On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love said to me...

...make sure you recycle your Christmas cards and Christmas tree.

Recycle your Christmas cards this January in special bins in TK Maxx, Marks & Spencer and HomeSense stores (click on the store name to find your nearest store) and those stores will donate money to the Woodland Trust which we will use for planting trees through our More Trees, More Good campaign.

Once you have recycled them at one of your local stores, then visit the Woodland Trust website, enter your name, address, email address (you can opt in for updates) postcode and vote for more trees to be planted near to where you live.
ASDA also have Christmas card recycling bins in their stores, they are collecting on behalf of Trees for Cities.  Unfortunately I cannot tell you more about the scheme as I can't find any information on either website.
Finally, do you remember a month ago struggling when you went to buy that real tree?
 
Well, please ensure you make the same amount of effort ensuring it gets recycled, most councils do a tree recycling scheme, check their website or just give them a call, don't just dump it and hope someone else will sort it out.

Merry Christmas

Thank you all for your continued readership and support of my little blog.


Due to the fact that we are having our Civil Partnership next month, we haven't sent out as many Christmas cards as normal.
For those that don't receive a Christmas card this year, please don't be offended, but here is the picture we chose for this years card.

So, Merry Christmas to one and all.

X-Factor's Gamu Nhengu and Aberlour Choir for the Christmas No.1

No, I have not gone soppy, okay no more than usual, but I want to bring this video, charity and plight to your attention especially as we count down the days to Christmas, a time for children.

There was a young girl called Gamu Nhengu, who entered X-Factor, sang, everyone loved her, then she was threatened with deportation and the love for her grew stronger, then she was no longer in X-Factor. The end.

No, not on this occasion.  Then Gamu Nhengu found the amazing Scottish children's charity, Aberlour.

Aberlour is the largest, solely Scottish, children’s charity and we provide help to over 6000 of Scotland’s most vulnerable children, young people and their families each year.

Their dedicated team of over 700 staff work across Scotland in more than 40 services, from Stranraer to Elgin & Aberdeenshire, helping children and young people who need additional care and support to achieve their potential and to live safe, fulfilling lives. Aberlour have adapted and customised their services in response to the changing needs of vulnerable children, young people and their families over the 130 years since the Aberlour orphanage was established in 1875.

They help:
• children whose lives are affected by parental drug and alcohol dependency
• young people who have social, educational and behavioural difficulties
• children and young people who run away from home and are exposed to risk of harm
• children and young people who have a disability
• young children to experience positive parenting, play and early learning

Well, this year this amazing charity have teamed up with Gamu, and the Aberlour choir is pitching to get the Christmas number one with their son "Where will you sleep this Christmas?".



You can download it HERE via i-tunes, let's join together and make the Aberlour Choir, featuring Gamu Nhengu the Christmas number one.

This week Lib Dem MP, Jo Swinson even tabled a Parliamentary Motion, urging fellow MPs to get behind this project and buy the song.

Merry Christmas to all my readers

Thank you all for your continued readership and support of my little blog.

Due to various events this year Christmas cards have been a little thin, in fact they are all written but have yet to be posted so you may well get them after Christmas, although as they say it is the thought that counts.

For those that don't receive one this year, please don't be offended, those that know me well will realise why, but here is the picture we chose for this years card.

So, Merry Christmas to one and all.

Recycling Christmas Cards - yes it matters!

Did you know that last year, only 7% of all Christmas cards were recycled in the United Kingdom?

Shameful really. Although I do wonder if that takes into account all those that would have gone into recyling boxes and bins operated by local authorities around the UK?

Anyway, this year it is key that we all do our bit.

Did you know that if each person in the UK recycles just ONE Christmas card, the Woodland Trust would be able to plant 15,000 trees - that is just amazing. Well the Reeves household will be recycling just over 60 cards (counting the two that only arrived yesterday) this year.

This year once all the cards have been recycled the Woodland Trust will be planting trees in five sites around the UK , here in Scotland it will be at a site called Milton, next to the Trust's Glen Finglas Estate.

It is estimated that over one billion Christmas cards will have been sent in 2008, so lets help the Woodland Trust get those trees and take your cards to WHSmith, Tesco, TK Maxx or Marks & Spencer to be recycled.