LOUISE

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So this blog post is about how we all could enjoy Christmas in a more environmental conscious way. The first and probably the most obvious way would be the Christmas tree. Through buying one made of plastic, you're not only avoiding having your home full of needles (barr) but you'll also be able to re-use this one for years and years, saving both woods and money.

When you buy your Christmas ham or turkey, make sure it's made out of free range animals, who didn't spend their lives in a cage. We don't want to promote that food industry! The same regarding eggs or any kind of animal products.

Buy ecological greens, say fruit and veggies, but also nuts and raisins. By ecological, I mean products that are produced through ecological methods that does not harm our nature. May I suggest an ecological vinglogg to all of you in Sweden: Dufvenkrooks for 69 SEK.

Not only ecological is worth to keep an eye open for. Fair Trade is a great brand that supports the producers all over the world who earlier suffered from bad working environments, too bad payment and so on. With Fair Trade, the living situations have been improved for these workers and their families. Fair Trade is a brand spread all over the world, for an example, there is a great little store in the heart of Helsingborg, Sweden, on the same street as the restaurant Oasen. Pop in and have a look, personally I'd recommend their chocolate, probably the best chocolate I've ever had.

If you're looking for fair trade products, there is a symbol to find on all of them, and if you buy one of these, you know that it's for a good cause and also for a great taste experience. Examples of fair trade products to be found both in the specific stores and in regular stores and supermarkets are: coffee, cereal, wine, clothes, peanutbutter, tea and the list goes on.

Another way to make your Christmas green and also more personal, would be to make your own decoration to hang in the Christmas tree. Bake your own gingerbread, decorate them and hang them in the tree, multi purposed deco that is also eatable. Why not take pictures of you, your family and friends and hang them in your tree, decorate them with scrap booking or whatever you feel like.
Use your imagination and personalize your Christmas tree and you'll end up with one that no one else has.

Use your legs. By that I mean that it's really nothing wrong with leaving your car every now and then, if you're going somewhere in walking or biking distance, skip the excuses: enjoy the beautiful white Christmas weather (or the NZ hot summer) and walk. Taking the car is in most cases very unnecessary, and a waste of gas and money -and nature's resources.

This is it for now, I hope you'll reconsider your Christmas and make just a little bit greener!

Yours faithfully, Louise.