It's Friday. That means we're either talking about vinegar or about smarter, more earth-friendly ways to do do things. Today, I'm happy to feature a guest post by Katherine Lilly, a freelance writer currently based in California. When she's not writing, Kathy enjoys traveling around California and spending time with her family. Click here to follow her on Twitter. As you'll see, she offers plenty of smarter solutions to the ways things are usually done.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.
Have an Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving may
involve a lot of excesses, but it doesn’t have to have an excessive impact on
the environment. Here are a few ways you can green up your Thanksgiving
festivities.
Shop Locally and
Seasonally
It’s a given that a feast will end up on the table. One
thing you can take into consideration, though, is the origin of that feast.
Choose to shop locally and seasonally to cut down on the amount of transport
that is needed to bring the food to your table. Buying from local farmers and
food suppliers can reduce packaging as well as the preservatives and
refrigeration needed to carry produce long distances.
Compost
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| Image by Junior Libby |
Whether you’re peeling potatoes, scooping pumpkins or coring
apples, you will likely have a lot of compostable materials piling up. Begin a compost bin to keep discarded produce parts from ending up in the trash
can.
Decorate Naturally
 |
| Image by Vera Kratochvil |
Send the kids on a scavenger hunt outside to locate natural
decorations such as pine cones and acorns that can be brought back in to
decorate in a natural manner. Pick up a pumpkin or a few squash to create a
centerpiece. When the holiday is over you will have no plastic décor to dispose
of or store and can likely compost most of the items.
Clean With
Eco-Friendly Products
When you are prepping for the 17 aunts, uncles and cousins expected
to infiltrate your home, cleaning every nook and cranny suddenly becomes a
priority mission. This year do your deep cleaning with natural and organic products to ensure that you’re not only being earth
friendly, but keeping potentially hazardous chemicals away from your loved
ones. If you would rather not spend the extra money, you can create your own at
costs lower than traditional cleaners. Check online to learn how to use items such as vinegar, baking soda and other
household staples in your cleaning.**
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| Thanksgiving at Green Grandma's |
Dishes
With large numbers of guests it can be tempting to bring out
the disposable dishes. If you can avoid that, though, you can reduce your
amount of trash considerably. Then, when you are finished, clean the dishes
with an environmentally friendly dish washing soap. If you absolutely must use
disposable items, choose those made out of recyclable materials.
Unplug
Thanksgiving is about connecting with the family and friends
for whom you are so thankful. Do this by disconnecting from phones and
computers and focusing instead on interacting with one another on a personal
level. Instead of watching the afternoon game, turn off the television and send
the gang outside to create your own friendly game of post-turkey flag football.
Make this season a time to be thankful for everything the earth
provides for you and the ones you love. Celebrate that by making a few tweaks
to your event for an eco-friendly Thanksgiving.
***
**For more natural cleaning tips, check out my book, VINEGAR FRIDAYS, available online and in various retail outlets.
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