[Grovenet] Reduce, reuse, recycle gift wrap

Fri Dec 19 07:03:27 PST 2008

Those are beautiful memories, and I enjoyed hearing about them, Marian.

You said: "I started writing this because tucking those greens into the ribbon could make new memories for someone, who isn't lucky enough to live in a beautiful green state like Oregon." Have to tell you that when I first lived in Oregon ('82), tears would come to my eyes every time I rode through beautiful evergreen forests, on the way to the coast, for example.

: )  Geri

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marian Cakarnis" <redwagon at coho.net>
To: "Forest Grove local interests list" <grovenet at rdrop.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2008 8:26 PM
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Reduce, reuse, recycle gift wrap

> My late Grandmother was the embodiment of 'green'.  Not because it was
> trendy, but because it was the way she lived.  She lived in a very small
> town in the Black Forest of Germany.  I don't believe she ever spent a
> night away from the town of her birth and she managed to raise a family
> during the difficult years of WWII.
> 
> I grew up in upstate New York and I was only able to visit my grandmother
> three times in my life.  Although I never really got to know her, the way
> she lived made a huge impression on me.  I don't believe she ever owned a
> roll of tape or had many of the things we take for granted.  She made the
> most luscious vanilla ice cream in an ice cube tray in her tiny freezer,
> which was about the size of a modern microwave.  She made soup for lunch
> almost everyday - always from scratch.
> 
> With both parents from Germany, relatives were not a part of my holiday
> festivities.  Christmas was always about the package from my 'Oma'.  She
> would send all kinds of baked goodies including, Linzertorte, Hazelnut
> Macaroons and Spritz cookies.  There was always a bar of Marzipan for me
> and my sister, and yummy Swiss Chocolates.  One year, my mom hid Oma's
> package and my sister and I were worried we wouldn't have Christmas,
> unless the package arrived before the 24th.  Christmas Eve arrived and
> still no box.  We were absolutely devastated.  And somehow, it showed up
> under the tree.  We were told Santa must have brought it 'Express'!
> 
> The reason Mom did this, is probably because Oma never owned a roll of
> tape.  The packages were very thin wrapping paper, almost translucent,
> which was carefully folded around a new sweater or mittens and wrapped
> with thin ribbon.  We could always pull back the paper a bit and sneak a
> peak at our gifts.  The ribbon was always tied with a sprig of cedar, fir
> or other fragrant green.  And sometimes, there was a fragile simple
> ornament - also tied in the ribbon.  Not only were the packages beautiful,
> the fragrance was dramatic.  The new sweater, socks or mittens had that
> wonderful 'Christmas' fragrance.  Everything smelled like a fresh forest. 
> Like I said, there would not have been a Christmas, without the package
> from 'Oma'.
> 
> My mother, obviously raised in those thrifty ways, still thinks Ziplock
> bags are special (especially the ones with the zipper) - she washes and
> reuses them many multiple times.  At 74, she recently told me she didn't
> want to throw away things that would outlive her!  If you look in her
> garage, she uses scraps of fabric to tie things together and her rags are
> from clothes I still remember from my childhood.  Sometimes I pull out a
> rag and it brings back memories that I thought had long been forgotten. 
> My mom is a huge blessing in my life and if you've met her, you might
> agree.  She can often be found at the local 6AM yoga class.
> 
> Funny, how 'green' packages bring back such amazing memories!  I started
> writing this because tucking those greens into the ribbon could make new
> memories for someone, who isn't lucky enough to live in a beautiful green
> state like Oregon.
> 
> Marian
> 
> 
>>
>> I like this idea and have saved Jane's email for a possible story for next
>> years holiday guide. If you have other ways to green-up the holidays, post
>> them here or send them directly to me (jschrag at fgnewstimes.com)
>>
>> Our family has been re-using wrapping paper long before Earth Day was
>> founded. It comes from being raised by parents who lived through the
>> (first?) Depression.   I can't tell you how many times my kids have been
>> able to remember what previous presents were wrapped in a particular
>> well-worn sheet of paper.
>>
>> My son also makes origami figures from scraps of wrapping paper and uses
>> them as bows.
>>
>>
>> John Schrag
>> Editor & Publisher
>> News-Times
>>
>> 503-357-3181
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
>> Behalf Of Katie Allnutt
>> Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2008 1:08 PM
>> To: Forest Grove local interests list
>> Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Reduce, reuse, recycle gift wrap
>>
>> Thanks Jane,
>>    I think it helps to learn what techniques other people use so we
>> can try them too.
>> I do similar things (like no bows) but my recycled paper usually only
>> makes it around twice.
>>    I don't shop for Christmas cards because I am on so many lists of
>> places that send me cards as a thank you for my donation. I can't
>> throw them out but I suppose I could cut them up for tags.
>>
>> Katie
>>
>>
>> On Dec 18, 2008, at 12:02 PM, Phoenixacm at aol.com wrote:
>>
>>> So, I am in the middle of a multi-year program to green up my
>>> Christmas.
>>> Thought I would give you a status report.
>>>
>>> 1-Reduce:
>>> -The Burch-Pesses household no longer buys bows.   There are other
>>> ways to
>>> make packages look pretty and most of the presents we buy get
>>> mailed out so they
>>> would arrive with smashed bows anyway.
>>> -The Burch-Pesses household no longer buys ribbon, except for the
>>> "crinkle"
>>> ribbon.   It's only about a quarter of an inch wide (which reduces
>>> the amount
>>> of ribbon going in the landfill) and we no longer circle the
>>> package twice with
>>> the ribbon, only once.
>>>
>>> 2-Reuse:
>>> -At the end of the holiday season I go through the Christmas cards
>>> we have
>>> received and cut them up to make gift tags (the to: from: cards
>>> that go on the
>>> wrapped present). So the Burch-Pesses household no longer buys gift
>>> tags.   I
>>> actually find this to be a fun and somewhat creative project.   I
>>> cut tags in
>>> all sizes and shapes and use a hole punch to punch a hole in them
>>> so that the
>>> single band of crinkle ribbon on the gifts ties the pretty gift tag
>>> on the
>>> package (so if the recipient wants to s/he can reuse the gift wrap).
>>> -Any gift bags, tissue paper, bows, or gift wrap on presents we
>>> receive is
>>> saved to be reused. I find it easy to do.   It only fills one of
>>> the many
>>> Christmas boxes we have.   Pieces of gift wrap usually get smaller
>>> and smaller until
>>> they are no longer usable.   Tissue paper is reused until it is too
>>> ratty and
>>> then is usually used as padding in the boxes of presents we mail out.
>>>
>>> 3-Recycle:
>>> This, unfortunately, is the weak spot.   Cards and wrap that have
>>> foil (gold
>>> or silver looking stuff) on them are not recycle-able.   Tissue
>>> paper is not
>>> recycle-able.   (Of course, ribbon and bows are not recycle-able.)
>>> -The Burch-Pesses household does not buy Christmas cards that do
>>> not have
>>> recycled content.   This is the hardest thing we do - tracking down
>>> Christmas
>>> cards with recycled content.   We find them, but it's a
>>> challenge.   We found
>>> them at Freddies last year.   I went to Hallmark and Target last
>>> night and
>>> couldn't find any cards or wrap that had recycled content.
>>> Strangely enough, I
>>> found some truly ugly cards at Target that look like they are made
>>> from kraft
>>> paper (the kind grocery bags are made of) and they didn't even have
>>> recycled
>>> content!
>>> -Our Christmas newsletter is printed on paper with 100% recycled
>>> content.
>>>
>>> Yes, I know that sending ecards would produce less waste and burn
>>> less fossil
>>> fuel than mailing cards.   We may get to that eventually, but right
>>> now it's
>>> way too much fun sending and receiving cards.
>>>
>>> Wishing you a green Christmas!
>>>
>>> Jane B-P
>>>
>>>
>>> **************
>>> One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL
>>> Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?
>>> optin=new-dp&amp;
>>> icid=aolcom40vanity&amp;ncid=emlcntaolcom00000025)
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> GroveNet mailing list
>>> GroveNet at rdrop.com
>>> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GroveNet mailing list
>> GroveNet at rdrop.com
>> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GroveNet mailing list
>> GroveNet at rdrop.com
>> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>>
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> GroveNet mailing list
> GroveNet at rdrop.com
> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>