Did you find a couple of bad strands of lights when you unpacked the Christmas lights? Or maybe, like me, you have a strand with duct tape that is due to be retired.
We are going to send our lights to the HolidayLEDs.com site’s recycling center.
Here is the shipping address:
HolidayLEDs.com
Attn: Recycling Program
118 Rosehill Dr.
Suite 1
Jackson, MI 49202

Keep the packaging simple, use a small cardboard box that can also be recycled.
Good luck organizing all the holiday storage.

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I can only wish my brown paper packages could look so sweet.  I love this picture from the Oh My Handmade blog, they have a great post about how to spruce up your basic brown paper as you finish wrapping gifts this week.  I love the idea of using buttons as decoration, or cut up an old holiday card to use as a decorative cover.  What else do you use to make your packages special?

We are getting our Christmas tree this week and I can’t wait for how wonderful it makes the house smell.  I know there is a lot of conversations about the eco-friendliness of a real tree vs an artificial tree.  I remember some stats from my post last year about this issue…

* Around 98% of Real Christmas Trees are grown on farms throughout all 50 states and Canada.

These trees are planted to be harvested, just as corn is cultivated for harvest.

* The Christmas Tree industry in the United States employs more than 100,000 Americans

(part- and full-time). Meanwhile, 85% of fake trees are made by factory workers in China.

* Every acre of Christmas Trees grown produces the daily oxygen requirement for 18 people.

With approximately 500,000 million acres of trees, 9 million people a day are supplied with

oxygen thanks to these trees.

* Real Christmas Trees support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse

gases; they also stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide a refuge for wildlife.

* For each Real Christmas Tree harvested, up to three new seedlings are planted in its place.

 There are many other things we can do to maintain our green ways during the holidays and not sacrifice a real Christmas tree.  Reuse wrapping paper from past holidays, make your own handmade gifts and use embellishments from nature to personalize your packages.  I also plan to use a few extra pieces of artwork by daughter to wrap gifts.  Every little bit counts…what are you doing to stay “green” during the holidays?

Here are a couple of wrapping options I am using this season:
Quality Park Wrapping Paper Roll, 35 lb, 24 Inches x 65 Feet, Kraft Brown, 1 Roll (46152)
Martha Stewart Assorted Red Baker’s Twine
Make your own tags with these great craft punches:
Marth Stewart 1-Inch Punch Circle
Uchida LV-MGCP74 Clever Lever Mega Craft Punch, Merchandise Tag

I finally did it, I made my own natural remedy.  During the fall season our family stayed pretty healthy, until the beginning of November.  Then the nasty colds started, and the little one caught a stomach bug.  After I got a taste of it too, I decided to start down the path of homemade remedies.  I had heard a lot about Elderberry syrup, as a natural way to boost your immune system.  (Being pregnant, I can’t take echinacea, which also is thought to boost your immunity during cold season.)  Elderberries contain very high amounts of anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that protect cells against free radicals.  To help avoid colds, take 1 teaspoon daily.  For children (over one year of age) the recommended preventative does is a 1/2 teaspoon.  If you are already fighting a cold or the flu, take 1-2 teaspoons twice a day.

To start, I found the recipe for Elderberry Syrup on Naturally Knocked Up‘s blog.  I found it the easiest to follow, and included ingredients that were relatively easy to source.

Here’s the list of ingredients used:

• 1/2 cup dried elderberries (I bought mine from Mountain Rose Herbs)
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup honey  (agave is another alternative)
• 1 cinnamon stick

Combine the elderberries and water in a medium sauce pot over medium high.  Heat to a boil, then simmer for about 20 mins.

Next step, strain the berries and cinnamon stick over a bowl.  I got about 8oz of syrup at this step.
Time to add in the honey!  I used Raw Honey, which retains more health promoting enzymes and other nutrients due to minimal processing.

As you can see, raw honey does solidify more than conventional honey.  In order to retain more of the healthy benefits, let your syrup cool off before adding in the honey.

Final product…about 12 oz of syrup.  When I bought elderberry from the store I was unhappy with how expensive it was, especially if you are giving it to everyone in the family.  By making it from scratch, the cost per once is very low.

I bought both the elderberries (1 lb bag) and a bag of cinnamon sticks on sale from Mountain Rose Herbs.  (I am an affiliate)  It took a week to receive my order via standard shipping.  If you are starting to feel under the weather, I would opt suggest a faster shipping method.

What home remedy should I try next?