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Dear Jeff,
We are excited to bring you the first annual Green Irene Guide to Sustainable Holidays! There are many things we can do to retain the spirit of the season while being conscious about the environment. Find eco-friendly tips throughout this guide to incorporate into your holiday routine.
In this Guide, you will find information and tips about eco-friendly holiday decorating, green gifting, reducing gift wrapping, eco-feasting, getting crafty with the kids and great products for eco-entertaining and green gifts as well as helpful holiday links and how to earn some Green Bucks for holiday shopping!
Enjoy our Green Holiday Guide and from our family to yours, have a wonderful, sustainable holiday season!
Rosamaria
Co-Founder and the original "Green Irene"
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Eco-Friendly Holiday Decorating
- For holiday lighting, go with LEDs. LEDs are more efficient than standard lights (up to hundred times!), more  durable, and much safer and cooler. Operating ten strings of mini-LED lights (as compared to ten strings of wasteful incandescent mini-lights) saves more than $12 in one month. Unplug or use a timer to turn off holiday lights during the day.
- Don't let traditional petroleum-based candles ruin your indoor air quality. Use a Tub-O-Carbon to naturally capture (rather than just cover) odors, and use soy-based candles to fill your home with an earth-friendly scent.
- Decorate naturally. Head out to your yard and find tree branches, bush stems loaded with berries, flowers whose seed heads have dried on the stem and flowering grasses to fill tall vases or baskets. It's more sustainable than buying a plant or flower that may be flown in from South America. You can also create a natural tablescape with natural elements or fresh fruit like pomegranates, pears, and apples.
- For those with a Christmas tree, try an organic potted tree from your local nursery that can be replanted after the holidays. A single tree can absorb more than one ton of CO2 over its lifetime, so imagine the impact if we all replanted our trees! A few companies in the U.S. allow you to rent a Christmas tree. They'll pick it up and replant it after the holidays are over. If you have a cut tree, be sure to look into local recycling options. Many municipalities and some organizations collect the trees to use for mulch and erosion control. This is much better than having your tree end up in a sealed landfill.
- For years, many considered the purchase of an artificial tree to be the environmentally friendly choice. However, most artificial trees are made from mainly non-renewable plastics, often containing PVC. They are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable.
- Make recycled holiday ornaments from natural materials in the yard or material you find around the house. Not the crafty type? Many stores now offer ornaments made of recycled materials for sale. Another simple option is to string popcorn and cranberries or use hardened gingerbread cookies.
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Green Gifting
- Buying online will help to reduce your holiday shopping carbon footprint. When you do want to brave the store crowds, do research online beforehand so that you know which store s carry what you're looking for - you'll be able to reduce your driving between stores searching for those perfect gifts, which will save you on gas and on stress.
- Consider e-cards rather than traditional greeting cards to reduce holiday paper use. When paper cards are more appropriate, make sure to use cards with recycled content. Also don't forget to recycle any paper cards you receive.
- The average American's trash output goes up 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Reduce the number of bags thrown out by bringing reusable bags for holiday gift shopping.
-Consider gifts that help the recipient implement their New Year's Resolution to live a more sustainable life. Gifts that accomplish that AND save the recipient money are especially thoughtful. A $133 Green Irene Water Conservation Kit for a two bathroom home saves $8,000 and almost 300,000 gallons of water over 7 years. Your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant has lots of practical green gifts that are right for these times.
-A $99 Green Home Makeover is a thoughtful gift, as the recipient receives an in-home consultation from a trained local Eco-Consultant, a detailed Report filled with useful recommendations, and three months of unlimited research support to help guide them on their path to living a greener life. See 15 Reasons to Have a Green Home Makeover!
- Consider gifts like concert tickets and gift certificates to reduce packaging waste and the need for wrapping material. Charitable donations in the recipients' name make great gifts.
- Consider the durability of a product before you buy it as a gift. Cheaper, less durable items often wear out quickly. Check product labels to determine an item's recyclability and whether it is made from recycled materials (buying recycled encourages manufacturers to make more recycled-content products available). Avoid any gifts that may contain toxic ingredients like lead or that off-gas Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
- About 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Buy a rechargeable battery kit to accompany your electronic gifts this year. Green Irene's Rechargeable Battery Savings calculator, available from your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant, can show you how the new hybrid models can save you thousands of dollars over their life, and keep 3,600 hundred pounds of toxic waste out of landfills. They pay for themselves after just seven recharges out of a lifecycle of 1500 recharges.
-Every home really must have a Carbon Monoxide Detector, and surprisingly many people (wrongly) assume they are covered with just a smoke detector. Bring a Carbon Monoxide Detector, like the one Green Irene recommends, if you are staying at someone's home for the holidays. It makes a thoughtful gift you can plug in by any combustion appliance (like a gas hot water heater). If they already have one, plug an additional one into an outlet in the bedroom your family is sleeping in.
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Reducing Gift Wrapping
- When newspaper comics aren't quite the look you're going for in wrapping presents, consider reusing any gift b ags that you received last year. Also, try saving wrapping paper for use
next year. When buying gift wrap, make sure to find recycled paper
content.
-Consider "wrapping" some presents in a colorful Green Irene
Eco-Tote so the recipient can use hundreds fewer plastic bags in the coming year.
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Don't burn that leftover wrapping paper in the fireplace. The inks and
foils used in wrapping paper may contain chemicals that become toxic
when burned. If you can't reuse the paper, don't burn it: recycle it.
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For a quick gift tag, reuse last year's holiday cards. Cut off the side
that has the signature, thread a ribbon through a corner of the
remaining card, and voila!
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Eco-Feasting
- If you're cooking for the holidays, go local with your food shopping to reduce your carbon footprint. See how much of your meal you can find at your local farmers' markets. For supermarket purchases, try to choose items with minimal packaging to reduce waste. As always, bring reusable bags to reduce waste from disposable shopping bags. If you're bringing your food to someone else's house, pack your dish in a reusable container.
- Go organic with your ingredients. Don't forget to go organic with beverages as well; look for organic and local wines, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks. Fair-trade chocolate, tea, and coffee will also add some green to your holiday table.
- Green Irene offers a terrific solution that easily produces sparkling water and soda in seconds, eliminating the need to carry, store and dispose of bottles and cans. The Green Irene Sodamaker uses a carbonator and glass carafe to make dozens of flavors of soda (or just sparkling water) as you need it. R ather than bottled flat water, invest in a great water filter and fill pitchers of water. This comparison shows what a cheap pitcher filter removes vs. a premium 10 stage filter, like the one Green Irene recommends.
- Serving turkey? Choose a heritage bird. Prized for their flavor, heritage turkeys may cost more than conventional birds, but they are raised naturally rather than in an industrial setting. Purchasing a pastured local bird or an organic bird from your supermarket are also other possibilities to consider when looking for the best holiday turkey for your family.
- Recycle and compost while preparing food. Keep a bin handy for glass, plastic and paper trash you can recycle rather than toss. Add vegetable scraps from cooking and dinner to your compost.
- Adjust the thermostat down a couple of degrees during holiday gatherings in cooler climates. The heat from cooking and from your guests will keep your home warm.
- Disposable plasticware is energy intensive to produce and can take thousands of years to degrade in a landfill. Providing cloth napkins and reusable tableware is the best option, but can make for a lot of cleanup work. When reuse isn't an option, go green at your holiday parties by using biodegradable tableware. Green Irene offers a line of "bagasse" (sugarcane) tableware and cups that fully biodegrade within 60-90 days, unlike plastic or coated paper products which can take thousands of years to decompose. The sugarcane stalk fibers used in its production are also an easily renewed resource, unlike petroleum or wood used in most paper or plastic tableware. See the "Featured Products" section below for more information on this and other eco-smart Green Irene products.
- If you're traveling to enjoy dinner at someone else's house, carpool with family, friends, or neighbors. If you need to fly for the holidays, consider purchasing carbon offsets to keep your travel carbon neutral. Green Irene sells a BeGreen Flying Offset card to make this easy.
- Use all the food you make. Send guests home with leftovers in glass or stainless steel rather than wrapped in plastic or aluminum foil. Freeze leftovers in easily reheatable portions.
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Get Crafty With The Kids
- Have the kids cut up old holiday cards to create collages to decorate your fridge, picture frames, or anywhe re else in your house.
- For a unique
holiday craft project, make a simple decorative dough clay with the
following recipe: mix 2 cups of plain flour, 1 cup of salt, 1
tablespoon of cooking oil and 1 cup of water together. Use your creativity to shape
the resulting dough into unique holiday decorations (just don't mold
your dough too thin or too thick, so it doesn't crack or stay uncooked
after baking). Glaze your shapes with a beaten egg yolk. Bake the clay
for 45 minutes in a medium oven, and then color your decorations with
eco-friendly paint.
- Create a holiday wreath with evergreen
clippings from the yard. Add cranberries strings and LED mini-bulb
strips for some color and light.
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Make your own votive by recycling a tin can. Remove the label from an
empty can and freeze water in it overnight. The next day, sketch a
design on the outside in marker and then carefully use a hammer and
nail to tap the holes that create the design (the ice will prevent the
can from denting). Once the ice melts, add a soy or beeswax candle to
create an interesting homemade votive.
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Helpful Holiday Links
You can find more information and tips about how to green your holidays through the following websites.
Department of Energy Seasonal Guide: http://www.energysavers.gov/seasonal
Natural Resources Defense Council Seasonal Guide: http://www.nrdc.org/greenliving/guides/holiday.asp
Sierra Club Seasonal Tips: http://www.sierraclub.org/holidays
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Earn Some Green Bucks For Your Holiday Shopping
Interested in purchasing green products to help green your holiday? Now is a great time to purchase products since we are offering our "Green Bucks" promotion from now until November 16, 2009. Spend a qualifying amount with your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant and get some Green Bucks for future purchases. Your Green Bucks can then be used for holiday shopping or other purchases through December 31, 2009.
Green Bucks Promotion
Spend: Get:
$100-$249 $15
$250-$499 $45
$500 + $100
We offer the best green products that will help you green your holiday as well as address energy efficiency, water conservation and purity, toxic-free living, waste reduction, recycling, indoor air quality and more. Earn your Green Bucks now at www.ShopGreenIrene.com.
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Great Products For Eco-Entertaining And Green Gifting
Available From Your Local Green Irene Eco-Consultant 
LED Torpedo Bulb
This 3 watt LED Torpedo bulb is perfect for chandeliers, wall sconces and ceiling fans! It not only uses 80% less power than an incandescent, it lasts 25 times longer (25,000 hours), reaches full brightness instantly and dims the full 0% to 100% range!
Automated Indoor Composter
Our composter turns household food waste into rich, high-nitrogen
fertilizer without any of the hygiene or odor issues that can occur
with indoor composting! This self-contained unit will automatically
heat, mix and aerate your organic waste, then notify you when the
compost is fully degraded and ready to use outdoors.
Available colors: white, black, silver, slate, sky blue, cobalt blue, yellow, red and green
See more details
Biodegradable Sugarcane Tableware
Green your next party or picnic with our line of sturdy sugarcane-based tableware! Not only are these plates, bowls and cups
fully biodegradable, their materials are thicker than traditional
styrofoam or paper-based products and can be used for either hot or cold foods. Biodegradable corn plastic cups are also available.
Available sizes: 12 oz. cup, 7 in. plate, 10 in. plate and 13.5 oz. bowl
See more details
Soy Jar Candle
These candles are made from pure soybean oil and contain NO petroleum or animal products.
Scent options: Vanilla Orange, Gardenia, Eucalyptus and Sage, Amber and Sandalwood, Crème Brulee, Red Currant, Purely Herbal, Lavender Fields, Spiced Chai, Seaside Villa, Island Breeze, and Thai Lemongrass
See more details
Deluxe Home Soda Maker
This easily produces sparkling water and soda in seconds eliminating the need to carry, store and dispose of bottles and cans. It uses a carbonator and glass carafe reducing electricity and waste. Makes sparkling water or soda. Very Easy!
See more details
Austin Air Cleaner | Green Irene's Favorite!
These Air Cleaners are certified to remove 99.97% of airborne particles. It has 30-60 sq. ft. of medical HEPA and filters odors, gasses and chemicals in an area up to 700-1500 sq. ft. We also offer speciality air cleaners to address chemical sensitivities and allergies.
Available colors: sandstone, white, black and silver
See more details
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Connect with Green Irene
Find your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant
With over 500 Green Irene Eco-Consultants in 46 states (plus Puerto Rico), your bound to have one near you.
 
We appreciate your support. Follow us on Twitter and be a Green Irene Facebook Fan to be the first to hear about occasional giveaways and promotions only to our fans!
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Contents Copyright Green Irene LLC 2009. All Rights Reserved.
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