The holiday season is already well underway and if you're like me, you're probably feeling a little stress thinking about all the waste this season produces. Here are some of my tips for reducing your ecological footprint without feeling cheap.
Zero waste packaging.
I present to you my 2 favorite ways to wrap gifts for my loved ones.
1- Reusable Christmas boxes. I purchased decorative cardboard boxes, worth between $3 and $10 at Winners, and every year I use them for decoration under the tree, but I also slip the gifts inside. To avoid getting confused and to keep them beautiful because the objective is to use them for as many years as possible before recycling them, I wrote a number below, so I can note which box contains what. To prevent curious people, I add the gifts inside at the last minute.
2- Kraft paper. Although I find it pretty plain brown, you can also decorate it. Personally I know that sometime in December I will probably need a quick idea to keep my children occupied. I therefore allow them to draw or paint on the papers that will be used for packaging. If you lack inspiration, on Pinterest you will find lots of ideas for patterns to draw or zero waste stamps, I think, here the potato that you cut in half then cut a shape to use as a stamp.
Here are some other ideas: wrapping fabric, newspaper, reusable bag, using cardboard bags that you already had, a Santa Claus bag, etc.
The decoration.
Vintage: I love making finds in church basements and on Market Place, among other things I have found Christmas baubles that are in my tree, a wooden sleigh that is on my porch, fir garlands to put in the henhouse, etc. I understand that we don't all have the same taste for vintage, fortunately Market Place is full of people who get rid of their decoration of all kinds. These decorations are only used about one month a year, so they have a long lifespan. Only buy what you can't find second hand and which will be with you for a long time.
DIY: Why not use the nature around you to create your decorations? Whether it's a dried orange garland, wooden beads, fir branches, a wooden tree, a cardboard advent calendar, etc. Once again Pinterest is your ally and you don't need to be manual or engineer to carry out most of the activities.
The fashion.
I couldn't get past my favorite subject. First, do you really need to buy new clothes? I am sure that your loved ones will be happy to share a moment, a cocktail and a meal with you regardless of your look. I understand, oh I understand you, wanting to shine brightly on this occasion, can you do it without going to **** spending hundreds of dollars only to finally realize that a shiny jacket is worn rarely in a year. Ps: if you have a second hand medium for sale let me know! 🤷🏻♀️ In short, if you finally come to the conclusion that you have nothing to wear, I encourage you to look second hand before going to the store. You can also apply my other tips from my guide to an eco-balanced wardrobe available here ( https://filabeth.com/pages/guide-conseil-garde-robe-ecoequilibre ). And why not treat yourself to a piece made in Quebec as a gift from you and you can wear it proudly for Christmas. And above all, don't neglect the power of accessories for your holiday look.
Bonus!!
The right choices! I encourage you to visit your small local businesses, or their website, before going to the big stores. And no matter where you shop, prepare a list and a budget, we know the holiday season is a big marketing event and you can quickly get caught up in it. I also prioritize time together before gifts. Don't feel bad for asking for specific things for your children and you can name the fact that you'd rather them give a gift card than a gift that won't be used!
