A guide to an Ethical Christmas
Here are some of the Natural Smile’s ideas for Christmas gifts, crafts and thoughtful gestures.
Buy secondhand gifts
Charity and vintage shopping is a great way to repurpose someone else’s previous belongings into something someone else might love!
Best charity shops in Bristol – St Peters Hospice in Westbury on Trym (the one on Westbury Hill), Cancer Research on Gloucester Road, Marie Curie on Gloucester Road, Brandon Trust (all locations), British Heart Foundation bookshop on Whiteladies Road, Books For Amnesty on Gloucester Road
Best vintage shops – Loot, Urban Fox, Rhubarb Jumble, RePsycho
If you need to buy new, buy ethical and buy local.
Shop local – Bristol recommendations- Truce, Ottowin, Mon Pote, Reason, Sunday General, The Bristol Artisan, Two Belly
Buy from zero waste/ ethical companies – Preserve, Better Food, Smaller Footprints, Harvest
Gift an experience – From places like Kask, Yuup, Wriggle, Clifton Lido, Cave, Kiln
For a gift that lasts, give an experience to share with a friend or family. You could get tickets for a show/ film and support the arts! Tobacco Factory, Bristol Old Vic, The Wardrobe Theatre or Watershed
The gift of outdoors – The National Trust or The Woodland Trust have gift membership options that help preserve and protect our land and historic buildings.
Healthy, organic food – Riverford are based in Devon with a network of growers across the country and Europe. Guy Sing-Watson is a something of an inspiration to us, as a business owner, grower and champion of environmental issues. His vegetables aren’t bad either. You can sign yourself or a friend up here: https://www.riverford.co.uk/
Gift your time – You don’t have to spend money to show you care. Make a promise to someone in the family to help out with something in their home- clearing out the attic or sorting out their garden? Volunteer to babysit for new parents or pledge to wash your partner’s car!
Wrap gifts consciously
Choose recycled wrapping paper that can be easily recycled again. Foiled and glossy patterns or plastic-coated paper often can’t be recycled. Wearth London offers a whole range of beautiful wrapping paper and reusable fabric wrap.
Rather than buying a box of throwaway plastic-filled crackers, why not make your own from recycled materials? You can fill the crackers with personalised gifts for each person.
The gift of oral hygiene! All purchasable at our practice 😉
Travel set – including Live CoCo toothpaste tabs and Humble bamboo toothbrush holder
Nicola’s First Aid Kit – Eucalyptus oil, Witch Hazel, Green People Soothing Salve & Tea Tree oil – the only things you need for a natural first aid kit!
Spend some time crafting or baking, making gifts like brownies/ cookies, pickles, bath scrub/ melts, handmade garlands, flavoured gins – all of which can be wrapped beautifully and really show you care.
Food hampers made from old wicker baskets or cardboard boxes with tissue paper are great filled with home-made chocolate brownies, chutneys or soaps, maybe even some sloe gin!