1. Skip the throwaways: So much of what we buy is destined for the landfill almost as soon as it passes the checkout scanner. Aim to buy gifts and decorations that last, or can be handed down.
2. Put the brakes on driving: We live in a very pedestrian-friendly town. Shops and convenient services are within walking distance of most neighborhoods. It might not be possible to do all your holiday errands on foot, but with so many stores conveniently located, it may be surprising how much you can get crossed off your list within steps of your front door.
3. Satisfy the Foodie: Whether it’s Mexican, Italian or Thai, Bloomfield has some suberb restaurants, many of them offering gift certificates. A meal out is a welcome treat for almost anyone, and is one gift that won’t end up in the trash.
4. Pamper Mom (Dad, Teacher or Pet): Everyone can use a little extra TLC during the winter months. Spa’s such as Flic Spa on Broad Street can be a tropical oasis and offer special packages. If you’re looking for pampering lotions, natural remedies for skin and hair, or a holistic calming spray for your pet, Topical Solutions on James Street has the answer. All of their products are developed and hand-made right here in Bloomfield.
5. Power Down: When helping kids with a wish list, encourage the idea of some gifts that don’t require batteries: books, trips, and old-fashioned board games fan the flames of imaginative, open-ended play.
6. Get Healthy: A membership to one of the many gyms, yoga or dance studios in town gives the gift of total wellness and supports local businesses at the same time. (Garden State Yoga is one you might want to try.)
7. Come Together: Try to carve out some time with friends and family to just be together and remember the “reason for the season.” It can be the perfect recipe for recharging everyone during what is for many the busiest time of year.
8. Freecycle and Recycle: Whatever your circumstances this season, there’s a chance what you need can be had for free on Freecycle.org. This national non-profit has an Essex County group that costs nothing to join. List an item or post an ad for an item you want. Chances are, someone nearby has what you need or can use what you don’t.
9. Make it Personal: A gift certificate of your time, whether it’s two hours of babysitting for a busy parent, or an offer to run errands for an elderly neighbor, is eco-friendly and can be more meaningful than anything store-bought.
10. Have fun!

Contributed by Erin S. Ihde, MA, a mom of two and a pediatric environmental health researcher who lives in Bloomfield.

Let’s look at the numbers. Based on the national average cost of electricity (and Bloomfield’s is higher than the national average), it will cost $9.00 to illuminate a single Christmas tree with 5 strings of 25 lamp incandescent string lights for a 30 day holiday season. With LED string lighting, it would cost just $.90. More lights outside? More savings! LEDs also last about 10 times longer than traditional light strings, saving you the cost to replace them more frequently.

You can get LED holiday lights at Home Depot and most other places lights are sold or get them online from Amazon.com and lots of other sites. They come in large and small sizes, strings or icicles, colors or plain white (if you like white lights, you might want to get “warm white” or “soft white” to get a color similar to your old incandescents — bright white LEDs look blue-ish). 

If you still have incandescent holiday lights, either the big ones or the mini-lights, and don’t want to just throw them away, you can recycle them! Just send them to HolidayLEDs.com, they’ll recycle them responsibly, and they’ll send you a coupon for 15% off anything on their site.