Seattle, WA

This is the last weekend for some of these Holiday activities so catch them if you can!

What: Camp 6 Santa Train
When: December 1-23rd, Saturdays and Sundays only, departures every 30 minutes from 10 am to 4 pm.
Where: Camp 6 is located in the City of Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park
$$$: $1.00 per rider ages 3 to 99. Under 3 and over 99 ride free.
Visit with Santa on an authentic logging train, then warm up with hot cocoa, cider and cookies. Santa visits with every child on the train which can take some time and train is open-sided and not heated, so bundle up well.

What: Mount Rainier Scenic RR Snowball Express
When: December 22-23, Saturdays and Sundays the first 4 weekends of December
Departures at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm (* 12/23 will offer 10:30 AM run only)
Where: 349 Mineral Creek Rd, Mineral, WA, 98355
$$$: Call for fares - 888-STEAM11

What: Fantasy Lights
When: Operating every night including Christmas and New Years Eve, from November 22nd to December 31st.
Where: Spanaway Park
$$$: $13 per car/van
Pierce County Parks and Recreation is pleased to present the 13th annual “Fantasy Lights at Spanaway Park” the largest holiday drive-through display in the Northwest, featuring nearly 300 elaborate displays and thousands of spakling lights. The beautiful two-mile drive along Spanaway Lake has become a memorable lakeside tradition for the entire family. Operating every night including Christmas and New Years Eve, from November 22nd to December 31st.

What: Zoo Lights
When: Zoolights is open 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 24 through Jan. 1 (closed Dec. 4-6, and Dec. 24-25).
Where: Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, 5400 N Pearl St, Tacoma
$$$: Advance tickets: $5.00, Night of show tickets, Monday-Thursday: $5.00, Night of show tickets, Friday-Sunday: $7.00, Children ages 2 and under are admitted free
Enjoy the 20th annual Zoolights and make special family memories with a winter stroll through the brilliantly lit Zoo. Enjoy animal encounters, live entertainment, snacks, carousel rides, a 10 percent discount at Plaza Gifts, and fun family photos.

What: Issaquah Reindeer Festival
When: 12/1-12/23: Daily, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Cougar Mountain Zoo, 19525 S.E. 54th St., Issaquah
$$$: $10.50 Adults (13-61), $9.50 Seniors (62+), $8.00 Children (2-12), Under 2: Free
Meet Santa’s reindeer team, sit in his sleigh and have your picture taken.

What: Winterfest
When: November 23 – January 6
Where: Seattle Center
$$$: Free and low cost activities
For six glorious weeks, the season comes alive with world-class entertainment, cutting-edge performers and cherished reminders of the past. From November 23 – December 31, Seattle Center Winterfest offers dozens of FREE and low-cost events, performances and activities that will stir your soul and energize your spirit. Traditional favorites are back, including the Ice Rink, Winter Train and Village and Classic Carousel. Since they’re open throughout Winterfest, it’s easy to have a great time every day of the week!

What: Garden d’Lights
When: 11/24-12/31: 5-9:30 p.m.
Where: Bellevue Botanical Garden
$$$: Free, donations encouraged.
Thousands of tiny twinkling lights will transform Bellevue Botanical Garden into a fantasyland of flowers every evening during the annual Garden d’Lights festival from November 24th through December 31. Inspired by plants found in Northwest gardens, hundreds of volunteers bundle strings of commercial grade outdoor lights into three dimensional flowers, shrubs, vines, and critters. In November, these creations are ‘planted’ in the Botanical Garden and, with a flip of a switch, this unique holiday garden blooms every evening from 5:00-9:30 pm.

If you’ve been a total slacker and haven’t got your tree yet, check out the local tree farms and get on it!

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C3, Carbon Conscious Consumer, wants you to take the plunge and take the pledge. The pledge to give bags the bag and take your own re-usable one, that is.

C3 is a national climate campaign sponsored by the Center for a New American Dream that challenges individuals to establish climate-friendly daily habits and inspire their friends to do the same. Participants who most creatively and effectively spread the word will win prizes.

Did you know that simply by using a reusable bag you can cut your carbon imprint? You’ll also begin to make a dent in the waste and pollution that sees 12 million barrels of oil and 14 million trees wasted each year to make plastic and paper bags.

Most plastic bags are made from polyethylene, which is made from crude oil and natural gas, nonrenewable resources. This increases our dependency on foreign suppliers. Additionally, prospecting and drilling for these resources contributes to the destruction of fragile habitats and ecosystems around the world.

So this December we’re asking you to do something simple to make a difference—just Bring Your Own Bag when you go shopping. Take the Carbon Conscious Consumer pledge, keep the ecosystem clean and healthy and you’ll also get a chance at a terrific prize!

Each month from July to December, Carbon Conscious Consumer has highlighted a new, simple way each individual can make an impact, plus show the difference each person makes both individually and along with the people they’ve influenced; prizes go to participants who influence the most new pledges.

During December, make a conscious choice to Bring Your Own Bag. In addition to benefiting the environment, participants will have a chance to win a $5000 prize package from Brighter Planet. Visit the website now to get started.

Sandra over at Globally Green Living, has some links to some fun bags!

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One of the things I love most about Christmas is the shopping. In particular I love all the Holiday bazaars and markets, be they big or small. Even the church bazaars with all their home made goodies.

In light of that here is a list of upcoming bazaars and markets:

ARCHIPELAGO CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
Filipino Community Center of Seattle
December 1, 2007, 10 - 5pm, Free
More than a dozen Asian American artists, craftspeople, online retailers and businesses who will offer a unique holiday shopping experience.

URBAN CRAFT UPRISING
Seattle Center, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA
Phone: (206) 216-0877
Saturday, December 1 2007, 11:00am - 5:00pm
This annual show (now in its third year) is renowned for drawing the most creative, unique, and cream-of-the-crop crafters from around the region-and even some vendors from as far away as Boston and Toronto! The uprising is truly a unique showcase for rising indie craft stars, and a venue for holiday shoppers to marvel over one-of-a-kind, avant-garde creations, and at no charge to the public.

A VICTORIAN COUNTRY CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL
-The Puyallup Fairgrounds
-November 28 - December 2, 2007
-Wednesday-Saturday 10am to 9pm
-Sunday 10am to 6pm. Free Parking
A Victorian Country Christmas Festival is an unforgettable event that will leave you infused with the spirit of Christmas. Step back in time as the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup are transformed into a Victorian Village filled with the sights and sounds of Christmas. Shop at over 530 Victorian stores filled with the most beautiful handcrafted and specialty items; share in a delicious meal at the food pavilion; take a carriage ride through a holiday wonderland, enjoy over 20 professional stage shows daily featuring the best music, dance, comedy and more; and don’t forget to get a picture with Santa at the North Pole or enjoy the spectacular “Living Nativity” featuring over 100 singers and dancers in a music extravaganza celebrating the best music of the season.

What: Winter Festival and Crafts Fair
When: Sunday, Dec 2nd
Where: 6532 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle WA 98103
$$$: Members $2 plus a can of food; Non-members $4 plus a can of food; Children (under 13) free
The popular event features high-quality crafts booths, photos with Frosty, live entertainment, a bake sale, and holiday cheer. A full entertainment schedule is available on the website.

THREAD SEATTLE // XMAS SHOPPING SPECIAL
Fremont Studios, 155 North 35th Street, Seattle, WA
Sunday, December 9th, 2007, 11am-6pm
$7 at the door, but, $5 when you RSVP
THREAD brings a selection of over 65 independent fashion & accessory designers from around the country to the savvy and style-conscience men and women of the Northwest. Come get first dibs and buy direct from designers showcasing wares you wont find at the mall.

HILLTOP HOLIDAY CRAFT SHOW
Northwest Arts Center (Directions), 9825 NE 24th Street, Bellevue, WA
November 28, 29 and 30, 2007 - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 1, 2007 - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Many new vendors this year, the show will feature thousands of quality crafts from more than 80 selected Northwest craftspeople.

MOKAS HOLIDAY CRAFT SALE
329 Fairview Ave. N, Corner of Fairview Ave. & Harrison, Downtown Seattle
Directions:
From I-5 North or South - Take the Mercer St. Exit.
Stay in the far left lane and turn left onto Fairview Ave. N.
Go 2 blocks. Mokas will be on the right.
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, 10am - 3pm
Handcrafted gifts, Christmas cards, jewelry and MORE!

Looking for a Christmas Tree? Check out the local Christmas Tree Farms.

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Allison over at Reality on Bravo is having a contest right now in which you could win a really neat “Stop Global Warming” bracelet. The bracelets are made by a company called Ecoist, which “repurposes” and recycles candy wrappers. They have some really cool stuff that would make great Christmas/Holiday gifts.

Looking over the Ecoist site got me to thinking about other “earth friendly” gifts that might be on the market so I put my google-fu to work and came up with a few suggestions. Along the way I found an article that eco-friendly gifts may be this years trend. According to the article, “San Francisco led the nationwide survey of 14,135 consumers, with 27 percent saying they planned to purchase earth-friendly products. Seattle was No. 2, with 25 percent.” Here are a few that I found:

Kate’s Caring Gifts: Seattle based, “Kate’s Caring Gifts brings you the very best natural, organic, and ecologically sustainable products that you can find anywhere. When Kate (yes, there really is a Kate) founded this company, she set out with the mission of finding products that she could feel good about offering to you. While looking for the highest quality natural skin care, organic and fair trade foods, natural candles, and other great gifts, she sought ethical companies that treat workers fairly and manufacture using sustainable materials and methods. Kate sought out products that promote good health as well as good and conscious living. Since then, she has found some fantastic treasures crafted by independent companies and artists dedicated bringing you outstanding, earth friendly products at great prices. In addition to offering these wonderful products to you, we create unique, fun, gift sets, making it easy to give great People and Earth Friendly gifts.” I’m in love with these Planet Earth earrings!

UncommonGoods.com: Dedicated to providing unique items of outstanding quality that “work in harmony with the environment and without harm to animals or people.” Check out these gorgeous glasses made from “rescued” wine bottles. They have a plethora of neat gifts made from recycled products.

LittleEarth: “When Rob Brandegee and Ava DeMarco founded Little Earth Productions, Inc. in 1993 they had a simple but revolutionary idea: design and make fashionable, unique and trendsetting purses and belts by reusing and recycling materials that would otherwise be overlooked or thrown away. Not only did the idea work, but it introduced the world to a new term: ecofashion.” I’m not sure why, but I love these license plate purses.

Hip & Zen: “At hip and zen, our purpose is to bring an eclectic blend of lifestyle products to forward-thinking people of a unique sensibility—those with a modern soul. We present items that inspire calm and unity with just the right edge of sophistication and style. Nurturing body and soul through an aesthetic identified by clean lines and a respect for the earth is our passion. We celebrate the beauty of simplicity. This is echoed in our careful selection of recycled, organic, hand-made, fairly traded, and natural products. Our unique offering is not limited by genre nor function, but rather an uncommon devotion to design, beauty, and spirit.” With a surname like Clothier, how could founder Karen Clothier be anything but a designer? She was born to it! Hip & Zen has collections that are organic, vegan, recycled and even fair trade. They have some adorable handbags made from recycled plastic.

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