So, being an environmental scientist and an animal lover, I would think that buying environmentally-friendly (minimal packaged, recycled, non-polluting), non-animal tested, etc., etc. items for birthdays, holidays, etc would be self-evident. It's not. Not that I'm not grateful for items I receive, but sometimes it seems the giver is more interested in giving what he or she thinks I should want or wear or thinks I should like because he or she does or his or her child does. Here are some guidelines if you, too, have a tree-hugging, cat fur-wearing friend:

look to see if it says "this product not tested on animals," or the less-desirable "this finished product not tested on animals."

look to see if the product's packaging is made from recyclable materials

look to see if the product is made with natural materials, rather than man-made chemicals

look to see if the company you are buying from is environmentally and socially responsible http://www.responsibleshopper.org/

give a donation to their favorite charity. Or, a subscription or membership to an environmental organization or magazine

search out environmentally-responsible companies at sites like http://www.care2.com/ecoinfo/

I think my problem with Christmas this year was that I bought stuff more out of expectation that desire. It's expected that you give a gift to your brother-in-law's girlfriend's sister, but rather than find out what she wants, you give her chemical-laden body wash, or some trinkety-thing because all girls like trinkets, right? I was just kinda dissolutioned by the mass of stuff I got that I can't really see using/wearing/needing. I try to be better about the "needing", because it's nice to get things that you don't need but might want, but perhaps we should all (myself included) pay attention to what your "expected recipient" wears, decorates with, or participates in, before deciding what they should wear, should decorate with, or should participate in. A hint: gift receipts! Or else, maybe invest in gift certificates.
:)