by Mike Ohrberg
This holiday season, Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley knows that you want to get your loved ones the perfect gifts! At our ReStores, we are excited to announce that we now offer Scrip gift cards to national merchants. Similar to “gift card malls” you see at the grocery store, the ReStores offer gift cards to major retailers like Target, Macy’s, Barnes & Noble and more. The difference in purchasing gift cards through your local ReStore is that Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley will receive a percentage of the purchase as a donation at no extra cost to you.
As the Inland Valley’s authority on “green” initiatives, we favor gift cards because they are small gifts that don’t require wrapping paper, large gift boxes or other materials that may end up in our local landfills. Also, did you know that gift cards are made of recyclable materials? Yet another great reason to “go with gift cards”!
While gift cards can be the perfect gift, we’ve got other ways that you can get into the Christmas spirit! For those that love to spread Christmas cheer throughout their home, the ReStore offers several tips on how to reuse, recycle or store your decorations:
- Disposing of Your Tree – Most cities offer a holiday tree pick-up after the holidays. Check your city’s website or look for a post-holiday chipping service.
- Holiday Scents – Candles and wreaths are a big part of holiday atmosphere. If your candles can still be burned, store them in tissue-paper-lined boxes. Place large candles inside discarded hose or stockings first.
- Holiday Lights – To keep strings of lights from getting tangled, wrap them around the outside of a metal coffee can. Also, you can separate Christmas tree lights from your outside lights to be even more organized.
- Storing decorations – If you use an artificial wreath, take time to store it away. For a quick and free version, use a dry-cleaning bag, making sure to tie the plastic under the bag to seal the wreath inside. Also, ornament boxes are a convenient way to store delicate tree decorations. If you’ve saved a cardboard cup carrier or two, place your ornament cups inside them, and store everything inside a plastic bin. For very small decorations, an egg carton is great for storage.
Almost all the items listed above can be found at your local ReStore. No matter where you decide to shop or how you decorate your home, the entire team at Habitat for Humanity wishes you a Happy Holiday season.
Mike Ohrberg is the Director of Restores. Shop or donate your unwanted household items to the Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley ReStores. The Temecula ReStore is located at 27479 Enterprise Circle West. The Lake Elsinore ReStore is located at 570 Central Avenue, Suite I. Habitat for Humanity will pick up your donations, if needed. For more information, visit www.habitat4inlandvalley.org.