{"id":32095,"date":"2018-12-19T16:26:50","date_gmt":"2018-12-19T14:26:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/blog\/?p=32095"},"modified":"2018-12-21T11:09:51","modified_gmt":"2018-12-21T09:09:51","slug":"christmas-gift-ideas-that-wont-hurt-the-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/blog\/christmas-gift-ideas-that-wont-hurt-the-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Gift Ideas that Won\u2019t Hurt The Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"

So you\u2019ve spent all month prepping your home for an eco-friendly Christmas<\/a>. You\u2019ve finally gotten your father-in-law to use the compost bin properly, and, following a tense few days and a stern lecture, your niece has agreed to keep her showers down to seven minutes. Stretching yourself thin to create a festive atmosphere has come at an expense – you\u2019ve run out of time to buy gifts for your family. Don\u2019t fret. Even last minute gifts can be environmentally responsible. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here is our list of some great gift ideas that will spread the Christmas and eco-friendly cheer:<\/span><\/p>\n

GIVE IN THE NAME OF A LOVED ONE\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Everyone has a family member that they can\u2019t seem to buy anything for because they appear to have everything. That person is my father. I\u2019ve spent a fortune on festive ties, paperweights, books and crystal decanters only to see them be put in storage. A few years ago, I started donating the money I would\u2019ve spent on neglected cufflinks. My father so appreciated that I was helping those in need in his name that he encouraged I keep doing it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Animal shelters and halfway homes always fill up this time of year, and I don\u2019t doubt that they\u2019d appreciate any financial assistance to feed and care for those that need them. When you cultivate a generous spirits, especially during a period when it\u2019s better to give than to receive, you set a precedent people can\u2019t but not follow.<\/span><\/p>\n

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SPONSOR AN EXPERIENCE\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

In all honesty, I like people giving me things as much as the next person but what I\u2019ve noticed about every Christmas is that I amass so many useless things. Between the advent calendars, the Christmas crackers and the stockings we hang on Christmas Eve, I have 5 horrendous plastic horn blowers, a pair of novelty New Years glasses, a bubble machine, streamers, and a handful of other toys and trinkets I loathe having to get rid of. And this is before I\u2019ve even my actual Christmas presents! Circumvent that waste entirely by purchasing tickets to the theatre show instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you sponsor an experience instead of buying a gift, your loved one will forever associate the memory of eating at their favourite restaurant, thanks to a coupon or gift card, with you. It beats them feeling guilty about throwing out the desk fan you got them when they move house.<\/span><\/p>\n

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GIVE THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

A house\u00a0without indoor plants<\/a> is not a house worth living in. Other than improving the quality of your air, and adding a pop of colour to your interior, the benefits of incorporating some foliage into your home are endless.
\n<\/span>Get your loved ones anything from a hardy fern tree, or stress-free succulent, to a thirsty bamboo palm. It\u2019ll look pretty, and tending to something to ensure it grows is a great form of therapy.<\/p>\n

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DIY PRESENTS<\/a>\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Put the pasta and the glue away if you\u2019re not a five-year-old, we\u2019re talking about serious stuff here. People always roll their eyes at homemade presents because they often look and feel like a last-minute cop-out. It doesn\u2019t have to be.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a whizz in the kitchen, whip up a batch of preserves or fill a\u00a0few jars of your famous butter cookies. Those good with arts and craft can glue together a scrapbook or hammer together an adorable birdhouse. Use your talents to show your loved ones that you care and they won\u2019t notice that their gift doesn\u2019t come with a receipt.<\/span><\/p>\n

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PRO-TIP: RECYCLE WRAPPING PAPER\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Am I the only person who is tired of seeing yucky wrapping paper? There are so many environmentally responsible alternatives that make buying that tacky glossy stuff is unnecessary. I\u2019ve taken to wrapping gifts in sheets of newspaper. What makes it really fun is I\u2019ll always pick sheets from my pile with the most scandalous news headlines and see if anyone notices. If the recipients catch on, it becomes a fun game of who can find the most outrageous \u2018Tokoloshe Stole my Husband\u2019 type story. If they don\u2019t, at least I can chuckle to my own private joke. And at the end of all the gift unwrapping – bundle up the newspaper and pop it in the fire for some extra kindling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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We\u2019re a week away from Christmas and the festive cheer is getting even cheerier. If you\u2019ve ever had to wade through busy shopping malls to get last-minute gifts for friends and family, you know how frustrating it can be. What are some of your favourite eco-friendly gift ideas that we can run out and get in time for Santa\u2019s housecall?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Boxing Day Bliss Bowl<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n