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Merry, Bright and Green

Merry, Bright and Green

This morning began like so many others. A quick shower, a peek at the morning newscast, a couple of sips of coffee, smooches all around and I was off to work. I was zipping along the road, ready for a new day when kablaam! That’s when I saw it. A home with windows sprayed with faux-snow and strung up with glittery garlands. And, as a finishing touch, there was still a Halloween pumpkin on the front porch. What?! The “holiday season” seems to get longer and more out of control every year doesn’t it? Now, don’t get me wrong, I love what the holidays represent: the spirit of giving, the gathering ‘round of our loved ones, the sharing with our community. The mere thought of it brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart! But…then there’s that other side of the holidays. You know, the tense, high-pressure, stressful, unending cycle of spend, wrap, unwrap, throw away, repeat, consume, waste, and all with not a second to think or breathe—sound familiar? That’s the side of the holidays I’d like to do without, thank you very much. It feels like it is much harder to try to be green at the holidays than at any other time of the year. So, what’s to do then? How do we make our holidays merry and bright and yet still stay true to our green values? Here are some tips that will help you do just that.

First up is the easy stuff. Of course, we all know we can recycle! Get a good recycling plan in place for every holiday gathering and make sure everyone knows what goes where. These days, thank goodness, recycling is nearly second nature to most people, so your guests will know what to do once you’ve shown them your set up. And don’t forget to compost!

Next is to try to minimize the amount of disposable stuff that you’ll be using. Just say no to throwaway utensils & tableware whenever you can. If you must though—and who among us hasn’t had to at one time or another—try to choose those made of recycled or sustainable materials. Many stores carry products that are made from bamboo, recycled plastics, or compostable/biodegradable materials. These products are durable and good-looking, perfect for your holiday party guests to pile their yummies on.

Which brings me to the next tip: get those edible goodies local! Whenever you can try to purchase the food you’ll be serving for your holiday celebrations from local sources. Buying food that is grown or raised near you greatly reduces the carbon emissions that are produced by the planes, trains and trucks that would otherwise transport those items to you , sometimes over many thousands of miles. Take advantage of the bounty on offer at your local farmers markets, often an excellent source for sustainably raised meats as well as fruits and vegetables. Another added benefit of buying local is that you’re investing your money right back into our communities!

Thinking about decorating the outside of your home with a creative lights display this year? You can and still be eco-conscious with solar LED lights! Using solar lights for your decorations is a fun, easy and green way to get into the holiday spirit. The lights require no power source—just position the panel in a spot that gets at least three hours of sun per day—so there are no dangerous and unsightly wires dangling about and no distressing spike in your monthly electricity bill. LED lights last thousands of hours longer than traditional bulbs so you’ll be able to get years of use from them.

Perhaps you want to rethink gift wrapping all together this year. There are a few ways you might do this. If you want to go a more traditional route and get the “wow effect” of a pile of wrapped gifts, many companies make wrapping papers for all occasions out of recycled and sustainable materials now and they are becoming more widely available. Or you could get more creative and make a theme out of it. Giving a cookbook to your sister? You could wrap it in a lovely teatowel and tie it all up with a reusable cloth ribbon. I love to use pretty towels for gift wrapping—its like getting two gifts instead of one!

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“MB Jessee painters are stellar! As a designer I've worked with numerous companies over the years, and MB Jessee is a top-notch firm. From the first phone call to the final clean up, every person is courteous, professional, and hard working. The owner, Matt, is a charitable leader who has instilled his team with integrity and honesty providing the customer with a first class experience at a fair price with a paint job that is guaranteed to last. I highly recommend MB Jessee. Thank you Matt and your STAR crew-Daniel, Rigoberto, Vicente, Edy, Pedro, and Mario, for a job well executed! Cynthia Brian, ASID, Starstyle® Productions, llc”

— Cynthia Brian
Morgan, CA

“Very easy to work with, they did an outstanding job with our project of re-painting our painting our kitchen cabinets. Given the scope of the job and that our kitchen is roughly half of our upstairs living area they did a fantastic job of minimizing the mess. Workmanship was top notch, would definitely recommend.”

— Vince Scola

“Matt, Julie & Ricardo, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank the three of you for the wonderful job you did in hosting the SFBA NARI Chapter Meeting on Wednesday evening. Everything was perfect from beginning to end. Members and guests alike walked away with a truly positive experience. The "painter for a day" and the cookies in the paint cans were an absolute brilliant touch and received rave reviews. What a wonderful way to do such positive marketing. Thanks again for a truly memorable experience for our members and guests. You are valued as a NARI member.”

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“It was a great experience working with MB Jessee. The crew was careful and thorough as they painted the house, sealed stucco cracks, repaired dry-rotted wood, stained the deck, etc. Robert, Gersson, Jose, and all of the people involved in the process from the estimate to the job completion were friendly and professional.”

— Mike C.
Livermore, CA

“Julie,Just to let you know I am very appreciative of your crew catching the plumbing/mold problem. It was very astute of them. I wanted to let you know that again your crew has done excellent work here, please pass this along to Mr. Jessee. There are some bumps in the road here, but the painting and your crew has not been one of them. Their work is the only thing going right currently, and this crew is very nice and respectful. It is much appreciated. Thank you again.”

— Beth
Oakland

“Everyone I dealt with was nice, helpful, and very professional. The price was reasonable! (I didn't feel like I was getting the "San Francisco price." The attention to detail and work quality was excellent. They did what they said they would do in the exact timeframe they said they would do. Highly recommend!”

— Tim Tyson

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— Heidi B
Walnut Creek

“The entire MB Jessee team is courteous, efficient and professional. From scheduling and estimating to the crew managers and crew, they all did an excellent job on a small (but complicated) two room project in my house. I'm already thinking about getting them scheduled for the next project in the spring.”

— Cari Cheney

“Just had MB Jessee paint the interior of our house and they did a wonderful job. They tackled some crazy wallpaper as well as painted some very high ceilings and walls. The whole process was quick and they did a great job! We are very pleased. I was also very impressed by the crew. They were very personable, kind and actually took pride in the work they were doing. In one of our conversations with the lead Ricardo, he actually told me he was very proud of how the rooms had turned out. I agree sir! It turned out great and it's not often you hear someone thinking of your home like they would theirs, and putting that level of work and quality into it. That made a huge difference in how I viewed this company. Ricardo, you were fantastic and thank you for the great job, we will be using you again.”

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Danville, CA

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— Nora Robinson

“Charles finished yesterday and did a fantastic job. We really enjoyed meeting Charles and having him in our home. He is a great guy in addition to his attention to detail in his work, the protection of our floors, walls and furnishings, and his overall interaction with us both. I would be pleased to recommend him to any of my clients.”

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Oakland

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