Before Leaving...

A lot of offices and places are closed over the holidays, and then is the time to begin making change when we start leaving the office! So many times electronics are left on, lights on, heat full blown, computers still running.... let's leave for the holidays with a conscious effort of leaving on a minimum amount of energy-sucking appliances on! Here are a few tips to check before shutting down for the holidays (if you're so lucky :P):

1. Turn off your computer AND monitor and unplug before leaving the office!
A PC left on over the holiday will use enough energy o produce 13kg of CO2 – equivalent to 3 inflatable garden Santas (which is another thing to think about before inflating them on your lawn...:P)
2. Make sure the kitchen hot water/coffee machine is turned off. The energy
needed to keep a water tank just under boiling point for hot drinks during the
break could be using enough energy to emit 240kg of CO2.
3. Switch off your office light, desk lamp, display lights and any
decorative lights as you leave. This is good practice and can save 33kWh
of wasted energy – especially if ceiling and desk lamps are not compact
fluorescent lamps - as well as removing a potential fire hazard in the form of
decorative lights.
4. Unplug any non-essential items rather than leaving on standby.
Appliances such as televisions left on standby still use energy – a 20watt
residual energy use equates to 2.5kg of CO2 emitted over the holiday period.
5. Turn off stand alone electric or wall mounted radiators at the
socket. A 3kW electric heater going flat out during the vacation can use
enough energy to produce CO2 for 77 inflatable Santas!
6. Turn off printers and photocopiers at the socket. It is good practice to
turn appliances off rather than leave them on powersave mode. A photocopier
on powersave can still require 90% of the regular standing energy
consumption, translating to 14kg of CO2 per machine over the vacation period.
7. Shut all windows and office doors. Open offices can allow fire to
spread, thefts, and thermostatically controlled room heaters to heat the rest
of the building.
8. Turn the thermostats a bit below room temperature while away... your space will warm up quickly when you return, and you will have saved a whole lot of energy!

These, and many others, could be performed daily when leaving the office... so let's start over the Christmas holidays! And possibly set a few New Year's resolutions for the world... environmentally conscious is the way to go!!

Have a great holiday season, keep your hearts warm!
Chanel and Heather

Christmas Craze!

So the thought of Christmas is now upon us, and as I think of all the people I need to/want to buy gifts for; our HUGE family and some friends, I am already beginning to feel OVERWHELMED!
Why you ask… there is lots of time left…. Well yes, however, when you start to do the math… 28 people x approx. $20 (or MORE) per person= $560 plus!!!
YIKES…. And then when I begin to think about “What does anyone really NEED anyhow?”… I mean my Nephews and Nieces seem to have every toy imaginable already, and I certainly don’t like ADDING to that… so what should I do?
What can we all do differently which will still fulfill our need for gift giving, without breaking the bank, or adding to our already clutter filled lives?

Here are a few ideas:

1. Have a “Make or Bake” Christmas! Personally make a gift or Bake something for your friends and family!


2. Time is often a bigger gift then money! Make coupons for your time with family members; whether its babysitting time, or housecleaning, neck message etc.
3. On behalf of different family members, sponsor a child overseas or give locally to various causes and charities.
4. A great idea for teaching children to reach out to others is by buying (on their behalf) soccer balls, or a chicken, school supplies, clean water etc. for other children who are less fortunate then them through organizations like Ten Thousand Villages (Living Gift 2009), or PLAN (plancanada.ca)


5. Offer to teach someone a skill you have… music lessons, pie making, computer skills etc.


6. Give FAIR TRADE items which not only act as gifts, but also provide income to artisans, farmers etc. in countries who truly need it.
7. Give a “FAMILY” gift instead of individual gifts, perhaps something that will bring the family together eg. a game
8. Have a recycled Christmas, give gifts that are PRE-loved by you and your family, but someone else may enjoy! Eg. Jewelry that was your grandmothers that you don’t wear may be adored by another family member, an old tackle box filled with lure for your nephew, a purse with FUN makeup for you young niece etc.


9. Have a “Salvaged” Christmas, buy pre-loved gift from thrift stores for you family and friends but at a fraction of the cost! And have fun doing it, hunt out cool ONE of a kind items which you can’t BUY in the stores anymore!
10. Framed photographs or custom family calendars are great keepsakes and at a low cost!
11. Consider giving a living gift, a beautiful potted plant with a pretty pot is a great gift for an individual or a family.



OK so I’m sure there are MANY more great ideas, and I’d LOVE to hear them, so let us know what YOU do to keep costs down and still feel GOOD about what your giving instead of the uggg… consumerism feeling many of us get while walking the malls in search for STUFF to give.

Good luck, and remember it really IS the thought that counts!

Gift Gatherers,
Heather and Chanel