Dear Planet Earth at christmas (Warning: might bring your festive spirit down)

[Astrid]

Brilliant points - I am completely over buying for the sake of buying. Trying to do better this year with buying what is more of a need, than a frivolous want.

[Phteven]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

Relevant I think.

I've been trying to declutter my children's toys. I feel kind of sorry for them - their extended family give them so much junk they're drowning in it.

[luna moth]

I'm with you

[sangie]

Agree 10,000%. If only I could get the IL's to agree

[onthefly]

Love it.
Thanks Lenny

[Deedles]

I think about the environment when there are small or large events or other occasions!

Like Christmas, Australia Day and NYE etc....for example.

With Christmas even the amount of wrapping paper we use is incredible.

This year I am making gifts for my kids, nieces and nephews using recycled bottles, fabrics, crafts etc. I have a feeling they will enjoy these gifts way more than a plastic car from a cheap shop that will fall to pieces in 5 mins.

[Mummy&Daddy2Be]

i say xmas only comes around once a year. make the most of it unwanted gifts can just be regifted

[onthefly]

M&D I think you're missing the point

[~TT40~]

good point, its something to think about

[Lenny]

Deleted post (What's the point in trying?)

[Lenny]

wysiwyg - glad i wasn't the only one who got an orange. I wish it was a terry chocolate one but alas, it was the real off the tree variety! i think my kids would be bemused! They have a stocking each this year in which santa will place his one gift + one book to them in. It needs no stuffing thank you very much!

[Deedles]

Hehe my MIL told me to bring DS's stockings down to where we are stayin over Chrissy and she is going to put an orange in each of them! I had never heard of that before. I just got choccies in mine.

I also agree that good solid plastic that I made to last is awesome! We still have Lego from when my dad was little.
The only thing I hate is when my friends or my grandmother think they are being awesome and buy $2 toy cars from the cheap shop. They open them an literally they just crumble into pieces. Which is not only devastating for the boys but makes me wonder how they can make things to sell that just break!

So many things these days are built to break I swear! The money you think your saving on an item goes out the window if it breaks the second you use it!

[Phteven]

We always got an orange too.
And Father Christmas.... wysiwyg, you made me miss my Mum. No-one in Australia say Father Christmas. It's always Santa Claus.
I have some origami paper packed so we're going to be making origami stars, angels, santas and boxes for our 'tree'.

Em...., I wasn't having a go at you. Sorry if you felt that way. Just chatting about paper.

[BrightSparkles]

I heard about the oranges today. Whats that about? I'm confused

[wysiwyg]

And Father Christmas.... wysiwyg, you made me miss my Mum. No-one in Australia say Father Christmas. It's always Santa Claus.

I hadn't really noticed until you mentioned it about Father Christmas vs Santa Claus (I never noticed people don't use the word pushchair here for ages either) - sometimes I say Santa as we did use that in England too but normally is Father Christmas for me - DD is obsessed with the differences between the two countries since I told her the different versions for Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes, and Hokey Cokey vs Hokey Pokey. Every song she wants to know the English version now (most are exactly the same).

Father Christmas is eco friendly here and doesn't wrap presents in the stocking - he never did for me either (he also had to staple the tops to stop me looking in my brother and sisters) - and we never ever thought it was weird as kids that others got wrapped presents from Father Christmas and we didn't. Funny is a question adults always ask but we never thought twice about it - I think as grownups we think children are always wanting to catch us out about Father Christmas but really they are just happy to believe and aren't doing CSI style investigations to discover the truth (not till older anyway). One year I discovered a list of what had been in my stocking by my dads bed, I asked him about it and he said when you came and showed me I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget (and I just accepted that). We also used to accept that sometimes he made mistakes and put things in the wrong stocking, or leave things in various cupboards around the house which wouldn't be discovered till March.