Green Thing Blog

(Image: Scenic Reflections)

Today is Green Gift Monday. Consider it the antidote to Cyber Monday (which, by no small coincidence is also today). Cyber Monday is the busiest internet shopping day in the run up to Christmas. Which mainly means that more Santa socks and useless gadgets are being bought today then any other day. So the Nature Conservatory decided to introduce Green Gift Monday to tackle this waste-producing day. Here's how it works, instead of buying rubbish you don't need online, you can:

Donate. You're still spending money online but at least its for a worthy cause

Buy Glove Love. You're keeping single, lonely gloves out of the landfill and your money goes to Do The Green Thing (and we're a charity, so it's thumbs up all round!)

Make something. There are tons of easy craft tutorials on the internet. Gather up your old materials, some scrap paper and a glue stick and get making! People will appreciate the time you spent making them something and you might uncover the craft genius that lives within you.

Re-gift. Got something you didn't like last year? Give it to someone who will appreciate it this year. It's not cheap, it's recycling.

Give an experience. You know what they say, memories last a lifetime. And who doesn't want to give a present that people will remember and treasure forever?

Buy Nothing TM. You won't find a more sustainable product on the market than this bad boy.

If we can tackle our online spending today, then we only have 364 more days to work on!

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(Image: Brain Pickings)

We've all had them. Those presents that you rip open excitedly only to find something completely not your style and a million miles from anything you'd ever actually use. But you do know someone that would like it.

Re-gifting has been one of those awkward, is it, isn't it socially acceptable situations for many years. You want to give the item on to someone who will love it and use it but will people think you are being a bit tight?

Brain Pickings decided that enough was enough. They were going to remove the stigma of giving previously received pressies and make it into something cool and very acceptable. They designed a set of free tools for you to use to show everyone that you totally dig regifting. With its new logo that can be used on anything from wrapping paper to gift tags, you can openly declare your love for passing on presents that don't thrill you. And you encourage others to do the same.

Because a present is for life, not just for Christmas.

Show your friends and family you're a regifter (and bloomin' proud of it too!) and download the Regift logo.

P.S. If you want to buy a present that you just KNOW they'll love, then you want to give some Glove Love.

(Spotted on Brainpickings)

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(Image: Getty Images)

There may be 101 Christmas adverts on TV for the newest, biggest, bestest gadget that you really didn't know you needed, let alone wanted, until now, all wrapped up in 7 different types of packaging that you don't have to pay for until 2050 but here's an idea, why don't you Plug Out and make someone a present without all those lights and bells on (well, maybe keep the bells, they are rather festive).

Whether you're an expert crafter or a complete glue noob, there are plenty of upcycled homemade gifts you can make and give this Christmas that wont make people think 'oh, how cute, they got their blind dog to make our presents this year'.

• Lets start with envelopes. You can't get more simple than this. Whether you're making your own cards, reusing old ones or just want to make your envelope stand out from the thousands of others that are being sent this year, making your own envelopes is a super simple upcycling activity. Either make a template from an old envelope or download one from here, chose an old magazine or some of last years wrapping paper, cut and stick and you're done. You can churn out stacks of these whilst watching all those rubbish Christmas films.


• If you know a music fanatic, this bowl made from old records is the perfect gift, and so utterly easy to do. Put it in a bowl in the oven and wait for it to shape itself. What's not to love?

(Image: Wikihow)

• Know a music and cake lover? This cake stand from old records couldn't be more appropriate.


• If you have some more time on your hands - and a stack of old magazines, these recycled paper bowls and coasters look gorgeous and are really durable.

• If you uncovered boxes of half melted candles from last year when getting your decorations out of the loft, melt them down and make them into full candles for presents this year. You can add smells, colours and all sorts of decorations to make these more fun and personal.

So this year, make your presents more personal, and use up some of those bits and pieces lying around your house. Your friends and family will thank you, your purse will thank you and so will the landfill site!

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(Image: Giftwhip)

Virtual gifts and online presents are a great way to show your love without producing any waste or buying more unwanted things. But we all know that half the fun of presents is the unwrapping. So what to do?

Giftwhip puts the fun back into online presents. Choose your wrapping paper, bows, tags and all the extra bells and whistles and set a Peek-Proof timer to make sure it's not opened before the special date. Your gift then gets sent to your friend's inbox looking just as exciting and tempting as a physical parcel.

No un-recyclable wrapping paper, no getting stuck together with troublesome tape and best of all, no cost involved at all! Just beautiful presents and big smiles. Lovely.

P.S. Got given a present that just isn't you? Don't be embarrassed, be a re-gifter.

(Spotted on Springwise)

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(Image: Style Slicker) 

Mother's Day is this Sunday.

That's right, you have precisely 3 days in which to figure out how to remind your mum just how brilliant she is.

But it needn't be last minute blooms from the petrol station or a crappy card, hastily purchased from the same place as the flowers.

Here's a few green suggestions to help make your mum feel No. 1 this Sunday

Leftover lunch (with benefits)

Cook your mum a delicious lunch this Sunday and tidy out her cupboards at the same time.

Take round some seasonal veg, some cooking stalwarts like lemon, garlic, chilli and olive oil when you go to see her and then see what creation you can whip up from all the leftovers in her fridge and the cans gathering dust at the back of her cupboard.

Spring cleaning never tasted so good.

Bun-dles of love

Homemade is always best. Especially if it's a basket of freshly baked fruit buns, just for you. And even more especially if they're made with fruit that was just going to go to waste.

Nip down the greengrocer or market on Saturday and see what bruised fruit they're selling cheap. Then have a go at making this tasty fruit bun recipe here.

Once they've cooled down, pop them in a clean empty flower pot or an old shoe box, lined with greaseproof paper and tie on some pretty leftover ribbon.

Potted present

Why not repot some of your own plants or flowers and give it to your mum. Far more sustainable than a bunch of cut flowers, she'll be able to enjoy it for much longer too. Geraniums are simple to take cuttings from or maybe just repot a plant into a pot that you've jazzed up with some ribbon or paint.

Or for an even greener present, have a rifle through her recycling box, clean up any old cartons or big yoghurt pots you find and reuse to repot your plant.

Garden vouchers

Not the sort you buy down the garden centre but ones that offer hours of your help in the garden that your mum can redeem at any time.

Whether that's mowing the lawn, weeding the borders, sorting out the compost, putting in those raised beds she's been going on about for years or just polishing the greenhouse, make a selection of vouchers for her to 'spend' throughout the next year. Expiry date optional.

Nothing says "I love you" like saying it

So even if you don't have time to do any of this, make sure you give your mum a call on Sunday. You know that's all she's really after anyways.

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