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I remember each of my 3 children’s first Christmases. It is an exciting time, and, as I have winter babies, they were nearly a year old.

Everyone says Christmas is a time for families. This year, finally you have your own. It is exciting, thrilling. Finally, you get to share the wonder and magic of Christmas with your own tiny bundle of joy.

Then the question pops into your head. What are you going to get this precious little child for it’s very first Christmas. Surely it should be something amazing, awe-inspiring, a thing to entertain them for months to come. You start to see the posts on social media, showing mountains of presents. Baby forums start to fill up with the question “what are you getting your baby for Christmas?” The budget some people are stating in the hundreds.

Well, you see, I like to be a bit counter cultural. All of my children just got stockings for their first Christmas’. Yes, that’s right, a large sock filled with things I knew they’d love – a bath toy, their favourite food (I really did put a  banana in  my eldest son’s first stocking), a board book, a new beaker. Small things, nothing significant.

You may think I am a bit mad (many people do!). But they way I saw it was this. At not quite 1, my children had no understanding of what Christmas is all about. As far as they are concerned, it is just another day. In fact, a lot of babies are a bit overwhelmed on their first Christmas day with all the hustle and bustle, presents, food, people  – just take a look at the face of my youngest on his first Christmas in the picture above, and  we hadn’t arrived at Nana’s yet, with all the people that involves!

In addition, we are blessed with a HUGE extended family. So my children are always inundated with gifts, far more than any one child needs (I have been known to give away presents to other families, and I am training my family on more ethical gift giving – there are some ideas here)

No, a tiny baby does not need lavishing with countless gifts on Christmas day. They need that which they need every day – to be loved, to be cuddled, to have their needs met and to feel secure.

So spend your baby’s first Christmas with those that love him or her, cuddle them, hold them, sing to them. Start family traditions to carry forward if you will (we do stockings in front of the fire while eating a continental breakfast picnic – my kids look forward to this as a big part of Christmas these days!), but don’t overspend on gifts. They are not needed just yet.

(If you want some ideas of nice stocking fillers for your little one, check out our gift range here)

One of the questions or comments I get about cloth nappies is whether they will cause fit issues with clothes.  It’s a question, like many in the cloth nappy world, where the answer is “well it depends!”

It depends on the shape of your baby. My babies tend to be long and thin and so actually cloth nappies made their clothes fit better, and we often found we had more problems when we potty trained.

It also depends on what nappies you are using. A lot of modern cloth nappies are very slim fitting, and won’t add much more bulk than a full disposable (remember, disposables are slim when you first put them on, but as they absorb urine, they swell).

However, if you are finding that you are struggling to get trousers to fit your cloth bummed baby, here are some tips.

1. 1. Some retailers are more generous with their hip allowances than others, so it can be a case of trial and error as to which ones fit best, but the cloth nappy users in chat groups routinely recommend H&M, Morrisons/Nutmeg, Sainsbury and Frugi as ones that tend to fit cloth nappied babies.
2. 2. Go for stretchy fabric and elasticated waists. Leggings, joggers, tights etc.. will work better than jeans or cords. We have a lovely range of leggings with designs to suit all genders here
3. 3. If it’s your vests that are the problem, consider vest extenders. These nifty little devices add a couple of inches to the bottom of your baby’s vests, meaning you don’t need to go up a size.
4. 4. Consider the nappy as clothes! If your baby is in a cute nappy, just add a top and your good to go. In cooler weather you can use leg warmers to keep baby warm.
5. 5. Shorts or crop trousers can work as long trousers the next size up.

Comment below with which brands you find work on your cloth bummed little one.

Well, it’s Zero Waste Week and the theme this year is reuse, which I am sure you will appreciate, is a cause close to my heart! Each year the average UK household produces over a tonne of waste, and even if most of that is recycled, it is still a waste of resources and energy. The best waste reduction strategy is not to buy it in the first place, but second best is to reuse.

So here are some easy reusable alternatives to mainstream disposable products:

1. 1. Paper plates. Hands up – who buys paper plates when entertaining because it’s easier? I am as guilty as the next woman! I run a monthly event for families for my local church, which involves a meal. We were going through so many paper plates. So, we invested in several packs of the plastic kids plates and cups from Ikea. It only cost a little bit more and they are lovely bright colours. They don’t take much washing, and if I’m feeling lazy I take them home and stick them in the dishwasher.
3. 2. Bottled water. Buying drinks out and about is probably one of the biggest reasons for plastic bottle waste in our house. I have 3 children, that’s a lot of plastic bottles. Then last year we all took part in a Sky Big Ride in Newcastle and were given sports bottles for all participants. That summer was a revolution. We filled our bottles with a drink of choice before leaving the house. No thirsty children, no thirsty parents, no plastic bottles!
5. 3. Lunch boxes. A friend of mine posted on Facebook last year that her husband had been using the same empty icecream container as a lunch box for the previous 5 years, when it had finally given up the ghost and had to be thrown out. She offered to go out and buy him a lovely new lunch box to take his lunch to work. “Tell you what,” he said, “go out and buy us some icecream, then we get a treat for tea and I get a new lunch box!” Wise man!
7. 4. Dishcloths. I grew up with Jeyes cloths for washing up. You know, those blue thin material ones that go really slimy and have to be thrown away every day? When I moved into my own home I switched to washable cotton ones. Since then I’ve progressed to brightly coloured microfiber ones as they are fab for cleaning with limited need for chemicals and detergent.
9. 5. Food. Tonnes of food is wasted every year and binned unnecessarily. Learn to love your leftovers and create more meals from your ingredients. You’ll save money.
11. 6. Plastic bags. In October, the Government is bringing in a law that will require all larger retailers to charge 5p for every plastic bag taken. We’ll all need to be more organised. But before you rush out and buy reusable bags – use the plastic bags you’ve already got until they fall to pieces! (However, as an additional incentive, I’ll pop a free cotton Grow Up Green shopper in your order!!)
13. 7. Clothes. Buy second hand, pass on when your done. It’s not hard. Even if you have a specific brand you like or style that suits, there is always ebay and Facebook buying groups that give you access to specifically what you are looking for.
15. 8. Nappies!! Obviously I had to mention this one. Disposable nappies add a huge amount to landfill. Reusable nappies no longer necessarily need folding, pins, soaking and boiling. Contact your local nappy library to find out more!
17. 9. Wipes. If you can’t face the idea of washing nappies, or if you already are, then consider washing your baby wipes. Washable wipes are a really cost effective alternative to disposable baby wipes that are actually more effective at the job they are designed to do. Check them out here
19. 10. San-pro. Queue screams of horror from the women and men looking confused! However, if you haven’t investigated it before, there is a whole range of reusable items out there to help you deal with your period sustainably. I stock Mooncups which are a silicone cup, worn internally like a tampon and emptied, washed and used again. You can also get washable pads, just rinse in cold water and wash in the machine.

So there we go, 10 tips. But I suspect I am stating the obvious for a lot of my readers, so feel free to share below your top tip on reusing!