Written by: Tex Dworkin, http://www.globalexchangestore.org

You’re a socially conscious shopper, there are just a handful of days left till Christmas, and like many people, you’ve still got some names left on your shopping list. If your gift recipients live farther than a stone’s throw away, getting packages mailed out in time for the holidays is no longer an option, unless you want to pay exorbitant expedited shipping costs. So what’s a socially conscious procrastinator to do? I went on an online adventure to find out, and discovered some great last minute gift ideas that don’t require checking your values at the door.

Idea #1: Give the Gift of Choice.  If you’re unsure what to give someone, instant Online Gift Certificates are a great last minute gift idea. To stay true to your values, target Online Stores offering Fair Trade products.  Fair Trade is an economic model where producers work in healthy, safe conditions, are paid fairly, and employ environmentally sustainable practices. Make sure that the store you choose sends gift certificates automatically, so they arrive via email just moments after you order them. That way, when you order a gift certificate ON Christmas day, it will arrive ON Christmas day. For those who prefer to have something physical to give your gift recipients, many sites have a nice gift certificate graphic you can print out. In lieu of that, just paste the logo and gift certificate details onto an eco-friendly card. You’ll find plenty of Online Stores offering Fair Trade products listed on the Fair Trade Federation website. Choose “Online Shopping” in their “Find Products” drop down menu. http://www.fairtradefederation.org

Idea #2: Invest IN Others FOR Others. For those who are not familiar, Kiva is all about loans that change lives. On their website, individuals can invest in a specific entrepreneur in the developing world, empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty. Kiva has figured out how to get everyday folks to invest in the hopes and dreams of others with less opportunities and resources at their disposal. You don’t have to be rich to be a Kiva investor, and while one US dollar may not seem like much to you and I, it sure does go a long way in some other parts of the world. For last minute shoppers, Kiva offers gift certificates so you can invest in someone’s name. http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=gift&action=giftPromotion

Idea #3: Open up a Can of Worms. What do a crocodile, school supplies and a can of worms have in common? Well, they are just three of the many ‘symbolic’ gifts you can purchase from Oxfam America Unwrapped. Here’s how it works: You purchase an item from their website, the card goes to your gift recipient, and the gift goes to those who need it. In case you’re wondering, when you buy gifts here, an email is sent to your gift recipients automatically, making this a solid last minute gift solution. Their offerings include treated mosquito nets and school uniforms, bicycles and veterinarian field kits, and that’s a mere sampling of what they offer. Just remember, the items you select represent a contribution toward Oxfam America’s many programs and not an actual physical item. http://www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com/home.php

Idea #4: You Can Never Have Too Many Trees!  There are an impressive amount of organizations offering to plant a tree in someone’s name for you, and that number seems to be growing (no pun intended!) I look at this as a great stand-by gift when you can’t think of anything else to give, you’re down to your last hours before gift giving time, and you’ve got internet nearby. To save you the 3 minutes it will take you to Google your way to tree planting organizations, here are some I found:

www.treegreetings.com: This website offers “the e-card that plants a tree.” The card plays music (and the website talks to you) but I must warn you; the music is a little new-agey, but hey, to each their own. They make up for it with a catchy order page: “It’s easy as 1,2 Tree.”

www.treesftf.org: This organization claims to have planted 50 million trees around the world and counting! They offer customized tree planting certificates, but since they have a 7-10 day lead time for online orders, last minute gift givers should print out info from their website to craft it into a presentable gift.

www.friendsoftrees.org: Friends of Trees will plant a native tree or an entire grove in honor of your gift recipient and send them a card to mark the occasion. They promise to process online orders within three working days, so if you’ve missed the deadline for holiday delivery they have a nice graphic online you can print out and use until the real certificate shows up. For the truly motivated, they also invite the public to take part in the action by joining in the actual planting.

Idea #5: Charity Clarity. First, the gift idea: donate to a charity in someone’s name. Not the most novel idea, but hey, what do you expect? It’s late and we’re desperate holiday shoppers! If you go this route, there are some things you can do to boost the thoughtfulness. First, find a charity that really speaks to the values and interests of your gift recipient. Take my Mom, for instance. She loves her dog Zorro, a cute little mutt she got from a local shelter. So donating to the shelter where she adopted her dog from would definitely win me some points. Though I haven’t checked yet (I’m a procrastinator, too) I’ll bet I could make a simple phone call to the shelter, give them my credit card #, and donate over the phone. Then I’ll reach for my trusty pile of recycled paper and sketch out a makeshift card to represent the gift. The bottom line is, if you’re going to donate to charity in someone’s name, put a little thought into it and you’ll come out smelling like roses!

Idea #5.5: Better Late Than Never. If you’re not buying what I’m selling and the ideas above don’t appeal to you, then go online, buy whatever socially conscious gift your heart desires, and print its picture out onto some pretty recycled paper with a note that says “coming soon.”

I promise that before the new year GreenStyle will have a new site design. I’m working on it currently but have a lot of other things going on professionally right now and simply have not had time to complete it. But I promise it is coming!

The new design will be accompanied by a slightly different format than we’ve been running for the past couple of years (wow, can’t believe this blog has been around that long!) So, stay tuned!

I found these great faux bear skin rugs on Etsy, and I REALLY want one. They’re not as big as an actual polar bear would be (they’re only 5′6″ x 6′6″ roughly, a real polar bear rug would be 8′-9′ long minimum), but they’re made from faux fur and have fake claws. The heads on these are amazingly realistic. The only problem for me is the price; they’re $1,000. But if I had an extra grand kicking around, I would totally buy one.

I promised a green gift guide for the holidays, and usually I go through and name a bunch of products that are environmentally and/or socially responsible. This year I’m taking a different approach. This year I think that everyone should either shop locally to support your local economy, or shop on Etsy for handmade gifts.

The economy is down worldwide, and supporting your local community is a great way to make your money count. Shopping locally also means you don’t have to stress over whether things are going to arrive in time for the holidays, and you avoid shipping fees.

Supporting artisans is another great way to help the economy, and Etsy is a great place to do that. They have a ton of different gift guides, including an eco-friendly guide. I’m doing all of my Christmas shopping on Etsy this year, even for the few kids and teenagers I have to buy for. Etsy has a huge selection, and tons of gifts for around $20-$30.

So that’s this year’s gift guide. Shop local, support artisans.

I’m sorry that posting frequency has been sporadic at best over the past few months. I am currently writing for a number of different blogs, and have been neglecting this one.

But, I also wanted to let all of you wonderful readers know that GreenStyle will be relaunching by the beginning of December with a new look and tweaked format. I may or may not write posts in the meantime (depends on how much trouble the new design gives me). While I do love the design that my husband did a few months back, it doesn’t really fit the new format, which will be more magazine-like.

Thank you all who have stuck with me the past few months, I promise that you will not be disappointed!

FYI: I do plan on doing a gift guide again this year for the holidays, which will hopefully be out the day after Thanksgiving, whether the new design is ready or not at that point! Stay tuned!

So, I’m currently on a diet, and have lost 8 pounds so far! And, as I lose more and more weight, I’m looking forward to going shopping for some new clothes when I finally hit my goal weight (which is going to mean losing a whole lot more than 8 pounds).

So, I’ve been perusing a number of online shopping sites, and came across these jeans. They are perfect! The leg is just wide enough, the detailing is superb, and, THEY’RE ORGANIC COTTON! Of course, they currently only have them in a size smaller than what I’m trying to get down to, and they’re over $200, but I really don’t care! While I’m dieting, I’m also saving money so that when I do take my wonderful new-skinny-clothes-shopping-spree I have the funds to pay for it all!

For anyone wondering, I’m not doing any kind of crazy fad diets. I’m eating real food (as little processed food as possible, with the exception of cereal), limiting portion sizes, and making sure to eat things that are filling. I’m limiting myself to 1500 calories a day right now. So far, I’ve only gone over on two days (in the past 18 days), and then only by 30-40 calories. My biggest weakness right now is some homemade zucchini bread that I made earlier this week with some zucchini out of my father’s garden. I’m going to try a low-fat recipe next (with applesauce and egg whites instead of butter and whole eggs). I’ve been losing weight in weird 1 1/2 pound spurts (I’ll lose 1.5 pounds overnight, about every six nights or so - I think tonight is one of those nights). I’ve even managed to eat Chinese food twice (portion control is the most important thing, and avoiding things that are fried) without going over.