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For years, the day after Thanksgiving has been commandeered by Black Friday actions (standing in line at 4:00 a.m., trampling fellow customers for the newest toy, you recognize what we imply).
If you’re able to ditch the consumption this yr and take a look at one thing new, Earth911 is right here to assist. We compiled an inventory of enjoyable, low-impact actions for you and your family members to take pleasure in this Black Friday. Trust us, you gained’t miss the strains one bit.
1. Repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers
Leftovers aren’t all the time probably the most thrilling meals. So, they’ll typically sit uneaten behind the fridge. Fight again in opposition to food waste by giving your leftovers a face-lift, and the household might be way more more likely to make them disappear.
Stuck for concepts? Sites like Love Food, Hate Waste and Key Ingredient allow you to kind within the elements you might have readily available and obtain recent recipe concepts for turning them into one thing model new.
Who is aware of? Those scalloped potatoes could make pretty dwelling fries for breakfast, and leftover turkey may flip into a tasty stew. Think exterior the field for creations which are surprising.
2. Fix one thing
If you aren’t the perfect with a screwdriver, a Black Friday at dwelling could possibly be the right time to name on the handyman skills of a visiting buddy or member of the family to lastly repair a finicky merchandise in your house.
Don’t fear — your cousin doesn’t must be Bob Vila to get the job performed. Sites like iFixIt.com present free restore manuals for all the things from smartphones to lamps and can make it simple to get probably the most life out of your objects.
For issues that may’t be mounted, all the time bear in mind to recycle quite than tossing them within the trash.
3. Donate to charity
If you went out procuring on Black Friday, who is aware of how a lot money you’d spend? So, in case you plan to abstain from the hustle and bustle this yr, why not donate a number of {dollars} from the procuring price range to charitable causes you care about?
Choosing a charity can appear overwhelming at instances. But with household and buddies on the town, it will probably flip into a fairly enjoyable technique to spend a lazy afternoon.
Have every visitor recommend a trigger, then spend a while researching well-rated charities that help it. Everyone will really feel higher understanding they made a distinction, and also you’ll ship these hard-earned {dollars} to a trigger that actually wants it — quite than shopping for the newest fad toy or gadget.
4. Craft with the youngsters
Reuse crafting is an effective way to entertain youngsters indoors. As a bonus, you’ll rescue a number of objects out of your recycling bin to create brand-new artistic endeavors.
To get you began, take a look at these enjoyable youngsters’ crafts made from food packaging or these toilet paper roll crafts which are good for lazy days indoors.
5. Explore your neighborhood
If you’re ever stumped for an eco-friendly exercise, the perfect factor you are able to do is get outside. Spending time outdoor helps you bear in mind why defending the planet is so vital, and also you’ll additionally avoid wasting money in your electrical invoice, as you gained’t have to make use of power for heating and lighting your private home.
So, pile on the winter gear and head to a neighborhood pocket park, botanical backyard, or museum to expertise one thing new in your city. Don’t know the place to go? Visit your city or municipality’s web site to seek out listings of close by parks, out of doors occasions, and extra.
6. Go on a trash run (or stroll)
Want to make your out of doors exercise even greener? Go plogging, the most recent eco-trend that’s sweeping the jogging world, to burn off a few of these Thanksgiving energy.
Just seize a trash bag and set off in your course, making fast stops to choose up litter alongside the way in which. This could sound a bit extra interesting in hotter climates, however even cool autumn air can begin to really feel refreshing when you get transferring.
Not up for a full-blown dash? Try a “trash stroll” as a substitute for all of the eco-benefits — with out the shin splints. If you reside close to a stream, river, pond, or ocean, why not give Earthing a attempt? Fish for litter within the water as you stroll alongside the water’s edge.
7. Learn one thing new about your loved ones
Maybe you’ve all the time been interested by household ancestry, or maybe you simply wish to study slightly extra about family members whereas they’re on the town.
Plan a enjoyable afternoon exercise to convey everybody nearer collectively, equivalent to trying out a family tree web site or writing down a little-known reality about every individual, putting these in a jar after which studying them off, attempting to guess which information belong to whom.
Want extra concepts? Check out these 20 green things you can do in 20 minutes or less to make a distinction for our planet very quickly in any respect.
Editor’s Note: Originally revealed on November 28, 2013, this text was up to date in November 2024.<!–
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