This holiday season, maybe it’s time to start thinking outside the box. Who says you have to send the traditional gifts? For the right recipient, green products and organic foodstuffs perfectly express the spirit of the holiday. You can show you care about the planet and the recipient. Here are some unconventional ideas that can brighten the days of colleagues, family and friends.

1.     Organic Grassfed Beef – Sending meat in the mail may sound funny, but why not? So many Americans love to celebrate with a terrific steak or roast this time of year. Grassfed beef is becoming more and more popular, due to its health benefits, yet it’s not easy for everyone to find at their local supermarket. A delicious sampler of Greensbury organic grassfed ribeyes, filet mignon, and other fine cuts can be ordered online and sent directly the door of anyone on your list. All they have to do is defrost, cook and serve!

2. Organic Tea – The holidays can be stressful.  Consider bringing a tin of relaxing organic teas to treat the host of a holiday party, instead of wine or spirits. Green, white, and black teas contain disease-fighting antioxidants, and herbal teas may have wonderful properties ranging from aiding digestion to calming the nerves.  Organic tea samplers can also be sent via mail through sites such as www.mightyleaf.com and www.republicoftea.com.

3. Organic Bamboo Socks – Everybody needs new socks. Organic bamboo is wonderfully soft and silky and also resists odor, making it an ideal material for socks of all kinds, from active anklets to knee socks to fashionable and funky socks for the whole family. Bamboo is the most sustainable natural fiber. It even fights global warming, since bamboo takes in 5 times the amount of greenhouse gases and produces 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees. Warm toes, cool the planet…give organic bamboo clothing! Check out www.footprintbamboo.com.

4. Recycled Jewelry – Creative jewelers are making truly unique necklaces, earrings and other jewelry out of every kind of recycled material imaginable. To name a few: glass, porcelain, bicycle tubes, skateboards, and computer components.  When you consider how much harm is caused by mining for gold and gems (to humans and the planet alike), it’s exciting to discover that you can give someone a little holiday sparkle while staying mindful of environmental and political issues. Read this ecoable.com article for some samples of what’s new and different.

5. Customized Reusable Bags – Everyone’s jumping on the bag wagon these days, making or selling reusable totes. It’s a practical earth-friendly gift. But that doesn’t mean it has to be dull. You can order a canvas tote for someone on your list that’s customized with a name or photo – more incentive to bring it along wherever they go! There are plenty of online sources including this one: www.itsonlynaturalgifts.com.

That wraps up this shopping list, though there are plenty more green ideas out there. Remember, organic meats, organic fruits and vegetables, and other organic products are free of things nobody puts on their holiday list: hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides.

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