Incredibusy

Let us exist responsibly ~ consciously ~ sustainably

Bee Saviour Behaviour

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Some friends of incredibusy have started a little crowdfunder and I wanted to share this with you – Can you help these inspiring bee saviour citizens?

Taking #savethebees to the streets with a kit to carry sugar solution in your wallet! Crowdfunding in April 2019 šŸšŸ’ššŸŒŽ

Dan and Rich write:

A bumblebee has such a fast metabolism (a bit like a city) that it can starve in 45 minutes without foodā€¦ whatā€™s more we have the power to revive them with a tiny drop of sugar solution.

When we discovered these two facts about bees it felt almost impossible to ignore the invitation for connection that they seemed to offer. We can revive exhausted bees and whatā€™s more they regularly run out of energy in the city. My guess is that weā€™ve all walked past an exhausted bee and missed out on this opportunity for connection.

When going in search of a little nature connection in a big city there are some obvious destinations. We love a good park; those green and tarmac free spaces can be an oasis of calm in the midst of urban life. So often nature offers escape, a different pace of life to our hectic human world. How curious then that so many of the ways we characterise bees seem more at home in cities than tranquil wilderness: the busy bee, hives of activity and creating a buzz about something. Itā€™s almost like the bee has a heart for the city.

Wild bee populations are in rapid decline

Sadly as recent research too often shows, wild bee populations are in rapid decline to an extent that raises serious concerns around food security. A recent 33 year study found that a third of wild bees are under threat of extinction and this is largely down to vanishing habitats and the scale of human pollution. The plight of the bees needs more than simply online petitions and fancy infographics. At Bee Saviour Behaviour we believe the plight of the bees needs personal connection and storytelling.

save the bees

So we decided to design a sugar solution carrier that would fit into the wallet or purse of absolutely anyone (not only the bee geeks). We wanted to equip the world to accept this invitation to experience a moment of magical connection to nature through reviving an exhausted bee.

The Bee Saviour Card, made out of a repurposed store card with peelable stickers over tiny cells of sugar solution, could easily fool you into thinking it is all about saving bees.

With 55% of the world population living in cities and increasing numbers of people feeling a tangible lack of connection to nature, at Bee Saviour Behaviour we believe that creating moments of connection to nature can have a pretty transformative effect on us humans too. The Bee Saviour Card is refillable and is guaranteed to give you stories of bee saviour behaviour to tell. We launched a crowdfunding campaign to take the Bee Saviour Card to the world : www.crowdfunder.co.uk/take-savethebees-to-the-streets

Bee Saviour Behaviour Instagram ā€“ http://www.instagram.com/saviourbees

And website:
https://saviourbees.co.uk/

Our planet needs wildlife – so if you’d like to read more about what we can do to save these precious creatures, have a look at this post about protecting orangutans.

And what you can do to make this planet kinder for the wildlife – with a two minute beachclean – guest post from @kittiekipper

Fashion Revolution – Who Made My Shoes?

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Having problems with the prize draw form? Click here to open in a new page

Another year goes by and Fashion Revolution comes around again.

And still we are hearing horrendous news via the Clean Clothes Campaign, Slave to Fashion, and of course Fashion Revolution.

I’m hoping that if you are reading this, you know why Fashion Revolution was established back in 2013? Read more here

In brief 24 April 2019 marks the 6th anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster. In 2013 the Rana Plaza eight storey building collapsed in the Savar Upazila of Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 1,138 people.  More than 2,500 people were rescued alive, some suffering from terrible injuries.

My good friends at Po-Zu have released a limited edition sneaker to raise money for the Fashion Revolution Foundation Charity – Ā£5 from the sale of every pair of these organic cotton trainers goes to the charity.

I took these sneakers along to a recent photoshoot, and art-directed a couple of really strong shots – if you’d like to purchase a pair of these sneakers click here

If you’d like to win a pair, complete the form below (on my instagram feed)!

And I can happily say that I am confident when I ask #WhoMadeMyClothes People Tree, Po-Zu and A Woodland Gathering?

Watch this video as Sven Segal, founder and CEO of Po-Zu takes us on a tour of Sri Lanka, to show us where their shoes are made – and find out more about Po-Zu sustainable shoes.

It’s not just your clothes you should be mindful of >>> shoes, jewellery, phones, all of these fast fashion consumables are made by SOMEbody – and it’s so important to be a conscious consumer and ask #WhoMadeMyClothes #WhoMadeMyShoes.

Photo credit: Sara Morris

Fairtrade Fortnight 2019

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Highlights of 2019’s Fairtrade Fortnight.

I’ve split this post into three – {1} shoes, {2} chocolate and {3} coffee – probably my favourite three consumerist treats if I’m completely honest!

Po-Zu-fairtrade-rubber-sneakers-with-swing-ticket

{1} SHOES – Fair Trade Rubber

On DAY ONE of Fairtrade Fortnight, I met with Po-Zu shoes, a client who produce shoes in Sri Lanka using organic cotton, and locally farmed fair trade rubber.

Fairly produced rubber has only a tiny market share. Since 2012, a little over 300 tonnes of dry rubber content have been traded according to the criteria of the Fair Rubber Association. As a result of this, more than 150.000 ā‚¬ of Fair Trade premiums could be passed on to their producer partners. Each plantation has a Joint Body which decides which Fair Trade projects are selected. Fair Trade projects so far have included the following:

  • The first private supplementary pension fund for rubber plantation workers in India.
  • The supply of clean drinking water for 64 families in a plantation in Sri Lanka.
  • The expansion of the processing capacity of the small farmer association in Sri Lanka, enabling more small farmers to join and participate.
  • The construction of a biogas unit to clean the water and supply gas for the smoke house (small farmers in Sri Lanka).
  • Provision of electricity for 21 families in a Sri Lankan plantation so that their children too are able to do their homework after dark.
  • Financial support for extraordinary medical expenses and weddings.

Watch a quick video here featuring Po-Zu.com‘s fair trade rubber sneakers:

{2} What’s on – Hot Chocolate at the pop-up cafe

I then jumped on the tube to Old Street and walked to Kingsland Street where the Fairtrade Foundation have set up a pop-up shop, and hot chocolate ‘salon’ – hidden away like a speakeasy, behind the shelves of sweet treats (noticeably hardly a Fairtrade logo amongst them) press a bell, and be transported into a low lit salon of loveliness – where hidden inside this unassuming East London newsagent, you are invited to enjoy a delicious hot chocolate to support Fairtradeā€™s ā€˜She Deservesā€™ campaign, Rosineā€™s Hot Chocolate Salon is named after a real cocoa farmer from CĆ“te dā€™Ivoire – and aims to tell the true story behind our favourite chocolate bars and why cocoa farmers, like Rosine, deserve a fair living income.

Julia Nicoara, from the Fairtrade Foundation, said: ā€œWeā€™re excited to launch the immersive Rosineā€™s Hot Chocolate Salon, an experience that allows chocolate lovers to interact with the very people who make their favourite delight possible. This is not just any pop-up; visitors are engaged in the lives of the cocoa farmers behind a bar of chocolate and every time you buy a Fairtrade certified product you are making a real difference.ā€

Visit 66 Kingsland Road, Dalston, E2 8DP
until 3rd March 9am – 8pm link here

{3} Coffee Story about female Fairtrade farmer Luz Marina:

ā€˜For me, Fairtrade is an opportunity to make dreams come true and improve living conditions for all the people involved in the production of coffee. Thanks to Fairtrade I was able to study and work for the wellbeing of my family and the small producers from my region.ā€™

During Fairtrade Fortnight this year, the spotlight is on women šŸ‘© Itā€™s all about showcasing and celebrating the amazing female farmers who grow the food and drink that we consume.

This is Luz Marina Garcia Ruiz, who – with the support of Fairtrade – is helping improve the livelihood of 1,500 farmers in the Asprocafe Ingruma Cooperative in Colombia, more than 25% of whom are women šŸ‘©ā€šŸŒ¾

But for Luz Marina, Fairtrade isnā€™t just about growing coffee and earning enough to make ends meet. Itā€™s about teaching others how to grow the beans, itā€™s about improving the living conditions of the communities around her; itā€™s about sowing the Fairtrade seed so that more and more farmers can receive a fair living income.

Percol Coffee is one of the Fairtrade coffee brands who buys their beans from the cooperative where Luz Marina works. The good news? Theyā€™ve recently made their range of Ground & Beans 100% Fairtrade certified, meaning theyā€™re constantly continuing to support this cooperative and the next generation of coffee growers.

By looking out for that Fairtrade mark on the supermarket shelf, you too can support these wonderful women and together we can spread the message loud and clear that every woman, everybody, everywhere, deserves a living income.

Every woman deserves a secure income. Every woman deserves to have their destiny in their own hands.

She deserves an equal shot. She deserves a living income. She deserves Fairtrade.

@fairtradeuk @percolcoffee #Shedeserves #ShedeservesFairtrade #Fairtrade #Shedeserves #Fairforall #Fairtradefortnight #Fairtradefortnight2019 #farmers #femalefarmers #percol #percolcoffee #ethicalfarming #sustainablefarming #coffeegrowers 

Interested in getting involved yourself? Head over to Fairtrade to find out how you can join, be it organising an event or getting social on social media.

Guest post – Bryony from @Tickover_ conscious hand embroidery

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I follow loads of people on instagram, from creative photographers, stylists, slow-living writers, to ethical fashion campaigners through my client Safia Minney’s Slave to Fashion instagram account.

It was here that I came across the work of Bryony @tickover_ and was enchanted by her creativity and evocative conscious hand embroidery.

ā€œHi Iā€™m Bryony, Iā€™m 23 and live on a narrowboat in the Uk with my cat and husband.

Iā€™ve always cared about clothing and work as a seamstress to alter and repair garments whilst doing hand embroidery and other crafts in my spare time. Thereā€™s something very satisfying about giving new life to clothes and making them fit.

Tickover is my embroidery outlet for the contempt I feel with the fashion industry.

The name merges my life on and with a slow craft. Travelling on my boat at tickover (barely walking speed) whilst exposing fast fashion one stitch at a time. 

Tickover embroidery

The garment industry is huge, employing approximately four million, and exists as a capitalist model by exploiting those that have no other choice. I spread awareness of issues that violate human rights and the environment.

Problems exists throughout the entire industry, including pesticides and chemicals, the microfibres from synthetic clothing, factory safety, low wages, animal welfare, landfill and our own buying habits.

Through individual hand embroideries I hope to bring people together, ask questions and encourage small steps that we can take as conscious consumers to create a world without modern slavery. 

Currently I share my hand embroidery work on Instagram, sell and stitch commissions when people are interested but itā€™s more about the wider message than profit. 

hand embroidery

Follow Bryony on instagram here

Find out more about modern slavery here

sgiew_MidWinter – NEW THEME

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[ s g i e w ] #sgiew_MidWinter

Evening, so whilst my kids (+ two extra house guests this week, but that’s another story) bounce around on trampolines, I thought it was about time we cracked out another new instagram photo challenge scheme for #sgiew – Hands up, guilty as charged, @sogoodineveryway has been a bit quiet don’t you think?

Well yes! Let’s do it – Suzanne @nestandburrowuk is our guest judge; and myself, and Gina @willowdaygram will be moderating.

Nest & Burrow UK is the creation of designer & artist Suzanne Gattrell Hodshon – Suzanne makes beautiful wall hangings, and runs creative modern weaving workshops in the South of England (find out more here)

‘My aim through Nest & Burrow, is to inspire interior design with pieces that create stylish and comfortable spaces for your home.

I love the natural environment and spending time outdoors helps my creativity to thrive. I have a passion for natural materials, aesthetics and modern design which combined have resulted in designing light yet cosy spaces for our family.

And hey, you could win one of Suzanne’s Ā£89 Macrame hoop wall hangings* – We canā€™t wait to see what ‘midwinter’ means to you so do follow the team, and start tagging #sgiew and #sgiew_midwinter and let’s see your photos šŸ’•šŸ’«šŸŒæ

Rules:

1) Follow @incredibusy @sogoodineveryway @nestandburrowuk @willowdaygram on instagram.
2) Tag #sgiew and #sgiew_midwinter for a chance to be featured on @sogoodineveryway and to win a Ā£89 wall hanging. It could be your cosy interiors, or your great outdoors – your call!

Ends 1st March 2019. Not in association with instagram.

Lots of love, Ali xxx

*The renowned super soft and warming qualities of merino wool make it the perfect natural fibre with which to feather your home and your little ones nest. Nest & Burrow prides itself in sourcing wool that comes from non-mulesed flocks and the dyes used conform with Oeko-Tex 100 quality system.

Garlic Dough Ball Recipe

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I was making supper last night when 16yo asked me if we could go for a pizza, charming I thought, until he told me that he was ‘craving dough balls’ – so I searched for a few garlic dough ball recipes and bodged together this deliciousness. (Feeds about 8)

He doesn’t like cheese, and so many recipes for dough balls seem to be stuffed with cheese (weirdly).

Foolishly they were so delicious that I didn’t get a chance to photograph them before they were eaten up – but rest assured – I will be making them again this weekend – in daylight, so will attempt to try a vegan version of this Garlic Dough Ball Recipe and take some photos before I alert the masses that they are ready to eat!

Ingredients

For the dough balls (makes 24)

  • 500g strong organic white bread flour
  • 2 teaspoon Fairtrade sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried yeast
  • 2 teaspoon soft butter (will try this with Olive Oil and let you know how we get on, should work for a vegan recipe)

For the garlic butter

  • 2 tablespoon soft organic butter (should work with a vegan spread if you prefer)
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 tablespoon chopped parsley, or 1 tsp dried parsley, oregano or dried basil

Step by step

  1. Pour the flour and salt in a large bowl, stir in the sugar and dried yeast, then rub in the butter. Slowly add enough warm water to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes.
  1. Divide into 24 small pieces, roll them into balls, then place on an oiled baking tray with space around them (they will stick if you don’t oil the pan!). Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 40-50 minutes, or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 230Ā°C, fan 210Ā°C, gas 8. (Don’t worry too much if they don’t rise at this stage, once they start baking you’ll see them ‘grow’)
How to make garlic dough balls
  1. Bake the dough balls for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 200Ā°C, fan 180Ā°C, gas 6 and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until risen, golden brown and cooked through.
  2. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Mix the soft butter and olive oil together, and mix in the garlic and parsley. Serve the deliciously warm dough balls with the garlic mixture dabbed over them.

Hope you enjoy trying this Garlic Dough Ball Recipe – let me see your photos!

Garlic Bulb Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash

Photo of the dough making by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash

Photo of the dough itself by Artur Rutkowski on Unsplash

Making the dough balls – Photo by Victor RodrĆ­guez Iglesias on Unsplash

Films for January – my pick – Stan & Ollie, and Colette

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Friday January the 11th sees the launch of two wonderful movies here in the UK – Stan & Ollie, and Colette. Both quite different films yet definitely worth a trip to the flicks for this weekend coming.

Let’s start with Stan & Ollie – the story of Laurel and Hardy that you just didn’t KNOW!

The leads, Steve Coogan (Stan), and John C Reilly (Olly), have really big boots to fill as Laurel and Hardy — the world’s greatest comedy team — However they do them proud, mastering the nuances of the character’s personalities and routines beautifully and the film built into a thoughtful and moving production.

The pair face an uncertain future during 1953, as their golden era of Hollywood films remain long behind them. Diminished by age, the duo set out to reconnect with their adoring fans by touring variety halls in Britain. The shows don’t become an instant hit, it takes time, Stan and Ollie can’t quite shake the past as long-buried tension and Hardy’s failing health start to threaten their precious partnership.

With excellent supporting roles from Rufus Jones playing Bernard Delfont, and Shirley Henderson and Nina Ariana as wives Lucille Hardy and Ida Laurel giving us “two double acts for the price of one” – it’s a gentle and delightful insight into the little-known final chapter in the lives of comedy legends Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and their sweet and enduring friendship.

Colette

Colette, another wonderfully elegant ‘biopic’ for January – just beautiful. Keira Knightley delights as country loving COLETTE marrying a successful Parisian writer known commonly as “Willy” (Dominic West), Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendor of Paris. Where the rakish Willy convinces Colette to ghostwrite for him.

Colette was a truly modern, complex woman: a libertine and bisexual, an avant-garde French novelist she also made her fortune from her wits and pushed back against the patriarchy. Brought to life by Kiera Knightley, in one of her best roles yet as Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, who lived from 1873 to 1954 and became identified with such issues as creative copyright ownership and womenā€™s emancipation.

The costumes add another dimension for me, I was intrigued and enchanted by every outfit. Costume designerĀ Andrea FleschĀ brought together more than 50 period outfits – Many of the garments worn in the film were many decades old, and had to be painstakingly restored at the Museum of Applied Arts in Hungary. More than 100 original pieces were bought from around the world. The character Willy, for example, needed 38 costume changes. You can read more about this here.

Eco Period Box

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Guest Post: Ella writes:

We asked Postal worker and campaignerĀ Ella Daish to tell us about takingĀ Eco PeriodĀ Action this December.

“My name is Ella and Iā€™m the postal worker who started the campaign to ‘Make all Menstrual Products Plastic Free’ in February this year, which has received an overwhelming response with over 106,000 signatures to date.”

Eco Period Ella

Since I started the petition in February and began campaigning for change, I have become aware of just how many problems there are surrounding menstruation, through the fantastic work and campaigning that inspiring individuals and groups are doing in this field. These issues range from the taboo in talking about periods, the environmental impacts of plastic in our period care and period poverty.

Period poverty wrongly affects so many

In fact according to Plan UK 1 in 10 girls between the ages of 14-21 cannot afford menstrual products and a shocking 137,000 have missed school because of this. And it does not only impact those at school, it also affects those that are homeless, refugees and simply those that cannot afford them. No one should ever be held back or have to miss out on their education or be put in an uncomfortable position because they cannot afford period care. The thought of the thousands of women and girls out there who do not have access to these essentials saddens me, period poverty really does not have a place in our society and should not exist in 2018, which is the reason I decided to address this by creating Eco Period Box

After seeing reverse advent calendars last year in the aid of food banks, I felt compelled to do this but instead for period poverty! That is why this year, rather than giving gifts to family and friends for Christmas, Iā€™m putting an eco-friendly item each day throughout December into my Eco Period Box, which will then be donated to a period poverty charity at the start of the New Year! By donating eco-friendly period products that myself and many others around me use, it is giving more options to people in need whilst leaving a minimal environmental impact; that really benefits all. I also believe that everyone deserves a choice in what they use, which is why I am also including some reusables.

The Eco Period Box started on December 1st and ends on December 31st, it is a fantastic opportunity to help support the incredible work that so many period poverty charities like the Red Box Project, Bloody Good Period, Freedom 4 Girls and food banks like the Trussell Trust are doing every single day! You can get eco-period products from local health food shops, supermarkets and if your time is limited then there are multiple online stores that you can buy from and get your order sent directly to your chosen charity by using their address in the delivery details! You can join in with Eco Period Action anytime throughout December by donating an item, sharing the video, setting up a box at work or at home, encouraging others to get involved and by sharing what you are doing on social media using the hashtag #ecoperiodbox!

I would be delighted if you would join me in taking Eco Period Action for Good, so that we can make a positive difference and give back this December to help those in need! Letā€™s get donating and make this a festive period to benefit all.

For more information check out Ellaā€™s blog post: www.ecoelle.co.uk/blog/eco-period-box and follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for regular updates!

The link to the campaign is: www.change.org/plasticfreeperiods andĀ  Twitter, Instagram and Facebook is: @ecoelleuk.Ā 
Campaigning toĀ #endperiodplasticĀ and spreading the word about the negative environmental impact of plastic pollutionĀ #gogreenonyourflowĀ #ecoperiodbox

Read more about Environmenstrual and protecting the rivers and beaches here

Walkers Crisps Recycling Scheme

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Walkers Crisp packets can be recycled

Delighted to see that Walkers Crisps have hatched a recycling scheme for their crisp packets (in fact, any brand) – why not set up a scheme at school to collect yours? (wash them out first) and take them to your local collection centre.

Find your local collection point – New Malden Fire Station is the closest public ‘drop-off’ point for us… here:Ā http://bit.ly/2E9nqi2


Once collected, the crisp packets are separated by plastic type, cleaned, and extruded into plastic pellets to make new recycled products. Click here to learn more about the recycling process.

More information here: https://www.terracycle.co.uk/en-GB/brigades/crisppacket

How to Combat Over-consumption at Christmas

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How to Combat Over-consumption at Christmas

Christmas can be one of the happiest times of the year – family time, beautiful decorations, and the general spirit of giving. However, there is a downside to the excessive shopping and consumption from this season – if you are feeling this cognitive dissonance, there ARE solutions.

Christmas-Palava-offcuts

WIN one of these organic cotton and tencel fabric bundles over on @incredibusy instagram

Whether you’re a conscious shopper looking for ways to combat the negative social and environmental impacts of “too much stuff”, or a brand looking for ways to support the season responsibly, we hope that you have been inspired to make your Christmas more sustainable, while still embracing the spirit of giving, and treating your loved ones!

As the debate around sustainability is growing every day, Charlie Ross, founder ofĀ Offset WarehouseĀ invited myself, Ali Clifford; Sirena Bergman and Jen Gale to discuss the impact that Christmas consumption can have on the environment, and to look at some ways to encourage people to work around this, while still embracing the spirit of giving during the festive season.

1.) Consumer behaviour – how can we normalise slower shopping habits? What should brands be doing to encourage responsible shopping?

With all of my clients, we have been working with the message to shop consciously and mindfully this Christmas.
My client Po-Zu Shoes went with a ‘Green Friday’ – championing an alternative to Black Friday – encouraging behaviour change, talking about the materials used to make sustainable and ethical fashion, and supporting change by spreading the word.

For us this was a worthwhile marketing cost, as we felt that we were reaching a new audience via our FB advertising, who would in turn be spreading the word about ethical fashion.

Earth Conscious are taking part in a twitter campaign to #ShopEthicalInstead – encouraging thoughtful consumption, and with more people now aware that plastic can take 450 years to biodegrade, and, with millions of people using roll-ons everyday, a cardboard tube alternative, full of lovely natural ingredients, is a pleasant stocking filler right?

Brands need to collaborate, to support other brands, this sort of altruistic approach can benefit both parties – such as Francesca at Stamptastic who has launched a reusable logo stamp project, brands apply for their free branding stamp, and in return the brands share content for both to use on their social media and blogs.

Also, writing a Christmas giftĀ guide blog posts or a social media post – featuring like-minded brands – great content creation, and fab for SEO as well as highlighting brands that your own customers may not know about.

Shop independentHolly Tucker, founder of NOTHS is promoting ‘shop local’ #campaignshopindependent #shopsmall, and highlights the importance ofĀ  Small independent businesses supporting other small businesses – through projects like this and #smallbizsaturday.

But ultimately – the question when you are planning your gifting should be – Do you need it? Do they need it?

2.) The social aspects of the Christmas Spirit – the cultural acceptability ofĀ notĀ giving presents? How much of Christmas is about sharing your time?

Having teenagers makes it pretty hard to NOT give gifts at Christmas.

So we have a ā€˜want, need, wear, readā€™ policy – the four gift rule guideline for gift-giving/receiving.

We try to give our kids things that they ‘NEED’ as Christmas gifts – rather than just during the year as their needs arise – it’s tricky but they have got used to it now!

For example, suddenly in November, our sixteen year old reached 6ft tall and his old bicycle from year 6 didn’t fit him so well – so we found him a decent second hand bike on eBay and this is officially his ‘Christmas present’. This perhaps seems ‘unfair’ to the onlooker, however, these things are expensive, and they are mature enough to get it…

Amazingly, although they do ask for the odd computer game (generally their ‘WANT‘ part of the four gift rule), gifts like Bonsai Trees, or Air Drying Clay, and incense holders are actually really popular with teenage boys!

rad dad TWEAR – Supporting brands like BlackandBeech who design and make brilliant ethically sourced merchandise, with a large percentage of sales going to thought-provoking charities – (andĀ stylish enough to be suitable for Dads who are inevitably impossible to buy for). And Howies undies always gets a look in too, boxers made in Portugal.

READ – It’s long been a tradition, that the Christmas stocking has to contain something to read, I think probably harking back to the days when kids get up at about 5am with the excitement of Christmas, and it would keep them occupied for at least an extra half an hour, so that habit has stuck – even if it’s just a rolled-up-comic – it’s good to have something that’s not screenbased right?

Interesting fact, Icelanders have a beautiful tradition of giving books to each other on Christmas Eve and then spending the night reading. This custom is so deeply ingrained in the culture that it is the reason for theĀ Jolabokaflod, or ā€œChristmas Book Flood,ā€ when the majority of books in Iceland are sold between September and December in preparation for Christmas giving.

Of course it was easier when they were smaller, we asked for wooden toys and gifts fromĀ lankakade and cute plastic free stuff hereĀ plasticfreepartybags

But even teenagers like little things – Add fun items like fairtrade chocolate coins, bathbombs, and funsnap bangers, and bicycle horns are great in the stockings too. Don’t forget to add the walnut and the orange!

3.) Solutions and creative ways to target over-consumption during this period – some alternative ideas!

A pop-up shop selling presents for people truly in need could be a solution to your Christmas shopping

Photograph: Alex Green/HelpRefugees.org

How about visiting a pop-up shop selling presents for people truly in need? This could be a solution to your Christmas shopping:

Every single purchase you make goes towards a similar item for a refugee, delivered via one of the 80+ projects Help Refugees support across the world. The items on sale will include emergency blankets, childrenā€™s shoes, warm gloves, mobile phone credit and more. Costs will range from Ā£4.99 to Ā£499: an option to ā€˜buy the storeā€™.

CHOOSE LOVE LONDON:
Opening: 23 November 2018 Closing: January 2019
Address: 30-32 Fouberts Place, Carnaby, London, W1F 7PS
Hours: Monday ā€“ Saturday 11 ā€“ 6 pm, Sunday 12 ā€“ 6 pm (or buy online)

šŸŒ± Buy what you need
šŸŒ± Support small and local business

šŸŒ± Choose ethical and sustainable options

How green is your christmas tree?

Sometimes having a conscience can turn the smallest decisions into a minefield. There are times when the most eco-friendly option is obvious. But Christmas Trees? Not so straightforward. Get a fake one, and youā€™re going plastic. But do you really want to cut down a tree that youā€™ll only use for a few weeks? I cringe every time someone asks me about my Christmas Tree – I acquired a fake tree when I worked at House of Fraser about 15 years ago – and it’s been appearing out of the loft every year since – I figure that it’s avoiding joining the annual discarding of around six million real trees every Christmas. Planting, maintaining, felling, transporting and recycling that many trees takes a lot of resource.

Seems crazy to chop down a tree, only for the Council to shred it a few weeks later. In terms of the direct environmental impact, this isnā€™t a terrible environmental choice – but itā€™s not great, either. How about renting a tree instead? Love this idea – or indeed having your own little tree in a pot in the garden.

Aniela asked: Brands treat their social media presence veryĀ seriously, but these days almost everyone has a personal feed. How
could we curate our content as individuals to influence our friendsĀ  and family without being preachy?

My social media content has I think always subtly highlighted things I believe in. I don’t do many paid ‘ads’ – and when I have, I’ve been fortunate enough to have been given free rein creatively to incorporate my own lifestyle into any sponsored work so I’ve not lost too many followers who may be disappointed by a perceived ‘sell out’ on my instagram feed.

Be yourself as much as you can, and if you want to mention a brand you support, do it. Don’t be afraid to champion small businesses, particularly if they are sustainable brands – or are championing workers’ rights – generally curated content needs a good mix of humour and style and if you can do that whilst highlighting/influencing readers, friends and family all the better.

making soap palavaSharing Sustainable Christmas ideas on your feeds may inspire others to do similar, how about gifting an “I O U” of a weekend away on a retreat?

Or have a go at making home-made soaps, and Christmas wreaths from foraged foliage, or jars of jam with all of those windfall apples in your freezer?

We love the Japanese art ofĀ Furoshiki, wrapping with scarves or fabric offcuts – so it doesn’t have to ‘preachy’ if you can shoe-horn sustainable nods into your posts at the same time as being creative?

Aniela asks: Sharing moments on social media is one of the ways how we connect with each-other but when it comes to Christmasā€¦ is it the moment to turn all devices off?

You may have downloaded the moment app – I’m too scared to, however, chatting to other small business users, acknowledgement of on average spending 5-7 hours a day on their phones has been quite alarming.

Have some rules, we do already have a ‘no phones at the dinner table rule’ – which of course applies to Christmas too, cut yourself some slack and have some time off – be in the present – no pun intended, tempting though it may be to share a photograph on instagram stories of thatĀ Cashew nut roast vegan Christmas Dinner.

Don’t apologise to your followers for your seasonal absence – 24 hours online should not be the default – take a break! If you are a small business, maybe schedule an instagram post to say that you are closed for the holidays, and try not to look at your phone! If you’ve shared your holiday opening hours on your website, or your instagram feed, people will not expect a reply on Boxing Day. BE PRESENT with your family and friends x

Panelists:

Ali CliffordĀ is a London based marketing consultant, who in a previous life ran the design studio for a well-known British department store group, and went on to be creative director for one of the UKā€™s founding organic and fairtrade childrenswear brands. Now with her own business,Ā incredibusy.com; Ali works with predominantly ethical and sustainable brands, establishing and maintaining a strong, engaging online presence for them. In her spare time she love writing, getting crafty with her two boys, upcycling old reclaimed furniture, baking (and eating) and curating the Instagram projectĀ #sgiew {so good in every way}.

Sirena BergmanĀ is a London-based freelance journalist who has worked in-house as a commissioning editor at The Guardian, Mental Floss, The Independent and Metro.co.uk, as well as having written for publications including Vice, Refinery29, Huffington Post and more.Ā Her writingĀ focuses primarily on social justice issues and current affairs, as well as the intersection of technology, business and internet culture. She’s written about mental health, startups, YouTubers, politics, podcasts and pumpkin spiced lattes. Sirena also runs a newsletter called Sartorially Happy, where she chronicles her journey towards a more ethical, sustainable lifestyle – one wardrobe item at a time.

Jen GaleĀ is head honcho ofĀ sustainable(ish). Jen spent a year buying nothing new with her young family, something that was a real wake up call. Jen’s whole ethos is “sustainable(ish)” – which means working out what works for YOU and your family. It means small tweaks and changes that create change and make a difference – empowering you to think about the changes that you can change, rather than berating for all the things you can’t. Jen has written anĀ “Essential Guide to a Crap-Free Christmas”Ā that we’re eager for her to get stuck in to during the panel, plus a free downloadableĀ “101 easy doable sustainable(ish) changes”.

This event was live-streamed to members of the ethical designers’ platform, The Members’ Club. Register your interest to find out more in becoming a memberĀ here.

Moderator

The panel was moderated by Aniela Fidler, MA Fashion Futures student & The Kering Award for Sustainable Fashion finalist.

 

 

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