green is universal

By Lisa Blau, VitalJuiceDaily.com

When it comes to holiday gift giving, there's a shade of green for everyone on your list. Here are some suggestions for giving environmentally responsible gifts that your friends, family and planet will thank you for:

When heading to those holiday parties grab a bottle of ecohol to take for the host or hostess. Square One Vodka is made with 100% organic North Dakota rye and comes in a non-frosted glass bottle (frosted glass uses lots of chemicals) with a bamboo label that peels off so the bottle can be reused as a vase. Toss in a bottle of organic fruit mixer from Modmix in delicious flavors like Citrus Margarita or Pomegranate Cosmo to really get the party started.

For Mom, why not treat her to some organic pampering. Body oil from Origins Organics makes for a relaxing bath or massage - and she'll feel good knowing that their sustainable packaging has preserved some 1,500 trees and counting. She might also like to indulge in Pangea Organic's new mask (it's packed with antioxidant rich Acai and Goji Berry!). Even better? She can plant the packaging and watch herbs sprout for future use.

If your Dad is always grumbling about the many bills he gets in the mail, why not do him a favor and thin out his mail entirely? Sign him up for Green Dimes and they'll not only reduce his junk mail by 90%, they'll also plant 10 trees in his honor. Just think, if everyone in the U.S. did this we'd spare 100 million trees each year.

We're sure your fashion-forward sister will love anything from Under the Canopy - the first brand in "EcoFashion" makes one of the softest robes on the planet in 100% organic cotton. If she prefers to make more of a statement, give her a "Think Green" t-shirt from Zooey (also popular with the always-statement-making young Hollywood set).

For your tech-obsessed brother, give a solar powered charger to juice all of his portable gadgets. The Solio charges at the same rate as if it's plugged into the wall, and when fully powered can charge his cell phone at least twice.

Everyone in the family should get their stocking stuffed with a Sigg - beautifully designed reusable water bottles that are cool enough to carry with you always.

And there's no better way to say thank you, then sending a thank you note - but email it on personalized e-stationery (check out the selection from Iomoi.com).

If you're still looking for green gift giving inspiration peruse these sites: Earth Moment stocks everything from jewelry to TV's and they donate a piece of the revenue from every product to CarbonFund.org; Great Green Goods is a shopping blog dedicated to all gifts eco-friendly; and 1% for the Planet will help you find retailers that donate 1% of their sales to environmental organizations.

Have other green gift giving ideas? I'd love to hear about them.

Lisa Blau
Editor, Vital Juice Daily