Thank God for the next generation. Keeping us on our toes at every turn, my kids are a constant source of further education. Some things I am not sure I needed to know, some things I didn’t WANT to know and some things have opened my mind to a whole new way of thinking (hello he/him, she/her, they/them.) They are also my constant reminder to recycle and to try and be as eco as we can. Partly because I’d like for the girls to have a healthy world to live in and partly because they literally remind me at every turn. It’s hard to break the habit of decades of consumerism and disposables, but my kids are pretty good at making their thoughts known!

So, when it came to wrapping Christmas gifts, I ditched the paper and instead used some old copies of The Royal Gazette. I still threw on a glittery bow (compromise…), and a few things needed a layer of tissue to protect them from newspaper print. After sharing the tip on Facebook, someone mentioned that they use old paper grocery bags and twine and holly/rosemary to decorate. What a great idea. If that’s not fancy enough, Brown & Co have some lovely gift boxes that are really sturdy, making them easy to use over and over again, or for storage.

Buying gifts locally is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint as well as supporting our local businesses. But making things is a great option too. I shared a recipe for Christmas Morning Muffins (allergy friendly) on social media lately that is perfect for gifts. Pop them in a paper box (Chef Shop on Par La Ville) and you are all set.

And Chloe recently made her own bath salts. By the time they were in a mason jar they were gorgeous. A quick ribbon and they looked perfect. So instead of another recipe this week, I thought I’d share her bath salt recipe here. It’s easy to do, very economical (especially if you already have the oils) and a really fun gift for any time of year. Enjoy!

Eco-friendly bath salts, perfect for gifting!

Ingredients:

2 cups Epsom salts

1 cup pink salt crystals

Lavender essential oil (approx ten drops)

Dried rose petals

¼ cup safflower oil

¼ cup coconut oil

Mason jars and ribbons

Method:

Melt the coconut oil over a low heat and set aside to cool to room temperature, so that it stays liquid but isn’t warm.

Add the lavender drops to the coconut oil so that it starts to infuse.

Mix the Epsom salts and pink salt in a large bowl. Toss in the rose petals gently once everything has combined evenly.

Spoon into the mason jars and decorate with ribbons. Store at room temperature.