Green Christmas?

We tried to stick to our increasingly 'eco' lifestyle this Christmas. This did bring it's challenges, especially with it being seemingly impossible to buy some presents that weren't wrapped in excess packaging and made from virgin plastic.

The successes - bamboo socks from http://www.bambooclothing.co.uk/, veggie friendly shower gels etc from Lush http://www.lush.co.uk/, and the homemade chocolates and biscuits that I received.

The compromises; pink ployester dressing gown for neice No.5 - did try to get one manufactured from natural fabric but they don't seem to exist!; Roary slippers for Nephew No.1 complete with flashing lights (and power source destined for landfill at some point in the not too distant future). Hopefully as they get older they'll appreciate the benefits of slightly less 'fashionable' presents....ironic when it's partly their generations future that we're doing this for!

We also used simple wrapping paper this year, using Ikea Christmas string instead of curling ribbon (except where we've recovered some from last year!), and as ever, we used last year's Christmas cards for gift tags. Hopefully some of the string will be used to tie up beans etc across the family gardens this summer!

Homemade presents (or none at all!) next year?!