Here' s the parish-by-parish info for recycling your Christmas tree to help the wetlands.

Okay - so a couple of pretty obvious notes...the tree has to be a real tree (duh), take off any lights, ornaments, bases, etc. and no flocked trees (who's flocking trees still???).
 

 Jefferson Parish -  Jefferson Parish residents: Mark your calendars for Christmas tree recycling days. Leave your tree outside the evening of Jan. 6 for pickup Jan. 7-9. 

It’s party time!  Lots of holiday get togethers will be held over the next few weeks.  Having a great party and being kind to the planet don’t have to be mutually exclusive.  Now some of these ideas might seem a little too far towards the green side for some party hosts, but any little thing will help.  These suggestions can really reduce the amount you have to throw away after the festivities:

    * Buy baking goods and snack food in bulk or large volumes.
    * Use reusable tableware; if you don’t have enough, ask to borrow reusable tableware from friends or family.
    * Rent dishes, napkins, cups and saucers, tablecloths and glasses instead of using expensive disposables.
    * Cut up last year’s holiday cards and use them as place cards.
    * Use outdated calendars taped together to make a unique New Year’s tablecloth.

When it gets cold in New Orleans...I'm always shocked.  Every year it's like it comes outta nowhere and I feel like my house must not have ever been weather-proofed.  So I try and focus on 1 project a year.  So this year, I wanted to add weather-stripping to my doors and found this video with tips.

I have a couple of people on my Christmas list that never want anything.  I mean everyone says "Oh, don't get me anything," but they mean it.  So when I found the site TisBest.org - I felt like I'd hit the hard-to-buy-for-present-jackpot!

The site allows you to give actual gift cards (or virtual gift cards for a greener choice, but even their plastic ones are 100% recylced) for a dollar amount...then the person you give them to goes online and picks the charity they want the money to go to.  So perfect!

I've thought about making donations in someone's honor for Christmas before, but it always seemed like it wasn't "real" enough for a present.  But now, they can un-wrap something and get the fun of being able to select the charity themselves!  And by the way - there are lots of great environmental charities along with a ton of other great causes.

Tis the season to deck those halls! Here are some easy ways to decorate your home in an environmentally friendly way:

We love our gadgets, along with our TVs, DVRs and other myriad electronic amusements.  And I know my Christmas list is filled with these little electronic playthings.  So how do we keep the blinking, beeping toys we love while staying green? Here’s how.

1. Find a place for your old toys.
Yep, you upgrade your phone to the newest sleekest model every few days or so, you tech diva you. Make sure you’ve found a place for that old, forgotten phone. Sell it online or take it to a store that recycles electronics.

2. Buy used.
Conversely, why not upgrade your gadgets from someone else’s collection. Way cheaper and less wasteful.

3. Solar chargers
Mini solar powered chargers are becoming ubiquitous these days. Get one for your MP3 players, smart phones and what-nots.

4. Buy batteries that last.