A wide range of green gifts can be obtained from nonprofit organizations that use the proceeds to fund important work and from green companies, easily found online, that sell recycled, recyclable or otherwise sustainably sourced and produced merchandise. Pictured: Organic Bug's Tree of Life recycled metal folk art. (Media credit/Organic Bug)

The holidays are a great time of year to share your enthusiasm for protecting the environment with family and friends. One meaningful gift—a fashion-forward t-shirt from Rain Tees—can help fight environmental destruction far away while raising awareness here at home. Every Rain Tee is hand-made in the U.S. from eco-friendly fabrics and features original artwork created by children living in countries facing rampant deforestation. For every t-shirt the company sells, proceeds help the cause and Rain Tees’ charity partner, Trees for the Future, will plant a tree in a critically endangered part of the world.

Another way to link your gifting and philanthropic tendencies is to donate to the Paradigm Project to help purchase clean burning stoves for poor families in Africa. Your donation goes toward reducing deforestation and respiratory disease in a developing country, and the Paradigm Project will send you a unique holiday ornament in exchange.

Many other non-profits also provide holiday season incentives to donate to their causes in the name of a friend or loved one. To wit, the NRDC’s Green Gifts website offers dozens of gift opportunities related to various campaigns the organization is conducting around the world. By donating through the Green Gifts program, you and your gift recipient can help defend polar bears, protect clean water, revive rainforests or promote renewable energy, among other options. Similar land and species “adoption” programs that can be leveraged as holiday gifts are available from groups such as the Nature Conservancy, WWF, Defenders of Wildlife and the Whale Museum.

If not spending money is a priority this holiday season, you can make artwork or functional items out of leftover materials otherwise headed for the trash can or recycling bin. Handmade gifts in any form are always appreciated and will likely be cherished for much longer than anything store-bought.

But if making your own presents isn’t your thing, a wide range of green gifts, large and small, can be found online. Some companies that specialize in fairly traded, sustainably sourced gift-worthy items include The Hunger Site Store, Branch, Low Impact Living, BGreen Apparel, A Greener Kitchen, Green Heart and Organic Bug, among many others. And once you’ve completed your green shopping, wrap up your gifts in the festive designs of Earth Presents, which sells 100 percent recycled/recyclable gift wraps. For still more ideas on where to source that perfect green gift, check out the website of the non-profit Green America, which provides links on its website to dozens of firms that sell sustainable wares.

No doubt it feels good to go green over the holidays, given the excess we typically associate with gift-giving. And given the poor state of the economy, it makes sense to give gifts that will last, whether they involve furthering important environmental work or providing items that haven’t caused unnecessary environmental destruction in their manufacture and that won’t break down once the holidays are over.

CONTACTS: Rain Tees, www.raintees.com; Paradigm Project, www.theparadigmproject.org; NRDC Green Gifts, www.nrdcgreengifts.org; Nature Conservancy’s Holiday Giving, support.nature.org/site/PageServer?pagename=holidaygiving_xx_hgg; WWF Gift Center, www.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/; Whale Museum’s Orca Adoption Program, www.whale-museum.org/programs/orcadoption/orcadoption.html; Green America, www.greenamerica.org.

Well, scratch another toy off my Christmas list, as Sony announced earlier today that though its new handheld, The PlayStation Vita will be released this fall in Japan;  gamers in both the USA and European territories will have to wait until sometime in 2012.

Sony warned all along that the device may not be ready for release this year, but it was widely suspected that a release date would come before the end of the year.

Sony also commented that they do not plan to lower the price of the Vita as a result of the 3DS price drop issued by Nintendo last month.

Surprisingly (or not), Tuesday night’s Christmas episode of “Glee” drew 11.04 million viewers, rated as the second most-watched show of the night, and number one in the 18-49 demographic. As highlights, Rachel Berry sang “Merry Christmas, Darling,” and Kurt and Blaine sing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”

The show will be on hiatus until February 6. A new episode will air after the Super Bowl with a Katie Couric guest appearance.

Loud whispering. Knowing Santa. Incorrect ideas about nutrition. These things have made Buddy the Elf a beloved holiday character since comedian Will Ferrell created him in the 2003 movie “Elf.”

Buddy is on Broadway this season in “Elf the Musical” playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre with Sebastian Arcelus in the title role. And in the likely event that Buddy the Elf will fans get their way, Buddy — again played by Will Ferrell — will host the 2010 Saturday Night Live Christmas Special.

Betty White ended up as host of Saturday Night Live last year after a Facebook campaign to put her there reached almost half a million members. Now Buddy’s fans have a politely-named Facebook page, “Dear SNL, Please Let Buddy the Elf Host the 2010 SNL Christmas Special.” It has over 135,000 members.

Ferrell was an SNL cast member from 1995 to 2002. But unlike some other characters that SNL alum have portrayed in movies, Buddy the Elf didn’t premier on that show, nor was the “Elf” film made by SNL Studios. This means there might be some copyright agreements to be worked out between New Line Cinema, MSNBC, and their respective corporate octopi. There are no other obvious reasons why Will Ferrell, Lorne Michaels, and every else involved with SNL wouldn’t go for it.

Will Ferrell, as himself, hosted SNL in 2005 and 2009. But Buddy the Elf won’t be the first fictional character to host an SNL episode (if the Christmas Special, a clip show, is considered an episode). That honor probably goes to Pee Wee Herman, played by Paul Reuben, who hosted in 1985.

Image media credit/Christopher Crosby

It’s almost the time of year for snuggling by the fire and kissing under the mistletoe, but don’t get too warm and cozy just yet — you could be in for some holiday heartbreak.

According to British journalist David McCandless, two weeks before Christmas is a peak time of year for couples to break up. He knows this because he has analyzed over 10,000 Facebook status updates in an effort to discover the days of the year when you’re most likely to be watching chick flicks and stuffing your face with pints of ice cream.

In a video from last July’s TED conference in Oxford, England, McCandless explains that after searching Facebook status updates for the terms “breakup” and “broken up,” he and his colleague Lee Byron created a graph of how frequently the terms were used on different days of the year. The graph shows clear spikes in breakup activity, suggesting that these findings may hold true to relationship trends outside of online status updates. According to the data, couples split most frequently during these times of the year:

• Just after Valentine’s Day. Breaking up with someone right before or on the day dedicated to love would reserve you a special place in hell.

• Right before Spring Break. You don’t want to have to be the “attached” buzz-kill in Cancun.

• Two weeks before Christmas. Because breaking up with someone on Christmas Day is just cruel. And face it, you don’t want to have to buy your soon-to-be-ex presents because, well, they’ll soon be your ex. And the idea of meeting “the family” makes you gag.

Other times of the year with notable spikes of heartbreak are April Fools’ Day (the joke really is on you) and during summer break (your ex is so last school year). Mondays are the most popular break up day of the week, because, really, what’s one more reason to hate them?

But, relax, if your relationship is intact on Christmas Day, you’re in the clear for at least 24 hours — it’s the slowest break-up day of the year.

CANTON, Ohio — Coming home to Ohio for Christmas this year felt like an extended version of the movie “On Golden Pond,” with my stepfather Tom as the crotchety, yet lovable Henry Fonda figure, my mother as the eccentric, yet supportive Katharine Hepburn figure, and me—the forever man-crazy Jane Fonda character who walks around barefoot and in boxer shorts and complains that it’s too cold in the house. OK, well Jane Fonda didn’t do that in the movie, but I do.

It had been almost six months since my parents moved me to Boston for graduate school so I was eager to go home a week for the holidays. Too bad Boston Logan International Airport has a reputation for delayed flights. My 7:30 p.m. scheduled flight on December 22 was delayed until 8:30. That didn’t seem so bad. 8:30 turned into 9:30 and then 10:30. I finally landed in the land of Canton, Ohio — famous for helping to re-elect George W. Bush in 2004, celebrating a museum of bronze football player heads that is the Football Hall of Fame, and drinking the beauty that is PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) beer at 1 a.m. I couldn’t have been happier.

Christmas Eve consisted of my mother and stepfather arguing over how to correctly insert a small circular battery into a plastic mini-candle.

"No, you have to put with the positive side up," my step-dad insists.

Tom, who looks like a hybrid of Dustin Hoffman and Dennis Farina from “Law and Order,” is usually right about these sorts of things. He’s a regular jack-of-all trade’s artist and fix-it man who was a one-time beer can collector and who used to teach Earth Science to high-schoolers until the narcolepsy kicked in.

"I’m telling you, you bent the plastic edge, now it won’t work," he explains to my mother.

"These cheap things are a piece of shit," my mother so elegantly puts it.

My mother Victoria looks to Tom to fix anything that appears out of the ordinary.

"I can’t get this stupid cork screw opener to work!" she says later in the evening.

"You’re going to break it!" she exclaims when Tom manhandles the opener.

"Pretend you’re a waiter at a restaurant. It’s the fancy kind that they use," she instructs him.

Finally, they get the bottle of White Zinfandel open. My mother pours herself a large glass and thrusts the bottle into the refrigerator. I come from a family of wine connoisseurs.

My mother, who’s dressed in a god-awful pink Christmas sweater with sparkly pine trees, insists that we listen to some joyful Christmas music.

"Put on B-A-R-B-R-A!"

When Mike Meyers created the character of Linda Richmond on Saturday Night Live in the early 90′s, I think he was talking about my mother. Granted my mother doesn’t have long finger nails and isn’t Jewish, but she’s still obsessed with Barbra Streisand.

"She can’t do wrong! Listen to that voice."

Don’t argue with her. To my mother, Streisand is ageless, timeless and flawless, which is why she was thrilled when we opened Christmas presents that I got her the Divine B’s new CD.

"I just knew you’d get this for me!" my mother shrieks.

My step-dad is more thrilled that he got a new book of Sudoku to listen to her. When he’s not immersed in his favorite game, Tom can be found in the back room of our basement aka "his studio." Right now, he’s trying his hand on stain-glass windows after taking a class at the local art gallery.

"Hey Nicholas, can you come here a minute?" he calls me later that night.

That can only mean one thing. He needs me to hold something in place. Ever since I was 10 and my mother remarried I’ve been holding up ladders, holding down weights for projects, and holding onto my sanity throughout the process. He’s got another hollow wood sculpture he’s working on in between all the stain glass Christmas window hangings.

"I can’t seem to get the damn glue to stick!" he cries like a defeated Ahab.

But he always defeats his Everests. Then he goes and takes a nap.

It’s always interesting after being home for a long time to notice the various changes around the house. My room is no longer my room. It’s the guest room. But there aren’t just changes. There are improvements. My mother fills me in.

"What do you think of Tom’s new carport he built next to the garage?"

"Did you see our new window shutters for our bedroom?"

"Doesn’t this carpet look like one of Tom’s stained glass windows?"

"Did you notice that I got rid of those awful duck handles that were on all the kitchen cabinet doors?"

"Can you believe that the kid from Best Buy didn’t sell us a memory card for our new digital camera!"

No, Mom. I honestly can’t.

In the summer I’d come home to spend the day at my parent’s on our pontoon boat on the lake. But Meyers Lake aka Golden Pond is frozen over. Even though it’s winter it doesn’t keep my parents from feeding the wildlife.

Despite the fact that we’ve had a case of freezing rain mixed with snow, they both feel it’s their solemn duty to feed the birds, squirrels, and the neighbor’s fat grey outdoor cat.

It’s when the seagulls start circling the house that I start to get worried.

"Do you have to do that?" I ask my mother as she throws a packet of stale bread for Hitchcock’s heathens.

"They like it!" she laughs.

Sure they like it, Tippi Heddren. They also would like to peck out your eyes, I think to myself.

But Christmas Eve didn’t end on a bad note. We all ended up watching “A Christmas Story” on TBS’s marathon run they have every year.

"Look, what I got myself," my mother shows me holding up a large Este Lauder makeup bag.

"I got it for myself for Christmas! Tom doesn’t know," she giggles, "do you think your cousin Emily will like this ugly red bag? I just wanted the lipstick."

"I have no idea," I say as I pet our tabby cat Jewels, who’s sitting on my lap.

"Well, I guess I could keep it. Do you think Macy’s would take it back and give me another case of eye shadow instead? I mean, it’s a perfectly good bag."

"Mom, this isn’t Mexico. You can’t just barter your way up and down the perfume counter," I inform her.

"True. I think I will give it to your cousin Emily."

The next morning I wake up to the sound of snow and rain bleating against my windowpane. Looking out onto Meyers Lake, I realize that even if it’s for a short time, I’m glad to be home.

"What are you doing?" my mother asks me as she comes into my room on Christmas night.

"Writing a story about you and Tom,"

"Oh God!" my mother says rolling her eyes.

God, it’s good to be home.

Digital distributor Direct2Drive is running a “24 Days of Christmas” gaming sale happening now through….Christmas.

Every day until Christmas, 23 more by our count, the download spot will offer one select PC title at an enticingly low price point, hoping to earn your precious gaming dollar.

Today’s deal is EA DICE’s Mirror’s Edge for the “come on, really?” low price of $4.95. Any gamer of the PC flavor who’s yet to play this unique and altogether excellent title, would be out of their mind to not reach into their wallet for this one!

Direct2Drive 24 Days of Christmas sale via Joystiq.

The holiday season is nearly upon us and you know what that means: temptation. No, not temptation to gobble up those delicious party snacks and awesome desserts. That’s fine by me — a holiday party is a great way to get a whole day’s worth of free food, all in one sitting.

Nope, this time I’m talking about the temptation to spend money on gifts for other people. Sure, it’s the season for giving. But that doesn’t mean you have to actually spend your hard-earned money on frivolous gifts for everyone. I mean, you’ve been saving up some serious cash by not spending money on groceries. Don’t get tricked into thinking this is why you’ve been squirreling away your dough for the past month. Once again, I am here to help you save money on all your (limited) holiday shopping.

Let’s start with the basics: regifting. Regifting is a timeless tradition that everyone dabbles in from time to time. But for you, it will now become an art. Regifting — and regifting well — takes some serious skill. You can’t simply grab a gift bag that you think you got from Aunt Susie, throw in a bottle of wine that you think you got from Uncle Rich, and give it to cousin Danny. No one wants to be the jackass who accidentally gives back a gift to the person who gave it to you in the first place.

You really don't need all these picture frames on the wall. Tape will do. Tacks too. (Media credit/Derek Purdy via Flickr)

So to be a skilled regifter. The spirit of regifting must be in your mind 12 months of the year, not just on December 24 (and the day before Chanukkah) when you realize you’ve screwed the pooch and waited too long to shop. In order to do this, you must be organized about it. Whenever you get a gift that you don’t want/need — and you should be doing this at all major holidays, including birthdays — put the gift in a previously chosen location. Back of a closet always works or in a cupboard is good too. Now, you must record these gifts. Create a folder on your computer for this purpose because let’s face it, you’re just not organized to keep track of a random notebook. Just type up who gave you what gift and you’ll be in great shape for the holidays. I realize it’s a little late to do this for the current holiday season, but at least now you have a New Year’s Resolution.

So let’s talk about some ideas you can put to use right now. Picture frames are a lovely item that have been used as gifts for who knows how long. But before you run out to Christmas Tree Shop or Target to purchase a few of these thoughtful offerings, take a look around your own house or apartment. See any picture frames? If you’re a person, I bet you do. So, go ahead and take the pictures out of those frames. Slap the pictures on the wall with some Scotch tape, like a less classy graduate student (see my apartment for prime examples). You might want to clean off the picture frame a bit, since it’s bound to be dusty. You know you don’t spend your money on dust rags and those foofy duster things that are supposed to bend and flex and clean in all the nooks and crannies. Those things are for people who can afford to buy new picture frames for gifts. And don’t worry about your own lack of picture frames. You’re sure to get a couple as gifts over the course of the year. It’s the circle of life.

If you’ve already used up your supply of picture frames, you might be interested in a more edible present. Lots of people go for those big towers or baskets of fruits and muffins and such. It’s not a bad idea. But don’t even think about ordering one from a catalog. That’s like asking your well-intentioned back side to get ripped off. You can simply make one on your own. Head to the grocery store and check out the sales. That’s how you’ll be picking out what fruits to add to the basket. Couple apples, maybe some pears, and a nice package of English muffins. Not too much- everything has to fit into the small sized basket from Christmas Tree Shop that you picked up for fifty cents. It won’t look as good as a catalog basket, but you’ll get some points for the effort of doing it yourself (and everyone will know you did it yourself).

Sales are a great way to shop for yourself while also doing some holiday shopping. My favorite store to do this in is Bath and Body Works. I used to work there, so I know all the deals. Their best sale is during the summer, though that won’t help you now. But add it to your notes for future reference. Fortunately, the store has a sale pretty much all the time, the best one being the Buy-3-Get-2-Free deal. This way, you get to replenish your own stock of favorite shower gel, lotion, and body spray, while also getting two gifts for future use. No one actually wants to get a product from here as a gift. It’s never the right scent or type of lotion that we actually use. But somehow, it has become a classic holiday gift item. So jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the ride.

Baked goods are a great way to go in terms of a gift. That stuff kills it every time. I’m not telling you to do anything too intense. Clearly, that’s not my style. Just grab a couple of bread mixes in the box (I suggest pumpkin or cranberry for added festivity). They’re great because everyone will think you slaved over a hot stove for hours. No one needs to know it takes approximately 3.5 minutes to go from box to oven. And one of the best parts — these guys don’t even need to be wrapped up all pretty. Throw some tin foil around each one so they stay fresh and toss them at the nearest relative. Sure, everyone knows you didn’t spend much, but everyone also knows that you’re just a poor student. Learn to milk that excuse for as long as possible and you’ll be golden.

Got an old gift card lying around that you haven’t used? Probably- gift cards are notorious presents. But don’t just hand your gift card off to someone else. There’s always the chance that the original gift card giver will spot your impropriety. So go out and stretch that gift card to its max, buying all kinds of cheap little gifts for people. You’ll be buying gifts without actually using any of your money, plus you’ll be catering to that urge to shop that I’ve been telling you to stifle. It’s all about compromise.

You don't need all this wrapping paper. Your mom has plenty. (Media credit/Heart for Japan via Flickr)

Let’s talk wrapping paper. As in "let’s never buy wrapping paper again." Seriously, could there be a bigger waste of money? Just think about it for a minute: when you buy wrapping paper, you are buying something that is going to be ripped to shreds and dumped into the nearest Hefty bag. What to do instead of this wallet-sucking material? Alternative one is to throw the gift in a store bag (Old Navy and Gap always has nice bags and you know you have plenty of those, you clothes whore). Hand it off to the recipient and simply say, "Sorry, I just ran out of time to wrap it." If you’re a student of any kind, no one is really going to blame you. Besides, your gift is so crappy that the crappy presentation of the gift is hardly going to be talked about. Really, it’s not even worth it. Wrapping a bad gift in real wrapping paper is like popping one Tic Tac after a loaded sausage: doesn’t matter how you try to cover it, you still smell like shit.

Alternative number two is to pull the prodigal child routine with your parents. I assume most people are going home to their parent’s house for the holidays. You could always wait until you get home, visibly show your enthusiasm for being home with family, then offer to help wrap gifts if only you can use some wrapping paper for your own gifts. Your mom will be so happy to see her baby home, she’ll practically throw the stuff at you. Hey, if it’s free and at your disposal, are you really going to say no?

You now have all the tools for a successful holiday season. Wondering what to do about Uncle Bob’s "extra friendliness" going on under the holiday dinner table? Sorry, can’t help you there. Just throw a pumpkin bread in his hands. That should keep him busy for a while. Now go enjoy your holidays.

(ARA) — You’ve made your holiday list and checked it twice, but what happens when the salesperson helping you is naughty, not nice? Crowded stores, long lines, low inventory and cranky shoppers rushing to find that perfect holiday gift can often lead to a “perfect storm” of bad service.

That’s why many retailers are ensuring that they have service quality systems in place to avoid the typical holiday mishaps between shoppers and service staff, according to the American Society for Quality, which provides service quality training for many industries, including retail.

“The top four causes of customer dissatisfaction are out of stock items, discontinued items, returns and shipping charges,” says John Goodman, an ASQ customer service expert. “These are issues that are easily resolvable if sales staff have the right tools and training.”

Bigger stories like Bath & Body Works, for example, provide staff with training to handle these kinds of complaints. Its sales staff takes steps such as maintaining eye contact with customers during every step of the sale. They are also trained in how to detect and respond to unspoken needs and are told to “treat a return like a sale” because a properly handled return will often move the customer to buy something else.

Best Buy is ranked highest in customer satisfaction among national and multi-regional major appliance retailers, according to a new report by J.D. Power and Associates. One key reason is that they make customer service training a priority.

In addition to a rigorous certification process, employees are well-educated on complicated products and solutions, enabling them to better help customers, says Mike Fisher, senior director of Lean Six Sigma for Best Buy’s corporate campus in Richfield, Minn..

The store’s TRUST model ensures that employees thank consumers for coming into the store, respect their opinions, understand their needs, solve challenges together and thank and support the ongoing consumer relationship.

“Our goal is to put more sales staff or ‘blue shirts’ on the sales floor instead of handling paper work and other duties,” Fisher said. “That way they are immediately available to assist consumers with their questions and needs.”

While many retailers will make an extra effort to ensure excellent customer service this holiday season, Goodman suggests that customers take these steps to help ensure a positive sales experience:

• Get to know the sales clerks at your favorite stores. This ensures that you will be in the loop regarding stores sales and events. A salesperson who knows you may also be more apt to help if a problem does arise.
• Research store policies before you buy. Being aware of policies regarding cash refunds or sale merchandise returns can help you avoid problems later on.

So what happens when you run into a problem? Goodman offers these tips for successfully handling service complaints.

• Take three deep breaths — when you are upset you may not think clearly and therefore often don’t present your case logically.
• Tell the company rep that you know that the problem is not their fault – this reduces their defensiveness.
• After outlining the facts, state exactly what you want the rep to do for you – if you don’t they might go off in the wrong direction in developing a response.
• Don’t ask for cash compensation for your time — companies can almost never do that, but they can give you credit toward your bill.
• Never use profanity — most reps are authorized to hang up on you if you do.
• If you have been a long-term customer, point that out but don’t exaggerate — employees can often access your actual purchase history.

The simplest and most important thing you can do is to recognize good service when you receive it by remembering to say thank you.

Courtesy of ARA Content

(ARA) – With the brisk air settling and the end of the year quickly approaching, many people are eagerly turning their focus towards holiday preparation and excitement for the wonderful things to come. From gatherings with friends and family to building a snowman in the first snowfall, traditional activities will begin anew. But one tradition that may bring more anxiety than excitement this season is the anticipation of holiday spending and gift giving.

It should come as no surprise to most that economists are predicting significantly less spending this holiday season than in previous years. Facing growing financial concerns, a lack of confidence in the economy, and rising food and fuel costs, many shoppers will be much more conservative with their holiday spending.

But there is good news that should turn that “Bah Humbug” attitude around. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways a savvy shopper can avoid the squeeze to ensure that the “season of giving” remains just as it is.

Here are five simple ways to cut back on costs this holiday season without having to cut back on giving:

Be Thrifty!

Believe it or not, it is possible to get top of the line items without paying top of the line prices. Seek gifts from consignment shops and thrift stores. Savvy shoppers can find everything from designer clothes and shoes to home appliances and furniture, all for highly discounted prices. Often these items can be found brand new.

Stay Alert

Just because a deal seems too good to be true doesn’t mean it is. Utilize retailer incentives and in-store promotions. Offers such as free shipping, buy-one-get-one-free or “the more you spend the more you save” are great ways to save excess funds, particularly when buying multiple gifts at once or when buying in bulk.

Shop Smart for Practical Items

Buying gifts during the holidays is often just the tip of the iceberg. It’s the food and other everyday items that add up too. The good news is you don’t have to skimp on quality to save on cost. Shop smart and choose brands that offer great performance at a lower price. Take batteries, for instance. Americans will spend more than $600 million on them this holiday season. But there’s an easy way to save. Rayovac batteries are proven to last just as long as the top two brands but cost less. So that remote control car for Johnny may cost an arm and a leg, but the batteries don’t have to.

Create a List

This is probably the easiest and yet most underestimated tool there is — create a list and stick to it. Creating a list accomplishes a couple of very important things: it helps shoppers stay organized and focused, and it serves as a good tool for managing a budget. Take extra time upfront to carefully think through who will be on the list and how the set budget will break out overall. It will make shopping a breeze and ultimately alleviate unnecessary stress along the way. And isn’t that the best gift of all?

Shop Online

Online shopping has many benefits beyond avoiding crowded stores and checkout lines. A number of online couponing sites now make it quicker and easier than ever to shop online and save big. Shoppers can often browse by their favorite store or category to find coupon codes for discounted prices, free shipping and more. And you can achieve this from the comfort of home, where the gas prices don’t matter.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Dear EarthTalk: I understand that Toyota is planning to sell a plug-in Prius that will greatly improve the car’s already impressive fuel efficiency.‚  Will I be able to convert my older (2006) Prius to make it a plug-in hybrid vehicle? – Albert D. Rich, Kamuela, HI

Toyota is readying a limited run of a plug-in Prius, which can average 100 miles per gallon, for use in government and commercial fleets starting in 2009. Toyota will monitor how these cars, which will have high efficiency lithium ion batteries that haven’t been fully tested yet, will hold up under everyday use.

Essentially, a plug-in version of the Prius reverses the roles of the two motors under the hood. The regular Prius relies more on its gas engine, switching to (or combining) use of the electric motor in slow traffic, to maintain cruising speed, and when idling or backing up. The car doesn’t need to plug in because its battery stays charged by the gas motor and by the motion of the wheels and brakes. The plug-in will primarily use its electric motor, allowing commuters to go to and from work every day fully on the electric charge, saving the gas engine for longer trips that exceed the distance the car can go on electricity alone.

Toyota has made no announcement yet as to when consumers will be able to buy a plug-in; that depends largely on the results of the field test of the fleet version. But owners of a current or past model don’t need to wait. Those with automotive mechanical skills can convert their Priuses to plug-ins themselves.

“The conversion is an easy DIY [do-it-yourself] project that you can do for about $4,000, if you choose to use sealed lead acid batteries,” says Houston-based Jim Philippi, who converted his Prius last year, using instructions he downloaded for free from the Electric Auto Association’s PriusPlus.org website. Philippi recommends that DIYers consult Google’s RechargeIT.org as well for useful background information.

For those less inclined to a DIY, several companies now sell readymade kits (some also have kits for converting Ford Escape Hybrid SUVs). Ontario-based Hymotion sells plug-in kits for Prius model years 2004-2008 for around $10,000 via contracted distributors/installers in San Francisco, Seattle and elsewhere. Other providers include Plug-In Conversions Corp., Plug-In Supply, EDrive Systems, Energy Control Systems Engineering Inc. and OEMtek. All typically work with select garages that specialize.

One potential worry about conversions is whether or not Toyota will honor the warranty that came with the original vehicle. The California Cars Initiative (CCI), which has converted several hybrids to plug-ins for research and demonstration purposes (sorry, they’re not for sale), says the carmaker needs to clarify the matter, since hybrid cars typically have four or five separate warranties. There is legal precedent, CCI says, that modifications cannot completely void warranties-only the part(s) affected by a retrofit.

If you’re looking to convert, keep in mind that such a move is not about cost-savings, as it will take some time for fuel savings to justify the upfront cost of even a DIY. Most people interested in such a conversion are doing it for the sake of the environment, not their pocketbooks.

CONTACTS: PriusPlus, www.priusplus.org; Plug-In Conversions Corp., www.pluginconversions.com; Plug-In Supply, www.pluginsupply.com; EDrive Systems, www.edrivesystems.com; Energy Control Systems Engineering, www.energycs.com; OEMtek, www.oemtek.com; CCI, www.calcars.org.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

Dear EarthTalk: Can you recommend some sources for toys and other holiday gifts that are both safe and not harmful to the environment? – Tracy Gately, Marblehead, MA

Given the massive recall of toys contaminated with lead last year, let alone all the other bad news about chemicals seeping out of just about every other conceivable type of consumer item, it’s no wonder that people are nervous about what might be inside the wrapping paper this next holiday season. Luckily, growing environmental concerns-and consumer demand-means that plenty of safe and green-friendly items are available for those willing to do a little more than just walk around the closest shopping mall.

For kids’ items, Oompa Toys (oompa.com) is hard to beat. The Wisconsin-based company offers thousands of child- and Earth-safe items. On Oompa’s easy-to-use website you can buy products ranging from toys, dollhouses and stuffed animals to learning games, musical instruments and art supplies to kitchen play accessories, kids’ furniture and tricycles, many items made with organic or recycled materials.

Another interesting online source for kids’ toys is Washington-based Earthentree (earthentree.com), which sells dozens of pull toys, rattles, stackers and other goodies to stimulate young hands and minds. All of their products are handcrafted by “fair trade” (fairly compensated) artisans in India using sustainably harvested wood and natural vegetable-based dyes. And Hazelnut Kids (hazelnutkids.com) specializes in natural, earth-friendly wooden and organic cotton toys for kids and babies, and even offers gift-wrapping with recycled and recyclable paper.

For grown-up gifts, EcoArtware (eco-artware.com) sells a variety of items made from recycled and natural materials, from bath and kitchen accessories to pet products to jewelry, including many hand-made items. Everybodygreen (everybodygreen.com) is another good source for green-friendly jewelry. The company’s No Plastic charm bracelets are made with corn starch-based resin, natural herbal tea dye and recycled brass. For those holiday parties you might be attending, wine aficionados might appreciate a bottle of Boisset Family Estates’ Yellow Jersey pinot noir (yellowjerseywine.com), which comes from France in a 100 percent recycled (and recyclable) plastic bottle.

Looking for fair trade arts and crafts? Gifts with Humanity (giftswithhumanity.com) sells clothing, home dƒ©cor, jewelry and more from artists in Asia, Africa and Central and South America. Organic Bug (organicbug.com) also sells fair trade items and other natural and organic products from clothing to home dƒ©cor items to travel accessories. Other websites worth visiting for fair trade and/or green-friendly gifts include peacefulvalleygreetings.com, greenfeet.com, pristineplanet.com, nokiagreenstore.com, gaiam.com, acacia.com and vivaterra.com. A simple Google search for “green holiday gifts” will turn up many more.

Another approach to the holidays, of course, for the sake of lessening one’s footprint and tightening the belt in a downturned economy, is to eschew traditional gift-giving in favor of donating to a local or national environmental group in the name of a friend or loved one. This can be accomplished by visiting the websites of your favorite green groups and making your way to their “Donate” page, or by visiting justgive.org or worldofgood.com (by eBay), both which facilitate contributions to worthwhile charities

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

Here at Blast, we have a bunch of traditional, odd, and downright original holiday plans. We thought we’d share them with you.

One of Blast’s great mid-year staff editions, Holly Jobbagy decided to combine video golf and teddy bears for her boyfriend.

“He’s especially into golf, and since he can’t play this time of year, I got him the Plug-and-Play Golden Tee Golf Game from Brookstone — available online or in the store catalog,” she said. “I also went to Build-a-Bear and got built him one, but included a special, personalized message. When he presses the Bear’s hand, he will hear my voice.”

The bear will be holding the game in its paw!

Blast Correspondent Ashley Dean shared a unique tradition.

“After our big dinner we get out a big box of fancy chocolates and play a game. ,” she said The rules are:

1. Go in a circle, everyone takes on at a time
2. No looking at the guide to see what kind you’re taking
3. Take a bite, if you don’t like it you can put it back or finish it anyway. If you put the rest back, you’re out
4. The winner is the last person left!

Here’s Samantha Lavine’s recipee for super holiday Rice Krispies treats!

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons margarine or butter (John says use butter)
1 Package regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 Cups Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal OR 6 Cups of Kellogg’s Cocoa Rice Krispies Cereal
Holiday Sprinkles
Red String-Licorice

Then:

• Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
• Add cereal. Stir until well coated.
• Using buttered spatula or waxed paper, press mixture evenly into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cut into 2-inch squares when cool.
• Decorate with holiday sprinkles and use red string licorice for ribbon.

Best if served the same day.

Mircowave Directions:
In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat margarine and marshmallows at HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 through 4, above.

As for me, I’ll be in Connecticut embracing my Italianness, eating fresh fish and playing Pinochle. Pinochle is a game that I love so much that I’m letting you download a little DOS game for free as one of my Christmas gifts to you.

We have Carlos Watson and a 20-something who works as a mortician next month. Keep on reading!

Happy Holidays from Blast Magazine and Happy 2008!

Look at me I’m an elf!

Seems like an untrue statement for a woman who’s 5’10″ until you visit elfyourself.com and start the elfmorphosis.

By uploading up to four photos, you can create a whole group of elves for your dancing pleasure. It is easy to upload photos with tools there to resize and rotate and allow you to get your face right in there. The fun part comes when it’s time to upload a message. Call a toll free number and following the instructions!

All that’s left to do is give the dance instruction. After you press play your elf self begins a rock concert dance to Jingle Bells with your message playing throughout in your elf’ed voice. This is a hilarious holiday treat!

The Favorites

The Pogues “Fairytale of New York”
Christmas Eve in a New York City drunk tank, a down on their luck dueting Irish couple (Pogues singer Shane McGowan and Kirsty McColl) trade insults and heartbreak before the holiday magic sets in. My all-time favorite.

The Kinks “Father Christmas”
Blending economic reality with dreams of beating up a department store Santa, the Kinks rock their way to second on the list.

KC101 “Christmas in East Haven”
DJ’s from radio station KC101 (WKCI 101.3) sing about a place very near and dear to me: East Haven, CT. This song became a local favorite when it came out years ago and is still pretty accurate. For those of you who have not been to East Haven—visit. The town was also the setting for the opening of Oceans’s 12.

“Oi to the World”
Written and originally performed by the Vandals, I prefer No Doubt’s version of this song about a gang war on Christmas. “If God came down on Christmas Day, I know exactly what he’d say / He’d say Oi to the punks! Oi to the skins! Check out this awesome song and everybody wins!”

The Darkness “Christmas Time”
This song rocks so much you’d wish it was Christmas every day just so you can play it.

Run-DMC “Christmas in Hollis”
Like DMC with the mic in his hands, with this song you’ll be chillin’ and coolin’ like a snow man.

The Ramones “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)”
This song was actually recorded by some of the lesser-known members of the Queens punk band: Rudolph Ramone, Donner Ramone, Dixon Ramone and Dancer Ramone. The original title was the “Blitzen Bop.”

Adam Sandler’s Chanukah Songs
There are a lot of famous Jews; more than enough for a fourth installment. Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David haven’t been honored yet.

Blink 182 “I Won’t Be Home for Christmas”
Who hasn’t lashed out on a bunch of Christmas carolers? I haven’t because I’ve never seen or heard of Christmas carolers going door to door singing outside of movies and TV. I feel that’s another Hollywood myth like families passing down wedding rings.

Billy Mack “Christmas is All Around”
This is the song in Love Actually. I saw it and thought it was very good. Even better when you think of all the washed-up real-life rock stars who should resurrect their careers with a Christmas record that is really a remake of an earlier hit. I don’t know about you, but I’d be ecstatic for a “Winter of ’69.”

Mr. Garrison “Merry Fucking Christmas”
The title says it all.

Dr. Elmo “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer”
A classic. I agree: they should never give a license to a man who drives a sleigh and plays with elves. Seriously, have you ever been stuck behind a sleigh on the road? Not cool.

John Lennon “So This is Christmas”
Someone answer me this: how many John Lennon songs involve children singing in the background? It has to be a greater proportion than any other musician, greater than the ratio of jokes about kids to songs by Michael Jackson and R. Kelly.

“Blue Christmas”
I actually might have to go with Bright Eyes’ remake of this Elvis tune. Blasphemous I know, but who’s more believable in having a blue Christmas.

“Jingle Bell Rock”
Originally done by Bobby Helms in 1957, this song has been covered by everyone, including Hall and Oates, Billy Idol, Hilary Duff, Randy Travis, Brian Setzer and Arcade Fire. I can only hope Andrew W.K. takes up the cause.

“Christmas Wrapping”
The Waitresses did the original but Save Ferris remade it with Monique singing about being a Jew on Christmas in LA and even asking why Adam Sandler didn’t give her a shout-out.

Eazy-E “Merry Muthafuckin’ Christmas”
Yes, this is a real song. Christmas in Compton.

Anything by Bob Rivers and Twisted Radio
From “I Am Santa Claus” (“Iron Man”) to “Police Stop My Car” (“Feliz Navidad”), Bob Rivers is the king of Christmas parody. Here’s an idea: “Santa’s Little Helper” to the Stones’ “Mother’s Little Helper.”

Artists that Should Record Christmas Songs

Buckcherry
It might actually be a good thing Buckcherry doesn’t have a Christmas song yet. If they did, its inevitable awesomeness would generate so much holiday spirit that the entire Pacific Northwest would be leveled to fill the need for Christmas trees it would produce.

Mandy Moore
This is mainly so Mandy could make a video in which she dresses in a Santa hat and suit. I think it should also include a hot tub. Baby, it’s cold outside.

Rage Against the Machine
With all the commercialism and injustice on Christmas, how has Rage not written a song about it?

Afroman
I’m sure he’d be able to write something about hos, Christmas “trees” and unwrapping some Colt .45. He probably even started, but then got high.

Bruce Springsteen
Bruce’s Christmas song would give the entire history of Christmas and before performing it at a sold-out arena, he would tell the entire story behind the song and what he was doing while he wrote it. Scrooge would be a character that really represents the government and the record would sell 20 million copies.

I Didn’t Forget These Songs, They Just Suck

Paul McCartney “Wonderful Christmas Time”
Sucks might be too strong a word. Annoying is too weak.

Dave Matthews “Christmas Song”
Too boring.

Late addition: “The Night Santa Went Crazy” by Weird Al

It’s by Weird Al and based on “Black Gold” by Soul Asylum. Far from Miracle on 34th Street, this ballad about a “yuletide Rambo” is not only holiday gold, but possibly one of Weird Al’s best songs and that’s saying a lot. Come on, it includes ‘reindeer sausage.’ Speaking of Rambo, has anyone else seen previews for a new Rambo movie? Please tell me I’m not imagining things.

(ARA) — Parents looking to fill their children’s holiday wish lists have more on their minds this year than whether Johnny was naughty or Susie was nice. This year, parents are plagued by recalls of some of the season’s most-sought-after toys by big-name manufacturers.

The recent recalls of Chinese-manufactured toys have given a whole new life to the concept “buy American.”

“Buying toys and other goods made in America has always been a patriotic thing to do, something that supported the domestic economy,” said Glenda Lehman-Ervin, mother of two and a principal of Lehman’s, an old-time general store located in Kidron, Ohio. “Now, it feels like a question of safety, as well.”

But the good news is, there are American-made alternatives, toys that offer imagination-building activity and old-fashioned fun — without the contamination risks that have come to be associated with some foreign-made toys. “A lot of these toys are low-tech, interactive toys that really engage a child’s imagination,” Lehman-Ervin said. “And they are manufactured domestically, many by hand, making them not just toys but a piece of American heritage as well.”

Looking to fill your child’s Christmas dreams with American-made products this year? Here are some options:

• Classic rag dolls — "What toy is more American than a hand-made rag doll?" Lehman-Ervin says. Illustrator and author Johnny Gruelle created the most famous rag doll, Raggedy Ann, for his daughter in 1915, and Raggedy Ann’s brother, Andy, came along in 1918. Mothers have handstitched the dolls for decades, and mass marketing of the characters hasn’t changed the fact that the most popular versions are still handmade. Lehman’s offers Ann and Andy rag dolls that are still handmade by a real mother, who stitches them the old-fashioned way.
• Wood is welcome — From yo-yos to train whistles, some of the best-loved American-made toys are made from wood. It’s possible to find wooden toys at virtually every price point that are appropriate for different age groups. Pick-up sticks, a simple, classic puzzle game can be had in an American-made version for just $9.95. Wooden whistles cost even less, while Amish-made toy trains and wood and metal wagons range higher.
• Moving American-style — The bicycle may have been invented abroad, but American kids cemented the bike’s position as a classic toy in the 1950s and ‘60s. Bikes today are a multi-million-dollar industry, with some top line names being designed and built overseas. But it is still possible to find bikes and tricycles made domestically. Check out www.lehmans.com for “The Best Tricycle Ever.”
• Metal means fun — From Slinkies to devilishly simple-seeming puzzle games, metal toys have a long tradition as favorites in Christmas stockings. While modern Slinkies are made from plastic, a limited collectors’ edition metal Slinky is still made. And, ironically, many so-called Chinese puzzles – in which a child has to unlock intricately interwoven metal pieces — are actually made in the Unites States.

Courtesy of ARAcontent