Top Eleven Tips for a RRR Really Eco Christmas

Below are some of the things we do at home...

1. Reuse last years Christmas cards to make gift tags - the children love helping with this one.
   
   
2. Reuse last years Christmas Cards to make new cards for this year. Just cut up with fancy scissors and stick on recycled card.
   
   
3. Use Eco Christmas decorations and get rid of all the plastic tinsel tatt. Collect pine cones and paint with gold and silver paint. Bake Christmas biscuits to hang on the tree instead of chocolates. Use Green Eyed Frogs Fair Trade, Eco Christmas garlands and tree decorations.
   
   
4. Make your own mincemeat and bake mince pies. We use vegetarian suet and organic fruit.
   
   
5. Make your own sausage rolls. Our vegetarian Bible is Rose Elliots Complete Vegetarian Cookbook - a must have if you prefer healthy eating to processed food from supermarkets...
   
   
6. Buy a native, local Christmas Tree which is rooted in a pot you can then take it outside after Christmas, plant it in the garden and dig it up for next year.
   
   
7. For the Christmas lights use LED type instead of the older style bulb filaments as they are cheaper to run and don't keep blowing.
   
   
8. Buy a free range, non GM turkey or bird. Check the farm out beforehand and talk to local people. Organic turkeys can be ordered on line eg www.redopollmeats.co.uk one of our local suppliers.
   
   
9. Buy local, in season organic veg, use your local box scheme or even better grow your own. We have carrots, leaks, celeriac, onions raspberries and apples from our garden this Christmas.
   
   
10. Buy your children, friends & family gifts from second hand shops. Some will appreciate it although some will not! "Are we bothered!!"
    
    
11. Don't spend a fortune on that little black number for the office Christmas party just visit your local charity shops and you will certainly find a far better outfit for far less.
    

Just try to relax at Christmas, don't get sucked into the ultra consumerism of it all. If the turkey isn't ready on time does it matter, eat later and enjoy more festiver pre-dinner drinks.