How ready do you feel for gifting-season?
It’s officially that time of year when we’re counting the days to Christmas and our task list is filled with festive to-do’s – from shopping for gifts, picking out the sparkliest outfit, to rounding up your friends and family for the much-awaited festivities.
Christmas is not only a season of giving but also a season of celebration and feasting! To celebrate a meaningful holiday whilst being kind to the community and the planet, here are a few ways to liven up the Christmas spirit consciously:
Plan your Christmas feast and grocery shopping list.
The best way to reduce any kind of waste is to plan ahead of time. A highly recommended kitchen tip from Joyce, shopping for groceries is easier and more sustainable if you’re buying items exactly based on the meals you will be preparing. You’ll be surprised at how a quick glance at your pantry can save you dollars from buying the same items. Having a rundown of your groceries and recipes will also help you get the most out of your buck.
Bottled gourmet pantry items such as these Spanish fine foods from Ecolah are great for appetisers without worrying about waste. Serve it on a sustainable Arthur Zaaro board and pair it with top-quality wines curated by Through The Grapevine and your guests will ring in the festive cheer! Shop the Serve Up Nature’s Best Gift Bundle.
2. Host A Zero-Waste Dinner.
We love feasting over a delicious spread and we love it when all plates have been wiped clean! Apart from using up all of the trimmings and excess from your prep to make a nice heart broth or perhaps to create your compost, asking your guests and family members what they’d love to eat for the holidays can immensely help with eliminating waste. Only cook or buy decently portioned meals that everyone in your household will eat (and reheat!).
Over-ordering is out, zero-waste dining is in!
Keep leftovers fresh using plastic-free alternatives such as these handmade Beeswax Food Wraps from Goodness Gracious.
3. Get creative with leftovers.
And if you ever end up with leftovers, make the most out of it by whipping up post-Christmas dishes that are as festive as Santa but still look and taste new. Try a loaded fried rice, or a humble sandwich as delicious leftover meals for Boxing Day and beyond.
Get creative with post-Christmas Day festive sandwiches using delicious organic jams from the Pure and Natural Gift Bundle.
4. Reuse last year’s special tableware and decor or invest in one that lasts!
Your spread may be the star of the show but your decor sets the mood. Remember: the most sustainable thing to purchase is the one you already have so take some time in the next few days to unpack your decor boxes and reuse the ones you have from the previous years.
And if shopping for new items is inevitable, choose to buy from brands that do good and are good for the environment. Not to mention, choose to buy items that you’d love to use and keep reusing in the future.
Add a pop of colour to your table with Oak Tree Living’s handwoven festive placemats.
5. Give back to the community.
From donating to your chosen charity, volunteering your time at the soup kitchen, to supporting brands that give back to the community, there’s so much we can do to spread love and hope this holiday season. This, we believe, is the best gift you can give to the people in need.
For many, Singapore is a very comfortable place to live in. This is in huge part thanks to the amazing work that domestic helpers do in taking care of our families so that we can focus on work and other duties that take us away from home.
Most helpers are the breadwinners of their families back home, hence it’s very important that they learn to manage and invest their hard-earned salaries to secure their futures.
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