Well Christmas has come and gone in a flash! I had planned on doing an article on a Green Christmas, but again time flew by much to quickly this year. At the beginning of the month I had most of my attention on the annual Tiny Tim Christmas Tree Festival. It is a raffle type fund-raiser for a local day care that works with disabled children, The Tiny Tim Center. My grandson Keyan, who is autistic, attended the center. We owe so much to this charitable organization for the early treatment and therapy that he received at a very young age. Every year they have several different fund-raisers to help make money for the center and my favorite event has always been the Christmas Tree Festival. I have gladly donated a tree each year for over six years.
This is how it works, you buy and donate a 3ft tree decorated tree, according to a theme you might like, and add gifts under the tree valued up to $300 (usually ends up being much more for me). Each tree is set up on a table prior to the event and a bag with the name of your tree is placed in front of the tree. People receive 6 complementary raffle tickets with their dinner and luncheon ticket at a cost of $50 each. You also receive one door prize ticket in your meal ticket booklet, which is placed in a special box on the stage. You write your name (or use a mailing label that they provide) on the raffle tickets and place as many as you want in the bag of the tree that you hope to win. You can purchase more raffle tickets at $5 for each booklet of 6 tickets, until the beginning of the luncheon. At the start of the luncheon they close the raffle and draw winning tickets from each of the donated trees bags. They also have drawings for door prizes throughout the luncheon.
They have two different festivals, one is an evening dinner on Saturday night and the other is a luncheon on Sunday morning. I usually go to the luncheon with several of my friends, but I attended both this year for the very first time. The evening was much smaller quieter event. Not as crowded and with about 30 donated trees. More couples and men attended this event since it was like a cocktail type dinner. The luncheon, which I usually attend, is much larger with over 80 – 100 donated trees, is very crowded with hundreds of women and a few brave men. Many businesses donate and attend this event each year, and even some of our local politicians. It is definitely a popular community event for a very good cause.
The variety of the trees is so unbelievable and some people are so creative. I have done many themes over the years, such as a Garden Tree, A Fairy Tree, a Longaberger Tree, a Starbucks Tree, a Tastefully Simple Tree, and this year I thought it only fitting to do a Coloring Me Green for Christmas Tree. I have been lucky to have good friends and some businesses help by donating some of the products that I place under my tree. I try each year when I purchase the gift items to box them so that the person that wins the tree can give them as individual gifts. I also meet them, take their picture by the tree and help them to box up everything, so I include a storage bin or large box for them to put everything in for easy transportation.
I debated about using a real tree this year, but because of the weight, and since I have to carry and set it up, I chose to use a 3ft green tinsel tree that I found at our local Ace Hardware store with attached white lights. I considered this as a sustainable product that will be used hopefully many years to come. I wanted to buy glass ornaments, but they are too easily broken when transporting the tree so I bought green and red unbreakable plastic glitter ornaments and wrapped the tree with a glittery red ribbon from our local Hobby Lobby. Where I also purchased a cotton tree skirt, two matching stockings and several reusable decorative boxes to display the items in that I purchased for under the tree. These I also consider to all be sustainable products to be reused again. Since my theme was green or Eco-friendly I tried to buy what I could from local retailers, but did have to purchase a few gifts the Internet. I purchased many organic, healthy and earth-friendly products. I also used store coupons and looked for sale items, such as the Vera Wang bamboo and cotton towels that I purchased at our local JC Penney’s which were on sale for buy 1, get one for a penny. Here is a copy of the list that I placed beside my tree and a photo of me next to my tree. I have included some of the local retailers websites in the list.
Coloring Me Green For Christmas
This 2009 Tree was donated by Vickie Higgins www.coloringmegreen.com
This Christmas tree includes organic, healthy, sustainable, and earth friendly gifts valued at over $500, to help you have a stress free, eco-friendly, and a Very Merry “Green” Christmas!
* Bags: 9 Reusable Produce Bags (Donated by 3B Bags / Denver) http://3bbags.com, 1 Dreaming of a Green Christmas Canvas Bag (JCPenny’s), 1 Make Every Day Earth Day Bag (Made from Recycled Materials – Safeway)
* Baskets: Grass Woven Square (Kohl’s), 1 Red & 1 Green Woven Bamboo (Ace Hardware)
* Bath & Shower Soap: Lavender & Mint Bath Soap (Magic Fairy Candles – Kim Sorden/Longmont) http://www.magicfairycandles.com
* Bath Towels: 2 White Bamboo & Cotton Towel Sets (Vera Wang/Kohl’s), Sea Sponge (Safeway)
* Beauty Tools: 5 Piece Bamboo Mineral Makeup Brush Set, 6 Piece Bamboo Brush Set & Recycled Brow Grooming Set (Ecotools Earth-Friendly Beauty/Walgreen’s)
* Books: Cooking Light with Organics – Healthy Everyday Food (Safeway), Easy Green Living – Renee Loux (Amazon), 2009 Free ReDirect Guide – Denver/Boulder/Ft Collins www.redirectguide.com
* Bowl: Bamboo Salad Bowl (Food Network/Kohl’s)
* Calendar: Do Just One Thing 2010 Box Calendar – Danny Seo (Amazon)
* Candles: 4 Soy Massage Candles, Body Spray & Lotion (Donated by Kim Sorden of Magic Fairy Candles/Longmont) http://www.magicfairycandles.com
* Chocolates: Organic & All Natural European (Desidereo Chocolates – Vanessa Metalli/Longmont) http://www.d-chocolates.com
* Christmas Tree: 3ft Green Tinsel Tree with Clear Lights (Ace Hardware)
* Christmas Tree Decorations: Red Glitter Ribbon, Red & Green Shatterproof Ornaments, 2 Whimsical Stockings & Matching Tree Skirt, 6 Decorative Nesting Boxes, 3 Decorative Bags (Hobby Lobby)
* Coffee & Tea: Christmas Blend Coffee Beans & Tazo Joy – Black, Green & Oolong Tea (Starbucks)
* Coffee or Tea Travel Mug: Red (Starbucks)
* Santa & Snowman: Recycled Past Christmas Gifts (Donated by me, originally from Peggy Lettow)
* Scarf: Olive Eco-friendly Bamboo Pashmina Shawl Wrap (Donated by Marge Cutler)
* Yoga Set: Tree of Life – Matching Bag, Mat & Water Bottle (Gaiam) http://www.gaiam.com
* Yoga Mat Wash: Organic with Essential Oils Spray (Gaiam) http://www.gaiam.com
This tree is dedicated to my grandson Keyan Hannis. The Tiny Tim Center helped him at a very early age after he was diagnosed with Autism. He now attends public school and we believe that this is because of the special therapy, and loving care that he got from the teachers, therapists and staff at the Tiny Tim Center. My granddaughter Easter attended the day care before Keyan was born, in their program for children without special needs. She learned how to be a kind and caring big sister to Keyan, and to others with special needs.
I tried this year to follow the green theme in buying Christmas gifts for my family and friends. I made organic Pizzelles (624 to be exact) and gave them to family, friends and neighbors this year. This year I purchased store and restaurant gift certificates, video games, reusable water bottles, soy candles, homemade jelly, chili and beer bread mixes, Tai Chi and Qigong DVDs and yoga kits. My husband and I have so much stuff after 37 years of marriage (which I am always working on boxing up and giving to charities), that we really didn’t want or need anything, so gift certificates is what we requested when asked. We decided not to buy individual gifts for each other this year either, so instead I bought a new energy-efficient Dell HD large monitor for our computer. Which is much easier on my eyes and better for playing games, watching movies or exercise DVDs.
I didn’t get my annual Higgins Herald Christmas letter mailed in time for Christmas delivery, so I quickly sent it via email the day before Christmas to those that I could. I will make copies and send out a letter to those that do not have email for New Years. I used my left over Christmas cards from last year and enclosed them in the Christmas gift packages that I mailed to family and friends. Next year I will try to find Christmas cards that are made from recycled paper or that have flower seeds embedded in them or maybe I will even make the paper myself!
Happy Holidays!
“Although I may not be the greenest crayon in the box, at least I am trying!”
Coloring Me Green – Vickie Jo Higgins
