A couple days back I received an invitation to my friend's daughter's first birthday. A small paper slipped out which read (I'm paraphrasing) "Though your presence is all that my daughter wants, those who wish to bring a gift can make a donation to the Educate Lanka Foundation, a charity that provides education to children in need in Sri Lanka". I was blown away with how lovely this idea was - her daughter is blessed to having loving parents, doting grandparents and aunts and uncles that constantly spoil her; she doesn't need any more toys/clothes/books and so her family is selflessly requesting a donation be made to those in need.
This invitation, and this article inspired me for this week's STWW post: sharing your presence. Christmas and the holidays are a wonderful time of year, you give and receive presents, you spend the day with your loved ones, eating delicious food and sharing memories. And while presents are always welcome, what about your presence? Are you 100% focused on the people that surround you?
As a social media addict, I can see how common it is for us to be glued to our phones even when we're surrounded by others. I feel as though I take and edit all these beautiful pictures to put on Instagram for me to remember (and, I'll admit it, sometimes I do it to show others) an event when I should be present in the moment to create memories rather than take pictures of them.
So this holiday season let's all leave our phones in our bags and jackets and focus on what and who is in front of us. This Christmas, don't just hand out presents, share your presence. What are you going to do to be more present?
Merry Christmas to those celebrating and Happy Holidays to those who aren't!
As someone who wears studs constantly, longer, dangly earrings are uncommon and formal for me. If you've been keeping up with my "My Favourite Holiday" series for these past couple weeks, you'll know that Christmas for me means more formal, glittery and fancy attire and these geometrical earrings are just that!
I bought this pair almost two years ago from H&M so it is longer on their site but I found (fairly) similar ones here and here. They're chic, not too heavy and go with any outfit, giving a modern twist. I'm not entirely a fan of beaded numbers so I tend to stick to stones or all metal with interesting shapes and this pair is perfect. They stop just above my shoulder and I love wearing them with an all black outfit and a red lip so they really stands out.
What are your favourite accessories this holiday season? Do you change your choices for the holidays or do you keep consistent?
 |
| Image Sources 1 / 2 / 3 |
I realize that this post would have been of more use had I thought of it earlier but my STWW series only started two weeks back (see the first post here) and I'm still in the process of organizing myself. I'm making myself feel better by saying these tips are for Christmas procrastinators and can also be used next year. But better late than never, here are five tips for a more environmentally friendly Christmas.
1. Buy a live Christmas tree: though plastic trees are reusable, they are often made from PVC which uses resources to be manufactured and shipped. These plastic trees also end up in landfills after a few uses. Live Christmas trees are grown on tree farms and are a renewable resource as they are replanted regularly. Another bonus is that they have a wonderful pine scent that your fake tree won't have. Another tip is to use LED holiday lights as they use 95% less energy which also reduces your electricity bill.
3. Buy locally made gifts: these can be found in artisan shops and craft fairs and, aside from being cool and hipster, they are friends of the environment as they don't contribute to greenhouse emissions since they aren't transported halfway around the world. Transportation is an often overlooked but significant cause of global warming and we should be more mindful of where our products come from and how they got here.
2. Give battery-free gifts: aside from the energy required to produce batteries, a problem with batteries is that they generally end up in landfills (please recycle your batteries/electronics when possible!). Help save energy and the environment by opting for battery-free gifts or by providing rechargeable batteries with your gifts.
4. Use environmentally friendly wrapping choices: choose to wrap gifts with fibers such as hemp or with recycled wrapping paper. There are many gorgeous recycled wrapping papers, there's no real reason to buy anything else. Most wrapping papers, providing they aren't metallic papers or foils, can be recycled too! Reusing the paper/bows/ribbons your gifts were wrapped in is great for the environment and your wallet.
5. Don't use disposable containers: whether you're presenting a box of homemade cookies as a gift or bringing some of your beautiful roasted vegetables for dinner, try not to use a disposable container. Despite the hassle of needing to remember to take your dish home at the end of the night, it's much more environmentally friendly to take a resuable dish rather than a disposable plastic one. You could also buy a tin from your local dollar store to present the cookies in - it's something the receiver can and will reuse.
I hope these tips help you make a more conscious Christmas decision - some of these tips are easier to fulfill than others but even doing one will make a difference! More information can be found here and let me know of any green Christmas tips you have for a more environmentally friendly holiday!
Come Christmas season, I think it's entirely acceptable to have glittery golden lids, all day, everyday. Actually, I think glittery lids are acceptable any time of the day/month/year but they're more appreciated during Christmas.
This Inglot eyeshadow (I can't find it on the site, I picked this particular one up from Dubai two years back) is one of my favourite products of all time. I generally use it to brighten up my inner eye but I'll also use it all over my lid for an extra bit of glam, then using a dark brown shadow in my crease and on the outer corners of my eyes. This shadow incredibly pigmented, lasts all day and there is no fall out. The colour is a golden bronze though it's showing up orange in the pictures. It's the perfect shade of gold, in my opinion; not to yellow, not too orange but the happy medium. If I had to choose the perfect eyeshadow, this would be it.
I can't sing its praises enough. This is the one product I will always use and will always promote. It's actually my second pot: I bought the first one over 5 years back when an Inglot store popped up in my local mall. The store closed a year later which was awful, especially when I dropped my pot and the shadow smashed. Unfortunately there were no other Inglot stores in Toronto and so I would gingerly open my shadow to use it, careful not to let any of the precious powder fall. Three years back I went to London and was gutted to know that a mall I frequented had an Inglot store that I didn't know about and never visited. Finally I had the chance to visit Dubai and made sure to check if there was an Inglot there. I realize that I sound obsessive and crazy but that should illustrate how much I loved (and still love) this shadow! I literally tracked it across countries and continents. I bought another pot of this shadow and I've been careful not to drop this one. There's now an Inglot in Toronto which I haven't visited yet but if I ever find this eyeshadow, I will be sure to let you guys know.
What are your favourite shadows for this season? Any one beauty product you're obsessed with?
When it comes to the holidays, everything and everyone get a little more glitzy and a little more glamorous. Perfume is no exception so, come December, I Chan(n)el my attention (see what I did there?) to Chanel Chance*.
This scent has been on the market for quite a while and it's a scent I've loved for many years. It is a floral and rich smelling perfume - it reminds me of Chanel No. 5 but for a younger audience. It is a strong scent so I don't recommend going overboard with the perfume - just a few spritz of this goes a long way. I use two sprays and it is absorbed really well into my skin and clothes, lingering for hours.
I love this scent for Christmas because it smells so classic (yes, I realize that isn't a scent but there's no better way to describe it). I'm awful at describing scents so check out the link above for more information on the notes of the perfume - I don't want to ruin its description. I can't tell you how many compliments I get whenever I wear this perfume. I've realized that the same scent may smell different on two people so I would advise you to go to a department store and try out the scent on your skin before splurging. It is a little pricey but its long-lasting formula is definitely worth the money.
What are you favourite scents (for the holidays or otherwise)?
