I keep reading about so many gift ideas, that I decided to give in and highlight some of my more recent finds. Because this post ended up having a local focus, I included some information at the end on how to support local businesses in your area!

Holiday Gift Ideas, Part Two

1. Local Food Directories: I know I mentioned giving the gift of local food in a previous entry, but in case you need some direction, Lean Green Family wrote a post that features search engines on how to find local food in your community! Some of the local links I include near the end of this post will also direct you to sources of local food.

2. Having a hard time finding inexpensive and green gifts for the men in your life? Low Impact Living highlighted some great ideas in a recent post, such as giving an experience, such as tickets to a play, or “eco-gadgets.”

3. Ok, now I know there is not much time left, but for crafty people out there who would still like to present homemade gifts to their loved ones, check these out: Upcycled Wrist Cuffs. I found this great idea on Crafting a Green World. All you need are some fabric scraps, a button, and a sewing machine. And the best part is that wrist cuffs make great presents for women and men.

4. On a more local level, check out a new store called Green Options in Greenland, NH. It is operated by Greenland Bioplastics and offers a variety of green gift ideas, such as solar-powered cell phone chargers, shoelaces made from recycled bottlecaps, numerous recycled paper products, soy candles, and lots more! Read about the store and its mission in a recent article in The Wire and a feature on Seacoast Online. Call (603) 686-9545 for store hours and directions.

5. Check out the Fashion Cents blog in the Nashua Telegraph. They recently featured a post about “Holiday Gift Ideas for Her,” including stemless wine glasses made from recycled windshields and a fashion advice book, “The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style.”

6. Seacoast Online recently wrote an article featuring some green ideas for decorating, entertaining, gifts and wrapping. One of my favorite local ideas: Have lobster for your holiday meal!

Buying Local

I would like to take this opportunity to remind our readers to try to support local businesses this holiday season. To find a directory of local businesses in your area, check out:

Maine
Portland Buy Local
Bangor Buy Local

New Hampshire
Seacoast Local
New Hampshire Made

Vermont
Smart Growth Vermont
Vermont Living
Buy Local, Buy Vermont

For a general directory, please visit the national Buy Local listing.

About the author: Michelle is the Communications Coordinator for Goodwill Industries of Northern New England. She lives in Portland and loves thrift store shopping, food co-ops, New England history and finding people to write posts for this blog. Read more from this author