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Tis the season to share: Host an eco-friendly gift exchange!

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Years ago, a good friend of mine hosted a holiday party that left a lasting impression in my mind and the many others that attended that fantastic fete.  It involved a gift exchange but instead of giving a dollar limit for gifts, she asked everyone in attendance to bring ten items they no longer used to give away.  In return they could take five items of their choice home.  The remaining five items would be donated to a local women’s shelter for the holidays.  She left the rest to the imagination and opened it up to items ranging from babies to boyfriends to big footed girls like me.

I remember walking in with my personal pieces in tow wondering if I would embarrass myself per usual by some strategic stain or inappropriate choice of clothing article.  I was also skeptical of the theme thinking I wouldn’t find anything I liked.   Instead, I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had shopping through the different discards of others  and meeting many new people in return.    It turned out to be a blast and everyone left with a few fun new treasures and a sense of satisfaction at both helping others in need and unloading those sweaters that had been haunting their closets for years.

I think this year is a great time to host an eco-friendly gift exchange where you can invite friends old and new, colleagues, acquaintances, neighbors and family to share their belongings and host a bazaar of interesting goods.  Some other fun things to share are:

  • Pieces of furniture, mirrors, candles, vases, jars and the like that you no longer use for others to use in a DIY project.
  • Magazines you have read for others to peruse for inspiration and add to creative cork boards.
  • CDs you have already downloaded to iTunes for others to do the same (that is if you still have CDs, I know I do:).
  • Cookbooks and kitchen appliances you no longer use for others to create memorable holiday treats.
  • Books that you no longer have room for but will always have a place in your heart and now somebody else’s.
  • Stuffed animals and toys the children of others may enjoy.
  • Other tips and tricks you have found to make the holidays a little bit greener.

And let the spirit of sharing stay in your heart beyond the change of seasons and check out some great online forums that encourage us all to share what we have with our friends year-round.

Check out Yerdle which is a new online network to share and loan goods to friends as well as Freecycle which has been established and helping friends find friends with similar needs for years.

www.yerdle.com

www.freecycle.org

Happy Holidays!



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