Credit: Tooga/Getty Images
READ MORE ABOUT:
Thanksgiving is about celebrating all the things you're thankful for. But it's also about celebrating the fall harvest, giving thanks for the food the earth has provided. So what better time is there to support and encourage sustainable living?
Instead of picking up the usual hostess gift, which is probably not green, look for eco-friendly alternatives. It may sound like extra work, but with so many green products available, it's more about thinking green as you shop.
Here are seven great ways to naturally show thanks to your host or hostess this Thanksgiving.
1. Plants (Not Flowers)
Flowers are an easy hostess gift, but the cut flower industry isn't exactly eco-friendly. Instead, spend the extra couple of dollars to get a potted plant that will help cleanse the air in your host's home, or herbs your host can cook with over the winter.
2. Vegan/Vegetarian Cookbook
Encourage your hosts to eat greener by bringing them a cookbook that helps them reduce the amount of meat they eat —even if it's only once a week or once a month. For a book that includes recipes and information about veganism, you can't go wrong with Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet.
3. A DIY Recipe Box
Pick up an ugly recipe box from the dollar store and decoupage on beautiful pictures of food from magazines. Want to make it extra special? Ask your friend's mom for childhood photos of your host cooking, and use those to cover the box.
4. Homemade Jam or Preserves
Nothing says appreciation like something made by you. If you made jam or preserves in the summer or fall, why not give a small selection to your hostess? It's a personal and sweet treat.
5. Soy or Beeswax Candles
Everyone loves candles this time of year, but paraffin candles contribute to indoor air pollution. A nice soy or beeswax candle with a ribbon tied to the box or tin is a simple and sweet way to show appreciation to your hosts.
6. Organic Tea
There's nothing quite like a hot cup of tea on a cold night -- which is why a selection of organic loose leaf teas is the perfect autumn gift. Don't forget to also buy an infuser if your host doesn't have one already.
7. Organic Wine
Wine is the universal last-minute hostess gift, and a general crowd pleaser. So if you find yourself popping into the store to grab a bottle of wine on the way to Thanksgiving dinner, do the planet a favor and make it an organic wine.
Cara Smusiak writes on behalf of Naturally Savvy.com about how to live a more natural, organic and green lifestyle.
More on Thanksgiving:
Less Is More Thanksgiving
Beyond Tofurkey: 7 Vegan Recipes Perfect for Thanksgiving
Spice Up Your Thanksgiving with DIY Place Mats
-
- {}
