Please note that this post will contain some affiliate links, this means that I will earn a small commission for any sales at no extra cost to you.
If you are on the hunt for the perfect present for new parents or a new baby this Christmas, I have assembled a gift guide with all the things I have loved for my little boy. I'm definitely the kind of person that prefers a useful or practical gift and I'm really excited to share all of the environmentally friendly products that I recommend. These would work just as well for a baby shower or Christening gift and will last many, many years. Since having my son I have been much more aware of the waste we create as a household and the impact that this has on the environment- and the consequences this has for the planet my baby's generation will inherit.
The most universally useful present has got to be Cheeky Wipes. These reusable wipes can be used for everything from cleaning up after snack time out and about, to wiping bottoms in a nappy change routine! Many of you will have seen the recent documentary on the impact of wet wipes on our water system, reusable wipes are a great way to cut down on plastic waste and prevent fatbergs *insert vomit emoji* We use these instead of wet wipes full time, soaked in a tupperware in water with some essential oils for nappy changes, in a bag near the highchair and in the nappy bag for use out of the house. I would recommend at least 25 of these, I prefer the cotton or bamboo because they are the softest and I believe microfibre run the risk of micro plastic pollution. You can find a 25 pack here for less than £16.
My current obsession is Stasher bags. They are the most multi purpose, habit changing product I have bought all year and I want dozens more. I use these to store our cheeky wipes in the nappy bag, I found wet bags would leak or wick at the seams and the Stasher is totally waterproof. Now that we are weaning, I use them to carry snacks like veg sticks or rice cakes. They are food grade silicone and can even be used for cooking, I have used them for storing leftovers as well. My only bugbear is that they are not the easiest to get hold of in the UK, since I first found them on Instagram there have been a few more retailers offering them but the size and colour options have been a bit limited. You can get a set of 2 here, for £21.99. I recommend at least two, and the two different sizes in this set are perfect to have one for wipes and one for snacks. I am really hoping to have some of the pocket sized and the XL standing size in my stocking this year and I cannot stop raving about them. I used to go through sandwich bags like there was no tomorrow, the plastic was making me feel so guilty but I couldn't find an alternative that was durable or hygienic enough to make the swap. After using the Stasher bags for around five months, I have probably saved at least 50 ziplocs from landfill.
Now that Cassius is old enough to be drinking water, I wanted to invest in a reusable water bottle that will last a long time. We drink a lot of water at home, usually from camelbak bottles because I like it to be super cold but a straw isn't suitable for a baby. This Klean Kanteen beauty has a beaker top, which can eventually be replaced with a sports cap or normal lid so it is very future proof. It came with a valve, but these aren't recommended for babies who should learn to drink from a free flow beaker, so I have removed it for the time being. They come in loads of different lovely colours and I think it's really lovely that he has his own bottle that will last for his whole childhood. I bought mine here.
The single biggest thing we have done for the environment is make the switch to reusable nappies. If you had told me when I was pregnant that we would use cloth nappies, I would have rolled my eyes and said no way- I had used them when I worked in childcare and to say I was not the biggest fan is an understatement. We made the switch after I watched one too many climate documentaries during the sleepless early newborn days and Cassius seemed to react badly to the disposables. There are sooooo many different nappies out there, and what will work well for one baby might not be the best for another. My absolute favourites for the prints are Bare + Boho which I buy from HappiNappies because they have the best stock variety and availability. If you are looking to treat someone, I would recommend a voucher or something like a wet bag to get started. If they are unlikely to want to delve into the world of cloth nappies, it might be worth gifting a swim nappy as this would be far less intimidating to start with.
Not all baby gifts must be practical to be eco-friendly. Grimms toys are really so beautiful and the company has a wonderful eco-friendly ethos. I wasn't able to snap a photo of the one I have bought for Cassius because it is already wrapped for Christmas! There are lots of toys in the range, and I have bought a fair few sets because there is something inherently appealing about wooden, brightly coloured toys and I think he will get lots of play out of them for years to come. Take a look here for this 6 piece rainbow. I've read that under the age of 3ish, that anything bigger than the 6 piece doesn't really get played with so I hope to expand the collection and invest in a larger Grimms rainbow when Cassius is actually big enough to play with it.
I'd love to hear what eco swaps you have made for your kids, and what toys you would recommend!
No comments
Post a Comment