Last minute gift ideas

As the last dates for Christmas orders draws nearer (22nd Dec for Express delivery at EcoCentric) it's always good to have a few key staple gifts which don't need to be posted. Here's a couple of gift ideas which are easy and quick to buy, but always well recieved and appreciated.

Gift vouchers - Available from loads of retailers in many different amounts, they may not be very imaginative, but it does mean people can get something they really want, not just what you might think they like. EcoCentric are great for fans of eco design and have lots of stylish products that the recipient to choose from, People Tree gift vouchers are brilliant for ethical fashion and have a good range for women, men and kids and Ethical wares have lovely cruetly-free footwear and accessories for style with a conscience.

Charity Gifts - Rather than give someone something they don't want, give a person in need something they really need on their behalf. For a bargain £18 you can buy a goat with Help the Aged to give older people milk, fertilizer and maybe even more goats. Action Aid will buy books for poor school children in developing countries from just £10, and from £3 a month you can 'adopt' a polar bear with WWF. Just don't expect to be able to put it under the Christmas tree!

Eco home on tonight's Dream Homes

Have you been following Oliver's trip round Britain with Dream Homes? Catch another episode with an eco focus tonight on the Discovery Channel. you can wrap those last minute Chrsitmas gifts whilst getting inspiration for your eco home...

Isle of Skye:
Architect Mary Arnold-Forster has bought one of the most spectacular plots in Scotland for just £25,000. Oliver Heath follows Mary’s progress as she designs and builds a house to withstand storms in winter and midges in the summer, and struggles to get building materials to one of the remotest parts of the British Isles.

Downsize your Christmas carbon footprint

Following on from my tips for eco Christmas decorations, here are a few more good pointers to keep your Christmas carbon footprint from making you a first rate eco-scrooge.

The Meal: Using durable and good quality serving ware instead of disposable stuff keeps your footprint and your spending low. Better still, buying recycled glass plates and glasses means that you are actually reusing resources rather than fuelling the need to process new ones. EcoCentric sell a beautiful range of recycled glass crockery which will make any Christmas table look elegant and stylish. If you can't afford to buy new crockery, then there are often interesting vintage finds at charity shops, or the option of renting it if you're catering for unusually large numbers. If you do want to buy disposable plates and cups, then paper as the best choice as it can be composted along with the rest of the Christmas food waste.

The Wrapping: rubbish mounts up extremely fast over the Christmas period, but there are lots of things we can do to minimise the cost to the environment. Gifts can be wrapped in recycled paper, old maps, comics, newspapers or any colourful paper. Choose gifts that don't need to be wrapped, or make the wrapping part of the gift - a vintage scarf or a snazzy tea towel for example. Gift tags can be made from last years Christmas cards artfully cut out and threaded through with a piece of ribbon. Importantly, make sure to recycle all possible packaging and wrapping. We've found that kids absolutely love the new Ovetto recycling bin - it's made from recycled plastic and has three handy compartments for three types of recycling. Recycling has never been so fun and stylish!

Tips for a healthy and stylish Christmas

Christmas is all about excess and I for one love it. But there are some Christmas essentials which we definately don't want an excess of and toxins is one of those. In our everyday products lie hidden nasties which over time can cause health problems and stress to our bodies.

Candles are one of these products. We don't think twice about hightening the festive atmosphere with delicious smelling candles, but studies have shown that conventional candles emit a range of carcinogenic substances which can seriously effect your health, as detailed in this excellent article in the The Ecologist. To avoid this risk is easy however, as ranges of alternative, clean burning candles are fast emerging. EcoCentric stock two types - the divinely scented Aromatherapy candles, made of natural plant wax and essential oils, and the fun and attractively packaged Aromatherapy solution candles, such as Love Potion, 25/7 and Chill Pill, made of soy wax, which burn for an amazing 50 hours!

Cosmetics are another hidden-toxin worry. Many skin creams, washes and make up contain a cocktail of skin irritants, colouring and fragrances, as documented in this article in the Ecologist. In order to avoid these nasties, a always used natural, organic cosmetics and skincare. EcoCentric have a range of really lovely organic cosmetics such as the fantastic Vitamin E skin cream and gift boxes like the Happy box, the Calm box and the Gentle Baby box.

Eco Christmas Decorating

Tis the season to be jolly, and one of my favourite ways to spread the jollyness is by putting up Christmas decorations! The right decorations really bring out the best out of a home at Christmas and add to the festive atmosphere no end. Decorations can be a drain on your finances and the environment though, which is why I've put together a few pointers to eco-style your Christmas decorations.

Fairy lights can use a ton of electricity over the course of your Christmas period. For a cheaper - and just as pretty - tree use low energy LED fairy lights, like this lovely colour changing set from EcoCentric. With the touch of a dial you can control the colour and the speed of colour change, and best of all, they're extremely long lasting - the average set can be constantly used for up to 16 years apparently. Best of all they're currently half price at just £19.49 with voucher code 3182! Shinyhippy did this great video review of them last year - check it out on YouTube.

Christmas tree decorations can also be eco-friendly. Using recycled paper to make paper angels, laterns and paper chains keeps our precious forests from the chop and looks great. I always think that home-made decorations look better somehow, and you're more likely to keep them longer if they mean something to you. Belinda Mooney has a few good ideas, as does 'Krafty Kris'.

If you don't have the time to make tree decorations then FSC certified wood ones are a good option as they'll last for years and look great. These pretty ones from WWF also mean your money goes to charity - and what's more Christmasy than that!

East London Design Show

A bit stuck for Christmas pressies for those 'difficult people'? Well this might just help you out...


Bag yourself some beautiful and unique Christmas presents this weekend at the fantastic annual East London Design Show! There will be designers from all over the world exhibiting and a number of products unveiled for the very first time. With clothing, jewellery, home accessories and kids stuff on offer there is bound to be something for everyone. And with a cafe selling delicious food and a special kids area with a 'create space' (sounds intriguing!), it makes a great day out for the whole family.

EcoCentric will be exhibiting, taking a carefully chosen range of products including our cute and phenomenonally popular Knit your own Monkey kits, our stylish Tord Boonje designed Transglass vases and our practical and attractive Bamboo chopping boards.

Other stands on my list to visit include the delightful Cocktail Tops, which makes gorgeously colourful clothes for women, the psychadelically colourful Victoria's World and the fun Creative Charlie, which engages children and adults together in creative play (and it shares my name!)



The show is open from today until Sunday. Opening times are 12 - 8pm today and 10 - 6 on Saturday and Sunday.
Admission is £4 adult and £2 concession - but you can download a 2 for 1 voucher from their website. Accompanied under 16s go free.

Happy shopping!