5 Tips to Green Your Holidays

Who says you have to sacrifice to be greener this holiday season? You can be green, save money, and have a wonderful holiday season all at the same time. Here are five easy tips for marking your holidays a little greener:

1) Buy gifts that are eco-friendly! We have a fare share of great green gifts in our Gift Guide. From men's shirts made from organic cotton to flats made from recycled plastic to organic denim, there's something for everyone!

2) Save money and energy with LED Christmas lights! LED lights use 95 percent less energy than traditional Christmas lights and can be used both indoors (on a tree) and out. Over the month, a string of 500 traditional holiday lights would cost about $18; if you are using LED lights instead, the cost is only about 19 cents. Tracy Hepler, our friend and resident expert on Green Living in LA gives us the scoop here.

3) Think outside the box. When it comes to gift wrapping, there are eco-friendly options to paper to consider, or you can consider creatively using what you already have. Here are some more eco-friendly ideas.

4) Shop local. Shopping local supports local businesses, and sometimes there's nothing greener than supporting your neighbors. If you live in Los Angeles, you can check EcoStiletto's Green Los Angeles favorites and YourDailyThread's Los Angeles Gift Guide to get inspired.

5) Green your cards. Yes, there are eco-friendly holiday card options to choose from, so why not go ahead and send a green and unique impression along with your card?