For the last post of the year at Blog Green, instead of a list of suggestions for New Year’s resolutions, I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes by environmentalist and author Henry David Thoreau:

“What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?”

Let that thought lead you into 2009, and you can’t go wrong.

Have a great New Year.

Here’s a hint to keep you from turning up the thermostat on those really cold winter nights.  Keep a blanket or two over the arm of your sofa for wrapping yourself in at night when you’re sitting around and likely to feel cold.   Blankets are also perfect for snuggling up with in front of a roaring fire.

Look in charity shops for good second hand blankets, much more environmentally friendly than buying new.

Or if you’re the creative type, knit yourself a blanket or throw, using organic yarn to make it a green project.

Photo: Dover Road by Elizabeth Mattfield [www.freepatterns.com]

As we feel the pinch of the global recession, we don’t always remember our good intentions towards the environment.  We’re looking at ways to save money, and that can sometimes be at the expense of the environment.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  There are numerous ways to go green that will also save you money.  Here are some ideas for saving money and achieving a greener lifestyle.

Stop using paper towel in the kitchen, opting instead for reusable cloths.  Even better if the cloths are cut or torn from old towels or clothing that have seen better days.

Stop buying expensive and potentially toxic household cleaners and switch to eco-friendly and very effective bicarbonate of soda for cleaning baths, sinks and surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom.

Be more conscious of how much toilet paper you are using.

Get the very last bit out of bottles of shampoo and shower gel by swirling a little water around in the bottle.

Walk more, leave the car at home.

Dry your washing on the line, or on a clothes horse or travel clothes line indoors in bad weather.

Use junk mail envelopes and paper that’s only been printed on one side as note paper.  Clip it all together with a bulldog clip and keep it at the phone.

Grab a jumper or shawl before thinking about turning up your thermostat.

Little changes will make all the difference to your pocket, and to the planet.  Don’t stop making the little changes.

Gift Bags from Cereal Boxes - More cool how to projects00

Just a few last things to get you ready for your greenest Christmas ever.  Green festivities don’t have to be more expensive than regular festivities, in fact, you can save money by going green.  Don’t believe me, check this out.

1. Make your own decorations

Simple paper decorations can be very effective.  Recycle to make cool Christmas wreaths.  Recycle last year’s cards into this year’s baubles.  Make Christmas crackers out of used toilet roll centres.  Keep your decorations for next year.

2. Send eCards

3. Make your Christmas dinner from scratch.

I’m talking the Christmas pudding, mince pies, Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes.  Yes, you really can make these yourself.  The internet is a great place to search for recipes if you don’t already have them.

4. Go TV free

No need to panic, it’s just for the day (or more if you like).  Switch off the TV and grab a pack of cards or the Ludo board for some family fun and bonding.

5. Buy less

Instead of buying a present for everyone, encourage your family to have a Secret Santa where everyone buys and receives just one present.  Buy second-hand where possible (you can do this for CDs, DVDs, video games and books on Amazon).   Tell people what you would like for Christmas (only the relevant people) so that you don’t get anything you don’t want or need.  Make your own presents.

If I’ve missed any other good money-saving (and green) tips for Christmas, please comment.

So, you’ve missed the boat for posting your Christmas cards (Saturday 20th Dec was the deadline), what now?

Ecards are a great way to save trees (paper), energy (less mail being driven around in lorries), and money (because they’re mostly free).  Here are some of my favourite sources of ecards for Christmas.

Envirowise - for ecards with a green theme.

Care2.com - for ecards that help the planet.

The Nature Conservancy - ecards with a nature theme.

A nice bottle of organic wine would make a nice accompaniment to sitting down and doing your Christmas ecards.

Christmas is only a few days away now (as my little daughter keeps reminding me), so it’s time to get the Chrimbo-dinner ready to go.  There are a few rules that will make any festive feast a whole lot greener.  These are them:

1. Buy less food: less food = less waste, you do the maths.

2. Buy local:  if that’s not available, buy organic or Fairtrade.

3. Recycle:  recycle all food packaging.

4. Compost: all organic waste (you can compost meat and other cooked food with a food digester).

5. Buy loose: rather than pre-packaged.  There’s less waste that way.

Food is so often an appropriate gift, from a sustainability point of view, because it’s consumed and doesn’t have to be disposed of eventually.  What’s more, it’s a favourite gift.  Who doesn’t like to receive gifts of chocolates, wine, biscuits or other favourite delicacies?  Here are some foodie gifts that I’ve picked out.

Popina Organic Biscuit Tin

This biscuit tin contains a selection of unusual and deeply delicious organic biscuits including fig, white chocolate and sultana, and ginger, orange and oat.

£8 from John Lewis.

Duchy Originals Organic Cheese Nibbles Selection Box

You know that you’re going to get something special when you buy Duchy products, and this cheese nibbles selection is no exception.  It’s a selection of delicious bite-sized cheese nibbles in three varieties: mature cheddar cheese, rosemary and thyme and wholegrain mustard.  They are made using organic butter and the finest English mature cheddar cheese.

£7.50 from John Lewis.

Duchy Originals Tea Time Mini Hamper

This mini hamper is presented in a basket containing 50g English Breakfast Tea, 125g Chocolate Butterscotch Biscuits, 340g Organic Strawberry Jam and 300g Organic Lemon Curd.

£28 from John Lewis.

Green & Blacks Cook’s Treat Set

There’s something deeply satisfying and deliciously decadent about cooking with chocolate, so why not  indulge someone’s inner chocoholic this Christmas with this gift set.  The Green & Blacks Cook’s Treat Set contains Green & Blacks organic cocoa, dark chocolate made with 72% coca solids, a recipe book, wooden spoon,  apron and nonstick silicon muffin tray.

£20 from John Lewis.

Duchy Originals Festive Favourites Basket

A deliciously festive treat from Duchy Originals. The basket comes packed with Organic Strawberry Jam, Cheese nibbles with mustard, Cranberry sauce with port, Chutney, Organic highland shortbread and Organic Christmas pudding.  Yum!  A real party pack.

£40 from John Lewis.

Green & Blacks Seasonal Treat Set

The perfect gift for chocolate lovers.  This gift set contains Green & Black’s organic cocoa and a pair of ceramic mugs,  12 mini bars of milk and dark chocolate plus full-sized bars of organic ginger and butterscotch chocolate.  It all comes in a beautiful box tied up with a ribbon.

£30 from John Lewis.

Broughton Organic Ales and Glass Gift Set

Organic malt from the UK and organically grown hops from New Zealand are blended with pure water from the Scottish border hills to make Broughton Organic Ale. The result is a light, golden-coloured beer full of aroma and flavour.   It won the bronze medal at the Munich International Brewing Awards and has Soil Association accreditation.  The set includes two 50cl bottles of ale and 1 Broughton Ales glass.

£12 from John Lewis.

Help our little feathered friends through winter by feeding them.  Now that there isn’t much natural habitat left for birds, there is also not enough food for them.  You will be rewarded by having lots of eager visitors to watch in your garden.

Buy a bird feeder or two (more if you have a bigger garden) and fill them full of bird seed and peanuts.

Make a bird feeder
Treat your local birds to this simply and sleekly designed “open bar”. All you need is some wood, a hook, some wire and a glass bottle with a screw cap.

Be sure to hang your bird feeder somewhere peaceful, sheltered and away from cats.

Full instructions for the bird feeder can be found at esprit cabane.

bird feeder [esprit cabane]

Share and share alike

Birds are quite partial to a bit of Christmas dinner, so here’s one way to get rid of the leftovers. Here’s what to share and what not to share, according to the RSPB:

• Fat. Only from unsalted cuts of meat, i.e. not from a ham. Put it out in a large piece for the little birds to pick at, and be sure to anchor it down to be sure that a large bird doesn’t make off with it. Nail it down if necessary.
• Roast potatoes. Once they’re cool, cut them open for birds to enjoy the fluffy insides.
• Vegetables. Cold brussels sprouts, carrots and parsnips are popular. Don’t put out more than what can be eaten in one day or you may attract rats.
• Fruit. Excess or bruised apples, pears or other fruit. Cut up and leave out.
• Pastry. Cooked or uncooked are both good bird food, especially if made with real fats.
• Cheese. Small pieces of hard cheese, but nothing to strong and no blue cheese.
• Dried fruit. Raisins, sultanas and currants are all good.
• Biscuits and cakes. Stale cake and crumbs from the bottom of the biscuit tin are all full of fat and good for getting birds through the winter.

Rhino Eco Friendly Rechargeable /Dynamo/Windup Radio and Flashlight
This would be the perfect thing for camping and gardening. The Rhino radio has AM/FM radio, is wind up & rechargeable. It also has a DC charger. The light is an integrated LED and the unit has an optimum charge indicator.
£24.99 from All Things Green

Neal’s Yard Organic Seaweed and Arnica foaming Bath
I don’t believe in taking baths every day, because they use too much water. But once in a while, after a hard day’s work in the garden or going for a long walk, a bath can be just the thing. This restorative foam bath contains extracts of revitalising mineral-rich seaweed, arnica and comfrey, and essential oils of lavender, juniper, lemon and pine. It’s ideal for after exercise.
£11.70 from John Lewis.

Neal’s Yard Organic Citrus Hand Wash
I love hand soap with a refreshing zing to it. This Citrus hand wash from Neal’s Yard will put me in a good mood every time I wash my hands. It contains essential oils of antiseptic lemon, cleansing orange, grapefruit and ho leaf, with mild vegetable derived detergents and foaming agents.
£6.75 from John Lewis.

Eco Friendly Newspaper Briquette Maker
This looks like such a handy gadget for making our own logs for the fire. Just got to have one. It’s a great way to recycle newspaper and save money. The free fuel you make with one of these is non-toxic and leaves a minimum of ash. The briquette maker is of metal construction, and is easy and safe to use. You just soak the paper, place it into the mould and squeeze.
£14.95 from Amazon.co.uk

Cambodian Recycled Rice Bags
These ethically produced recycled rice bags always get good press on this blog. I just love them. I’ve been wanting a couple of them for ages.
£12.95 from Firebox.com

Bye Bye Standby Energy-Saving Kit
This is the ideal solution to my video machine and set-top box energy saving debarcle. Bye Bye Standby will completely cut power to my video machine, DVD player and set-top box when they’re not in use, thereby saving the power that these devices would otherwise have consumed in Standby Mode. The pack contains one remote control to switch off the lot.
£34.99 from All Things Green