2017 was a great year for us here at Green Tulip and before we throw ourselves fully into 2018 we thought it would be nice to look back at some of the highlights. First up - of course - was the fact we celebrated our 10th Birthday in July! That makes us quite an old lady in website terms, and positively ancient in ethical website terms!

I love packing our customer's orders - sometimes they look (and smell) so gorgeous it inspires me to think which of my friends and family an order would most appeal to! Getting to know the products gives me a real sense of familiarity with them and I have some firm favourites. Here's my list of who I am buying for this Christmas and what I have chosen. It was so difficult, at times I realised I was choosing all my favourites - mentally shopping for myself!? Oops, it's a bit of an occupational hazard at Green Tulip!

We have so many gorgeous, lovely gifts at Green Tulip and as they all have to be photographed for the website, I spend quite a lot of my time thinking 'Oo, I'd like this'. But of course, I don't buy everything I like (I'd be broke!) just make a mental list of those I 'need' and pass on the list to my family for Christmas and birthdays. Which got me thinking about all the lovely things I could get them for Christmas! So here are a few of my favourites...

At work, I deal with beautiful and 'green' products- photographing and researching them and it's a very pleasant way to spend time in the office! But as soon as I get home, the gloves go on and the gardening begins! If you live in the countryside, or are lucky enough to have a garden in a city or town then the chances are, you have learnt a bit about gardening! It also won't have escaped your attention that there is a 'growing' movement towards using your outdoor space to grow your own food. This is actually a 'regrowth' as until the 1950's/60's British gardens were often the primary source of fresh fruit and veg for the family home.

Has the current Soil Association campaign 'Organic Your September' piqued your interest? Here's what you need to know:

Why choose organic?

• It's naturally different - Studies show higher levels of some nutrients and lower levels of pesticides and chemical residues in food.
• Know what your eating - GM ingredients, hydrogenated fats and some artificial colours and preservatives are banned under organic standards.
• Combat climate change - Organic farming offers the best currently available, practical model for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.
• Protect British Wildlife - Organic farms are havens for wildlife and provide homes for bees, birds, butterflies. There is up to 50% more wildlife than on non-organic farms.
• Reduce exposure to pesticides - The best way is to buy organic as they will contain overall fewer pesticides.

At this time of year, parents all over the country are starting to think about uniforms, PE kits and shoes. Is everything properly labelled? Does anything fit anymore? Just where exactly did the PE kit get dropped on the last day of term?! However one thing is for sure - if you ask parents what they like most about the holidays it's not having to prepare packed lunches every morning! Juggling breakfast, shoe search and tie tying with hunt the lid for the lunch containers is not anyone's idea of fun! We start off the term full of good intentions and matching lunch box lids, but it can quickly slide back into chaos! We have put together a few tips to help you survive the start of term and keep the mornings calm (ish!)

Now we are well into August, I thought I'd take the time to reflect on the successes and challenges from my first Plastic Free July.