TheGoGreenBlog.com

During the cooler months, keep your window draperies & shades open during the day. This will allow the sunlight to warm your living space and in turn will use less energy to heat.

Second-hand smoke is a major indoor air pollutant and health hazard. When you quit, both you and your family will live longer and healthier lives.

If your are looking for ways to green up your Thanksgiving celebration this year, look no further. Here are the top 10 green tips to make your Thanksgiving as eco-friendly as possible.

1- Go organic: An organic Thanksgiving feast is not only healthy and tasty, but can also help the environment. Free-range turkey, fresh vegetables from local farmers, and treats from the organic bakery are just a few choices for your organic cornucopia of food this year.

2- Shop locally: It’s been said that each ingredient in the average Thanksgiving dinner travels 1500 miles to get to our table. Shopping and buying from local farmers means your food travels less distance, using less gas, and in turn produces less carbon dioxide emissions. Plus it is usually fresher!

3- Packaging: When you go to the store buy things that have the least amount of packaging and try to buy packaging that is environmentally friendly.

4- Use reusable shopping bags: When running around picking up all your necessities for the big day, make sure you bring along reusable shopping bags.

5- Celebrate Thanksgiving at home: Avoid the extra emissions from traveling by plane or car, and plan your celebration at home this year. You’ll be helping reduce global warming simply by reducing your pollution quotient.

6- Send out homemade Thanksgiving cards: It’s an easy way to say ‘Thank You’ to friends and loved ones, and gives you yet another creative project to keep you busy on those chilly days before the celebration.

7- Use soy candles to decorate with: Decorating your living and dining space with soy candles is an eco-friendly option, and you’ll find plenty of fragrant pillar candles, votives, and floating candles to complement your look.

8- Pick out natural or organic Thanksgiving décor: From bamboo placemats to homemade napkin rings, make a commitment to go green by decorating with an eco-friendly touch. Making Thanksgiving decorations at home is another way to get the whole family involved in a creative project.

9- Drink the green way: Lift a glass of organic or biodynamic wine, in recycled glasses of course, and give thanks to sustainability. Serve organic wine with “real” corks not plastic or twist off tops. Your eco-friendly Thanksgiving party will be helping preserve the cork industry.

10- Make a commitment to recycle: Make and extra effort to make sure you’re recycling all the paper, plastic, tin and glass from your Thanksgiving celebration properly.

Instead of sending your clothes off to the dry cleaners to remove smoky odors. Try steaming the smells out yourself by filling the bathtub up with very hot water and 1 cup white distilled vinegar. Hang the garments above the steaming water and shut the door so the steam can penetrate the fibers and remove those nasty smoky smells.