We moved from a 973-square-foot house to a larger one this year, and I did feel a pang of guilt about it.  (Joy wrote about the joys of small-house living here, and we published another ode to tiny spaces here.)  I have found that there are a few environmental advantages to a larger home, and one of them is the luxury of a gift wrap closet. 

As you know from our first ever Green Baby Guide post, I don’t like to use regular wrapping paper.  That’s why I love having an entire cupboard devoted to decorative boxes, ribbons, gift bags, and tins.  In a little cardboard dresser (which was my only dresser back in my starving grad student days!), I keep manila envelopes, ribbons, tins, and boxes.  I also have a whole box dedicated to gift bags, none of which I paid for myself.

Here’s that reusable gift wrap photo again.  I use tins, decorative boxes, ribbons, and bags year after year!

Whenever I need to wrap a gift, I go up to the ol’ closet.  My husband is used to seeing the same big red box every birthday and Christmas.  Some boxes and bags I use just within the household if I am not willing to part with them.

So now I’ve made you long for a gift wrap closet of your own, but you don’t have a closet or cupboard to spare?  Fabric gift bags may be the solution.  (We raved about them in the first post mentioned above.)

Does anyone else have some creative ideas for wrapping presents without creating piles of waste?  Let us know!  For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, head on over to Rocks in My Dryer.

When my son’s eyes light up as he opens a Christmas present, I delight in his happiness.  But thrifty, green living has shown me a whole new way to look at indulging him.  For example, on my son’s birthday we were able to buy him a far more toys than usual because we opted for garage sale gifts.  He felt spoiled, we saved money, and we embraced the “reuse” part of the green cycle instead of buying new.  

But beyond the material stuff, I keep thinking of all the secondary rewards my son gets from our thrifty green lifestyle–especially during the holiday season.

• Less money stress.  We are spoiling him by eliminating financial arguments and tension because we spend less and are more financially secure.  We can enjoy the season without feeling pressured to be spending more money than we have. 
• Organic treats.  Roscoe gets to try all sorts of locally grown fruits and vegetables—some of which I’m having for the first time at 35!  Hopefully they’ll help him develop healthy eating habits.  We’re already finding ways to fit rutabagas into our Christmas dinner menu.
• More family time.  Budget friendly, eco-friendly living has allowed us to cut back on our hours at work and enjoy every moment together.  In this photo we’re just hanging out in the backyard together–which is one of our main sources of entertainment these days.  When we’re all there together, Roscoe is thrilled!
• A college savings fund.  I think my son won’t feel the least bit neglected for getting reused toys and a bit less stuff, considering that the extra savings will help us save for his college tuition.
• A cleaner environment.  Roscoe’s corner of the landfill will be drastically reduced thanks to our efforts.  Since his generation is going to have to deal with global warming, it’s nice to know that our efforts will help.

Instead of putting loads of toys on credit cards that are filled to the brink, there is a grassroots movement of American families opting to buy less, buy used, and spoil their children for years to come.  How do you spoil your child with thrifty green living throughout the year and during the holiday season?

As a vegetarian, I usually graze on side dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  This is actually just fine with me, as I do love rolls, cranberry sauce, and green beans (though not in the form of green bean casserole!).  This year I am hosting Christmas dinner, and my guests have assured me that they don’t mind going meatless.   So what should I serve?  Here are some websites with vegetarian feast ideas:

The Veggie Table has suggestions for every course, from appetizers to meat-free main course options.  I like the idea of a Christmas salad made from red, white, and green ingredients.

Veg Kitchen features a holiday menu that takes advantage of “late season” produce.  The carrot and orange soup sounds tempting.

Rose Elliot has a vegetarian cook book for Christmas ideas.  I just put it on hold at my library!

The Vegetarian Society collected their recipes from years past and has a huge collection, including ideas for catering to vegetarian guests and recipes from around the world.

International Vegetarian has 64 vegan holiday recipes, many of which feature pumpkin: baked pumpkin with veggie pilaf, pumpkin stew, stuffed pumpkin, pumpkin bisque, pumpkin pie,  pumpkin bread, pumpkin pudding, and more!

BBC Food offers three gourmet vegetarian holiday menus with recipes such as port and stilton pâté, chestnut and mushroom tartlets, Christmas crostini, and pumpkin ravioli.

If you’re hosting Christmas or other holiday dinners, do you make any attempts to “go green” with vegetarian, organic, or free-range food?  Let me know if you have any ideas for a vegetarian Christmas to remember!

We love gathering up green parent advice and are already thankful for the tips we got from last week’s post on potty training.  This week, we turn to cloth diaper users for their experiential wisdom.

What are your favorite brands/styles of cloth diapers?  We’re especially interested in which diapers have provided the least leakage and the best fit, but we’d also like to hear about brands that turned out to be total duds. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!

While here at the Green Baby Guide we approve of garage sale gifts, experience gifts, and even no gifts for your offspring this holiday season, sometimes you do want to buy a little something for the baby in your life.  We’ve personally worked with the eco-friendly companies listed below–some of you may have been lucky enough to win one of their great products in our past giveaways.

Pedoodles shoes are green because they’re made from recycled leather remnants.  Look for the “eco-friendly” label in the Next Steps Collection.   They’re very sturdy with a highly flexible sole and have become our favorite choice for shoes. 

Isabooties are a great leather-free bootie for young babies and early walkers.  They come in so many darling designs, you’ll want to order every one.

Natural Pod carries wooden toys, organic clothing dyed with natural dyes, and much more.  We lust after their all wooden kitchen sets for kids and especially like their lineup of imaginative play toys.

My Little Pakora features a line of organic baby clothes with whimsical animal designs on them.  If you’re going to indulge in new, organic baby clothes, these are a great choice.

Why not treat your baby to some new cloth diapers to ring in the new year?  Here are some of our favorites: Bumkins, Fuzzibunz, Happy Heinys, bumGenius. 

While most people think of giving eco-friendly diaper cakes for baby showers, what about the holidays?  Here’s one decked out in Christmas colors by Grow in Style.

Another great gift idea comes from Monkey Foot Designs: stylish, waterproof wet bags for cloth diapers, swimming suits, or anything else.  The small bag costs just $16 and the large $22–an excellent deal for a custom-made bag.

Cozy Bunny sells soft, woolen baby clothes and changing pads.

Also, don’t forget Baby Blend Tees.  We’re giving one away right now, so post a comment before Monday and win one for your baby or child.

Happy hunting for holiday swag!

Although I’m always trying to shift my grocery selections to organic products, sometimes my inner tightwad cannot handle the sticker shock—especially with the recent rise in food prices.  Buying our produce through a Commmunity Supported Agriculture subscription and having our own raised bed garden has helped, but as a working mom, I depend on having some packaged products to feed my family. 

Store brand organics have come to my rescue with quality, eco-friendly products at reasonable prices.  I have found organic applesauce, crackers, and beans made by Western Family (a generic brand popular in the Pacific Northwest) at my local grocery store.  Even chain stores such as Safeway and Fred Meyer also offer their own organic selections, including baby food.

Trader Joe’s is my dream store, providing endless shelves of store brand organics for reasonable prices.  It’s a nice down-to-earth alternative to boutique grocery stores that always make me feel as though I’m spending my grocery money on their interior décor rather than my food.

So what’s not to love about store brand organics?  Some people worry that generics can undercut companies who are struggling with a tough economy in a very niche market.  Should we spend the extra money to support companies that care for the environment and consider it a contribution to green business?

What do you think?  Do you buy store brand organics?  Why or why not?  Thanks for sharing your stories with us on Thrifty Green Thursday.  

Don’t forget to enter our Baby Blend Tees giveaway by posting a comment on this post.  It’s over on Monday, so get your comments in to win an adorable t-shirt for your baby or as a perfect holiday gift!

Do you have a eco-friendly, budget friendly tip to share?  Just go here to find out how to jump into the Thrifty Green Thursday blog carnival this week!

Do you want unique, eco-friendly gifts for your little one that are handmade here in the U.S.A.?  What about shopping on www.etsy.com?  Etsy sells wares made by crafters that are much more interesting than mass-produced stuff from Babies R Us.  We’ve already mentioned the great fabric bibs from Enchanted Dandelions.  Here are some other shops worth checking out.

Warm and Fuzzy Baby–Darling organic hats, blankets, and booties.

Organic Quilt Company–Stunning organic baby quilts for very reasonable prices.

New England Gift Company–Ribbon-lined organic hooded baby towels and retro-print baby blankets.

Lovey Duds–Organic wraps to tote baby around in, plus some “hooter hiders” in colorful organic fabrics.

Maiden Love–Soft flannel elephant toys stuffed with wool and organic lavender.

Babus–Soft fabric blocks made from recycled fabrics, plus some wool teethers.

Simple Dreams–An ingenious little “gift pouch” for a gift certificate that can later be used to keep a lock of baby’s hair or a first tooth.

Agape Luv–Eco-friendly kimonos for baby, made from organic or recycled fabric and “solar power sewn”!

Wooly Baby–Adorable, warm baby slippers made from recycled sweaters.

For more great ideas, head on over to Rocks in My Dryer!

Jennifer Leaphart founded Baby Blend Tees after creating a few adorable shirts for her own children and being stopped by strangers who wanted some themselves.  Her designs are simple, clever, kid-friendly and printed on sweat-shop free, 100% organic cotton. 

Baby Blends Tees has gathered national attention after being featured in Pregnancy and Newborn magazine, E-The Environmental Magazine, The Chicago Sun Times and The Chicago Tribune.  Fabulous press for a small company started by a multitasking mother!

It’s nice to know that Leaphart has made business decisions that include the planet in her long range planning.  Beyond the fact that the company uses organic cotton, Baby Blend Tees also belongs to 1% for the Planet, a group of businesses that donate 1% of their annual sales to environmental programs. 

Now for the best news of all… the giveaway!  Comment to win an authentic Baby Blend Tee in the design and size of your choice.   Visit Baby Blend Tee’s T-Shirt Café to see all of the adorable options available.  Remember to get your comment in before December 16^th to be eligible to win.  Great luck!

Here are a few links to make your holiday season a bit greener this year!

Mindful Mama wrote about Greener Gift Wrap and Why I Heart Thrifting.

Suite 101.com has an article about Eco-friendly Kids’ Toys for 2008.

Here’s an old National Geographic article on how to have an eco-friendly Christmas.

We weighed the pros and cons of artificial and live Christmas trees in our last Thrifty Green Thursday.  Here’s an Eco-friendly Daily article from the perspective of someone who grew up on a tree farm.

This article is a year old, but here are some eco-friendly Hanukah ideas from the Sunshine Chronicles.

Treehugging Family wrote about giving gifts of experience or necessity.  We also had a post about reducing environmental impact with gifts of experience, as well as 5 Unexpectedly Green Gifts for babies and kids.

Since we often learn heaps from our wise readers, we’ve decided to ask a question each week and see how much information we can gather from our green parenting peers.  Thanks so much for contributing the wisdom you’ve gained from your time in the trenches with your little ones.   If you’d like to propose your own parenting question, we can feature it sometime soon for our Saturday question and you’ll get some great advice!

Joy’s Question: 

My son is 2 years and 3 months old and we’ve started casually potty training.  He goes to daycare during the week for partial days and spends the rest of his time with us, but he seems to only be alternately excited about sitting on the potty.  Sometimes he’s totally into it, and on other occasions he utterly refuses.  Many experts advise waiting until your child is really excited about potty-training, but I wonder if he’d do better if we actually invested more energy into his efforts.  Maybe if we were more consistent he’d do better.  So, should we wait or should we use a few time-tested tricks for piquing his interest in the potty?