It really does feel like Christmas is coming, and with a double dip recession looming we are all looking for ways we can economise this year. But this doesn't mean we should forget about the cost to the environment of the party season. According to the Soil Association, the average Christmas dinner involves 49,0000 extra food miles and of the 10 million turkeys reared for the Christmas dinner table, 90% come from intensive units. Financially Christmas is also a fairly painful experience on the pocket, this year the average British adult will spend approximately £813 on festive celebrations – down £55 on last year – and will guzzle a whopping 7,000 calories on Christmas day stuff up.

It was B’s 5th birthday party at the weekend. Fab weather and entertainer made for a great afternoon. This year I decided not to do party bags and did a lucky dip as the kids left instead. So fed up with all the plastic tat of party bags. I also made some felt egg pouches [...]

Arg - my daughter is in her first year of primary school and has just come home with a letter announcing that the whole school is teeming with the dreaded head lice. In an attempt to avoid the highly chemical solutions used when I was a child I have done some research and come up with a selection of natural alternatives. Lice are tiny insects commonly found living on the scalp and within the hair. The condition is very common among young children. Head lice can be transmittable and spreads by sharing combs, hairbrushes, caps, hats and hair accessories.

Christmas can be a complicated and extravagant business so this year we are making a concerted effort to have a simpler and greener festive period to enrich the soul and do our bit for the environment.