Top 6 Tips for an Ethically Mindful Christmas

There's no denying it.  Christmas is in the air. It seems to happen earlier and earlier as each year passes, doesn't it?  Harvest and Halloween pass and boom - before we can dump the rotten pumpkins in the food bin we are drawn right in to the twinkly festivities and the pressure is on.

Some of us (not me) are stealthily organised, buying gifts during the year, storing them away so not to panic when the Christmas music starts to blare through the speakers in the town centre – a serenade to indicate that time is running out and the countdown to Christmas is well and truly on.

Others of us are less prepared – hoping that perfect gift idea will fall on our lap, jump out at us in the shop or more likely on our screens, with more of us opting for the ease of online shopping now than ever before.

It can be an incredibly stressful time, with to-do and to-buy lists as long as your arm. It’s easy to get swept up in the madness of it all, counting it as part of the ‘buzz’ or ‘atmosphere’ but as we begin to join in with the festive lead up, maybe there is a different example we can take that steers us gently away from the hype and the flashing lights. Maybe there is a way more reflective of the Christmas Story we know and love so well that we can tune our ears and hearts to – one of generosity, peace and of justice.

How can we be more mindful of the world around us in a culture that steers us to only think about ourselves?

Christmas and all of the associated Western trappings can have some pretty awful side effects on the World; on people and creation.  The tonnes of waste through non-recyclable wrapping paper, decorations, boxes and gift bags, heaps of unwanted presents, loan sharks preying on the vulnerable and people wracking up huge amounts of debt to keep up appearances. Surely there is a better way to do things?

Choosing to have a more ethical Christmas does not have to take away from the beauty of gift-giving, in fact, it only enhances that beauty. Once we delve deeper into alternative, more ethical options we can see that how we spend our money can add to the beauty of belonging to each other, bringing true ‘Joy to the World’.  Tell me now if you are tired of the Christmas Carol puns.  I could do this for days.

So what does it mean to buy ethically? 

Buying ethically is choosing to be an active consumer, rather than a passive one.

Buying ethically means taking the time to find out who makes our stuff and if it’s made in a way that respects people and the planet.

Buying ethically gives the power back to the consumer and in turn empowers others.

Buying ethically is a statement – another way of living out what we believe; that we are all connected and we are all valuable.

Although we still have a long way to go in terms of supply chain transparency it has never been easier to be mindful of who and what we give our money to. Progress is slow but it is being made and where we put our money makes a difference.

I'm not here to give you another gift guide today.  There are so many of those, and we all have different taste, so instead I offer my thoughts & top tips on how we can make Christmas more mindful & ethical this year:

1) Set Boundaries

Have an open discussion with your family about presents this year. This is a biggie - get other people on board.  Suggest a Secret Santa style of gift-giving – where each person draws a name and buys for only that person? Maybe you decide together to set a price limit on gifts? The pressure to buy and spend a certain amount of money can really dampen the joy of giving so why not live a little lighter this year by having those conversations early. Make presence, not presents your priority this year.

2) Buy Small

Who are the independent makers in your area? Who is working hard at a craft that is often overlooked for faster cheaper versions? Websites like etsy.com and folksy.com are great for finding beautiful one-off gifts where the profit goes directly to the maker. You can buy jewellery, art prints, hand-knit items and ceramics, even narrowing down your search to your local area in the knowledge that you are supporting a small business in a society where biggest seems best. Christmas is also the perfect time to buy from the beautiful artisan and food markets that pop up in City centres and town squares. Seek out the makers. This is what the Indie Christmas Giveaway is about after all!

3) Buy Selectively

There are some excellent shops both on the high street and online that are committed to sourcing their products from the most transparent supply chains. Beautifully curated online stores like Decorators Notebook, The Future Kept, and Ethical Superstore are great for finding unique gifts as well as everyday items. Supporting shops that are deliberating championing fair-trade and more ethically certified products is a great way to get what you need without compromising on quality or style.

4) Buy Differently

A few years ago we decided to buy our family alternative gifts from well-known charities. We bought my parents a goat, my brother some chickens and our friends got a toilet! Thing is, this goat lived in India and was actually given to a family in India on behalf of my parents to supply them with milk to drink or sell on, the chickens were in Bangladesh and the toilet was given to a family in Cambodia. There are numerous charities that now have gift options like these: you can buy sanitation supplies with Oxfam, toilets with Tearfund, or cows with Christian Aid. Every gift, given in the name of your loved one, is making a massive difference to people in the worlds poorest nations. *disclaimer - see point 1 about getting family on board before going down this route! When they expect an iPod dock and "get" sanitation supplies, it might not be received in the manner you expect...!*

5) Do Your Homework

Maybe now is the perfect time to look at what companies and brands are treating people and the planet with respect? Who is paying a living wage? Which manufacturers are dedicated to not creating more waste that is ruining creation? Websites like ethicalconsumer.com are great for spot-checking items to see which brands are leading the way (some content requires a subscription but lots of it is accessed for free). They rate every kind of product from bicycles to toasters to guide you to the most ethical choice.

You might also want to check on the brands, companies and products that you are already enjoying and giving your money to. Lidl, Morrisons and Aldi have become the first major supermarkets in the UK & Ireland to pay their staff above the National Living Wage, which is a great example to other big chain stores. Marks and Spencer have also made big progress with their ‘Plan A’ – their commitment to helping protect the planet by sourcing responsibly, reducing waste and helping communities.

For your other favourite retailers, now is the time to look up their supply chain policies, corporate social responsibility policies and if they don’t have them – just ask! Send an email or contact the company through social media. As a paying customer, it’s your right to know!

6) Be Content

Much of our learning about choosing more ethically must be rooted in contentment with what we have. When we understand our privilege and can recognise how much we already have then we can make wiser choices when we spend our money. We must drown out the adverts and the noise that tells us contentment comes packaged up prettily underneath a tree and remind ourselves that true contentment comes from things we cannot touch or switch on.

Why not start by being more intentional about one or two of these things this year? If we each made decisions with a little more thought and purpose, we could collectively make some important statements.

A version of this post first appeared in Herald Magazine & contains affiliate links.

A Post-Election Manifesto

Today we are disappointed.  We are tweeting our fears, facebooking our worries and I'm proud. I'm proud because I can see the appetite for more.  The appetite for politics that make sense for everyone.  Not much of the last 24 hours makes sense.

But after today we will get up, shake off our disappointment and pick up our resolve.  We will harness our upset and anger at the state of our politics, of our given leadership and we will use it.

We will turn our frustration into action.  We will own our communities for ourselves.  We will come together in ways that will show up the powers-that-be and remind them that 'we are the many, they are the few'.

We will start community groups, we will protest, we will encourage, cheer on and share.  We will build towns and cities that defy selfish agendas and we will fulfil empty promises for ourselves.  We will know the value of money, of care and protection and we will exercise it daily.

We will challenge decisions, we will follow up requests, we will decide to be involved.

We will champion the good, the underdog, the bright spots in our communities.  We will call each other to account and not wait for others to lead.  We will be innovators, entrepreneurs and activists.  We will move ahead.

We will understand that the real work happens here - on the streets and avenues, in the community centres and churches, in the non-profits and the small businesses.  We will remember our own power and we will give it away to those that really need it.

Be annoyed today; be angry and despondent.  Let the dust settle a while and then let's, together, show them how it's really done.

Purpose & Strength

I've had an interesting few weeks of conversations and investment in some personal development.  Usually that term gives me a bit of the shudders - it can sound a bit like navel-gazing - not something I have a lot of time for, but in reality it has been timely and really inspiring. Introspection, reflection & self-examination: not skills that I would say I have mastered, but I know they are important for growth, so I've been trying to get better at them - understanding my make-up a bit better; how I interact, how I learn, how I communicate, what makes me tick & come alive etc.  Pretty important stuff to get to grips with, I reckon.

A few weeks ago I logged into the #blogtacular twitter chat (every Wednesday, 9pm BST - not to be missed!) and the topic for the week was:

"Are you doing the work you want to be known for?"  

It was a pretty significant chat for me and the gals at Blogtacular know how to pose questions that are really thought-provoking.  I love the interaction and encouragement that goes on in those chats - if it were real life we would be walking out the pub door at the end high-fiving each other wildly.

I guess when I thought about responding to that question, I was working out the reality of that not only in a blog context but in a whole-life context.  For me, that's the bottom line.  This old blog here is a creative outlet for me amidst a pretty serious day job (that I love), but it's not a separate part of me - it's an extension of me.  I try to write and engage in things on the blogosphere that align with my whole self.  That means tackling issues that are important to me (I'm not a fashion-blogger, but I think ethical style is real important), tapping into my creative side by making things (I'm not a craft-blogger, but I think making stuff and being creative is life-giving) and trying to capture life for us in a way that is real and honest here in this space (I'm not a mummy-blogger, but I think motherhood is the biggest lesson of my life so I talk about it here).

For me, it's about championing the good, the underdog, the creative and the connections we all share.

If I could be known for that, I'd be happy.  It feels good to be true to yourself in all extensions, right?

Then this week, I had the chance to get some coaching from my friend Abbey - who runs her own coaching company out of the States.  Abbey introduced me to the Gallup Strengthsfinder last year and it has been a bit of a revelation.  I know there are a lot of personality assessments out there and lots of them are really good, but I was really drawn to the 'Strengths' concept because it uses positive psychology to "show people that our greatest potential resides in utilising our innate strengths" rather than using that energy to try and fix the parts of our make up that doesn't measure up.

Abbey was over in NI so I nabbed her for an afternoon of coaching with my work team.  We had all taken the assessment before hand so Abbey worked through our results individually and then brought us together as a team to look at how our strengths can work together - it was really practical, really inspiring and really freeing.

Both of these encounters have left me feeling energised and encouraged that I'm on the right track.  More so, it's given me a renewed vigour and confidence that the things I invest in, personally and professionally are a good fit for me.

I am really glad I've been spending some time on this - and would so encourage you to do the same (start with the Strengthsfinder assessment - trust!).  I think when we know our strongest abilities and find a purpose in life that fits those skills well, we all are on our way to being fully truly alive.

Fresh Finds Friday - International Women's Day

In honour of International Women's Day this Sunday, I thought I would do a little post to highlight some of my favourite fierce & empowering female finds lately as well as share some thoughts on what IWD means to me this year...

I spent all of yesterday celebrating IWD with an amazing group of women from all over the world that are part of the 'Women's World' group at my work.  We gathered together to listen to speeches from women who have overcome and achieved; we sang, line-danced (!) and ate homemade food from loads of different cultures of the world (PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TARTS!). So many of the women connected to this group arrived in the UK with huge obstacles to face - language, isolation, financial worries, separation from their families - but they have bravely built lives here now; lives that are blossoming, thriving and lives that now look outwards at how they can help others and create a more inclusive community here, where they now call home.  It's a beautiful, beautiful thing.

As much as I love the well known champions of women's rights and gender equality - the ones that get quoted, archived and noted so often - I can't help but be more in awe of the everyday heroines of women's empowerment - the ones that I know, that I saw in action yesterday.

The women (and men) that push other women forward into opportunities without threat or comparison, that mentor, that walk ahead and carve out paths to make them more accessible for girls that will walk behind.  The women that volunteer, nurture, share and give.  The women that don't seek the credit or attention, that sacrifice, that work like hell to provide and know the value of true investment in their local communities.  The women that know they have their own issues, so they know how to treat people gently.  Women that speak out the truth - even if their voice shakes; that lead; that love well.  These are the women I want to be like, the women I admire and honour.

I hope you get to take some time this weekend to reflect on the 'everyday-incredible' females in your life.  They are all too often overlooked for the shiny and new.

Ah, the sisterhood!  It always gets me all worked up and preachy!

Now for some girl-power links:

+  If I was in London this weekend, I would DEFINITELY be heading to the Women of the World Festival at the Southbank Centre - what an amazing line up of events, exhibitions and talks.  Some year, I'll make it to this but if you are London-side and you are planning on heading over, don't forget to hit up Davina & Hannah of Seeds & Stitches craft stall on Sunday! Them girls know how to craft; it's sure to be a treat!  I've just noticed they've also posted some GREAT ideas on how to celebrate IWD on their blog!

On a more local note....

+  This weekend we're heading out to watch a viewing of 'Half the Sky' - a documentary based on the book that highlights the plight of women around the world fighting bravely to change the story of inequality, poverty, abuse and exploitation.  You can come too!  Saturday evening, 7.30pm at Blick Studios, Malone Road, Belfast.  Watch the trailer below:

+ Super cool Belfast sisters, Rebecca & Ruth have launched the brand new apparel brand 'Lines & Current'.  With a new webshop up and running, they are curating classic items with clean lines & a boho twist (those sunglasses, though!).  To boot, they are regularly partnering with charities that are doing great work and this month 10% of their proceeds are going to No More Traffik!

Photo by Ben Connolly for Lines & Current

+  Finally - I've been loving keeping up with The Koko Story ever since I saw the 'Is That How You Define Me?' video last year (awesome spoken word - do watch!).  Koko is run by Meg Cannon who uses film and other creative ways to empower girls & young women and lift the lid on the issues they face.  They are launching a new film campaign this weekend called #ivegotyourback - stay tuned on their twitter for that.

Are you doing anything special to mark IWD?  I'd love to hear your plans, or any other thoughts/links!