Bamboo Doggy Bowls, Kitty Catnip Fortune Cookies, and Green Pet Spas! – What Next? – My Pets’ Eco-Friendly Christmas Wish List!

Yes, my dog, Fido, and my cat, Clippy, are going green this holiday season. But they are not the only ones – so are most American Pet Owners everywhere! Not surprising as most American pet owners like me consider their pets as full members of the family – a fact numerically reflected in the 2011-2012 National Pet Owners Survey by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) – which shows that 62% of all American households own at least one pet and that all of us pet lovers will have lavished $50.84 billion on our adorable family pets by the end of this year! Wow-Meowy-Whoof-Whoof!

But I wonder sometimes – who is teaching whom in our vis-à-vis family relationships with our pet dogs and cats and our other Christmas loving pet creatures? For today’s Pet Products are much more than just a piece of string to play with the family kitten or a piece of wood to play fetch with Fido. Here then are some of the greenest trends in Pet Toys, Pet Accessories, and Pet Services for Cats and Dogs:

-Pet Toys Made From Sustainable Materials

More and more pet toys are being made of environmentally safer materials devoid of synthetic chemicals and processes like organically grown cotton and hemp. But the greenest trend in pet toys is exemplified by the use of recycled plastic bottles for dog toys and old corrugated cardboards for cat toys which help to cut down on our pet’s Carbon PAW Print and save on energy consumption.

Fido loves to crunch on empty water bottles so this year, I am going to give him a ‘Water Bottle Cruncher” from shopfatcat.com that will fit over all my empty plastic water and soda bottles in my recycling bin. And since Clippy loves to scratch on my worn-out Empire style daybed with the frazzled French-knotted embroidery, I am going to give this young tomkitten her own ‘Cardboard Cat Scratching Post with Catnip’ from arcatapet.com with treebranch-shooting ‘rag tag tassels’ made of burlap, ribbons, and jute whose creation I replicated from addicted2decorating.com.

-Personalized Pet Accessories that Promote Eco-Paw Chicness

It is astonishing to see the number of pet websites that offer monogrammed high-end designer pet clothing, engraved water and food bowls, exquisitely perfumed cat litter boxes, and luxury dog boutique beds – BUT – along with this selection of posh pet accessories – there are a myriad of eco-paw chic accessories that offer environmentally friendly alternatives.

This Christmas, Fido, has already ordered online his own holiday pet accessories – a ‘Personalized Soy Dog Leash’ made from 100% soy fiber from fetchdog.com and a comfy ‘Eco Slumber Bed’ made of 100% recycled fiber fill from westpawdesign.com. As Clippy is more of an indoor feline fashionista, her holiday wish list is much longer and includes a cotton ‘Gingham Dress with Matching Cap’ and a cathead-shaped cardboard ‘Kittypod Mini Lounge’ from kittypod.com. In addition, Clippy specifically wishes to have scoopable ‘Feline Fresh Pine Litter’ from planetwiseproducts.com as well as some ‘Natural Wheat Litter’ from Swheatscoop.com placed in her biodegradable dome-shaped cat litter pan.

-Personalized Pet Services that Reduce Stress, Speed Healing, and Support Healthy, Happy, Social Interactions

All across America, the demand for Full Service Pet-Related Daycare, Pet Boarding, and Pet Grooming facilities has outstripped the supply of such pet-related care services. One unexpected source that has stepped in to address this problem is Pet Friendly Hotel Chains. People like to travel and many won’t travel without their pets. So giants like ‘InterContinental’ Hotels & Resorts and ‘Marriott’ Hotels & Resorts now offer pet services as well as smaller hotel chains like ‘Hotel Indigo’, ‘Novotel’, and ‘Staybridge Suites’.

Fido’s first stop after getting his eco-pooch check-in gift is the eco-friendly pet dog grooming salon at ‘The Alexis Hotel’ in downtown Seattle, Washington which includes eco-friendly pet shampoos and conditioners and pet-sitting services. You can check out their pet-friendly info at  www.alexishotel.com/. Not to be outdone, Clippy prefers the complimentary companionship of the goldfish bowl at ‘Hotel Monaco’ in downtown Seattle along with its fun and colorful seascape décor inside the lobby. Be sure to check out their pet-friendly registration form at www.monaco-seattle.com/.

In any event, wherever you plan to spend your vacation this Christmas season, be sure to ask your eco-conscious family dog or cat what they wish for first – for who else knows better the meaning of “creature comforts”? Or else you might get a postcard in your mailbox like I just did from Fido’s ‘certified massage therapist’  – “Season’s Greetings From ‘The Ritz-Carlton’ in Sarasota, Florida ! Love, Whoof Whoof!”  Yes, the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota (www.ritzcarlton.com/Sarasota) offers a pet massage program for “The Privileged Pup” to “help your loving companion escape from the hounding pressures of their ruff world”!  Maybe it’s my turn now to check-in.

On the 12th Day of Christmas My True Love Sent to Me….Counting Down the Eco-Wellness ABC’S of Medicinal Rainforest Plants!

BACKGROUND FACTS:

-Rainforests make up less than 2% of the earth’s surface and 6% of its land mass yet contain 50% of the total world’s animals and plant species
-Rainforests exist on every continent except Antarctica – some are temperate – some are tropical
-Rainforests help to regulate both global temperatures and weather patterns as well as the water levels of rivers whilst maintaining the supply of fresh drinking water around the world
-Rainforests supply 20% of the Earth’s oxygen
-Rainforests are also a major source of new medicines. The total number of medicines derived from rainforest plants is over 7000 which is about 25% of the total usage of medicines used by people worldwide
-At present less than 1 % of rainforest plants have been tested for their medicinal properties
-Of these, over 2000 tropical rainforest plants have potential anti-cancer fighting properties
-Currently, 40% of all pharmaceuticals used in the USA are derived from rainforest resources

Now let us test your eco-wellness knowledge of today’s medicinal Rainforest Plants – Here are but a few examples:

ANNATTO TREE – OIL EXTRACT USED EXTERNALLY TO PREVENT UV RAY BURNS AND REPEL INSECTS AND USED INTERNALLY TO TREAT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

ARAROBA TREE – POWDER EXTRACT USED EXTERNALLY TO TREAT PSORIASIS AND CHRONIC ECZEMA

CINCHONA/QUINA TREE – BARK EXTRACT IS USED AS A POTENT ANTI-MALARIAL AGENT KNOWN AS QUININE

CLAVILLIA HERB – USED TO TREAT INFECTIONS CAUSED BY VIRUSES, BACTERIA, FUNGI AND PARASITES

COCOA TREE – ALL PARTS OF THE TREE ARE USED TO TREAT ANXIETY, FATIGUE, FEVER, COUGHS, KIDNEY STONES, AND EXTERNAL CUTS AND BRUISES

CURARE LIANAS VINE – USED AS AN ANESTHETIC AGENT AND TO TREAT BRUISES, FEVER, EDEMA AND KIDNEY STONES

LEMONGRASS – ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL AGENT USED TO TREAT FEVERS, COLDS, AND COUGHS

MADAGASCAR PERIWINKLE – ANTI-CANCER PROPERTIES USED TO TREAT LEUKEMIA AND HODGKIN’S DISEASE

MAMMOSA – USED TO TREAT SINUS INFECTIONS AND LESIONS CAUSED BY VARIOUS SKIN CANCERS

PACIFIC BLEEDING HEART – ROOT EXTRACTS KNOWN AS TINCTURE IS USED TO TREAT EXTERNAL BRUISES AND SPRAINS AND INTERNALLY TO SOOTH DAMAGED NERVES

SAW PALMETTO BERRIES – USED TO TREAT CERTAIN URINARY PROBLEMS

SOROSI VINE – USED EXTERNALLY TO TREAT TICKS OR LICE ON THE SKIN AND INTERNALLY TO TREAT PAIFUL MENSTRUATION AND DYSENTERY

TRUMPET TREE – ALL PARTS OF THE TREE ARE USED TO TREAT RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES AND RHEUMATISM

WILD YAMS – TUBER EXTRACTS USED IN BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

In conclusion, as we celebrate this holiday season with tasty chocolate treats – remember its source and its medicinal properties. HAPPY ECO-WELLNESS HOLIDAYS!

Making Your Christmas Greener & Happier – With Good Will Towards Others – And a Little Help From Santa’s Elves!

As Chief Elf of Santa’s workshop (having a Red Belt in Toy Elf Wizardry) and in charge of training and feeding Santa’s reindeer – I thought I would take some time out to invite you to learn about the “green” ins and outs of Christmas and the new ways of celebrating this holiday season without creating excessive waste – before Santa arrives where you live!

In addition to studying the three R’s in Elf School – Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic – the three NEW R’s in the Elf Curriculum are – ‘Reduce’, ‘Reuse’, and ‘Recycle’. We here at the North Pole earn ‘Elf Points’ for every kid and family that tries out these eco-friendly practices. At the same time, you will reduce ‘Carbon Elfprints’ by aiding in the reduction of landfill dumping.

Here then are some of the best ways to improve your ‘Holiday Greenness!’:

1-Green Your Christmas Gift-Giving to Friends & Family & Those Less Fortunate Than You
A) Give Flowers or Potted Plants
B) Give a Gift Certificate – from an Organic-Conscious Restaurant (Check out www.dinegreen.com) or a Local Spa or Wellness Retreat (Check out www.spawish.com or www.spafinder.com)
C) Buy a Share of Sustainable Livestock – For a Family struggling with hunger and poverty (Check out www.Heifer.org/gift )
D) Send Gift Boxes – Organic Fruit and Vegetable Gift Boxes (Check out www.ediblearrangements.com) -OR- Organic Snack Boxes (Check out www.healthysurprise.com)
E) Send Holiday Greetings on Recycled Paper with Earth-safe Inks or ‘E-cards’ (Electronic Cards) – (Check out www.care2.com and www.smilebox.com)
F) Give the Gift of Time, Talent, or Physical Labor – Promise to Clean out the Family Garage; Shovel the Driveway; Host a Party; Fix a Car; Organize Bills or a Closet; Redo a Resume etc.

2-Get Creative with Old Wrapping Paper, Boxes, Bows, & Ribbons, and Old Newspapers, Dish Towels, Bath Towels, Scarves, Sweaters, and Handkerchiefs
A) Give Your Pet an Eco-Friendly Gift by Reusing Leftover Wrapping Paper, Boxes and Bows to create a Pet Hide-a-Way or Toy
B) Recycle Old Newspaper Comics by turning it into this year’s Gift Wrapping Paper
C) Recycle Old Greeting Cards by turning them into this year’s Gift Tags
D) Recycle Old Scarves, Sweaters, Handkerchiefs, Bandannas, and Festive Dishtowels and Bath towels by knotting the ends and turning them into this year’s Gift Wraps. In Japan, special eco-friendly wrapping cloths called “Furoshiki” are designated for this purpose.

3- Green Your Christmas Tree Decorations By Avoiding Plastic Decorations and Instead Reusing Old Items Laying Around the House
A) Creatively hang up old mittens, scarves, and belts from your closet
B) Creatively hang up old wooden spoons, coasters, tea strainers, and corks from your kitchen cupboard
C) Creatively hang up old sewing items, and arts and crafts items i.e. pincushions, ribbon scraps, feathers, dried flowers, seashells
D) Creatively hang up old photographs, business cards, ink pens, doll accessories, and other children’s toys from your family den or bedroom

4) Green Your Outside Décor by Mixing Live Wreaths, Handmade Candle Holder Luminaries, and Energy-Slashing LED lights (Instead of Traditional Incandescent Christmas Lights)
Note: LED lights last about 10 times longer than traditional lights and use 90% less energy.

5) Green Your Christmas Dinner Table Menu & Presentation by Avoiding Disposable Utensils and Reliance on Imported Foods & Wines
A) Purchase Local Foods Grown as Close to Home as Possible – Support Your Local Farmers – Particularly Seasonal Ingredients, Condiments, and Honeys and Jams –
(Check out www.LocalHarvest.org/ for finding local food growers)
B) Create your own Festive Drinks and use locally-made Organic Wines
C) Create Your Own Homemade Christmas Dinner Centerpiece using a Natural Motif – Flowers, Stones, Water, and Floating Candles in an Old Punch Bowl or Fishbowl – OR – a Collage of Old Books, Picture Frames, and small Mirrors complemented by Cut-out Christmas Quotes, Lyrics, and Tissue Paper
D) Create Your Own Holiday Scent by boiling Lemons, Oranges, Cinnamon Sticks and Cloves on your stovetop
E) Compost your Food Scraps and Properly Store your Favorite Leftovers for Tomorrow’s Menu – a Casserole or Stew perhaps – or Home-Baked Muffins, Breads, and Cakes made with Leftover Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

6) Green Your Charitable Giving – Let Your Cost Savings Support Environmental Charities and Socially-Conscious Charities
A) Donate Old Clothing to Veteran Groups, Underprivileged Kids, Homeless Shelters, and Cancer Patients
B) Donate Old Furniture to Local Thrift Shops or the Salvation Army
C) Donate Old Christmas Cards to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children in Boulder City, Nevada – (Check out www.stjudesranch.org/shop/recycled-card-program/) – “Children at St. Jude’s Ranch learn entrepreneurship skills – making new cards by removing the front and attaching a new back. The benefits are two-fold: customers receive ‘green’ holiday cards for use and the children receive payment for their work and learn the benefits and importance of ‘going green’.”

To learn more about Elf Schooling Activities for Children – Check out www.northpole.com/Academy. And to Make a Difference to a Needy Child – become an Elf! Check out www.beanelf.org.

Meantime, on behalf of Santa and the other Elves – “We Wish you a Merry Green Ho-Ho-Ho!”