Nobody wants to take the fun out of winter festivities. There are plenty of ways to create a fun, meaningful, memorable holiday and to do so consciously. Here’s a roundup of some green tools and tips as you prepare to get your green merrying on.

*LED powered holiday lights save 80% of the electricity incandescents suck up for their sparkle. Solar twinkle lights? Even better.

*Food waste often doubles this time of year so it’s eco and eco-nomical to avoid overbuying foodstuffs. For the inevitable leftovers? What you can’t eat or give away, compost. (Keep in mind that turkey or fried latkes can’t be composted, but undoctored yams and veggies will find a comfortable home in a worm bin.)

*When throwing a big bash or intimate get together, choose organic or locally-grown ingredients for your own creations or buy pre-made treats from local, small businesses. (There are plenty of cupcake, cheese and chocolate purveyors to choose from around town-browse ydt’s Food and Fashion archives for a few.) Serve on your regular plates with silverware and fabric napkins and you’re sure to be in Santa’s “nice” category next year.

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*Giving and getting is part of the fun, so when picking out the perfect parcels, think first of buying local, eco-friendly, fair trade gifts for your friendlies. Our gift guide is a good starting point, as are Greenopia’s listings. Be sure to shun gifts that require disposable batteries, that is unless you include some rechargeables and a charger–perhaps a gift in and of itself for gadget-lovers.

*A generous greenie doesn’t have to forsake aesthetics, she or he just has to get creative-think found objects around your home, reused paper and fabric that you’ll never get around to making into a skirt to make your packages pretty.

*Finally, O Christmas Tree. I’ve got a little tree-like succulent at my place with my friend’s Thanksgiving wishes (a la Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace Wish Trees) hanging from it. If you don’t want to opt for a non-traditional native plant, rosemary bush or perhaps a cardboard tree, there are still ways to be green and have an evergreen. You can get a fresh one from a tree farm as long as you make sure to mulch/recycle it in January. An even better option? Adopt a Christmas Tree and San Diego’s singing elves will deliver your real potted tree, pick it up after the holidays and plant it in our California forests! Gleefully green indeed.

Tags: : green Christmas, adopt a Christmas tree, eco-friendly gifts los angeles, eco-friendly holiday, green holiday, green holiday parties, holiday LEDs, low impact holiday, solar holiday lights