f i G t s o c E y a Local Holid Contributions by The McKinley Citizens’ Recycling Council (MCRC)
‘T
is the Season for Gift Giving and though it may be easier to order through a catalog or online for those on your list, stop and think how a local purchase would impact the environment and our local artists and merchants. Gallup and McKinley County’s retailers, area artists and crafters have had a difficult time since 2020. Check out the last of the Art & Craft Fairs and support vendors such as Barbara Babcock, the Summer Farmers’ Market “Garlic Lady” who will be offering her “food art:”: garlic butter, soups and stews at the Winter Arts & Crafts Sale, Saturday, December 4 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Look for the special artistry in glass by Kitty Olguin; Mason jars and wine bottles find a new purpose as lights, centerpieces and more under her creative touch. (kittyolguin@gmail. com) What makes a gift eco-friendly? u Locally made u Little packaging u Made from recycled/reused materials A stocking full of useable (filling a need) and reuseable, consumable, or well-made, long-lasting gifts would be great for Mother Earth! u Asking local businesses for these products will show them that there is a demand and will encourage them to provide more variety of eco-friendly items. You can be a savvy consumer who does good for the planet this holiday season. Some possibilities for Eco-gifts in the Gallup area: • From The Water Store—solid 28 December 2021
or bar shampoo and conditioner (HiBar), and Tru Earth laundry soap eco-strips (a chance to try something new that has no plastic container). • From The Water Store— beeswax storage wraps that are washable to use in place of plastic wrap (no photo). • From La Montanita Coop-another brand of bar shampoo and beeswax storage wraps also. • From Walgreen’s—reusable dryer balls and Stasher silicone food storage bags that can go from fridge to stove. • From Gallup Lumber and Hardware—rechargeable batteries of different sizes made with recycled materials (for those new battery-run toys). They also carry earth friendly light bulbs (but I did not see any solar or crank flashlights). • From Butler’s Printing and Office Supply— Pilot B2P ballpoint pens made from recycled plastic bottles (FYI-on sale now). Also a Masterpiece jigsaw puzzle made with 100% recycled board and soy inks. • From ECO-Tees by HartMindSoul Tee shirts made from recycled plastics and/or organic cotton blends are available from HMS apparel. Some of the designs include Zebras, Penquins, Giraffes, and Elephants, oh my! For more information contact betsywindisch@yahoo.com • From Kitty Olguin Crafts Everything is made from recycled material, glass bottles, old shutters, mason or ball jars and wine glasses. When I retired 2 years ago, I found myself searching for ways to keep busy. I contemplated volunteering for nonprofits but due to covid, I instead put my idle hands to work on crafts. Never intending to sell them, I found myself signing up for craft fairs and I enjoy it. Mostly for the socialization which I truly miss.
