Ask
Hana Haatainen Caye
Tonya asks: I try to teach my kids to be
green and not to be wasteful. But my family
doesn’t respect my wishes and tends to use
lots of wrapping paper every gift giving
holiday. How can I change this? I feel like it’s
sending mixed messages to my kids.
GG: Tonya, you’re touching on a subject
that so many of us deal with, including me!
The first thing you need to do is relax. While
each of us must do our part and follow our
convictions to live greener lives, we have to
accept the fact that not everyone is on the
same page. Traditions are hard to break,
and hard feelings are hard to recover from
sometimes. You have to remember that
relationships are more important over the
holidays than some of our ideals, so it might
be best to just leave this one alone.
That said, you can set an example by being
creative with your gift packaging. While there
may be mounds of wrapping paper heading
off to the landfill, you can lessen the burden
by using only recycled or repurposed paper
and reusing gift bags. Or you can start your
own tradition of placing gifts in reusable
boxes that will be as treasured as sentimental
ornaments in future years, especially if you
let your little ones decorate them. Explain
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why you are skipping traditional wrapping to
your kids, but avoid ‘demonizing’ others who
still prefer shiny paper and ribbons. After all,
they’re only putting the time into wrapping
gifts like that because they love you.
Michelle asks: How do I avoid feeding my
family foods that are genetically modified?
GG: Oh, how I wish I had a good answer for
you, Michelle! Unless you move to another
country where GMOs are illegal or must be
clearly labeled, it’s nearly impossible to avoid
ingesting GMOs of one kind or another. The
best thing you can do is buy organic foods
and look for companies that specify that they
do not use GMOs.
While GMO labeling is optional at this point,
there are some signs you can look for when
shopping for produce. If the fruit, vegetable
or nuts have a PLU number (Price Look Up),
check to see what the first number is. If it is a
4, it is conventionally grown and may, or may
not, be genetically modified. If it is a 9, it is
organically grown and you can be sure that it
is non-GMO. Good luck in your quest for a
GMO-free diet!
Hana Haatainen Caye is a wife, mother and grandmother who shares her passion for common
sense greener and healthier living. Based on the most popular feature of her blog, Hana’s first
book, Vinegar Fridays, is now available. Have a question for Green Grandma? Ask here!