A Quiet Christmas

Instead of the frenetic blur of parties, cocktails, food and gift wrapping, let this year be more focused on the people we love, sustainable rather than disposable, time rather than money, less rather than more.

Last year we gave some great tips for food, wrapping and gifting.

This year we have a few tips for healthy minds and a healthy planet.

Something for you:

Go easy this year, allow yourself to have a quiet Christmas. If you are hosting lunch, allow others to help and bring a dish or two. You don’t have to do it all!

Set a few boundaries. Decide on a budget and don’t over spend; don’t accept every invitation; pace the booze… this is definitely the year for moderation.

Go for a walk. Go to the beach, the bush, the park, wherever, just get outside and walk. Go alone, or with someone you like a lot. Learn to identify 10 plants or trees along your walk. The world is a much friendlier place when you know who you share it with.

Something for others:

If you are a party guest, share the load. Ask the host what is the best thing to bring so there is no doubling up and making waste.

Make your gifts! Spend an afternoon making jam or pickles, or infusing alcohols with a delicious combination of spices or herbs. These gifts are much more personal, often more affordable and won’t end up in land fill.

If you want to spoil a loved one then give them an experience rather than more stuff. Do something fun together, or give them one of our online workshops  – they are lifetime skills rather than momentary amusements.

Something for the planet:

Enough with the wrapping and cards that just get chucked! Wrap gifts in recycled paper, or use cloth. Write your holiday message onto the wrapped gift or make your own small tags from extra recycled paper.

Keep the left overs and don’t let your guest leave without some. Food waste is an enormous problem during the festive season. Be thoughtful about how much food you prepare and don’t throw away what doesn’t get finished. Left over pudding can be added to softened vanilla ice cream and frozen again- it makes a delicious post-Christmas dessert. Use up those Cornersmith condiments and enjoy ham sandwiches for days. Make a decadent mac n’ cheese with the left over cheese board.

Try and keep the menu as plant based as possible. Lentils, beans, and Australian grown vegetables all have a much lower carbon foot print than the turkey and ham, so reduce the meat and increase the veg!