I think it’s close enough that we can talk about it now right?
There will be some high functioning specimens among you who are completely set with your Christmas shopping. You finished it weeks ago, you’ve been slowly wrapping as you go. Potentially even keeping a little checklist somewhere to keep tabs on who you’ve bought for you and where you’ve stored the present, maybe even if you’ve managed to wrap it yet or not. We salute you and a dreamy and stress-free Christmas eve shall be your reward.
Then there will be those more average humans among us who are just stumbling our way through, still not believing that it’s November and definitely shocked that December is rapidly descending upon us. We might have bought one or two gifts and are still revelling in that feeling of ‘being ahead’, which will probably see us through until December 20th when we panic and realise we’ve actually got most of the family still to buy for. If this is you, we see you and we’re with you, Boxing Day leftovers shall be our reward!
Whichever camp you sit in, we’d love to encourage you to be a mindful giver this gifting season.
We absolutely love being generous. It’s such a warm and fuzzy feeling. That moment of knowing you’ve got a gift just right for that special someone, and the look on their faces when they open it and feel loved and known is just dreamy. But this funny culture we’ve developed of over gifting, or gifting out of obligation with no real aim or cause is messing our planet up big time.
According to research by the UK Gift Card and Voucher Association, over 100million gifts given in the UK are unwanted..! 33% of these are donated to charity shops, but 20% are destined for landfill.
We love the festive season, but these stats are heartbreaking. So our encouragement to you is to be mindful when you’re buying and giving. If you’re not sure your friend or family member would really love and use something, why not opt for a gift voucher? (We should probably mention here that we have eGift Cards ready for you!) Or perhaps something edible or compostable, because who is ever upset by a tasty treat?!
Packaging is also a big one. Can you choose to support shops and businesses that try to be plastic free? Or have a focus on eco-friendly and recyclable packaging? Remember when you're doing your own wrapping that most wrapping paper can't be recycled! (Such a bummer!) So instead, why not choose brown paper tied up with string (these are a few of my favourite things...). You can decorate the brown paper yourself or leave it plain and simple.
We fully believe the world can be changed by a bunch of ordinary people doing small little things, one step at a time. Thinking through your gifts this Christmas can have a beautifully positive impact on the planet!
Will you join the conscious giving gang this Christmas to be more people and planet friendly? We’re with you every step of the way!