Do piles of crumpled wrapping paper make you cringe? Do you pity the poor spruce that was sacrificed for the seasonal celebration? As a famous frog once said, "It's not easy being green."

During the holiday season, truer words were never spoken. With heightened eco-consciousness, it's hard not to be a scrooge as endless plastic bags and cardboard boxes fly through the doors of local stores. If you're struggling with holiday wastefulness, here are a few suggestions on how to go green without going overboard.

1. No Paper Trail

Sometimes gift giving is a risky endeavor.  There's always the possibility your judgment of sizing and style doesn't match with the recipient. Luckily, returns are an option as long as you keep the receipt. If you don't want the long paper printouts, ask about a digital receipt. Many locations of popular stores such as Gap, Nordstrom and Sears have this option available and will email your receipt instead.

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From R2-D2 to Transformers to Wall-E, kids are obsessed with robots.  So what could be more enticing than turning a tape dispenser and on old eater bottle into a functioning robot?

The irresistible Recycled Robots book and kit shows kids how to use their imaginations and old toys to design and build their very own robots!

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Call me old-fashioned, but there is one Christmas tradition that I will never break, and that is the sending of Christmas cards to all my friends and family every year.  Checking the mail during the month of December is so exciting for you never know whose card will show up in your mailbox!

I have to admit though that on more than one occasion, I've wondered how much environmental damage this Christmas card tradition could be doing.  That's why I'm glad to have discovered Paper Culture.  Now eco-friendly Christmas cards are just a click away!

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In the next few weeks, we'll be entering into the craziest travel season of the year.  Did you know that there are roughly 10 million airline flights in the U.S. alone?  And a large percentage of that number comes from holiday travel.  Everyone wants to reconnect with family and friends around the holidays which means that most of us will take to the skies or the roads to get back home.

Unfortunately, if you're traveling by air, you must comply with the TSA regulations concerning liquids for carry-on luggage and/or costly baggage fees for checked luggage.  While there's always been a way to make travel size toiletries for shampoo, conditioner, lotions, creams and gels, there hasn't been a way to make your own travel sized toothpaste from a full size tube...until now!

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It's every household's never-ending chore...LAUNDRY!  I swear, I don't understand how just three people can dirty up so many clothes so fast, but my family always seems to manage.  I actually shudder to think just how much we spend on laundry detergent as well as on the water and electricity needed to run our washing machine and dryer.  :money:

Furthermore, I recently discovered the damaging effects that our laundry detergent has on the environment.  Thankfully, Oransi has set out to provide a more cost-effective, eco-friendly and chemical-free way to clean our clothes with the Robby Wash Laundry Ball.  Keep reading to learn more!

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Did you know that more than 85% of our kids aren't drinking the recommended amount of water each day?  If just 2% of the body's normal water volume is lost, dehydration symptoms can begin, which include headaches, tiredness, irritability, dizziness and fainting.

Brita wants to help parents teach their kids healthy habits from the beginning, especially when it comes to proper eating and drinking.  That's why they developed a Brita filtered water bottle designed just for kids.  Keep reading to learn more!

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