A great alternative to stocking up on rolls and rolls of wrapping paper is to recycle items you may already have.  Here are some fabulous & fun ideas to think about:  old concert posters, maps, save scraps from previous wraps and decoupage them onto a paper bag or recycled tissue paper. Recycled tin foil is also a fun and unique way to wrap gifts for friends and kids.  You can draw or paint special designs on the foil.

You can paint paper bags or decoupage them. Baskets are always a great option because someone can keep the basket and reuse it over and over in their home or garden.  There are so many ways to maintain your green heart through the holidays and the rest of the season!  Not only are you keeping more garbage out of landfills, but you are also hand-making one of a kind wrapping that will look especially dazzling & sui generis!

Peace & Light to you!

Lately, life has been so busy with the bustle of the holidays.  Now that Thanksgiving is over we are all pressing onward into the busiest part of the holiday season.  But I thought I would take a moment and write a blog about something that is really important to me this year…

Many families everywhere, in your neighborhood and mine are truly struggling to figure out how they will even be able to provide a Christmas for their family this year.  So, I have enlisted the help of a local church by asking them if they know of a family with children that are hurting and possibly going without a Christmas at all.  By adopting a family for Christmas, we are not only giving back to our community and enriching the lives of others, but we also get a chance to really examine ourselves and all the blessings that each of us truly have, all around us.  All of us are feeling the strain of this economy and we are all learning a hard lesson together.  But, I believe that within each of us there is always room to give to others who are worse off, even if it is little.  It is something.

No matter where you might live, there is a family around the corner that could be in need.  You can adopt a family from your local church.  Even ask your co-workers or a group of friends if they would like to adopt the family with you.  Once you have the family’s details rally together to work in getting donations and shop sales for the items you will buy.  This brings everyone together and you all work towards creating a brighter holiday for another family, and that makes for the best Christmas, for all of us.

Keep love and light in your hearts until next time.

~Jennifer