We love our local co-op. Every month they publish an amazing newsletter that is full of fresh articles and ideas that inspire us to “live green”. When I read their December cover list called “Celebrate the Eco Way”, I knew I had to share it with Mable’s readers. Enjoy and have a wonderful green holiday season!

“During the holiday season we tend, as a whole, to consume more. And, in doing so we create more… waste, that is. The following is a short list of ideas to help you reduce, reuse and recycle this season.

• Purchase living gifts such as house plants, garden seeds or potted trees that can be transplanted in the spring.
• Reduce waste by offering homemade food items or personal services as gifts. Baking cookies or preparing a meal a week for someone who would appreciate the help are two examples.
• Reuse holiday wrapping: use old maps or pages from newspaper comics for wrapping gifts.
• Reuse good quality, nearly new items as gifts or as donations to less fortunate individuals and families. Local charities can help distribute these items.
• If your celebration calls for a Christmas tree, compensate for the harvest of your tree; arrange to plant a new tree in your yard or neighborhood next spring.
• Give gifts that promote eco friendly life style changes. For example: cloth napkins and tablecloths, cloth or string shopping bags, a compost bin, gift certificates to resale shops, lunch boxes, reusable or biodegradable picnic plates, cups and utensils, recycling bins, or any gift made from recycled materials.

To preserve the spirit of giving, don’t try to give too much. Less “stuff” means less waste and a healthier environment for everyone.”

Article courtesy of San Diego’s organic and vegetarian Ocean Beach People’s Co-op.

Dan Piraro is a multi-talented guy, but he is probably best known for his off-beat cartoon strip, Bizarro. Although I had seen that cartoon in a few various places over the years, it wasn’t until I read about Dan in the debut issue of Herbivore Magazine that I began to take notice of his work. One particular area of his focus really caught my attention: animals. Outside of being a skilled illustrator and comic, Dan is also passionate about animal rights and isn’t shy about using his skills to raise awareness about it. His latest contribution is a bizarre and very cool looking shirt that he designed for Endangered Wear that gives 100% of the profits to Dan’s favorite farm animal sanctuary. There’s a limited run of 750 shirts being produced by indie shirt company Endangered Wear (limited runs are their specialty, hence the name). All of their designs are printed on made in the USA, sweatshop-free American Apparel t-shirts, too. Whether you’re a card carrying member of the Secret Society of Vegans like us (just kidding, they don’t issue cards), or just not a big fan of factory farming, this shirt is a fun way to spread the word and help animals. And honestly, how many shirts do you have that feature a retro-look piggy being flown to safety thanks to a flock of funky birds?
$22.95