The Dad's Day Dish

Ah, the blogosphere, where everyone seems to have an opinion about everything (including me of course!). Rather than add to the bounty of ideas already circulating on the web about what to present on your day of devotion to dad, I have rounded up some of my favorites and compiled them here:

1. Shameless Self-Promotion for the Sake of Others: Wow, is that ever an oxymoron?! Check out the list of Organizations Making a Difference over at tenways.org (a.k.a. my website). Consider making a donation in honor of dear old dad. You can make a do-it-yourself card (on recycled paper of course) with facts about the organization, or you can take the e-card option offered by most orgs.

2. Dad will be Devastated without a Package: Yeah, I hear you. Some Dads want tangible evidence of your love, gratitude, and affection. Fortunately, there are many socially and environmentally responsible companies to choose from. Find ideas at tenways.org (again!!) on the Businesses Making a Difference page and over at Co-op America's Green Pages.

3. Don't Know the Difference Between Biodegradable and Bamboo? Check out the Dad's Day blog over at Earth 911 for some clear ideas and explanations about how to find the perfect gift made out of reusable, low-impact, and/or recycled materials.

4. Freebie! Let's face it, most parents really just want to spend time with their beloved offspring (unless you are one of those unloved children with awful social graces and a penchant for shouting at old people) and over at Live Earth, they have a great blog with lots of ideas about how to spend a contented, consumption-free day. (Beware the slightly weird suggestion at the end though, about talking, but not too much - ha?) Guess I'm too much of a gabby girl to get that one. I think I inherited that trait from my dad!

Person Steve Joke!),

Right click for SmartMenu shortcuts

It's December Again...

...and that means what, exactly? For many of us, it is a time of numerous obligations and/or celebrations. I hope you find yourself experiencing mostly the latter. By now we have all heard about cutting back, relaxing, enjoying the true spirit of the holidays - time with family and friends, etc.

So why is it that every year many of us find ourselves up until midnight the night before whichever holiday we celebrate wrapping presents? Not just any old presents either; these are often presents that we grabbed at the last minute. Worse still, we find that we are wrapping them in the last of the reindeer wrapping paper from Wal-Mart - Yes, Wal-Mart, which equals, "I panicked on December 24th again."

But what to do about the inevitable last-minute frenzy? Please indulge me as I throw my bit of advice into the heap.

Most importantly, try to align your holiday practices with your sustainable practices from throughout the year: Conserve energy (both yours and the kind that comes from the power grid), eat and cook good local/organic/seasonal food, and if you participate in a present giving holiday, use the opportunity to give gifts that are produced in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. In addition, shop online because it is not only less stressful, it is also energy efficient. According to StopGlobalWarming.org, "e-commerce warehouses use 1/16th of the energy used to operate retail stores. And even overnight air shipping uses 40% less fuel than the average car trip to the store."

So chill out, stay home, hang those solar-powered or LED lights, skip the gift wrap (use newspaper or reusable gift wrap like scarves, jars, or reusable boxes), and check out a few of my favorite gift ideas:

For the Person Who Has Everything They Need (And really that is most of us isn't it?):
Choose a charity that matches your recipient's interests and make a donation in their name. These charities are ready to help you spread those glad tidings. Most of them are set up to send off an email or card to your loved one as soon as they receive your money. If you are not sure which charity to choose, Guidestar offers a free search service that classifies and rates nonprofit organizations, and Guidestar just added a new feature that enables you to donate directly from their site.

For the Kidlets: If you have been paying attention to the news at all this year, you are probably as scared as I that that cute little doll you have your eye on for your niece will turn into next year's leadsicle. Lucky for us and all of the little tots in our life, Coop America has put together a list of Ten Green Toys for the Holidays.

For the Discerning Ladies in Your Life: An excellent new online boutique has just opened called Mico Boutiko. They sell accessories such as bags and belts as well as a variety of home decor including blankets, vases, and sculptures, which are made with natural and recycled materials. Here are a few of their pieces:


Vase and bowl made with recycled paper

Bio-jewelery made with renewable resources

For a little pampering, Pangea Organics continues to be my favorite company for beauty products. All of their products, from facial scrub to lip balm, are organic and made without synthetic preservatives, parabens, or petrochemicals. They have also extended a limited time wholesale offer to Ten Ways readers.

For the Mamas and the Mamas-to-be: I have not had any babies yet, so I can only take this on secondhand authority, but apparently the products from Earth Mama Angel Baby are the bomb. They offer everything from ready made gift baskets for the new and expectant mama to healing salves and teas - all organic of course. Their website also offers a plethora of information, and your expectant mama will be grateful that you introduced her to this company.

Housewarming: Shitbegone. The name pretty much says it all. What started as an amusing art project has grown into a legit business. It makes a hilarious gift and is made using 100% recycled paper. Their website is full of helpful hints too, in case you need some guidance.

For the Gardeners (and Eaters!): Seeds of Change will send gift boxes of organic apples and pears to your fruit fanatic friends around the country. You can also order them gardening gifts or gift certificates to encourage them to enjoy an organic bounty during the upcoming growing season. As true gardeners will tell you, the best time to start thinking about your next garden is when there is still snow on the ground!

For Everyone Else: Fair Indigo sells "clothing and gifts made by paying a fair wage to those who make them." Fair Indigo's artisans from around the world produce clothing and accessories for men and women (often made with organic cotton), bath and spa products, gifts for babies, and gift certificates.

Big Dipper Wax Works makes beeswax candles of all shapes, sizes, and scents. While most candles are made with paraffin, which is a petroleum by-product, Big Dipper uses beeswax, a 100% renewable and natural resource. In addition, paraffin is a pollutant when it burns, and beeswax burns soot free. To read more about the benefits of beeswax candles, visit Big Dipper's website.

For the Green Greenie: If you know someone who is just getting started making environmental practices a part of their life, send them a starter kit from Greensender. The box contains a reusable SIGG water bottle, a reusable organic cotton bag, an energy efficient cfl light bulb, and an organic cotton t-shirt.

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search Co-op America's National Green Pages, which is a directory of screened and approved green businesses.

Lastly, please comment on this blog and tell us where you will be finding your fair trade/sustainable gifts this year, as well as how you will be saving energy (and money!). Check back later this week to see what other great sustainable holiday ideas the Ten Ways Crew has come up with!

Ten Ways in Ten Days

This business of changing the world is overwhelming. Every day, I receive a new magazine to read, updates from the charities I support, and my stack of books and newspapers is almost tall enough to use as a measuring stick for my sixth grade students. In short, (pun unintended), I’m a bit overwhelmed myself, and this is my job.

But the good news in this confluence of good intentions, fluctuating priorities and time shortage is that we have already taken the first step – we care. I wouldn’t have created this website, and you wouldn’t be reading my blog if that were not the case. You probably also wouldn’t be reading the weekly way, if you were not looking for some advice. So here it is -

Just start. Take an action or two every day. Once these actions become second nature, you will find yourself looking for more ways to change the world. Visit the website and the blog often for more ideas. I will try to be both creative and practical with my suggestions.

The practical side of me says that it is important to suggest ideas that offer at least some immediate results. In order to kick off the website and welcome you to this new community, I have put together a list called Ten Ways in Ten Days, with a way inspired by each chapter of the book. Try a few or all of them out – let me know how it goes!


1. Register to Vote – This is the first step to getting involved politically and having your voice heard. If you have already registered to vote, then make sure you vote in all of the elections; even the local ones make a difference.

2. Watch a Movie – Well, more specifically a documentary or feature film about an issue or cause you are interested in. This is a great way to get educated. Perhaps the movie will inspire you to take further action. The most famous film of late that has spurred millions to action is An Inconvenient Truth, but some other films worthy of viewing are Who Killed the Electric Car?, Hotel Rwanda, Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price, Bowling for Columbine, The Ground Truth, or Super Size Me. They each offer information about issues worth getting involved in, and each movie offers suggestions for fixing the problems addressed.

3. Sign the One Declaration – which is “an historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty.” one.org

4. Unplug – Every appliance that we leave plugged in while it is not in use continues to draw electricity. Unplug any appliances in your apt./house that are not in use.

5. Find Something New to Recycle – We all know about recycling aluminum cans, plastic, and glass. But you can also recycle printer cartridges, cell phones (most or all of the components), batteries, and plastic bags. Many grocery stores including Whole Foods offer plastic bag recycling receptacles. If you are ready to stop using plastic bags once and for all, good for you – bring your own reusable bags. Check out reusablebags.com.

6. Give a Green Gift – With many occasions to celebrate in the spring, including Mother’s Day and graduations, you are sure to need a gift for someone. Give a gift from an environmentally responsible source; it is a great way to raise awareness and give a wonderful gift. Check out earthmamaangelbaby.com, organicbouquet.com, equalexchange.com, oraganic.com, or ecoexpress.com.

7. Buy Local, Sustainably Grown Food – check out localharvest.org to find farmers' markets, CSA's, grocery stores, co-ops, and restaurants that supply and use local and organic products.

8. Become Carbon Neutral – Check out terrapass.org or drivinggreen.com and use their emissions calculator to first determine your carbon footprint and then learn how to offset it.

9. Check Out the tenways.org Website – especially the Businesses Making a Difference and the Organizations Making a Difference pages. Try one of the products or join one of the organizations listed.

10. Throw a Party with a Purpose – When you have decided on an organization or cause you would like to support, invite your friends over for a party. Provide some information about the cause and ask them to bring a small donation rather than the usual host/hostess gift.