Friday, December 9, 2011

Money-saving tips from Ingrid Callot: How to have a green holiday celebration that’s easy on the pockets

Hi, I’m Ingrid Callot. My friends know me as a recycling goddess and nature lover.

From Beritahots

One of my family’s favorite seasons is Christmas. We love spending time with relatives and friends to enjoy the holidays together. As a family leading an eco-friendly lifestyle, we see to it that our celebrations are not only easy on the environment but on our pockets, too.

Christmas doesn’t have to be expensive if done in the most eco-friendly fashion. For me, I always remain devoted to my guiding principles – reuse, reduce, and recycle. If things are likely to be beneficial to people, beneficial to Mother Earth, and beneficial to the community, then it must be good.

You’ll save a lot of time, effort, and a significant amount of money if you follow these Ingrid Callot nature-friendly celebration tips:

• Gift-giving. Many retailers sell natural goods, organic food, and other eco-friendly products. They are safe for you, your children, and the environment. The Internet is your bestfriend for this. Through the Web, you can find information on different shops that sell sustainable items.

From Alwaysharriet

• Charity. Another way of sharing is to give back to the community. Donate to your favorite cause. Bonus point: you don’t need to wrap your gifts! Offer gifts such as seedlings or plants. Try making a cute container garden from old toys.

From cbc.ca

• Green-decorating. Instead of buying plastic or non-biodegradable decorations, learn to think out of the box by creating your own. Use live plants, trees, and fruits that don’t easily spoil.

Get access to more eco-friendly tips from Ingrid Callot by following her on Twitter.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Have a green Christmas: Ingrid Callot shares eco-friendly gift ideas for the holidays.

Christmas is a big deal in my house. And it’s not just because I, Ingrid Callot, am the best friend of Oprah, the Dalai Lama, and Martha Stewart (in my head, at least). Christmas is a big deal in my house for myself, my husband Roger, and my son Jacob because it’s a lot of fun and it means quality time for us all.


From Ingrid Callot Album


Me and my best friend Edgardo Versoza also take Christmas seriously, because it gives us an instant excuse to shop.
We decided to try beating the holiday rush recently and stepped out to at least window shop for prospective presents for our loved ones.
From Ingrid Callot Album
Some of the things we spotted include:
· LED lightbulbs
· Organic clothing (“Ingrid Callot, explain cheesecloth to me?” a confused Edgardo had asked me)
· Organic cotton towels
· Paper mache bags
· Paper mache ornaments
· Plastic bag dryer
· Showerhead with mist setting
· Solar battery charger
· Solar radio
· Solar flashlight
· Shade- grown coffee
We had a lot of fun going in and out of various shops looking only for things that fell under the ‘eco-friendly’ category. It seemed to baffle some salespeople, but we didn’t mind, because what we wound up finding was certainly worth it. While it seems Christmas is only three weeks away, time flies, and it’s always best to be prepared.
From Ingrid Callot Album
For more gift ideas, follow me on Twitter!