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Citylife in Lichfield December 2022 January 2023

Tis the Season To Be Jolly! Our December, and January 2023, issue is full of festive fun and cheer as we come to the end of one year and enter the next. We have, of course, all of our usual features including competitions, local news, What's On events and local history features. Discover the history of Lichfield Traditions from the past, how to make some Christmas Chelsea Buns and we let you know the best places to buy your loved ones the finest Christmas presents, and also where to Eat, Drink and Be Merry this Christmas and New Year! Enjoy reading our combined December and January magazine over a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie - and have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of the team at Citylife in Lichfield magazine!

Tis the Season To Be Jolly! Our December, and January 2023, issue is full of festive fun and cheer as we come to the end of one year and enter the next. We have, of course, all of our usual features including competitions, local news, What's On events and local history features. Discover the history of Lichfield Traditions from the past, how to make some Christmas Chelsea Buns and we let you know the best places to buy your loved ones the finest Christmas presents, and also where to Eat, Drink and Be Merry this Christmas and New Year! Enjoy reading our combined December and January magazine over a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie - and have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of the team at Citylife in Lichfield magazine!

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Have Yourself a<br />

Susta<strong>in</strong>able Christmas<br />

By Jess Davanzo<br />

‘Tis the season of giv<strong>in</strong>g, but sometimes our well-<strong>in</strong>tentioned<br />

generosity has the opposite effect on our resources. Unless you’re liv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

under a rock, you have heard the buzz around need<strong>in</strong>g to live more<br />

susta<strong>in</strong>ably. It can feel overwhelm<strong>in</strong>g at times, but <strong>in</strong> truth there are a<br />

multitude of little th<strong>in</strong>gs we could all do that can collectively have a big<br />

impact! Particularly at a time known for excess, little tweaks can make<br />

huge difference.<br />

This isn’t to say you must go <strong>in</strong>to Gr<strong>in</strong>ch mode! On the contrary!<br />

Some of the best ways to be “greener” are more mean<strong>in</strong>gful practices<br />

that add to the holiday spirit, not detract from it!<br />

Here’s some quick susta<strong>in</strong>able holiday tips…<br />

Wrapp<strong>in</strong>g paper<br />

Is it necessary? It looks<br />

beautiful, but millions of rolls get<br />

thrown away every year and<br />

much of it is non-recyclable<br />

(especially sh<strong>in</strong>y/glittery k<strong>in</strong>ds!)<br />

For someth<strong>in</strong>g that is torn and<br />

discarded quickly there must be<br />

a better way - and there is! If<br />

wrapp<strong>in</strong>g presents the old<br />

fashioned way is important to<br />

you, why not use natural brown<br />

paper that is recyclable? Or even<br />

newspaper? This can look<br />

beautiful especially when tied<br />

with natural str<strong>in</strong>g or<br />

biodegradable ribbon. You could even use some of nature’s offer<strong>in</strong>gs like<br />

holly leaves to decorate the packages. Another alternative is old fabric or<br />

reusable bags. It might sound strange, but it can truly look lovely and<br />

make a big difference. Plus, it saves you money!<br />

Gifts<br />

Give gifts that support a susta<strong>in</strong>able lifestyle and you can encourage<br />

positive change whilst giv<strong>in</strong>g a wonderful present. Th<strong>in</strong>k reusable and<br />

purchase th<strong>in</strong>gs like lunch boxes, water bottles and bags that are made <strong>in</strong><br />

a conscious way and also promote a better way of liv<strong>in</strong>g. Lots of<br />

susta<strong>in</strong>able gift companies give back to earth friendly and ethical<br />

<strong>in</strong>itiatives, and I’m pleased to say that we carry lots of ethical, cruelty free<br />

and susta<strong>in</strong>able gifts at www.earthystuff.co.uk that are not only eco<br />

themselves, but a portion of the profit goes back <strong>in</strong>to <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to<br />

planet and people friendly projects. Also, trees are planted with every<br />

order! So, for guilt-free giv<strong>in</strong>g, look for local susta<strong>in</strong>able companies that<br />

truly care. Another idea is to make your own gifts or baked goods or<br />

better yet, give the gift or your time and plan a lovely day out <strong>in</strong> nature!<br />

Decorations<br />

These are an <strong>in</strong>tegral part of the festive season, but often made from<br />

harmful materials. A fun way to be more susta<strong>in</strong>able is to turn your<br />

decorat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to a forag<strong>in</strong>g<br />

exercise, get out <strong>in</strong> fresh air<br />

and collect some beautiful<br />

holly or p<strong>in</strong>econes and<br />

make some lovely features<br />

on the mantle or the table.<br />

Make your own ornaments,<br />

but remember to avoid<br />

glitter & t<strong>in</strong>sel! And if you<br />

already have a plastic tree,<br />

keep us<strong>in</strong>g it! It’s better to<br />

ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> and keep us<strong>in</strong>g<br />

one you already have then<br />

to opt for a new one, even<br />

if the new one is more eco!<br />

You can also rent trees<br />

(seriously)!<br />

Jess Davanzo is the Founder of Earthy Stuff, an onl<strong>in</strong>e<br />

store sell<strong>in</strong>g a range of eco-friendly, susta<strong>in</strong>able gift and<br />

home items. Passionate about promot<strong>in</strong>g cruelty-free ad<br />

ethical lifestyle choices, Jess is on a mission to help make<br />

the world a greener and k<strong>in</strong>der place.<br />

www.earthystuff.co.uk<br />

Christmas D<strong>in</strong>ner<br />

This is often the p<strong>in</strong>nacle<br />

of the day and a simple<br />

th<strong>in</strong>g to do is to buy locally<br />

and seasonally. This not only<br />

supports the earth but<br />

helps your community and<br />

local bus<strong>in</strong>esses too. If you<br />

get your vegetables from a<br />

local farm shop or farmers<br />

market, not only are<br />

support<strong>in</strong>g your<br />

community and prevent<strong>in</strong>g<br />

unnecessary transport, but<br />

you are go<strong>in</strong>g to get a much tastier and more nutritious vegetables<br />

grown down the road than ones that have been flown from far away.<br />

You<br />

Sure, we want a more susta<strong>in</strong>able way of liv<strong>in</strong>g but that doesn’t just<br />

mean the planet, we must protect ourselves too! The recent rises <strong>in</strong> the<br />

cost of liv<strong>in</strong>g, coupled with the pressure to overspend and buy th<strong>in</strong>gs for<br />

the sake of it, doesn’t help with our personal susta<strong>in</strong>ability either. The<br />

season of giv<strong>in</strong>g often comes at a cost to our mental health and it<br />

shouldn’t! The most valuable th<strong>in</strong>g we have is our time, so why not let go<br />

of the pressures of buy<strong>in</strong>g presents and focus <strong>in</strong>stead on be<strong>in</strong>g present<br />

with the ones you love?<br />

42

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