Christmas is around the corner, so we put together a quick checklist with our top choices for Christmas trees, advent calendars, Christmas crackers and gingerbread houses.
Christmas trees replanted
According to Gov.uk, an estimated 8 million Christmas trees are discarded each year, costing UK taxpayers roughly £22 million, let alone the environmental impact. Luckily, there are more and more tree rental services spreading in London.
We like London Christmas Tree Rental and Christmas on the Hill. Not only you can have a real tree delivered to you in a pot and after your celebration, it will be picked from your house and replanted.
And for your little ones, you can order a mini potted tree complete with decorations from Holly Berry Trees. A special surprise to make this Christmas that little ‘extra’ for them.
The right advent calendar for you
Advent calendars are always a very personal choice. Some may choose refillable ones like the gorgeous Fortnum & Mason’s wooden one or Sophie Conran‘s hand-embroidered traditional advent calendar. But there are now a lot of lovely sustainable and more affordable choices. We love the vegan & allergy safe advent calendar from Nono Cocoa and a plastic-free chocolate and toy advent calendar from PlayIn Choc.
Gingerbread house
Who would not enjoy making and decorating a gingerbread house? It is such a great family activity during the winter school break. There are different options available from a baking kit, to getting parts to assemble. We like Tree House Bakery‘s kit for £22. The kit has all the ingredients to bake and decorate your own house. Glitterbug Bakery supplies a hand-made gingerbread house kit made with quality ingredients and without preservatives (icing and candies to decorate are not included). Otherwise, there is a lovely box with a baked house, icing and decoration from Biscuiteers.
Christmas crackers
How one can have a Christmas table without crackers? Albeit crackers are often filled with plastic or other small items that end up in the bin the same evening. But don’t despair! You can now choose reusable crackers that you fill in yourself with some thoughtful treats or buy sustainable, recyclable and plastic-free ones. 2 Green Monkeys company makes fabulous personalized fabric crackers that cleverly double up as napkins, so make ideal place settings.
There is also The Little Green Cracker Company with its 100% recyclable and sustainable materials filled with lovely things like herbal silk tea bags, wildflower seeds, etc.
Share the Christmas spirit
Last but not least, celebrate and share the joy with the less fortunate. If you have friends or family over to celebrate Christmas together, consider using digital Kindergifts invites and give an option to your guests to contribute to a charity you would like to support this Christmas. Why not suggest this idea even to this year office/school Christmas party?
The donations are entirely optional and because it’s such a nice gesture and so easy to do, most people feel happy to donate.
We partner with over 40 local grassroots charities that provide vital services to people in need such as food & shelter, clothing, education, social inclusion and wellbeing. We also work with some very special international charities that help children and families in the developing world.
If your charity is not on our list, please get in touch and we will add them.
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