What you receive in your Christmas stocking clearly shows how well you behaved this year. If you have any friends that have been naughty then I think the typical lump of coal will suffice, especially since we all know coal is not in the least bit eco-friendly! For those of us who have been good, here are some great stocking stuffers to show them Santa was watching and making a list on who’s been naughty and who’s been nice:

I would be so delighted to wake up to find a great bottle of organic wine in my stocking. The Organic Wine Company sources their selections from all over the world. All their wines have been chosen from small family wineries, are eco-friendly, and are made with certified organic grapes. Call 415.256.8888 or 1.888.ECOWINE for more info.

Santa Claus loves cookies, especially the homemade kind. Why not make your own cookies to leave out for St. Nick as well as to stuff in a few stockings, using organic ingredients of course. This is also a great way to get the kids involved. And if you email me personally I will send you the Neiman Marcus $250 cookie recipe! This is no joke - it was sent to me by a good friend, and I hear these cookies are delish!

This is a no brainer – every stocking that’s hung by the chimney with care must have at least one compact fluorescent light bulb in it. It’s quick, easy, and no assembly required!

I have a Let’s Green This City commuter mug. I received this as a gift from another site I write for, it reminded me that this too is a perfect stocking stuffer. “Bring Your Own Mug” has been the mantra of many environmentalists lately. Whether it’s coffee, tea or water as your beverage of choice, using a refillable, non-plastic container when going to the coffee shop is by far a great way to make a small change that can have a huge impact, and using a water bottle that can be refilled will save our landfills from being overtaken with those little plastic bottles (as a side note, those should not be re-used). There are many places where you can personalize your own ceramic mugs with photos or your favorite quote, or purchase a stainless steel bottle from Kleen Kanteen. I met them at the Green Festival recently, and learned that their water bottles are NOT for hot liquids only cold. They can also be purchased at your local REI store.

When you meet your sweetie under the mistletoe don’t forget to pucker up with some Chicken Poop smeared on your lips! It’s lip balm! I’d buy it for the name alone (the story behind it is cute!) Chicken Poop is all natural; it’s made from soy, jojoba, orange, lavender and beeswax. It contains no mineral oils, no GMO's, and no real poop! It can be found at most Walgreens.

For those of us who like to order take-out, I have the solution to the plastic spork: this handy Utensils To Go set. It comes with a spoon, fork, napkin, and even chopsticks all rolled up. This should tuck into a stocking rather nicely and can be re-used over and over again.

A stocking filled to the brim with all these goodies would make a good gift itself. I can only imagine the recipient opening their stocking on Christmas Day and thinking, hey Santa really was watching!

Happy Holidays,
Arcadia