Create a Sustainable Christmas for your family

In a world of consumerism, sustainability and minimalism are fast gathering momentum as we realise that it’s not things but real life experiences that truly fill our cup.

My favourite four favourite things to create a minimalist Christmas 2019:

1. Edible Christmas decorations for your tree (complete with the recipe below).
2. Make your host gift a true experience of joy for your family with one of our Chocolate Trees or bouquets customised to match your table colours.
3. Make your own wrapping paper
4. Create the ultimate voucher book gift – it’s free and gives joy for the year to come!

Like many young families, our home quickly fills with children’s toys, pieces of lego underfoot (ouch) and an endless procession of papers and ‘things’.   We as a family have resonated with the wish that less is more.  Our goal is to have less material items and more moments to enjoy one another and precious time together.

As a business at Edible Blooms, we have also been embracing sustainable business practices and we are excited not only by our progress but also equally about the opportunity ahead to transparently measure and transform into a genuine carbon neutral organisation.  It’s important to us to make an honest and invisible imprint on our precious planet for the next generations to enjoy it as we have.

With Christmas approaching, here are some sustainable tips to enjoy a minimalist Christmas from my family to yours:

1. Decorate your tree with home made treats

This is an amazing activity to enjoy with children – gingerbread Christmas biscuits with a simple hole in the top and tied with twine to your tree (here is my son Jack decorating our tree with gingerbread stars, trees and gingerbread men).

Easy Gingerbread recipe

Ingredients

• 125g unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup golden syrup
• 1 egg
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/4 cup self raising flour
• 1 tbs ground ginger
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 330g icing mixture, to decorate

Small decorations of choice (e.g. cachous and pearls), to decorate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

2. Beat butter, sugar and syrup together in a bowl until creamy. Add egg and beat well. Sift flours, ginger and soda together. Stir into butter mixture. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Roll out to 5mm thick. Use cutters to cut out shape. Transfer to tray. ** I used a cake pop stick to make a hole into the top of each shape prior to baking.

3. Bake for 10-12 minutes until light brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To decorate; prepare the icing mix following packet instructions. Colour as desired. Spread on biscuits and decorate.

5. Use twine to create a loop so you can hang your delicious treats on your tree!

Thank you to delicious.com.au for this terrific recipe to share.

2. Gift your host a delicious gift that will also be a sharing experience

The whole notion of Edible Blooms kick started on the basis of delivering maximum value.  How?  A gift you can eat delivers so much more than the traditional bunch of flowers that only lasts a couple of days or the old school hamper that is divided between colleagues (and the person that gets the jam jar vs the bottle of wine ALWAYS feels short changed).

Over time our sustainability practices have evolved too and most recently we have made huge steps towards our goal for all gifts to be 100% reusable or recyclable.  Through our partnership with the Detmold group in South Australia, our bloom construction is now made from recyclable cardboard so after you have enjoyed it, you simply flat pack it down into your recycle bin.  Easy.

So if you and your family are engaging in a minimalist Christmas this year, perhaps a chocolate tree or bouquet would make the perfect host gift and experience for everyone to enjoy together?  There is nothing more exciting than sitting around the table together, enjoying a wine and great conversation.  Test the willpower of your family members too – see how is the first to take a piece!

Best of all, our team can customise the colours to match your table theme for the year.  Be creative and not only simplify your Christmas but make it magical too.

3. Make your own cards and wrapping paper

Remember those old fashioned stamps made from potatoes cut in half and sculpted with shapes?  Oh it brings back memories!

This is the best fun with your children and here’s some great inspiration of how you can create your own signature wrap and gift cards.  When so much love goes into the wrapping and presentation, the love is apparent the first moment the gift is handed over. 

4. Create your own voucher gift book

For a true blue sustainable gift, make your gift something that gives for the whole year ahead with a special voucher book of offers that can be redeemed.  This is a gift you hand make and is truly from the heart for someone you love.  I would personally love for my family to present me with a little coupon book to be redeemed over the coming year!

Here’s some ideas that are free to give, just a little time to offer through the year to someone you love:

1. A big hug and kiss to cheer you up on a blue day
2. Cooking your favourite meal
3. A foot massage after a busy day
4. Mowing the lawns
5. Doing the dishes
6. Washing your car
7. Ironing your shirts
8. Running an errand across town
9. Dog walking
10. Breakfast in bed

Wishing you and your family a wonderful and delicious finish to 2019.

Best,

Kelly