greenliving
HOMEMADE HOLIDAYS
I’m Dreaming of a GREEN Christmas…
by Brita Belli
of buying a living Christmas tree from a local nursery made a vivid impression on her as a child. “My parents would get the tree with the roots still very much alive in the burlap bag of dirt,” recalls Devine, who was raised in Connecticut. “We’d put the tree in a big galvanized tub and just wrap it with a white sheet; then, when Christmas was over, we’d plant the tree somewhere in the four-acre yard.” That appreciation for the vibrant
to cut back on the wastefulness that comes from accumulating mountains of store-bought gifts and wrappings. Another is the growing desire to gener- ate more meaningful memories during the holidays. One answer is to embrace a do-it-yourself, or DIY, mentality that makes everything—from decorating to tree trimming, cooking and gift giv- ing—personal. There is no better time to join in
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activities as a family than Christmas- time. Subtract the frenzied consumer- ism and there is little for a child not
new movement is afoot to re- claim and refocus the holidays. Part of it stems from a desire
to love: being with loved ones in the kitchen, measuring flour, rolling dough and cutting cookies; happily sitting around a table, pasting, stamping and glittering; decorating a tree that magi- cally transforms with each addition; and the scents of cookies, candles and cinnamon-dotted wreaths.
Evergreen Centerpieced Elevating the holiday atmosphere starts with the tree—the centerpiece of holiday celebrations, which too often resembles a department store version these days. Erin Devine, of Portland, Oregon, remembers how her parents’ tradition
details of the holidays lives on. Now, this mother of three takes a homemade, family-oriented approach to her young family’s annual celebration. Last year, they all wrapped recycled glass jars with colored tissue paper as tea lights and pencil holders for adults and made homemade play dough for the kids’ friends. They also baked together and made decorations for the house and tree. “It’s one thing to teach kids about being responsible adults and good stew- ards of this planet, but when we spend time together learning how to do it, it’s so much more meaningful,” Devine remarks. “When the kids enjoy learning about something and it involves love, it will become important to them.”
Sparking Inspiration Those who are not naturally crafty will find lots of resources for creating beautiful and personal Christmas keep- sakes online, as well as on bookstore and library shelves. Many publications offer ideas for decorating the branches of your living—or not-so-living—tree, using household objects that would otherwise be discarded. Yoga teacher and holistic lifestyle
expert Anna Getty went so far as to write I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas, a
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