5 Ways to Have a More Eco-Friendly Holiday

Welcome to the November 2013 Carnival of Natural Mothering! 

This article is a part of the Carnival of Natural Mothering hosted by GrowingSlower, Every Breath I Take, I Thought I Knew Mama, African Babies Don't Cry, and Adventures of Captain Destructo. This month's topic is Incorporating Natural Into the Holidays. Be sure to check out all of the participants' posts through the links at the bottom of this page.

This post contains some affiliate links.With the holidays approaching, it is so easy to get swept up into the excitement of it all that we can often temporarily leave our green and natural ways behind. On the flip side, if you haven't taken many green steps as a family yet, this is actually a wonderful time to implement some eco-friendly traditions.

Here are 5 ways to have a more eco-friendly holiday season this year:
1. Avoid buying plastic toys whenever possible.There are so many beautiful wooden toys available from companies like Plan Toysor from work at home parents on Etsy. If you do want to buy plastic toys, see if there are things that you like from one of the companies that make products from recycled plastic like Green Toys.
2. Make your own gift wrap.I love this DIY Wrapping Paper Tutorial from Shannon of Growing Slower.
3. Buy "experience" gifts for loved ones rather than more products that will ultimately end up in a landfill.Museum memberships are always wonderful gifts, and memberships to conservation organizations like The Trustees of Reservations often include fun perks like free admission to beaches.
4. Volunteer as a familyWhether you adopt a family, collect gifts for the pets at a local animal shelter, or make Thanksgiving dinner for a family in need, volunteering as a family can only bring good things to your holiday season. Helping others - no matter how small the effort - only helps our world to become a better place.
5. Decorate with elements of natureInstead of purchasing paper and plastic decorations, use acorns, pine cones, pine tree boughs, or leaves. Pinterest is filled with creative ways to use these things, and this is always such a blast for kids.
What are your suggestions for having a more eco-friendly holiday season?

Bloggers, visit GrowingSlower to sign up to be a part of next month's carnival.