination of grapefruit extract, coconut and, and sunflower oils, this shampoo smells delicious and is said to claim soy protein that promises to penetrate, strengthen and repair damaged hair.

Also popular are Viva Terra’s Hemp & Silk Slouch Bags. A 60/40 blend of eco-friendly hemp and silk, the bag is contoured to fit the shape of any bag-hag and hang beautifully off the shoulder. Interior pockets are perfectly sized compartments for all the necessities—cell phone, sunglasses, and organic lip balm.

Of course the greenest purchase is no purchase at all. That being said, however, few of us are willing to go completely gift-free over the holidays. If you’re concerned for the environment, but want to give presents to friends and family, there is a way. You can find a green medium! Giving without taking from the planet is possible with some extra consideration, a little planning, and a lot of research. No worries! I’ve already done the research.

Lets start with everyone’s favorite holiday gift category: stocking stuffers. They’re easy to find and cheap. For the greenest of stocking stuffers, choose products made from natural ingredients with limited packaging. Some great options include.

Green Stocking Stuffers For Babies:
Organic Cotton Santa
I couldn’t help but mention this adorable Santa from Under the Nile again. Made from 100% Organic Egyptian Cotton, he makes the perfect baby-safe toy and stocking stuffer for the winter season.

Green Stocking Stuffers for Toddlers:
Organic Cotton Treehugger Toddler Tee
Printed on super-soft organic cotton kids, this mini tee is perfect for any mini treehugger.

Green Stocking Stuffers for Kids:
50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth
Give them some Christmas break reading. Kids will love pouring through 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth , a chock-full guide to specific things kids can do to protect the environment.

Green Stocking Stuffers For Him:
Earth Science Men’s Moisturizing Shaving Cream
Free from propellants, parabens and detergents, this lubricating formula is enriched with Azulene (blue chamomile flower), aloe and vitamin e to deliver a close, even shave, without irritation. Best of all, Earth Science products are not tested on animals, and do not contain animal derived ingredients. Even common animal derivatives, such as lactic acid and glycerin are sourced from plants.

Green Stocking Stuffers For Her:
Amazon Herb Lluvia Botanical Facial Cleanser
Lluvia Botanical Facial Cleanser? gently removes dirt, excess oil and makeup and maintains your skin?s natural pH balance and moisture barrier without using harmful foaming agents. Its pristine blend of Rainforest plant extracts such as Jatoba and Stevia, as well as organic essential oils, reach deep into pores to safely dissolve and lift away impurities. Your skin is left refreshingly clean and soft to the touch.

1. Give Green
Support companies who care about the environment. From stocking stuffers to big-ticket items there are endless green alternatives to all your holiday favorites.

2. Wrap Well
According to Robert Lilienfeld’s book, “Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are,” Americans throw away 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period than any other time of year. The extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about 1 million extra tons per week.

Trim your trash and bypass the wrapping paper this holiday season. Get creative! Wrap gifts in old maps, magazine tears, unused fabric, and bits and pieces from your junk drawer. If it’s a fun and carefree gift, why not use the Sunday comics? Your recipient will be impressed you took the time to add a personal touch that doesn’t add, but subtracts, from the holiday trash heap.

3. Buy Online
Shopping online is healthier for the environment. E-tailers avoid the necessary cost of heat and electricity to run a storefront and you’ll lower your carbon emissions—when you shop online, you can literally travel the globe without using any fuel.

Shopping online is especially great if you recycle your purchases’ shipping materials—peanuts, wood shavings, shredded newspaper and bubble wrap can be reused. Or, drop extra packing materials at local private mailing centers. Call the Plastic Loosefill Council’s Peanut Hotline at 1-800-828-2214 for the names of a mailing center that collects them in your area.

If you’re really on top of your environmental game, buy gifts online that are easy to ship such as linens or clothing that won’t require excess packaging.

Sources:
Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are,” by Robert Lilienfeld and Dr. William Rathje, published by Ballantine Books. Copyright 1994 -2000 Robert Lilienfeld.

What’s the big deal with organic food? You may have seen labels for it in the grocery store. Then you checked the prices and headed for your tried-and-true big-name brands instead. Not so fast this Thanksgiving. Organic food is worth a second look—for many reasons.

According to National Geographic, organics are better for the human body as, “organic produce packs in more antioxidants and other healthier and more flavorful phytochemicals than conventional produce.”

Aside from the obvious personal health benefits, there are many strong environmental incentives to eat organic. Organic farming doesn’t contribute to soil and water contamination, and uses far less energy than commercial farming practices.

This Thanksgiving, look for certified organic and biodynamic produce. Your guests and children won’t be eating genetic modified, synthetic pesticides and your meal will taste better.

Look for organic and biodynamic produce at your local farmers market and natural or conventional grocery store.

More people travel for Thanksgiving weekend than any other US Holiday. So much travel is terrible for the environment. Here are some tips:

1. Offset Your Flight.
If you’re planning to fly this Thanksgiving, your flight will have the greatest environmental impact–by far. 

Believe it or not, flying is twice as bad for the environment as driving a gas guzzling hummer to your destination, and three times as bad as taking the train!

“How so?”

Airplanes travel in the sensitive upper atmosphere and release a cocktail of greenhouse gasses–nitrogen oxides, soot, and CO2 (carbon dioxide)–all major contributors to global warming.

If your planning to fly this Thanksgiving consider “offsetting” your trip. Offsetting works by investing funds in sequestration or energy efficiency projects that absorb or prevent the release of a tonnage of CO₂ (carbon dioxide) equivalent to the amount of CO2 you released in your travels. For example, some offsetting programs plant trees to counterbalance the emissions of your flight. The trees produce oxygen and absorb CO2 to “offset” the amount of CO2 your flight has produced. Of course not flying at all is a much better idea, but I’m not going to insist you stop visiting Aunt Marla and Uncle Earl?

2. Drive Better
If you must drive this Thanksgiving, make sure your tires are properly inflated and your car is in good working order–you’re family will be safer, you’ll save money spent on gas, and you’ll reduce emissions.

The United States Department of Energy (USDE) reports that keeping the right oil in your car and changing it every 4 months (or 5,000 miles) plus a once-a-year air filter change can improve your fuel efficiency by 8% or more! Over the course of just one year, the USDE estimates that your average savings will be more than $150. Add in regular tune-ups to keep your car running the way it was engineered to run, and you’ll pocket at least an additional $50 a year in savings.

Before taking one of those family road trips, stop by the shop for a tune up and oil change. And don’t forget to inflate those tires. Many Americans forget to regularly check their tire pressure, and this definitely impacts your fuel efficiency – up to 3%. If you pressurize your tires and lighten up you load, you will save $50 a year.

3. Stay Home
Stave off stress and carbon emissions. 

Stay home for a cozy Thanksgiving with your immediate family.

To make your Thanksgiving celebration as eco-friendly as possible, follow the three Rs of conservation: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Reduce waste by buying only the needed amount of Thanksgiving supplies. Choose products with little packaging, recycled packaging, or—much better—no packaging at all.

Reuse your best silverware. Don’t buy disposable. They look ugly and a Thanksgiving dinner, tableware is far more refined.

Recycle paper, plastic, glass and aluminum containers. If you don’t already have a compost bin, use your Thanksgiving fruit and vegetable trimmings to start one. The compost will enrich the soil in your garden next spring.

Ahhh yes, the wine. The second most important ingredient for any Thanksgiving meal. There are many options to choose from. Of course all are organic to ensure that your Thanksgiving dinner is quintessentially green. Here are my suggestions:

 1. Syrah Syrah . . . whatever will be will be . . .
Frey Organic Vinters offers a tasty organic and rich Syrah. “An opulent nose, fragrant with spice and toasty oak.” In wine talk that means it tastes good. Pair with dark meat from your organic turkey.

 2. Syrah Again
Landmark Vinyards, a winery known for it’s excellent wines and even better environmental practices, also makes a Syrah. There’s is made from grapes sourced entirely from the El Farolito Vineyard on the northeast side of Sonoma Mountain, California. In such a cool climate, the grapes can develop a dark, yet elegant, fruit character, clearly present in the wine.

3. Cabernet
Frey also offers a popular, yet inexpensive Cabernet. According to its description it offers a, “black cherry aromas and plum fruit with a hint of mint on the finish.” Hmmm, hint of mint. That sounds exciting. Especially good if you are serving a meat other than turkey at your Thanksgiving. Mint always does well with lamb.

 4. Cabernet Sauvingnon . . . from Napa
Long Meadow Ranch is an integrated organic farming operation - and purveyor of fine food - located high above the Napa Valley on the picturesque slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains. There award-winning viners produce red wine, extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed beef, eggs, and heirloom fruits and vegetables for Napa Valleys finest restaurants.  If you live in the Napa area be sure to look them up.

5. For Dessert Opt for the Pinot Noir
Frey Organic makes a light and delicate, Pinot Noir. Said to harmonize for a “symphony of strawberries, mint and pomegranate,” this wine is best paired with a simple fruit salad or rich dessert.

First things first. You can’t Thanksgiving without a turkey . . . unless you’re vegetarian in which case you’ll want to serve a tofurkey.

As a side note, going vegetarian is always something to consider if you want to save the planet. There are many reasons environmentalists argue for vegetarianism and against meat production. Commonly cited concerns include groundwater contamination from improperly disposed sewage, pollution from meat processing plants, clear cutting to make room for grazing, the production of grains for feed, methane, I could go on and on. All facts considered, a vegetarian meal will make your Thanksgiving the greenest.

If you can’t bare the thought of soybean turkey substitute then definitely consider an organic, biodynamic, or heritage turkey. By buying one of these options you’ll ensure that your turkey wasn’t raised on a pesticide rich diet. No fillers or antibiotics either. A certified turkey will ensure your meat was raised by farmers who care about the environment and are willing to spend the time and money on environmental best practices. Now that’s some food for thought!

2007 will most likely be known as, “The Year of Green.” It seems everyone has taken on some concern, even curiosity, for environmental issues.

With so much green—more than ever—you’re bound to feast with at least one eco-conscious consumer this Thanksgiving. If you’re playing host, why not cover your bases and serve a delicious, yet sustainably sourced, Thanksgiving meal? Your environmentally concerned friends and the planet will thank you.

Over the next few days I’ll offer you sound tips for throwing a great green Thanksgiving. As we get closer and closer to “turkey day,” I’ll wind down to those last minute tips, quick fixer uppers, and help-my-mother-in-law-is-arriving-in-two-minutes decorating ideas. With these tips, your green Thanksgiving is bound to go off without a hitch. Stay tuned!

76. Switch to low-wattage or compact fluorescent light bulbs. They last 10 times longer and use only one-fourth of the energy compared to incandescent light bulbs.

77. Eat vegetarian foods as much as possible. Meat makes less efficient use of land, soil, water, and energy - and cows emit/flattulate 300 liters of methane per day.
78. Dry clothes and linens on a clothesline rather than in the dryer. If you have to use a dryer, use an energy star one and clean the lint screen before use.

79. When running your tap to wash dishes, use cold water instead of hot. You’ll save a lot of energy.
80. Run energy efficient dishwashers only when full.
81. Take quick showers instead of baths.
82. Compost kitchen and garden waste, or give it to a friend who can.
83. If your lazy, don’t like to iron, or an environmentalist you can always hang your clothes in the bathroom while showering. They’ll be wrinkle free in 5 minutes of steam.
84. Install low flow showerheads and sink-faucet aerators. Low-flow showerheads can reduce the water flow up to 50 percent.
85. Collect rainwater and gray water for gardening use.
86. Start a garden; plant a garden instead of a lawn. Lawns use a huge amount of water.
87. Use natural fiber clothing, bedding and towels.

88. Insulate your water heater. Turn it down to 121°F.
89. Turn off all lights that don’t need to be on.
90. Try to be a localvore. Locally produced foods are better for the environment because they do not need to be trucked in from great distances.
91. Buy in bulk. Buy products with less packaging or buy in bulk.
92. Explore getting a solar water heater for your home.
93. Urge your local officials to start a convenient and even lucrative curbside recyclables pickup program.
94. Remove unnecessary stuff from your car. Each 100 lbs. of weight decreases fuel efficiency by 1%.
95. Use recycled products, especially paper.
96. Invest your money in environmentally and socially conscious businesses.
97. Bring your own canvas bags to the grocery store.
98. Limit your energy star air conditioner use.
99. Encourage your local auto centers to install CFC recycling equipment for auto air conditioners. Freon is released during servicing to become both a greenhouse gas and an ozone layer destroyer.
100. If you have to use fertilizer use an organic one. Home gardeners use up to 10 times more toxic chemicals per acre than farmers because home gardeners over use chemical fertilizers.
101. Spread the word.

Good luck and Godspeed.