In keeping with our green theme we share this idea for making it a green holiday, sans using so much green cash; to buy the spirit.  we easily found these items for sale on the internet; mostly from recycled items.  if you happen to be crafty, you can take the same items and make these neat gifts yourself.  no one I know would turn down any of these neat items.

we happen to have quite a collection of soda bottles, so maybe it’s time to start making these oh so cool glasses.  no way you’d get these mixed up in your holiday drinking soirees’.  there are so many ways to give green from what you already have. take a look at the chopstick basket below; or the coasters, or the pet bed – all made from recyclables you may have laying around already.

Most of this weeks gift items were found at The Daily Green – an absolutely fabu green site we visit often.  maybe you should too (hint*hint)

Soda Bottle Glasses

Photo credit:Courtesy of Etsy

Individually flame-cut and polished, these trendy glasses have that appealing retro-soda-pop feel… because they’re made from real Boylan’s soda bottles.(etsy.com, $24)

most of us forget that the real spirit of a gift is in the spirit of giving. too often we spend money to replicate the feeling of giving; instead of truly giving ourselves.

this week we will do the following to feel more holiday spirit :

• Bake Goodies to send delivered by a friend- still warm; to another Friend’s Dinner in another state.
• Donate to a friends’ fund to help her feed her family this holiday.
• Bake and give out lots of homebaked bread, rolls and cakes to our friends who are a little yeast or cash poor this year.
• Design the Cupcakes for Princess Z’s Birthday Party at school in two weeks – then start to assemble the decortions before the baking begins.
• Decide which of my favorite charities will receive my big bag of fall clothes and a check for their holiday drive.
• and finally but most importantly – Visit the Cemetery to share a few memories and moments of holidays gone by.

this week starts our Green Holiday Series, and hopefully you’ll find one or two ideas to help you put the Holiday Spirit back into the Holidays This Year

keeping it green this week means we are sharing another bloggers idea with you, in hopes of giving you the green spirit of the holidays. If you have Green Holiday Suggestions Please Post em, to Share.

Remember the most important element is “YOUR SPIRIT”

Enjoy Your Holidays,

Cardboard Coasters

Photo credit:Courtesy of bambeco.com

Delicately designed, but water-resistant and sturdy, these unique honeycomb-shaped coasters are made from old cardboard. (bambeco.com, $22 for a set of 4)

Paper Vessel

Photo credit:Courtesy of Etsy

Delicate and dramatic, this gold-leafed papier-mâché vessel is made from recycled and reused paper. (etsy.com, $32)

Chopstick Bowl

Photo credit:Courtesy of elswares.com

Display anything in this fashionable bowl constructed from chopsticks. Yes, they’re used chopsticks — but they’re sanitized and ready for re-use. When you need extra space, this unique upcycled contraption folds flat. (elsewares.com, $26)

Road Map Coasters

Photo credit:Courtesy of artfire.com

Salvaged bathroom tiles, suede ripped from discarded upholstery books and clips of vintage roadmaps make these these upcycled coasters distinctive. (artfire.com, $15)

Fashion Magazine Mirror

Photo credit:Courtesy of Urban Outfitters

She loves reading her fashion mags but feels guilty about all the paper they waste. Now she can behold herself in a frame made of reclaimed magazine pages. (urbanoutfitters.com, $39.99)

Suitcase Pet Bed

Photo credit:Courtesy of Etsy

The perfect gift for someone who loves vintage style as much as they adore their pet, this pet bed is made from a 1970s American Traveler suitcase. (etsy.com, $65)

Give “Experience” Gifts this Holiday If You’re Low on Cash [Gift Giving]

By Sarah Rae Trover on Holidays

With excess cash in short supply these days, no one wants to feel like a gift given is unappreciated. Ensure the people on your gift-giving list enjoy themselves by giving an experience instead of stuff.

Photo by aaronjacobs

Money-wise weblog The Simple Dollar suggests experience-based gift giving is not only easier on the pocketbook, but will create a better experience for the recipient. The post offers a few reasons why:

Aside from the fact that it’s less expensive than giving traditional material gifts, giving experiences works for three reasons.

First, it doesn’t give a material item that the other person will have to deal with. It’s not going to wind up needing maintenance or taking up storage space in their home or requiring a trip to customer service.

Second, it will stand out in a positive way in comparison to the items they receive. When you receive several items for Christmas, something distinct like this will definitely stand out from the crowd. Most of the “experience” gifts I’ve ever received still stand out for me.

Third, it often allows you to experience the gift together. If the gift is an event you can both participate in, it becomes a shared memory, something far beyond what a material gift can offer.

In our own gift giving experiences, we’ve given dinners, movie tickets, zoo passes, and more manual labor than you can shake a stick at. Not only does it lighten your load for transporting or mailing gifts to their final destination, it usually requires a little more thought than standing in an aisle and deciding which gift your friends and family would appreciate more: smelly bath and body lotion, or hastily-signed gift card.

Hit up The Simple Dollar for a few ideas for kids and adults alike, when it comes to giving gifts of this nature.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Q & A: Why We Shouldn’t Give Christmas Gifts (time.com)
• Use Ubiquitous Capture to Save Money [Saving Money] (lifehacker.com)
• Ari Herzog: How BudgetPulse Helps You Budget Online (huffingtonpost.com)
• 100 Free 4×6 Prints from SeeHere + More Discounts (momblognetwork.com)
• The 40/30/30 Rule Preps You for The Game of Life [Motivation] (lifehacker.com)