I’m really looking forward to introducing you to Kirsten who I follow on Instagram (@no_blood_no.tears)

Kirsten uses her account as a Vegan Activist and also shares graphic posts to share examples of animal cruelty within industries such as farming and fur.

I would like to advise reader discretion for this blog post. Kirsten shares her personal story with powerful experiences including descriptions of animal cruelty.

Once upon a time I ate meat, looking back (and it’s only been a little over 2 years ago), it seems the weirdest thing ever!  How could I say I loved animals whilst eating them?  How could I say I loved animals whilst wearing them?  How could I say I loved animals whilst paying someone to abuse them?  My greatest regret is not having done it sooner, but all vegans say that.   

About two years before I went vegan I’d been following Joey Carbstrong, I watched his outreach debates with interest, everything he said made sense to me, but I still ate meat.  I even recall using the line, “I could never be vegan meat tastes too good”, I was one of those people that thought they couldn’t live without bacon.. despite the fact I didn’t eat it that often!

Throughout 2019 I started to eat less meat, but it wasn’t really an ethical decision, I was leaning towards cutting out meat to improve health.  I’d read How Not to Die by Dr Michael Gregor and started to try and make healthier plant based choices, but I only did it 50% of the time and if I’m honest I found it quite hard.

It was around this time that I learned the truth about dairy, how I made it to 49 years old without realising a cow had to be pregnant to produce milk, I don’t know!  This really was a bit of a revelation, I honestly thought cows produced milk because they ate grass!  I also learned that male cows born in to the dairy industry were useless and would be culled, however, even learning this truth it didn’t make me vegan.

I learned of all of the films I should watch – Dominion, Earthlings, Cowspiracy and Land of Hope and Glory… but I avoided watching them, I knew that if I watched them I wouldn’t be able to maintain my ignorance, how can you know and acknowledge what is happening and ignore it?  So I didn’t watch.

Fast forward to November 2019, I watched Game Changers.  Watching Game Changers really struck a chord with me, health wise it is a very powerful film, by the end of the film I was thinking I was going to switch to a plant based diet 80% of the time.  This was my approach in planning my new diet for the next couple of days… then the weekend arrived…and I started having second thoughts (in a good way!), I thought why only 80:20.. why not 100%.  I knew that focusing on health alone would not keep me focused.

So I put on my big girl pants and pressed play on Dominion.  Dominion starts with a close up of a pig’s eye, this was the first time I looked into a pig’s eye and really saw them.  Joaquin Phoenix’s haunting voice tells me how these animals are unseen, unheard, only livestock, faceless, their value determined only by their usefulness to humans.  I started to cry, I pretty much didn’t stop throughout the whole film.
The film finishes stating, before we kill them, we have to breed them, confine and exploit them, for food, entertainment, clothing and research.  Their entire lives from birth to death controlled by industries concerned with only profit.  He, She, They, not It – There is no humane way to kill someone who wants to live.

I’d made the decision to be vegan by choosing to watch the film, after seeing how farmed animals are abused, beaten, mocked, kicked, ridiculed & killed I could only be vegan.  After looking into a pig’s eyes and witnessing their pain, their fear, their sorrow there was no going back.

I then watched Earthlings, I am still broken by the images of the monkey used for head injury crash testing.  Once you witness the terrible injustices we cause to animals you cannot forget and you cannot go on paying for it to happen.

So, what have I learned since being vegan

The first thing I learned was that there are vegan margarines.  I used to love toast & marmalade for breakfast, I remember my first morning as a vegan, looking at my dry toast and wondering what vegans put on it!  I tried some almond butter, which wasn’t very nice… and then decided okay, I can live without toast… a few weeks, yes, weeks, later, I realised there was Flora and Vitalite spread.. and the absolute game changer Vegan Block vegan ‘butter’.

I also had the strange revelation a couple of days into my vegan life, that I couldn’t eat cheese!  I honestly became vegan without thinking about cheese.  But, I didn’t think to myself, oh this is too hard, cheese was no longer food to me, I discovered vegan cheese, I can now eat it cut straight off the block.  Once you make the connection the things you used to eat are no longer considered food.
I realised that there was a huge amount of foods out there that are accidentally vegan, I think this is a big one, I remember picking up a biscuit at my sister’s house and she said you can’t eat that, I said I can, it’s already vegan.

Being vegan takes a little bit of research initially, which is why Veganuary and Challenge 22 are such great ideas, they email you daily tips, covering all aspects of a vegan life and great recipes to try.  
Becoming vegan was eye opening in more ways than one, I became an instinctive cook, I followed recipes less, instead I started throwing things in a pan and seeing what happened.  I discovered a new love for cooking and for eating.  It is amazing how much better you feel once you no longer serve death on a plate.

Finally, the biggest thing I learned was I couldn’t just be vegan, I had to speak out for animals.  I never intended to become a vegan activist, but really, how can you not, witnessing the fear & pain in an animals eyes for myself, I knew I couldn’t be silent. 
So, are you against animal cruelty? I know it is hard to hear, but whilst you continue to eat meat, dairy and eggs, animal abuse will continue to happen in your name.

You can find Kirsten on Instagram : @no_blood_no.tears

Veganuary – https://veganuary.com/
Challenge 22 – https://challenge22.com/
Cowspiracy – https://www.cowspiracy.com/
Dominion – https://www.dominionmovement.com/watch
The Land Of Hope And Glory – https://www.landofhopeandglory.org/
Earthlings – https://www.nationearth.com/
The Game Changers (Netflix) – https://www.netflix.com/title/81157840
How Not To Die Book – https://drgreger.org/
Joey Carbstrong – https://www.joeycarbstrong.com/

So, its finally here, the last build up to Christmas just a few days away… the stress and the excess of December with its Christmas parties, nativity plays, working hard to finish all tasks before taking a break, shopping, eating, drinking, singing and being merry… after all its Christmas.

This year I’ve asked my true love to give to me, a slow living Christmas. I’ll be sharing my 12 days of Christmas with a slow living twist for your most peaceful and meaningful Christmas ever.

12 Excited Children

Luckily, I only have 2 excited children, and in this day and age its more and more difficult to remind children the real importance and meaning of Christmas. They only have to watch a few toy adverts on TV or in my 2 teenagers’ case, flick through social media to be bombarded with images of material things and expense.

This time of year, is ideal to remind kids about the importance of a gift. Considering the thought that has gone into a gift and the act of kindness. We can easily share the joys of Christmas that I will share with you now with our children.

11 Simple Joys

My simple joys of Christmas are waking up before everyone else on Christmas morning for coffee on my own before I hear excited footsteps from bedrooms. Taking the dog for a walk on Christmas morning feels different somehow with no cars on the road and very few people out and about. Although I don’t like gingerbread, I love gingerbread scented candles and melts and save them just for this time of year to enjoy that smell of Christmas to me. Unlike most people I also love wrapping gifts and since switching to eco friendly options it has allowed me to be much more creative with cinnamon sticks and dried orange slices added to brown paper.

I’m also using reusable fabric wraps this year for those special gifts and for shapes that are hard to wrap!

What are your simple joys? Find joy in the quiet not just the noise, lights and material possessions.

10 Christmas Crafts

Allow your hands and mind to get lost in some Christmas crafts and makes. Make your own wreath or for something a little more simple get a make your own Christmas cracker kit like this plantable set of 6 here.

You could make mince pies instead of buying them this year or bake biscuits and cookies to enjoy with hot chocolate in the evenings.

9 Walks in Nature

Don’t let the cold put you off getting some fresh air. Talking a walk can give you some mental space and calm. Grab the family and wander around taking notice of the seasonal details and senses and admiring others decorations and lights. You could even forage for table settings, a sprig from a tree with ribbon makes a simple and effective cutlery holder, or fill a big flower vase with foliage such as leaves and pinecones for a centre piece. Add lights and some eco-friendly glitter for that little bit extra. Bring the outside in to really connect with the season and enjoy what’s unique about winter.

8 Dreamers Dreaming

Dreaming of sleeping in or sitting by the fire with family with something warm to drink and sweet to eat? Do it! Make sure you spend this time resting, as the longer you rest, the deeper you relax to replenish your body and mind. No doubt it won’t be long till the next last-minute panic appears out of nowhere!

Take a few quiet moments with a lavender eye mask or a few drops of relaxing essential oil blend on an aromatherapy necklace means you can benefit from the relaxing scent wherever you are.

7 Trees-a-Twinkling

I was recently around some ladies and they started talking about the pressure to have the perfect Christmas tree after scrolling through social media and seeing picturesque displays of twinkling lights and colour co-ordinated decorations.

Now I’m no minimalist, we have decorations up including a plug-in fireplace ornament that is such a tradition that it symbolises to everyone who knows us that its officially Christmas. I honestly think I could just display the little fireplace with its flickering bulb and ceramic Santa with his sack and forget the tree and it would still feel just as festive.

The importance of Christmas is lost in the quest for perfection.

And that right there is what I want to focus on, the magic of Christmas in our home with my family. Soaking up those special memories that we can all agree, when we look back, are never about the gifts.

Add these baubles to your tree that include holistic gifts from Empathy Holistics. They contain either a Calming down oil, Uplifting hand cream (using festive spices) or Festive (clay based) face mask.

6 Phones-a-Pinging

I run an online business so I’m guilty of being on my phone quite a lot but over this year I have become more mindful about how and when I use my phone and Christmas will be no exception. In fact, I’ll be imposing a house rule on phones over the Christmas period so we can really savour what’s in front of us.

5 Festive Things

The meaning and purpose of Christmas of goodwill and giving has been overshadowed by greed, excess and stress. It doesn’t have to be this way. Sit and reflect on what you actually believe Christmas to be about. I’m sure you’ll discover some new family traditions no matter how big or small in no time. Take some home baking or sweet treats to your local fire station, they, amongst others, will be working Christmas Day.

4 Questions for Gifts

Before filling your online or physical basket with gifts ask yourself these 4 questions:

• Do they need it?
• Do they want it?
• Is it useful?
• Can I buy from a small business or second-hand?

I know my sister wants and would use vegan and eco-friendly eyelash extensions from LovOnLash.

My mum loves a bath so a Bath Time Deluxe soap bar is perfect!

My husband has a stressful commute to work every day so I’m giving him this reusable car freshener that uses essential oils to keep things calm in traffic jams and long drives.

My nephews would use reusable silicone straws with handy carry tin to throw into their football bags.

Little ones will get a lot of use out of these natural crayons that can also be personalised.

3 Thoughtful Gifts

I love to give, its my favourite part of Christmas watching someone open something I’ve found with them in mind. The more people you have to buy for, the more stressful it can be. Creating a new tradition of family secret Santa or agreeing on a budget means there is much more thought in gift giving rather than cost.

Make a treasure hunt of gifts with these fun cards made by Mucky Knees Boutique. Perfect for a new familt tradition as they can be reused every year and stored in a handy tin.

2 Reading Books

Personally, I have a pile of books I’ve bought over the last year or two to read “when I have time”. Christmas is the perfect time! No normal routines or work stresses it’s the perfect opportunity to snuggle with a blanket and a (gingerbread) scented candle and finally open page 1 of that book that’s been staring at you since June!

For a new christmas story for little ears take a look at Billy the Blackbird & The Winter Feast.

This exciting, winter story includes instructions how to make a winter bird feeder and free downloadable colouring-in sheet.

Available in Paperback, Hardback and a Gift Pack of both Billy the Blackbird books.

We need to look after the environment so our wildlife friends like Billy can stay safe, that’s why these books are printed on recycled paper and packaging is 100% plastic free.

And a slow living Christmas for me….

Wishing you a very merry Christmas, whatever that means to you and your family.

Stay Safe and Well,

Love, Light and Green Vibes,

Jodie

With the environment on everyone’s lips right now it’s a perfect time to look at how we can reduce our impact over the coming festive season.

125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging will be thrown out, rather than recycled and  6,000,000 trees are thrown out after Christmas, creating more than 9,000 tonnes of additional waste. That’s about five times the weight of the London Eye! 

Between Green shares our easy ways to create a green Christmas:

Wrapping Paper

We all know that person who’s armed with the big black bag ready to collect the ripped wrapping paper (normally mum!) Give them a break this year with reusable fabric wrapping.

Fabric wraps are a Japanese tradition known as Furoshiki. The word refers both to the craft and to the cloth itself and transforms the world of gift giving. These square wraps of fabric are used to wrap gifts and can be used time and time again making them the future of eco-gift wrapping.

This Festive Tigers design is the perfect playful print this festive season. These premium wraps will last much longer than single fabric wraps and with the addition of the satin ribbon, they give that extra special finishing touch.

This size is perfect for most small to medium gifts including books, dvds, small bottles, A4 sized prints.

They are available in our Between Green Subscription Box for December (£20 includes UK P&P and plenty of other festive eco friendly goodies) or the full kit is sold separately including fabric wrap care and etiquette information, how to wrap your gift guide, satin ribbon and matching tag for £18.00 HERE

Another eco-friendly alternative is using plain brown paper. You can easily decorate with pens or stamps or add dried fruit or cinnamon to your gifts – In Decembers Between Green Subscription Box you’ll receive fresh cinnamon sticks for decorating gifts, your Christmas tree and Christmas crafts.

Easily add to your Eco Friendly Gifts and Decorations with dried orange slices.

Sign Up For Between Green Boxes in December for Reusable Fabric Wrapping and Fresh Cinnamon Sticks included with many more festive goodies for a Green Christmas

CHRISTMAS FESTIVE TIGERS FUROSHIKI FABRIC WRAP STARTER KIT

Love, Light and Green Vibes,

Jodie

‘Tis the season to be merry, celebrate togetherness and also give back to nature.

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but unfortunately not for the planet.

With enormous amounts of waste generated every year, the season of giving has also become the season of discarding with 30% more waste thrown away over Christmas. This includes 1,315 tonnes of wasted turkeys and 375 tonnes of wasted mince pies!

Christmas Crackers

Christmas crackers are undoubtedly a staple at the Christmas table however a huge majority of treats from crackers are single use plastics – most of which goes to landfill or is burned – which is a waste of money, resources and energy. It is estimated that over 40 million Christmas crackers end up in the bin on Christmas Day!

Keep all the fun of the snap, hat and (terrible) joke and forget about the plastic with Plantable Christmas Crackers.

Throw them in the garden not in the bin!

The snap, hat and joke are all recyclable and the cracker can go into the ground in your garden or plant pots to grow wildflowers for birds, bees and butterflies.

These Crackers are available in Decembers Between Green Subscription Box packed with other eco friendly Christmas essentials for just £20 including UK P&P

Or Sold Separately on the Between Green Website HERE for £20

Love, Light and Green Vibes,

Jodie

Seven million trees are thrown out after Christmas, creating more than 9,000 tonnes of additional waste. That’s about five times the weight of the London Eye!

Chopping trees down and just throwing them away after Christmas obviously isn’t great for the environment so what are the more eco friendly options?

Real Christmas Trees

When deciding between real or plastic trees, a real tree each year is still the greener option.

Even though plastic trees are reused many times many of us choose a real Christmas tree over a plastic one.

According to the Forestry Commission, real trees use ten times fewer materials and five times less energy to produce than fake ones.

Real Christmas trees are primarily grown on Christmas tree farms, and aren’t cut down from large, wild forests, like some may think. As the tree grows, it cleans the air, helps the soil, absorbs carbon emissions and provides a habitat for wildlife, all while being grown on land not suitable for other crops. Once a tree is cut down for Christmas, another one to three trees are planted in its place, making for a sustainable, well-managed way to source an environmentally friendly Christmas tree.

Buying a real tree still needs careful consideration. It’s better to buy directly from the Xmas tree farm to avoid unnecessary transport, plastic sleeves around the tree, and to ensure your tree is as fresh as possible.

If you have a tree with its roots still attached, then replanting your Christmas tree is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and help the efforts to plant more trees.

Also, unlike artificial trees, real trees can be composted at the end of its life. Recycled real Christmas trees can be shredded into chippings, which are then used in parks or woodland areas.

Restoring and protecting sustainably managed forests, including Christmas tree farms, is a vital part in addressing climate change, so buying a real tree is a great way to do your bit. 

You can also get potted Christmas trees that have been grown in a forest and then placed in a large plant pot.

This option is only really suitable if you have the space to store a tree in your garden year-round and if you’re able and willing to care for it year round, as they can be difficult when potted. Depending on how the trees were grown and potted, the roots could be too damaged to take hold anywhere else. If you were to plant it in your garden to reuse each year, there is a chance it wouldn’t survive. You’ll need to decide whether to plant it in your garden for the majority of the year, or whether to keep it potted.

Did you know you can also Grow your Own Christmas tree from seeds to enjoy Christmas’s for years to come. A variety of seeds are available for different species of Christmas Trees; Norway Spruce, Nordman Fir & Noble Fir as well as more unusual species. The seeds are also inexpensive with some priced from just £1.99

Artificial Trees

With a majority of UK households choosing an artificial tree either bought new or reused year after year, its important to note that there are environmental impacts at each point of the trees life.

The A.C.T.A, a group representing manufacturers, says the environmental impact is less than real trees if you reuse the artificial tree five or more times. However, many argue that anything made of oil that can’t be recycled can’t possibly be more sustainable than a real tree that absorbs carbon as it grows and is compostable at end of life. Artificial trees are most often made with a combination of PVC and steel and aren’t recyclable at their end of life. 

All in all, if you already have an artificial tree, keep using it for as long as possible so you can keep it out of the landfill.

Something Different…

Alternative Christmas trees are hugely popular. They are perfect for small spaces and can be made using recycled objects such as pallet trees.

For a subtle nod to nature without the real tree, collect assorted sized planks of wood, branches and twigs to create a hanging arrangement with your favourite decorations.

Ditch the tree altogether and get creative with your Christmas lights. You could make a light tree in any part of the house as it takes up no floor space. You could have a light display and a real tree in another room bring Christmas feel to any area of the home.

I love the idea of the basket to collect all the gifts!

I hope you’ve been inspired to create an eco friendly Christmas in your home, whatever that means to you. I’d love to see some photos of your creations, makes and ideas so head on over to social media and tag us!

Love, Light and Green Vibes,

Jodie

Between Green has been awarded the title of Best Value Green Subscription Box by The Box Hut subscription box marketplace.

Here’s what The Box Hut had to say about Between Green Boxes:

Jodie from Manchester wants to help you make small changes to your life so you can adopt a greener, more sustainable lifestyle one step at a time as she introduces you to practical eco-friendly products in a monthly letterbox-sized subscription box.

‘Changing the world one box at a time’.

Between Green

You’ll be amazed just how many eco-friendly products are actually available but it takes someone like Jodie and her dedication to the cause to find them for you.

Jodie tests and tries all the products herself and creates a new theme every month. Your subscription box could contain anything from natural self-care to chemical-free cleaning products all for just £20 a month.

Thank you Nick Davies at

http://www.the boxhut.com

Find Between Green Boxes on The Box Hut website HERE