My obvious first: buy from local stores whenever possible this holiday season. My friend Jim, who is the ULTIMATE comparison shopper, assures me that almost any locally owned business will match big box prices if given the chance. Won't always work but lots of the time it will. (A short refresher on why this is a good thing: much more money stays in your local community, local businesses give back to charities, and you can actually talk to the owner if you need to! Gotta love that...)

My obvious second: even if you find you can't beat that big box price and the budget can handle just so much, when you are out shopping, eat in a locally owned restaurant. This, too, builds healthy economic communities. Win/win/win.

My obvious and possibly most important third: please take your REUSABLE bags with you to EVERY store. They are not called reusable grocery bags! They work for everything. Be the trendsetter. Be the change. Be anything except a plastic bag user.  They are disgusting and still fly in front of my car all the time to remind me to rant again. Phew. I feel so much better. 

 
Other thoughts: Shop at resale stores (like Goodwill); give gifts of time and love; re-gift with caring and forethought; give a service; volunteer; high efficiency toilets; a fuel efficient car. Not sure how I feel about shopping online but if you can't find something anywhere else, it does save gas and therefore CO2 emissions. And if you are sending gifts, shopping online takes care of the shipping AND packaging for you!

And of course, Mrs. Green would love for each and every one of you to support those sponsors and advertisers who make Mrs. Green's World possible!

Welcome Eclectic Pizza & Rise Electronic Recycling Center
Mrs. Green's World is growing and thriving and rejoicing. It is with great, green joy we welcome our very first EVER dining establishment as a SPONSOR -- Eclectic Pizza; and to another advertiser "doing great things for the planet" -- organization Rise Equipment Recycling Center. Please take time to read about these two great new members of Mrs. Green's tribe or save this newsletter til later when you can hang on my every word! :-)

Renee Kreager and her husband, Steve, owners of Eclectic Pizza are all that's right about the world. They love what they do (make great, healthy, delicious pizza, salads, desserts); they use fresh, organic produce whenever possible; they serve a delicious organic house red wine; and they are just plain nice, good, family loving people. I have been going to Eclectic Pizza since they opened. As a die-hard, back-East pizza lover, I am always on the hunt! Eclectic Pizza more than makes the cut for me. And my personal, out of the box, all time favorite? Spinach salad with their creamy garlic dressing. I don't care that I smell like garlic for 2 days after I dine at Eclectic Pizza. It's worth it. And did I mention they give back to the community? They donate generously to charities and Renee volunteers at her son's school. Let's put them on the map. And stay tuned for more fun events that Renee and I are cooking up to get people to Eclectic Pizza for the very first time - because that is all it will ever take!

 
Rise Equipment Recycling Center - welcome as a new advertiser. My first visit to Rise is honestly one I will never forget. Ruben Vejar, Rise's Store Manager, is a fellow Rotarian which means something in my world. When I connected with him at Rise, I took a tour that is part of the delightful journey of becoming Mrs. Green - truly. Trying to explain all they do is quite the challenge so here is the green nutshell: they collect and either repair and resell or recycle every kind of electronic equipment you can imagine; they employ people who might otherwise be unemployable, teach them skills and give them a hand up, not a hand out; they have volunteers who are as committed to their work every bit as much as some people are to their paid employment. My two personal stories? I bought my printer there for $50 back in March when mine broke. It's still working. My mentee, Erica, got her computer there several months ago through a program that helps provide rebuilt computers for low income individuals who qualify. Her comments: "Well, it's pretty beat up on the outside but it works great."

Mrs. Green's World "I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas" website contest
There's still time to enter! The prizes are fantastic, but most importantly, sharing your creative, green gift ideas is REALLY great! Submit your own idea or see the list of entries and VOTE once a day for your favorite.