Buy Local, Little, Wisely and Waste Free Gift Guide

Back to Green Ideas.

How to show the ones you care about that you care about them … without breaking the bank or destroying the planet!

This card comes with the warmest and greenest of season's greetings and a reminder that by thinking carefully about what we buy and from where, and who made it, we just may help to save the planet and make life more enjoyable for ourselves and our communities.

By spending more of our money on well made local products we know that more of it will end up in the pockets of people we care about and by buying products that are well made and made to last, and by shopping for food that is fresh, local, unprocessed, unpackaged and in season, we get to enjoy the taste of quality. We also enable others in our community to enjoy their Christmas … and we get to reduce the amount of stuff we throw away.

The Yummy Stuff

Fruit. Berries. pickles. Sauces. Jam. Honey. Scroggin. Home-made muesli. Chilli's. Dukkah. Dips and dunkers. Pre-planted tub and basket of herb (or flower). Wine. Beer. Homebrew kit. Coffees. Teas. Breakfast. Dinner. Lunch. AM tea. PM tea. Oil.

The Growing stuff

Plants … herbs. Chilli's. Veg. flower. Tree. Berry. Orchard. Nut. Seeds. Potting mix. Pot. Tub. Gardening guide. Gardening diary. Composter. Worm farm. Permaculture workshop. A gardener. Raised garden. A weeding seat.

The Doing Stuff

Scissors. Craft knife. Pocket knife. Brushes. Fountain pen. Papers. Cards. Pencils. Pastels. Crayons. Clay. Art classes. A model. Glue. Easel. Thumb tacks. Pins. Drawing board. Canvas. Palette. Hand tools. (find out what they really need). Library membership.

Big Stuff

Solar water heater. Dehydrator. Bike.

Art stuff

Prints. Paintings. Performance. Concerts. Drawings. Sculpture. Mobile. Posters. Pots. Season tickets. Weaving. Jewellery. Movies. Bouquets. Felting. Poetry. Music lessons.

Vouchers promising to:

Walk. Picnic. Talk. Cuddle. Indulge a fantasy or a passion. Cook. Shop. Dance. Listen. Love. Clean the bath. Do the dishes. Tidy your bedroom. Walk the dog. Take … horseriding. Be really nice to … Bungy jumping. Fishing. Take my own bag shopping. Kayaking. Sky diving. Not take long showers. Massage. Swim. Not leave the lights on. Climb a mountain.

And remember not to give things that fall apart or that will be so rarely used that it would be wiser to borrow them, or soft toys to homes where they are already too numerous to get that really loved to pieces look.

And wrap lovingly and sparingly and keep the wrapping, string, card and trimmings for next time … for a beautiful planet is best cared for by behaving like our future depends on it … for it most surely does.

These ideas are available in hard copy from Mike's office.
Mike.ward@parliament.govt.nz
04 470 6891