Why would anyone in their right mind want to homestead

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Why would anyone in their right mind want to
homestead
When you sleep in a country, your personal
Christmas present list tends to be tons different
than once you sleep in the town. Since moving
onto our 6 acres two years ago, my gift list has
changed tons. Last year, it included an Ecofan
for the woodstove, a wood carving kit so I can
carve our cedar driveway address sign, and Le
Creuset cookware (OK, that last one was on the
list once I lived during a townhouse, too!). Is
the list luxurious? No (except maybe the Le
Creuset). Practical? Absolutely. it is a far cry
from the spa certificates and high end clothing
I had on my list within the past, but the
satisfaction i buy from receiving those gifts
has stayed with me to the present day. and
therefore the gifts i have been given won't find
yourself as fodder for our landfill. I'll have
them for a really, very while. that creates me
feel good. But what about my list for
others? Does 'green' gift giving mean
granola-crunchy, boring, guilt-inducing presents?
Absolutely not. I'm here to inform you that
'green' gifts are often even as fun because the
toxic, wasteful kind - maybe even more so,
because you'll feel good giving them. they will
be practical, useful, and better of all, well
loved. And when they're at their best, they'll
change the lives of these who receive them. Read
more 'Green' Gift Giving Criteria I've been
brooding about the environmental impact of my
gift-giving for a really while . Since probably
1990, when a number of the large environmental
news started going mainstream and that i started
freaking out over what we were collectively doing
to the earth . Over the years, I've created a
mental checklist for any gifts i buy , not only
at Christmas time, but throughout the year. it's
something like this Is the gift 'fair
trade'? Is it made up of natural, organic, or
recycled materials? If it isn't made up of
natural materials, is it made with recyclability
in mind?
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If it's made up of natural materials, is it
finished with safe, non-toxic finishes (i.e.,
beeswax and/or naturally pigmented,
non-oil-based paints)? Is it made or supplied
locally? Is it recyclable in my community? Is it
of heirloom quality? Is it a present of service
that may not a 'thing' which will be thrown away
eventually? Is the gift something the person
will use a lot? Is the gift something the person
will LOVE? Obviously, a number of this stuff kind
of cancel others out (i.e., a good Trade gift
likely won't be made locally, but both are good
criteria to stay in mind). And while the list may
be a bit long, it does become habit after
awhile. Over the years, I've found these criteria
have served me well in picking gifts that are
low on the environmental impact scale. So where
does one find such things? Well, not generally at
your department of local government store. you
would like to shop for from sellers who have done
the research for you. Our Favourite 'Green'
Gift Sources There are a gazillion places to seek
out green gifts, both online and offline. Here
are a couple of of my favourites online (which
is how I like better to shop lately - no wasting
fuel driving around and no crowds!). For the
Self-Sufficiency Fansâ(or just those that care
about the planet) Treehugger's Green Gifts Guide
- The 'uber-guide' for luxury green gift giving,
the 2010 Treehugger.com Green Gift Guide's 100
gift ideas in 10 categories have (according to
the website) "a high impact punch when it
involves thoughtfulness, quality, durability,
and, of course, kindness to the environment."
Just a fast shop around this site helped me land
up my shopping list! If you cannot find what you
are looking for here, you are not looking hard
enough! treehugger.com/giftguide Lehman's -
Lehman's started as a small ironmongery shop
employing 3 members of 1 family and is now the
world's largest purveyor of historical
technology. They ship old-fashioned, non-electric
merchandise everywhere the planet to a various
customer base of missionaries and doctors working
in developing countries, homesteaders and
environmentalists living in remote areas, people
with unreliable electricity living on islands
and mountains, second home owners, hunters,
fishers and
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cabin dwellers, the 'chronically nostalgic,' and
even Hollywood set designers trying to find
historically accurate period pieces. The owner's
goal was, and still is, to supply authentic,
historical products to those seeking an easier
life. It's sort of a confectionery for anyone who
wants to scale back their reliance on electric
appliances! I personally use the Pressure
Handwasher (works great, but I concur with the
reviewers on the site), and therefore the
Lehman's wringer (the one that wrote the one
review there clearly doesn't skills to line up a
hand wringer, because when secured properly, it
works quite well). I've purchased variety of
things from Lehman's over the last few years and
have always been really proud of the customer
service. for a few nostalgic fun, inspect the
non-electric lighting options, hand cranked
items, and non-powered laundry appliances! If
you're in the least curious about being even a
touch more self-sufficient, you'll seriously
spend hours poking around this website. It's my
one stop buy all things 'homesteading'.
lehmans.com Real Goods - I remember the 'old'
Real Goods catalog, which returned within the
1990s after disappearing during the excesses of
the 1980s. this is often the granddaddy (or
grandmommy!) of all 'green gifts' catalogs.
EVERYTHING you'll imagine for the 'green' home -
from recycled door mats (in use at our cold
storage door) and non-electric woodstove fans
(currently whirring away on top of our
woodstove), to composting toilets, tankless water
heaters, and decor items, they have it all.
Maybe not the foremost romantic of Christmas
presents, but there's nothing romantic about
huge electric and water bills! realgoods.com Ets
y - Etsy may be a treasure trove of hand-made
eco-gift items which will fit absolutely anyone
on your gift list. Gorgeous clothing, stunning,
one-of-a-kind jewellery, decor items and kooky
bits and pieces which may be useless, but would
look awesome in your loved one's home! you will
find an outsized percentage of the things on Etsy
are 'green' - recycled materials, natural
materials, handcrafted in North America...
decide to spend a minimum of an hour (or two or
three) looking around! etsy.com Rawganique -
Organic cotton and hemp clothing and lovely
organic home decor, bedding and linens. I've
ordered from Rawganique many, repeatedly over the
previous couple of years and love their products
and customer service. rawganique.com For the
youngsters on Your List Natural Pod - Located in
Vancouver, British Columbia , Natural Pod
features a lovely inventory or gorgeous
children's toys, craft items and games. The
owners are wonderful people and stand behind
their products - natural materials, safe
finishes, and much of 'made in North America'
items. No plastic in sight! naturalpod.com
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Maplerose - numerous unique toys here! We LOVE
the treehouses! maplerose.ca Bella Luna Toys -
Bella Luna Toys may be a beautiful place to get
quality, natural-material gifts for the
youngsters on your list. The toys are inspired by
Waldorf education, and invite open-ended play
that nurtures a child's imagination. Bella Luna
is "committed to offering unique natural toys
and products for youngsters and families that are
safe, healthy and encourage imaginative play.
you'll find no battery-operated or plastic toys
here, the type which will be played with for a
brief time before ending up during a landfill."
bellalunatoys,com A Toy Garden - A Toy Garden
is another comprehensive source of natural
children's toys. atoygarden.com Family
Pastimes - Family Pastimes designs and
manufactures cooperative games (all made in
Canada). familypastimes.com Some Other
Ideas Spa gift certificates (for men
too!). Subscriptions to the local gym, national
nature conservancy or their favourite magazine.
Knitting or crafting lessons. Music or dance
classes. Concert tickets. Conference tickets for
his or her favourite guru. A weekend away at a
flowery BB. A subscription to make a case
history book - teamfamilyonline.com Business
training - arealchange.com Get a blog built for
somebody with a present to share with the planet
. Use your imagination! Green gift giving
doesn't need to be boring - or difficult! And it
can change a life if you choose the proper one
(think about how you'll fulfill someone's dream,
even during a small way). The ideas and
resources listed here will set you on your way -
the sole danger is that you simply 're going to
get so engrossed altogether the choices that you
won't order in time for Christmas.