Last night as I sat before a blazing fire drinking a cup of hot cocoa, my hands were busy tying gold ribbons onto cast off CD’s. Instead of tossing CD’s that were broken or unwanted into the garbage, I have saved them throughout the year to use as glittering exterior ornaments on my Japanese maple tree.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, but unfortunately it is also a time of great waste. For the first time in many decades, people are recognizing the need to be conscious of protecting the world we live in. For me, this is nothing new. Having been born and raised on a farm, I learned at an early age the symbiotic connection between earth and humans. On our ranch, everything was saved and re-purposed. It was a lesson well learned.

As I grew into adulthood, I was often teased about my recycling projects, including my handmade gifts for the holidays. Today, as we softly, steadily, gently go “green”, I am being sought out for advice on how to live intelligently by living green.

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, Americans create an extra 25 million TONS of trash. If every American family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon each year, 38,000 miles of trimming would be saved which could tie a bow around the entire world! Are you willing to start a new tradition? Read on.

For the holidays, I’ve collected some of my favorite sustainable ideas to keep trees out of landfills while making peace on earth. I wish you a green Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanza. Whatever you celebrate, remember to reuse, recycle, re-purpose and renew this holiday season to save our planet and your pocketbook!

1. Shopping bags:
When I was living in Holland, every family had personal cloth shopping bags. Create one out of a pillowcase by adding fabric handles. Voila! No more paper or plastic bags to the garbage can. Each year it is estimated that 500 billion to 1 trillion bags are consumed. this is more than one per minute.
2. Presents:
Create home made gifts for friends and family. “Home-made” a dying art because everyone is so “busy”. My favorites include homemade herb infused olive oils, dried herbs and potpourri from my garden, scented bath salts and candles. If you don’t have a garden, buy beautiful frames and capture a photographic moment to cherish.. My daughter designs unique one of a kind handbags from vintage fabrics and recycled baubles. These purses make great gifts for all the girls on your list.. Visit www.karmonykollection.com to have one made for you.
3. Gift wrap and ribbon:
Re-use wrapping paper, tissue paper, wallpaper, wrap gifts in brown packing paper or even newspaper. If it’s wrinkled you can iron lightly. Top with a recycled bow, string, raffia, or ribbon curled with scissors. Santa always brought gifts to my children wrapped in newspaper, sometimes with colorful drawings on top. Statistics share that Americans throw away one million tons of gift wrap and packaging during the holiday season.
4. Holiday cards:
Last year’s Christmas cards become this year’s gift tags. Cut out the greetings, punch a hole in the corner and use on your present. Another use for cards is to use a paper cutter to slice in half to utilize the front as a picture postcard. Maybe in a few years, paper cards will be eliminated completely and we’ll all send e-cards. For now, find ways to re-use your holiday cards. My clients have adopted this green idea and just love it!
5. Gift Tags:
For homemade gift tags, how about using found objects such as colorful leaves, stones, or shells. Use a sharpie to write your note, add a sprig of evergreen and you have a one of a kind card.
6.Oranments:
Cards can be turned into fabulous ornaments. Use cookie cutters to trace reindeer, Santas, angels, and snowmen. Cut out the characters, punch a hole, add ribbon, then use them to spruce up your garlands or holiday tree.
7. Trees:
Instead of buying a cut Christmas tree, purchase a live potted tree that you can grow in a pot for many years and use year after year, gradually repotting into a larger container. It doesn’t have to be a cedar, blue spruce, or pine. Any tree that is not deciduous will enhance your room.
8. Recycle cut trees. If you must have a cut tree, visit a tree farm where trees will be re-trimmed and will re-grow. To find an organic tree farm near you visit www.localharvest.org. Most communities will recycle the tree by turning it into compost. If your garbage service does not offer this, visit www.earth911.org to find out where you can recycle your branches.
9. Trimmings:
Trim your tree the old fashioned way with cranberries, popcorn, pinecones and children’s art. Peruse your local second hand shop for ornaments that could use a lift. Be creative and add your own personal collections to your tree. My favorites include stars, costume jewelry, walnut hulls, and animal art.
10. Boughs from your yard.
Deck your halls with treasures from your garden. I make boughs from the trees, bushes, and vines on my property including bay, magnolia, redwood, rosemary, holly, chilies, thyme, and whatever else I can fin that is not poison oak. At this time of year, I gather the rose hips for another sprig of winter color and snip narcissus for their fabulous fragrance.
11. Set the table:
Design beautiful original place settings on your holiday table by using twigs from your backyard as your place holder. You can easily write the name of guests on paper, then glue it to the branch. Or, when you pop that bottle of champagne, use the topper as a holder for a name label. For a centerpiece, go out into your garden again and be creative. It’s amazing how ordinary object s become treasured trinkets in interior decor. For lots of design ideas, visit www.star-style.com.
12. Lighting:
Replace your holiday lighting with energy-saving light strings. Remove the bulbs from your old light strings and use as tree ties in your garden. Better yet, light the beeswax candles, however be extra careful to not leave any candles aflame when you leave for a party or work.
13. Save energy::
You probably don’t have to be reminded to turn down your thermostats, don the extra sweatshirt, cover yourself with a warm quilt, and drink a mug of hot mulled wine. I’ve read at www.stopglobalwarming.org that if you lower your heater by 2 degrees you’ll save 2000 pounds of carbon dioxide. And if you use red wine like syrah or zinfandel mixed with cinnamon, cloves, and apples, in your hot beverage, y our immune system will get a boost and your body extra antioxidants to fight those winter blues..
14. Clean Up:
With all the gathering of guests, your home will need a cleaning before and after the parties. Make sure to use non-toxic eco-friendly products. My farm favorite is vinegar, water, and baking soda! More ideas for green living can be heard on my radio show broadcast live every Thursday from 3-4pm PST/6-7pm EST on World Talk, Radio/Voice America at http://www.modavox.com/WTRStudioA/HostModaviewForWTR2.aspx?HostId=289&Ch...
or through archives, pod casts, links, and descriptions at http://www.ideocast.com/show.asp?sid=118.
16. Make a difference:
Instead of buying a gift for someone, make a donation to your favorite charity. Did you know that if you may donate up to $100,000 to your favorite charity tax-free from your IRA account this year only without the penalty of an early withdrawal fee? May I suggest the 501c3 Be the Star You Are! that empowers women, families, and youth through improved literacy at positive media? Visit www.bethestaryouare.org and make a donation today. A gift card will be sent to the donor and you’ll get your tax deduction. WOW! win-win-win!!

There are many more ways we can go green this season. Sing, hug, and smile as you save the earth and celebrate the subtle shift towards a green revolution.

Wishing you a sustainable, earth merry silent night. Hang up your scratched CD’s on your trees and let the jingle bells ring.. Green is the color of joy to the world.!

Cynthia Brian, New York Times best selling author, radio personality, and life coach, has been living green since she was child. Finally, she’s in style. www.star-style.com, 925-377-STAR.