The GreenPeaches Holiday Shopping Guide - Home & Gifts

With only 10 days left until the big day, you might be running out of time to buy an online gift from any one of hundreds of green/eco retailers online.  We're here to help.  There are some great places in Atlanta to find an eco friendly gift.  From new boutiques and retailers to established stores and markets, we'll point you to a few that will be worth your time.

One of our favorite ways to find great gifts is to check out local antique markets.  Now, don't think that antique markets are old and stuffy with stuff you might find in your grandmother's house.  These days, you can pick up cool stuff from the 70's and 80's at most markets and some booths in these markets cater to eras that you might find interesting.  Some of my favorites are art deco, rustic french farmhouse and vintage WWII themes.  You may find hundreds of different dealers in some antique markets each with different items.  Some can be pricey and others affordable but looking and buying is almost always fun and don't forget that you're recycling instead of buying new products made by underpaid laborers that were most likely shipped thousands of miles from another country...

Anyway, a couple really solid markets in Atlanta are The Kudzu Antique Market near Decatur.  They have been one of "Atlanta's Best" since 1979 with over 25000 square feet of space.  The market was recently named to Atlanta Magazine's "Best of Atlanta" Hall of Fame for its consistent performance over the years as a local favorite. 

For those of you on the north side, there are two great places to go in Historic Roswell.  First, is the Historic Roswell Antique Market.  It's not as large as The Kudzu Antique Market but it's pretty big with 15000 square feet and over 85 dealers.  You'll find European Antiques, Rugs, Jewelery, Vintage Books and lots of other knick knacks.  Also in Historic Roswell is the very popular Board of Trade consignment shop. 

If antique markets aren't your thing, there are some great options that are available around town for gifts for the home and just general items that your friends and family might like.  First, you may want to take a look at Verde Home.  You can find furniture, rugs, antiques, lighting and much more at Verde Home.  The store was founded in 2006 and has a stringent philosophy on sustainability in their business.  They take into account Materials Use, Manufacture Method, Transport, and Utilization qualifications. Learn more on their website.

Another favorite for gifts is EcoBella.  This organic lifestyle boutique in the Virginia Highlands area originally catered toward the baby crowd but has started to branch out into organic apparel, green home improvement, pet gifts and bath & body.  The store is small but has a good amount of variety.  You should be able to find a green gift here that is reasonably priced.

If you are shopping for a gift for a younger GreenPeach, you may want to try out Olozoo in Duluth.  This boutique has baby and kid minded furniture, home decor, toys, clothes and much more.  It might be a ways away for some of you so check out their well designed website first to see what they have.  

Well, that's about it for this edition of the GreenPeaches Holiday Shopping Guide.  As always, if you have anything to add, please feel free to comment.  We know that not all of the great stores and markets in Atlanta were captured in this brief post but this is a great sample of what you can find around town.

The GreenPeaches Holiday Shopping Guide - Clothing

Since it's that time of year when everyone is concerned about shopping, we figured it was about time to get on the bandwagon.  Our next few posts will be about where the eco-concious shopper can go to find some good presents for the holidays or even just pick up some things that they have had their eyes on for a while. 

We're going to start by taking a look at where you can go for some eco-friendly clothing.  When looking for clothing there are too many choices and ethical decisions to worry about for us to get into in this post.  We'll leave that to some of the other sites out there to debate.  This is how we frame our purchases: new vs. reused/vintage, organic vs. conventional and fair trade vs. exploitation. 

I'd love to buy a good looking reused suit that is made from organic sustainably farmed cotton that was originally purchased at a fair price from the supplier and manufacturers but that's a tall task even in this day and age.  We hope that this quick hit guide around Atlanta will help you find some threads that are at least a bit more sustainable than going straight to Abercrombie or J.Crew to buy the latest cargos or shirts.

Today, we'll take a look at where you can land some great used clothing around Atlanta.

Plato's Closet is a personal favorite of mine.  They have 8 locations in the metro Atlanta area.  Each store has  a different selection and you can find some great deals on casual or work clothes.  Personally, I have found several of my favorite pairs of jeans there and I wear a couple of the shirts I have bought at Plato's Closet to work regularly.  They tend to cater toward the younger crowd but in my 30's I can get by.  You can find Abercrombie, Guess, Banana Republic, Quicksilver, J.Crew, Express, Hollister, and clothing from most regular mall retailers in the store.  They also purchase clothes if they are in good condition meet the store's inventory needs.

Goodwill is always an option if you are looking for used clothing but it is much more hit or miss and you will likely spend a lot more time looking than a more focused reseller like Plato's Closet.  There are around 40 metro area locations listed on their site so you will probably be able to find a location near you.  Goodwill also sells a number of other types of items so you are bound to find something of use for that person you are shopping for.  Don't forget that after you get new things over the holdidays you can donate your old things to Goodwill and you will also get a tax deduction. 

If vintage is what you're looking for, Psycho Sisters is where you might want to look.  You can find great unique items from the 60's, 70's and 80's at each of their three locations as well as quality clothing from today.  You'll find them in Sandy Springs, Little 5 and Cartersville.  Psycho Sisters has been open for 15 years and has been voted Atlanta's #1 Consignment Store for 10 years.  Another reliable option is The Lucky Exchange on Ponce might be the right place. 

Unfortunately, it is impossible to mention all of the quality stores around town and I'm sure you have your own personal favorites.  Feel free to add any in the comments.

Look forward to our next post on Holiday Shopping in the GreenPeaches Holiday Shopping Guide.

What to do With That Christmas Tree?

This year was my first year with a real Christmas tree as an adult.  Previously, I've either gone treeless or put up a tiny little tree just for a little holiday cheer.  However, Nita and I decided that we would definitely get a real tree this year.  We evaluated the alternatives of real versus fake.  This SF Gate article helped.  The debate will rage on but I would say that a majority lean toward real as the better choice if you must make one. 

Positives of Real: US Grown, Biodegrades, Affordable, No Storage, Fresh Smell 

Negatives of Real: Pesticides, Sap, Transportation, Needles 

Positives of Fake: No Needles, No Sap, No Transportation Issues, Lasts Longer 

Negatives of Fake: Non-Biodegradable, Made w/PVC, No Fresh Smell, Have to Store it, Made in China

Well, we decided on the real tree and once we decided, I immediately started wondering how we would get rid of the tree. 

Well, I put off the research for the past 3 weeks and enjoyed the holidays.  Yesterday, the tree came down and the environmentalist came back out.  I quickly googled my city and tree recycling.  I knew there would be something.  Most likely a mulching operation.  To my surprise, I stumbled on a national campaign run by Earth911.org who has teamed up with many Home Depot locations to act as a drop spot for used Christmas trees.  You will need to enter in your zip code on the home page to find local info and events. 

The campaign is aptly named "Bring One for the Chipper."  So, I couldn't resist putting up a nice beaver for today's post.

MDH