I'm dreaming of a Green Christmas....

[Hathor]

So what to do about presents? Want to give presents, but don't want to enter the mad consumer-fest.
Will get any book presents 2nd-hand from Green Metropolis or Amazon.
Any other ideas?

bump

Make your own food items.

Have an agreement with family etc of a very low spending limit.

Lush cosmetics- aren't they ethical? Or ones from local health fod stores, great alternatives to soem amss retailers.

Plants or trees (or indeed agrden vouchers from the garden centre) can be very good as well

Buy fair trade, and/or from charity shops -- Oxfam usually has a good selection of xmas presents.

Set a price limit cheaper than usual - say you want to make it more of a challenge. Buy things like Green and Blacks chocs, Oxfam cards, organic toiletries etc? Buy or make "disposables" rather than things that will clutter up people's houses - homemade fudge/cookies etc; a big tin of really good hot chocolate or coffee. For children - buy baking stuff, or seeds to plant, or give vouchers for a trip out etc.

Plants and trees a very good idea.

Give money to charity? Eg Oxfam unwrapped, which I have done of the last couple of years for difficult to buy for parents and in laws. This year I am thinking of buying them some 'bricks' for the local childrens' hospice appeal.

Thank for that green metropolis link - will try that out.

I wont buy any presents for any adults, the children will give them photo calendars, home made stuff etc. The adults who insist on buying us stuff, I'll ask for Oxfam unwrapped again, I love getting those.

I'm also going to strictly buy fairtrade/g&B chocs and cut down on all the fripperies.

Most of all, I'm going to spend Advent going out to lovely carol concerts, meeting people, doing christmassy things, and not shopping.

Was impressed one of the DS teachers has asked for no presents this year, but a donation to Oxfam.

That's a different idea, minum - the teacher's i mean. The teachers in my dds class (allegedly) get 50% cheap chocolates, 45% flowers, and one or two other gifts, apparently last year one of them being an ice pack! Sorry, irrelevant i know but i only found this out yesterday.

Flylady has some suggestions for 'clutter-free gifts' for various people. Not all are 'ethical' as such (vouchers for things like plane rides etc, so not cheap) , but many could be adapted:

Teachers/neighbours
For women.
For men.
For grandparents.
For children and teenagers.

We (DH and I) like to get each other a nice prezzie that we agreed on beforehand, or maybe something that we both want like a new peice of furniture (ornamental table or carves statue ect).

The dc's will ask for one special main present before and we will usually get them that but no other plasticy things if that was what they wanted. I will also get a few nice little wooden toys/traditional games sometimes like chinese checkers and the like.

Organic cotton clothes for special occasions and to wear for the christmas/boxing day celebrations are lovely to get for christmas because as it is christmas you feel like you can get something a bit more pricey.

Last year we went on a family skiing holiday in france for two weeks and just took one thing each to open as the holiday was all of ours shared present and something like that it so great for family bonding. Will be doing that again!