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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas

11/30/2019

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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
It's no secret that we as a human race have royally messed up our duty as keepers of this planet. Thankfully, we have become more aware as of late the mistakes we have made, and there are strides being taken in rectifying these mistakes! Saying no to a straw? Easy! Bringing my own bags to the supermarket? Done! Being eco-friendly and waste-free during Christmas time? Ummmm....?
With Christmas being the most wasteful time of the year, it is super important to have a game plan in place, so you can be eco-friendly year round! It really is possible to be waste-free during the Holidays.
Keep reading for my tips on being waste-free all Christmas long!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
Gift Wrapping;
Did you know that we generate an additional 7 million pounds of waste between Thanksgiving and New Years Day? My Mom and I both have in our homes containers overflowing with gift bags, boxes, and tins. Every Christmas we put gifts in these, and then after all the presents have been opened, we pick our way through the debris reclaiming our individual bags and boxes, take them back home, and repeating next year! It seems crazy to throw away perfectly good bags and buy more every year.

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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
​I will be the first to admit that there is something deeply satisfying about tearing open wrapping paper like a little kid hopped up on pixie sticks and Mountain Dew! So whatever presents aren't placed into a reusable bag or box, we wrap with newspaper and junk mail. It's actually pretty cute! And bonus, we don't need to write who the present is from-everyone will already know! 

A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
Food and drink;
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I do not personally eat 100% vegan, although I do recognize how important it can be, and about 90% of my cooking is vegan. I do love eggs, but only the Certified Humane eggs! Make sure your eggs are certified humane, and free range or pastured. Cage free eggs, although better than nothing, are not ideal-chickens although not kept in cages, are usually not let outside and are kept in a very cramped spaces. Remember it's about a good life for us, and for our animal friends.
So why not try a couple vegan recipes out this Christmas?
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
Starting with my Vegan Christmas Eve Ice Cream Hot Cocoa (pictured above), it's sure to be a hit!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
There is nothing better than my Vegan Caramel Apple Oatmeal on a cold winter morning!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
My Organic, Vegan, and Fair Trade Peanut Butter Cups make great gifts and holiday treats!

Check out my Pinterest board for some of my favorite vegan recipes.
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
Gifts;
​When giving environmentally-conscious gifts, there are many avenues we can take.
Do we give gifts that will help the recipient reduce their carbon footprint? Do we give gifts that just with their being made make the world a better place? Do we give gifts that have been recycled/upcycled? Yes, yes, and yes! So check out these 14+ gifts hand picked by me, that will make everyone on your list, as well as Mother nature, smile.


1. Soda stream.
We absolutely love our Soda Stream. My parents got it for us for Christmas last year and we have used the crap out of it! Nick is a pretty big pop drinker and I have tried to get him to cut back on it-for his health, to save money, and for environmental purposes. The Soda Stream takes regular tap water, and turns it into delicious fizzy water, making it the perfect gift for any Le Croix lovers on your list. Just do what I do and add a squeeze of lemon juice, or any other fruit to it. You can also buy concentrated syrups that taste just like your favorite pop flavor. They contain no high fructose, and one bottle of the syrup will make 9 liters of pop! And is your CO2 tank empty? No need to throw it out and buy a new one, just take it to Bed Bath and Beyond where they will fill it back up for a cheaper price than buying a new one!


A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
2. My book!
Ok maybe a paperback book isn't necessarily eco-friendly, but the Kindle version is! This book is great for a new graduate, someone you know who wants to start living better and bolder or traveling the world, or anyone who wants to create their Dream Life!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
3. Environmentally friendly toothbrush.
A bamboo toothbrush makes a great stocking stuffer, and is a great way to educate your loved ones about how in the United States alone it is estimated that 1 billion toothbrushes are thown away every single year, creating 50 million pounds of waste annually! And considering the fact that plastic (including those 1 billion toothbrushes) never breaks down, a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush is a great thing to use!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
I love Francesco Palmieri because they have a wide range of eco-friendly products, including these colorful bamboo toothbrushes. And use my code RECYCLE to get 20% off!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
4. Re-usable feminine hygiene products.
Another great stocking stuffer for the ladies on your list is re-usable pads (from Ursa Major Mama on Etsy)! Ok I know it's not the most fun subject, but look at how cute they are!
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5. Re-usable glass straws.
How about some Strawesome re-usable glass straws for everyone you know!
6. Re-usable water bottles.
7. To go coffee mug.
8. Beeswax wraps.
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9. T-shirt pillows.
My handmade t-shirt pillows are up-cycled- made from old t-shirts that I find at thrift stores and garage sales. Plus 10% of everything I make goes to multiple charities that are changing lives. Check out all my pillows and then send me an email (volkejessica@aol.com) telling me which one you want so I can ship it out to you before Christmas!
​10. A french press. 
11. Fair-trade coffee.
12. Live plants.
13. Re-usable coffee sleeves.
​(I bought a bunch of these for all the coffee drinking ladies on my Christmas list!)


A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
14. A bracelet that helps save the turtles.
How about a beautiful bracelet made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, 100% post-consumer recycled glass bottles, including less than 5% reclaimed ocean plastic and glass? And what if that very same bracelet funds the removal of one pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines?! Yeah, 4ocean is an amazing company that sells not only recycled bracelets, but also single-use alternatives, such as straws, shopping bags, water bottles, and tumblers. Every item you purchase from them helps pull one pound of trash from the ocean.

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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
Some more ways to ensure waste-free and world changing Christmas​ gifts this year and every;

- Shop thrifts stores and garage sales.
Not only will you find super unique and cool things that are crazy inexpensive, but you are keeping things from going into landfills, and stopping new products from being made. 

-Give sentimental gifts.
Sentimental gifts will be remembered much longer than some gadget you picked up at Wal Mart last minute.


-Shop small businesses.
When you purchase from small businesses, you change the world.

-Shop local.
Less shipping equals more eco-friendly.

-Purchase my handmade gifts.
​10% of my profits go to world-changing charities, and a lot of my products are up-cycled. Check out all my products and then send me an email (volkejessica@aol.com) telling me what you want so I can ship it out to you before Christmas!


-Give experiences.
Experiences are some of the greatest gifts you can give. 
​Seeing a movie together, concerts, a picnic, a lunch date, use your imagination!

-Buy from Etsy.
Etsy is one of my favoritest places ever to shop for gifts! You are purchasing items from small businesses, you can find lots of vintage things on there, everything is so cute fun and unique, and last but not least, Etsy offsets 100% of carbon emissions from every delivery!


A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
​This year make the holidays more about the experience and feeling than about gifts.​ It will feel good, trust me. <3
P.S. These dreamy Christmas pictures are from the amazing Rockin' Red Photography.
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***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, and this post may contain some of these, and other affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of the amazon links, or some of the others, this blog receives a small commission. Amazon has no input on what I link, and I only link to products that I like, or trust. The price when clicking through my link is the exact same as any other path you use to find your way to Amazon or the other sites. Thanks for your support!***
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Peace Love and Waste-Free Christmas
Jess <3
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Christmas Eve Ice Cream Hot Cocoa

12/7/2016

2 Comments

 
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This year for Christmas, why not wow your guests with an updated (made from scratch, healthy, and completely vegan!) version of boring hot chocolate!
This drink is best sipped on Christmas Eve, in front of a roaring fireplace, surrounded by people you love. And that's why I named it "Christmas Eve Ice Cream Hot Cocoa". Ice Cream Hot Cocoa? You're probably saying to yourself. That doesn't make any sense!
I agree! When I came up with this idea, I thought it was totally weird also, but I just really wanted to put some of my new vegan ice cream into hot cocoa! And so I did! And it turned out to be pretty amazing. It's actually really cool, because the ice cream doesn't melt right away like you would think, nor does it turn the mug of hot cocoa cold. It just kinda sits there and adds flavor, it cools down the hot cocoa so it's a drinkable temperature, and if you use a chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, you will get to eat chunks of cookie dough! Yay! Still think it's weird? Why not make some and see for yourself! This recipe is way healthier than those packs of hot choclate, it's completely vegan, and you get to impress people by saying that you made the cocoa from scratch! So enjoy!


Christmas Eve Ice Cream Hot Cocoa
You can see the chunks of ice cream sticking out
This recipe will fill 3 mugs

What you will need;
​-3 cups of your favorite dairy-free milk (I prefer almond milk)
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-1/4 cup raw sugar (this stuff is way healthier than white sugar)
-2 scoops of your favorite dairy-free ice cream. I love So Delicious
Coconut Milk Ice Cream, and I highly recommend the chocolate chip cookie
dough flavor, because once the ice cream starts to melt into the hot cocoa,
you will have chunks of cookie dough floating in your hot cocoa, and it is
absolutely amazing!
-As many marshmallows as you prefer
-Cinnamon



​What to do;
-Heat the milk in a pan over the stove
-In a bowl, mix together the cocoa powder and raw sugar
-Once the milk is almost boiling, stir in the powder and sugar mixture
-Stir for one minute, so as to make sure the milk and powder mixture is 
completely combined

-Then boil until it's frothy
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Vegan Christmas Eve Ice Cream Hot Cocoa
How to assemble your hot cocoas;
-Find a very festive, Christmas-y mug.
​-Ladle hot cocoa into the Christmas mug. A little over half full.
-Put two big scoops of ice cream into the center of the mug.
Don't stir!

-Top with mallows
-Sprinkle with cinnamon
and then serve immediately.
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I hope you enjoy this recipe, maybe so much so that it will become a new Christmas Eve tradition! Either way, have a wonderful week, and I will not be posting next Monday because I have a lot of festivities and such going on, so have a very Merry Christmas!!!

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​Peace Love and Christmas Eve Hot Cocoa
Jess <3


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13 Online Gifts for Everyone on Your List

11/20/2016

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*Disclosure. This post contains some affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking these links, this blog receives a small commission. The affiliate links have no input on what I link, and I will only link to products I like and believe in. Thanks for your support!*
Merry Christmas everyone!
So if (like most people!) you haven't finished your Christmas Shopping yet, don't worry! You don't have to go out on Black Friday, forget about running around Wal-Mart Christmas Eve, and don't even think about buying gifts last minute that aren't special, and aren't perfect for the person you're buying them for!
Because I have for you 13 Online Gifts for Everyone on Your Christmas List!
As I said above, I will receive small commissions off several of these products, but some of these products are just small businesses that I believe in, and wish to help out, and am not receiving any commissions or monetary exchange of any kind! Some of these are also my products that I make and sell off of my Etsy. So either way, take your time to look around and find some great gifts, while helping out small businesses, and without leaving your house! 
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**Update this company is no longer selling sunglasses** 
Treestyle Sunglasses 

My husband is absolutely obsessed with his sunglasses from Treestyle!
Also, use the coupon code mypeacelovelife for 15% off your order!


Men's Drop Crotch Jogger Pants. They are only $13.54, and they offer free shipping!
^^Click the picture to get this great deal^^

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​Record bowls.
I make and sell these on my Etsy. You can buy one for $1.99 or 5 for $9.99.

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Shoes!
Everyone loves shoes. They make great gifts for everyone! And I've hand picked some of the coolest shoes the internet has to offer. Check it out!
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An LED Night Light! Only $10.72, and free shipping! Click the picture to get this deal!

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Vintage and hand made earrings. Prices ranging from $8-$15. These are from my friend's Etsy Shop Mystic Gizmos.
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This awesome plus size Christmas sweater that is only $12.92.
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Zombie Sheet Set
Twin Sets starting at $51.99

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Anything from Amazing Creams and Lotions!
Amazing Creams and Lotions is a small business, brick and mortar store located in Wilmot, Ohio, where I live. But if you don't live close, you can purchase all their products from their website! I asked for a lot of things from there this year, because I absolutely love all their products. The owner makes all the products right there in her store; everything is all natural, and super healthy. I actually wrote an article about this business in 2013, because I believe so much in what she's doing.

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custom bobbleheads
These bobbleheads are so cool! You send in a picture of the person, and they make a bobblehead that looks like them!
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Lipstick!
I recently did some modeling for Mynena's Matte Liquid Lipstick, and I absolutely love them, they are so beautiful! ​The colors I'm wearing are Sonia on the top, and I'm wearing the color Elle, on the bottom.
These both make such great gifts!
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Pokemon Hair Clips and Pins.

Superhero things!
Who doesn't love superheroes?! And here are some great superhero gifts for anyone!
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Well there you have your 13 gifts for everyone on your list! And as a bonus, here are 5 more Online Gifts for you in my post from last year about Christmas Gifts from Uncommon Goods! So finish up your shopping early, enjoy your Thanksgiving, and have a stress-free and joyful month of December!


​Peace Love and Christmas Gifts
Jess <3


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5 Cool Christmas Gifts from Uncommon Goods
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    I'm Jessica!

    I've traveled all over the world, but Ohio is where I call home. I'm a lifestyle & travel blogger, and author. I love setting goals, reading, and snuggling up with my fur babies. I can usually be found at my local thrift store, or in the hammock in my backyard.

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