To offer a unique and green approach to the gift wrap industry Gift Bags Gone Green have created fun and funky fabric gift bags that are washable and reusable. The bags are not only green because they are reusable but they are made from upcycled, reused, and vintage fabrics.

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Editor’s note: The following post was originally published on Green and Clean Mom. “Green & Clean Mom can inspire you to try a little harder, be a catalyst for change and to offer you some new tips and news on how to be the green, sexy and sassy mom…I know you are!”

Mother’s Day is only a few days from now and if you’re anything like me – you don’t have a gift for that beloved mom or mother-law. No need to panic. There are some “kinda green” last minute gift ideas to save you from looking foolish.

1. Tech Savvy Moms and for big spenders you might want to pay extra for two day shipping or overnight shipping (not so green though) and get the new Amazon Kindle. Help mom save some trees if she reads a lot of papers or books. She’ll love this gift and maybe you can even borrow it? Keep in mind the pros and cons to this great gift last minute is the shipping and there is some debate on whether this device or others like it are all that green. Another option is a e-certificate for mom to pick out her own Kindle or maybe she likes Ebooks on her laptop or computer and would enjoy a e-certificate from Ecobrain.
2. Plant a Fruit Tree. If mom has everything she needs and doesn’t need more junk try giving her something that will help other people. In her honor, plant a fruit tree and support a non-profit organization that gives the gift of fresh fruit and sustainability. Mom is sure to appreciate this!

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Are you looking for wonderful green gifts for your eco-mama? Here are some little eco-luxuries that will make great green gifts for the woman on your Mother’s Day list this year.

Green Candlelight

Many women adore candles yet most traditional candles are made with petroleum by products, toxic fragrances and lead laden wicks.

Good news! There are now many eco-candles available so you can feed her candle addiction with candles made from soy wax, beeswax or even vegetable based paraffins, those are all green options. So give your green mama an eco candle this year.

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The online eco-boutique offers eco-conscious minded consumers gift options for every occasion: Baby, Wedding & Anniversary, Birthday, Thinking of You, Get-Away, Thank You, House Warming, Holiday and more.

“We created Organica Deluxe because we wanted a beautiful place to buy eco-friendly and organic for ourselves and our friends,” say owners Wendy James and Jane Hunter.

“We recognized that organic companies often miss the gorgeous and ever miss the green when creating packaging.”

One sweet eco-friendly gift from Organica Deluxe is their BABY LOVE gift set.  “This delightful assortment of organic goodies is filled with softness and love for baby’s sensitive skin,” says Organica Deluxe.

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Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, if you haven’t thought about what to give your sweetheart yet then it is time to get ready. On top of picking out the perfect gifts to give, you also have to consider just how green your Valentine’s Days gifts are. From chocolates to flowers there are environmentally friendly gift alternatives to help you add a little green to cupid’s arrow. Here are the top 5 green Valentine’s Day gift ideas for you to give.

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I am surprised by how many people are shopping green this year, even in Flint and surrounding areas. Green toys are really a big thing and some stores can’t seem to keep them in stock.

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Between Thanksgiving and New Years Day, Americans throw away an additional 25% of waste. That’s over 25 million tons of trash for the holiday season. Greeting cards, envelopes, gift wrap, cardboard boxes and all the trimmings that make our holidays festive really add up in the landfill.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to be festive and green at the same time. Ecopreneurs preparing their holiday marketing promotions can learn a thing or two from creative business owners like Von Glitschka, an independent graphic designer and illustrator in Salem, Oregon. Instead of sending a printed holiday mailing, Von created a fun promotion and made it available as a PDF file online. That way his recipients could choose to print and assemble the “4th Not So Wiseman” at home, or just enjoy it online without printing a thing. Not only do online promotions like this save a bundle on printing and postage costs, but they eliminate envelopes and paper cards, and thus, waste.

Von’s Not So Wiseman also comes along with a green message and a cute story by Kristen Fischer. The Not So Wiseman is not so popular because he brought coal as a gift for baby Jesus, but “Jesus just wasn’t down” with coal’s production of greenhouse gases. Now the 4th Wiseman serves as a reminder to be green and kind to the earth, because if you don’t, you deserve nothing more than coal for Christmas! You can download and create your very own 4th Not So Wiseman at Von’s blog, Art Backwash. Don’t forget to print him out on recycled paper!

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I wanted to approach the idea from two points. First, I am in the promotional items business. For our industry the main purpose of gift giving is to say thank you to the clients you have done business with in the past year, and to keep your name in front of those clients so that they do business with you next year.

Second, as an Econpreneurist gift giving gives my business a chance to show off our green credentials but also - maybe - influence our clients, not all of whom are green, about becoming more green in their own businesses.

So I decided to start off with something very basic. Mugs.

A basic mug cost little and can normally be printed on both the front and back, so there is a lot of room for both your logo and a message.

Perhaps “Thank you for your business in 2008. Think of XYZ company in 2009 for all your ABC needs” on the front and maybe an eco message like “Americans throw away an estimated 25 billion Styrofoam cups every year. The same Styrofoam cups will be sitting in a landfill 500 years from now. Please re-use this mug each day to lessen your impact on the planet.”  Yes that will all fit on a mug.  And trust me a case of mugs showing up at your client’s office goes a lot farther than a fruit basket.

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Looking for an eco-friendly gift this holiday season? How about a renewable energy offset for the computer lovers in your life?

Start-up company Powered Green offers a Wind Energy Sponsorship helping to stop hundreds of pounds of greenhouse gases by sponsoring new wind turbines that make enough clean, green energy to power a computer for seven years.

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If you’re going to change the world, wouldn’t you like it to be epic?

Stacey Monk, Co-founder and CEO of Epic Change, does, which is why she and Sanjay Patel decided to launch their unique approach to sparking social change by converting people’s “epic” stories into financial resources they can use to improve their communities, their lives – and the world.

Rooted in the best practices of successful businesses and charities, their somewhat novel approach to funding uses donations to provide interest-free loans to finance community improvement efforts, which they repay by generating revenue-driving projects based on each epic story, and then recycle by duplicating those ideas in other communities, effectively spreading hopefulness and change to everyone their program touches.

I had the opportunity to talk with Stacey to dig a little deeper into their change model, and this impassioned former management consultant with a degree in Public Policy from the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University boasts an impressive resume, but her most compelling attribute by far is a genuine desire to promote positive change and a dewey-eyed hopefulness that makes me believe she can.

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The Holiday season is just around the corner, and if you take a gander in any store it will appear that we are already in its midst. For many families, the economy is making us think about saving money this holiday season. We should always be looking for ways to have less impact on Mother Earth. The good news, being green this holiday season will accomplish both.

Here’s how to save money and help the earth this holiday:

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Enter GreenRaising.com, an all-green gift hub of gorgeous recycled wrap, cool reusable bottles and bags, fair trade chocolate, green school supplies, soaps and lotions, even cleaning supplies!

This fabulous one stop portal imparts an earth-friendly message, while helping financially strapped schools and youth organizations with socially responsible spending. (um, could our government sign up?)

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Top Ten Eco-Friendly Baby Shower Gifts

1. Moby Wrap Baby Carrier: This wrap is perfect for carrying newborns. It is the most comfortable baby wearing apparatus, and it keeps the baby snugly held against your body and protected from curious strangers and their germs. It is made from a large piece of stretch cotton and can be used as a blanket as well as a wrap. It is available in an organic cotton material too.
2. California Baby Shampoo and Bodywash: This all natural, SLS-free baby soap is perfect for a newborn’s first bath. It is so gentle and safe, and it will not irritate eczema and cradle crap.

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• Green Gift Ideas: Stubby Pencil Studio is now carrying wooden toys. The Spinny Speller is great for teaching children phonemic awareness and reminds me of the homemade phonics mediators my grandmother used to make for her first graders. The Made By Me wooden kits are perfect for little hands to decorate and assemble. Both toys are made in the USA. Stubby Pencil recycled cards and eco-art supplies also make nice additions to your child’s Easter basket. The cards now come in eco-friendly packaging consisting of a custom button/string tie envelope made from 30% post consumer recycled paper and green seal certified.

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I have noticed that a number of entrepreneurs have started business based on their personal frustration at not finding a source for a desired product or service. (Another example is Beth Gerstein’s fiancé wanting to buy an engagement ring that he could feel good about, and Beth then co-founding another green business, Brilliant Earth.)

When asked about having the vision to start VivaTerra, Dahan says, “It wasn’t cool to be green yet. Even as recent as five years ago organic and green products generally looked pretty awful. I was committed to buying eco products, but I didn’t want to sacrifice style.” Dahan figured there were more people like her, certainly enough to support one retailer, so she started writing a business plan in 2000. 2001 did not turn out to be a great year to start a business, so she re-launched, with partners in 2004, and her timing couldn’t be better.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/03/05/green-business-founded-on-desire-to-meld-beauty-with-social-responsibility/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2007/12/05/alternative-gifting-lending-and-microloans/ http://sustainablog.org/2007/12/05/alternative-gifting-lending-and-microloans/#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:11:24 +0000 Elizabeth Redmond http://sustainablog.org/2007/12/05/alternative-gifting-lending-and-microloans/ For those of you who are stumped about gifts this holiday there is probably a reason. You ask yourself- what do we actually need? Amidst all of the news of poverty and destruction, most of us find ourselves in the upper economy and hopefully and simply grateful for what we have already. Our culture has created an opportunity to jot objects on our wish list that we think we need or really want. Now don’t get me wrong, there is beauty in giving a gift to someone you care about whom you know will appreciate it. But, if you want to maintain your spirit of giving this year yet do it in an alternative fashion, why not try giving together with someone you care about to someone who will appreciate it?

For the past five + years my family has been practicing different ways of sharing gifts for the holidays. We made gifts a couple of years. Then we decided to pool our funds and purchase one big gift for someone in the family that would inspire their lifestyle, creativity, and passion… This year we decided that no one really need anything and we would prefer to do something together as a family to improve the lives and economies of others- invest in a micro-fund.

Microfinance creates social lending networks that gives us lenders the opportunity to connect directly with borrowers who normally wouldn’t get the support of a bank. This allows people in poor countries and rural areas who don’t have access to traditional banks or don’t have the credentials necessary for a bank loan, to start a business. The neat things it that in all circumstances (weather your money is controlled by the organization through which you lend or you choose who your money goes to) you can more or less track your loan. This type of investment has already made profound impacts on developing nations as it funds businesses that support their local economies. Instead of weaving baskets to be sold in the global market, people are able to start water distribution businesses to improve quality of life in their own communities.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2007/12/05/alternative-gifting-lending-and-microloans/feed/ http://jenniferlance.greenoptions.com/2007/06/13/green-family-values-eco-gifts-for-a-green-fathers-day-means-not-buying-anything/ http://jenniferlance.greenoptions.com/2007/06/13/green-family-values-eco-gifts-for-a-green-fathers-day-means-not-buying-anything/#comments Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:02:10 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://jenniferlance.greenoptions.com/2007/06/13/green-family-values-eco-gifts-for-a-green-fathers-day-means-not-buying-anything/ Sunday is Father's Day, and just like Mother's Day, it was inspired by tragic death. The modern American celebration of Father's Day  began in 1908, when 361 men were killed in a mine explosion in Monongah, West Virginia. Father's Day is celebrated around the world (on different days) to honor and commemorate the importance of male figures in family life. Traditionally in this country, gifts are given by children to their fathers, but does Dad really need another Jerry Garcia silk tie? According the The Green Guide, more than half of dads say they've never received a "good" gift, and the average cost of a Father's Day gift is $89.00. There are plenty of green, eco gifts available to buy Dad. Instead of supporting the overconsumerism in this country spawned by holidays, how about showing Dad you love him with a truly sustainable gift. These gifts don't require you to buy Dad anything, but to spend time with him.

When was the last time your dad went camping? If he is like my dad, he hasn't slept in a tent since he visited me and I was living in a tent on South Fork Mountain! The last time my dad took a real camping trip was when I was a child. Depending on the age and health of your father, you may need to go car camping or find a short trail for the adventure. Remember, it is hard for older bones to sleep on the ground, so an air mattress may be necessary. If camping is too big of an ordeal, how about taking dad for a hike or bicycle ride. My father was very good at taking us into nature frequently, despite our suburban upbringing. Revisiting one of our favorite childhood hikes would be a nostalgic moment we could share with the next generation. A bicycle ride would be a similar adventure, reminding Dad of the times when he taught you how to to ride a bike. When was the last time you made your dad a card or a gift? A gift made with your hands will bring a smile to his face. You don't have to be super crafty or an artist to accomplish this task. Find your talents, whether digital or by hand, and create something your dad can hang on the refrigerator! If you are musically inclined, write dad a song or sing him one of his favorites. If you feel you must spend money to honor your dad, there are plenty of ways you can show your green love. You can make a donation to No More Victims, a non-profit that brings injured Iraqi children to the US for medical treatment. Or, you could buy Dad a plant and help him put it in the ground. If you can't be there with Dad, Tree2MyDoor will send a living gift for you or a tree gift pack that supports a conservation project throughout the world. This gift includes a GPS map of the site, so when Dad takes his next trip to Chile or Belize, he can find his gift! Holidays, such as Father's Day, should not always be about buying gifts. Remember what your mother said, "It is the thought that counts," so be thoughtful this year. Let Dad know you love him and appreciate him by giving a truly sustainable gift.

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