Ah – tis that time of year.

True confession – I am a Christmas nut. I love Christmas. Love it! But it is certainly not without its flaws and challenges. One of the biggest being balancing gift giving with conscientious sensibilities.

Fortunately there are many great online resources to help you give green gifts this holiday season.

Bamboo Magazine, a fashion/beauty/lifestyle publication with a conscientious niche. Their gift guides feature sustainable and stylish gifts, as well as ideas for celebrating appreciation without consuming more stuff. Subscribe for free to get more holiday ideas.

 

Inhabitat is a weblog devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future. Their gift guide offers a host of options for everyone on your list.

If you seek a bricks and mortar retail experience head to your local 10 Thousand Villages for fair trade gifts from around the world. These boutiques carry everything from Christmas ornaments:

Christmas ornament made from recycled posters that have been discarded from a printing company.

…to fair trade coffee and chocolate:

Fair Trade coffee grown, hand-picked and sun-dried by indigenous Aymara farmers in the high altitude jungle region of Los Yungas, Bolivia.

…to living gifts that support projects devoted to health, empowerment, sustainability and education.

Whatever you are giving this holiday season keep gratitude top of mind. Giving comes from a place of abundance. Giving from a full heart feels good and satisfying. Give thoughtfully this season.

Be beautiful. Feel good about it.