Ain't nothing like the real thing.... Trees that is!

Oh No she is on that soap box again.... yes I guess I am. maybe it's a tree stand!!!
This time of year is bittersweet for me, while I love the holidays for the celebration of what the season is, and all the traditions and family. I am sick of all the nasty leftovers.
The wrapping paper is one thing, but I can't tell you how saddened I am every time I pass through a big box store and see the artificial forests set up in the Christmas area. All that plastic, made to look like a beautiful living forests.
Why? The common person would say that an artificial decoration would save a tree, well on the surface yes. One tree but the production of the artificial tree, the VOC off set and then the dumping it when it inevitably becomes too worn to use another year, poisons the air, the environment and takes up space in a land fill forever. Artificial trees are plastic, plastic is made from by products of petroleum. So with that said we saved 1 tree and did thousands of years worth of damage to the environment.Plastic is made of oil and is flammable so we must treat the "trees" with a flame retardant that is toxic to avoid it com busting. I know that many people fear the real tree fires but if the tree remains well watered and the lights on it are low heat and responsibly monitored this is very avoidable!
To support the view I am expressing here I offer this table from the National Christmas Tree Association
This goes deeper than just the green too. Think about the American farmers being employed by the production of real trees. Especially here in North Carolina. We are one of the biggest producers of Christmas Trees!
We are also reducing our dependency on oil but reducing the amount of plastics we use...which will by far be better for the economy and the nation!
So, I say... say no to artificial..... what are your options?
You can of course purchase a cut tree. This is a matter of preference. You can go to a lot and buy one, I would recommend finding out where the trees are grown and if pesticides or inorganic fertilizers are used.The best option is to find a farm that is sustainable across the board. Uses organic growing practices, grows a variety of native specias of trees (this helps to contribute to the native wildlife conservation), harvests the trees using minimal amounts of heavy equiptment and has a high return plant ratio,( this means that they plant more than one to one harvested trees) Often when a mature tree is harvested there is room to plant two smaller breeds) That might require a little research but there are resources available on the internet.
Another option is going to a farm and picking one out,you can see the practices first hand! I have a friend who has made this an annual tradition with her children. She loads up the van and drives to the NC mountains often staying overnight and enjoying the whole trip, she tops it off by visiting the same family owned tree farm every year, selecting a tree where it grows, harvesting it and brings it home. What a great memory her kids will have of that experience.
A potted tree is a good option too, Keeping the same tree for 5 years or so potted is safe for the tree, and good for you. As the tree grows it will eventually need to be planted but in the meantime you can enjoy it indoors for the breif holiday season and then return it to the outdoors.
One more way that we get a little more out of our real tree is, after the holidays we take our ornaments off the tree (if you use tinsel be careful to get all of it off) and lights and take the tree outside in the stand and return the favor. This is a gift to the animals (God's other creations, as my son puts it). Once the tree is clean of any artificial stuff we redecorate it. We straw twine and string popcorn and berries together and hang it on the tree. We use "imported" pine cones from my son's family on the coast and make the peanut butter birdseed feeders and hang them as ornaments on the tree. other "ornaments" include dried corn on the cob for the squirrels, various fruits and nuts...we top the tree with a filled bird feeder. It is a great tradition that the kids look forward to, and it is a great way to help the wildlife with food and shelter for a few weeks in winter. Once all the food is gone, we make sure there were no homes built in the branches and then the tree is chopped and composted.

Enjoy the sites and sounds and smells of the Winter holidays, and let me have the feed back!! What are your opinions , traditions and thoughts about the Tannenbaum?

TP your Christmas, and Roll into Reusing!

Hey all it has been a while since my last post and I want to apologize looks like the Holidays caught up with me.
I have been working on the article on indoor air quality and I will be posting that in early 2010.
I wanted to take advantage of the Holidays being here to post some things that are reliant to this time of year!

This post is dedicated to my nearly five year old daughter Addy. She is obsessed with the cardboard tube in the middle of the toilet paper roll. She will remove them from the dispenser and add them to a collection she has in a gift bag in her room, she does all sorts of things with them from making "Lincoln Logs" and building things to making puppets. When I say she is obsessed I mean it, she will take them from other peoples homes- she says, "Are you going to recycle this?" The usual answer is no- as most people don't even think about them being recycled they just toss them into the trash - where Addy rescues them! So in the interest of not having all of my in laws and neighbors now bringing my daughter TP rolls I am sharing some of her better ideas of what we can do to repurpose the TP roll! below are the ideas with instructions for doing things , crafts and practical ideas with Toilet Paper rolls.
This time of year she had some really amazing Christmas ideas!!

The Advent "Candle" wreath:
4 TP Rolls
1 side of a large cereal box
adhesive

We started by covering 4 rolls with the corresponding colors of the Advent(you can color with markers or glue construction paper around the tube). One Pink , One white and two purple. Addy traced a large circle on a cereal box and then a smaller one inside that one. We cut it out and that made the wreath shape, to make the wreath look green and full we shredded green scrape paper and attached it. Then we took each of the candles and placed them in the space appropriate, for the Sunday.

Nativity Scene
You need at least 3 tubes for this one but if you plan on making it more elaborate then save more.Mary Joesph and baby Jesus are the main attention so start buy making them. You want to clothe and swaddle your characters. You can use paper (reclaimed or construction or felt) Make the faces, and if you fill they won't stand up well with help you can secure the bottoms to a cereal box you have cut a base out of. You are essentially making puppets.(* You can also use the remaining box to make the stable- or if you have enough TP rolls make a "log" stable)

Christmas Light and Extension cord storage:
fold lights or extension cords end over end and push through the center of the tube the tube keeps the cords wound tightly and secure until you take it out to use it- NO MORE BALLS OF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!
Candy or small gift containers
Roll the tubes in enough wrapping paper to go all the way around and extend about an inch at either end.Adhere the paper to the tube then twist and tie one end securely with pretty ribbon or twine. Fill with goodies and then twist and tie the other end.
This is a great way to wrap stocking stuffer or an inexpensive holiday party favor idea!!!
(greener version - use those odd pieces of paper scraps from wrapping or use newspaper, at our house we stamp news paper with holiday themed stamps and soy ink)
Stay tuned for more Greening your Christmas, Holiday ideas and as always if you try any of these ideas please post pic or comments letting me know what you thought. I would love some feed back too- what do you reuse your TP rolls for?