Sunday 4 January 2015

Twelfth Night

It's nearly Twelfth Night, the day when all the Christmas cards and decorations are taken down for another year. I have to admit that ours were taken down yesterday, Mick did the honours. I like to have everywhere back to normal before Mick goes back to work and Eleanor goes back to school, though the house is looking rather bare at the moment.


Both Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury's have a Christmas card recycling scheme. Marks & Spencer are working with The Woodland Trust and for every 1000 cards they collect in their recycling bins, one tree will be planted. The bins are in M&S stores right up until the 31st of January 2015. Christmas cards and wrapping paper can also be recycled at Sainsbury's, who will make a donation to Forest Stewardship Council UK based on the volume of cards collected in its stores. Their collection boxes will be in stores until the 13th of January 2015. Both people and wildlife need woodland so I think these are great schemes and it doesn't cost us anything to help. I know what I'll be doing with the cards I've taken down.

I received some wonderful cards this year but one of my favourites was this one showing York Minster in the snow. Isn't it beautiful?


Don't forget that my Nib Nibs giveaway will shortly be coming to a close. You can enter on my Nib Nibs Review And Giveaway post if you haven't already done so.

28 comments:

  1. It'll be good to get back to normal as it's been rather confusing at times as to what day it is.
    Both those schemes are good, I usually take mine to Sainsbury's. I like that York Minster card. Flighty xx

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    1. I've been exactly the same, forgetting which day we're on. I have to say that the weekends have merged in to the weekdays and I haven't known where we are. It's great that our used Christmas cards can be put to good use. The York Minster card was a charity card sold to help a local children's hospice, I shall see what cards they have next Christmas as I thought this one was beautiful.

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  2. Its a splendid idea to recycle the cards and have the benefits provide to a trust fund for the forests.
    We have a weekly recycle program in place here along with regular organics and such but this idea is wonderful. With our hundreds of thousands of acres of forest across this vast country no one has deemed such a program necessary I guess. I'd have to say they can't see the forest for the trees. Some urban endangered regions could benefit from such an idea though.
    Thanks for inspiring the interest.
    Susan x

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    1. It is a good scheme. These charities do such good work and being able to help, even in such a small way, is good. We do have household recycling for paper and cardboard amongst other things, but it's good that Christmas cards can bring some much needed revenue to these wonderful charities.

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  3. Our Christmas has been cleared away as well. York Minster is gorgeous! We once got to spend a dirty weekend in York when it was snowing and the whole place is so beautiful. Not fun to walk around though!

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    1. It's quite sad when everything gets packed away for another year but I do like to have it all out of the way when the new work and school year starts. I absolutely love the York Minster card. York itself is such a lovely city but as you say, it's beautiful in the snow.

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  4. We've taken down our decorations today as I like to get it done before everyone goes back to school and work. It looks all bare now. Tomorrow I think I'll get myself a bunch of tulips to put in a vase and remind me that spring isn't too far away x

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    1. I think having some flowers in the house certainly brightens the place up when all the decorations have been taken down. I think I'll do the same as you and treat myself to some until I get used to the bareness again.

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  5. I love the look of our lounge with all the decs down, it looks so much bigger! We were talking about the Twelfth Night last night with the boys.
    The card is absolutely gorgeous. I cut up cards to use as postcards to send to my MIL, but it feels like total desecration when I cut up a truly beautiful one x

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    1. I think the house looks much bigger once all the decorations are gone. There are some really lovely cards, it would be nice to keep them all, but of course we can't keep everything.

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  6. We spent today taking down and putting down the decorations so it is all looking a bit bare here, but tomorrow I will change things around a bit and cheer it all up again. I often recycle my cards in just the sorts of ways you suggested, but this year I thought I might keep them to make either gift tags or new Christmas cards, so reuse rather than recycle, but if not they will be recycled. A great reminder though Jo, thank you. I hope that your house doesn't look to bare now your decorations are away and that you will enjoy the return to normal life tomorrow. xx

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    1. I know a few people who make gift tags from their Christmas cards, it's a good idea as I'm always hunting for spare tags once I'm at the end of the present wrapping. There's been lots of revision going on here over the holidays, Daniel's got exams towards his degree and Eleanor's got mock AS levels so they're already back in to the swing of normal life.

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  7. It does look bare when everything is taken down. That's why I'm leaving some simple white decorations up throughout January. It's a simpler look and the house does not look so bereft.
    xx

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    1. It's a good idea to leave some of the plainer decorations up, it's not such a shock when everything's taken away at once then. I shall have to remember that trick next year.

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  8. Happy new year Jo! I received your email and will reply when I get a bit more time. It was lovely of Susan and it will be really nice to go to Bettys.

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    1. Thank you. Happy new year to you too. It was lovely of Susan, I'm looking forward to our trip to Betty's.

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  9. We took everything down last weekend. I love Christmas but, when it's over, it's over and I want it all down as soon as possible. I'm looking forward to things getting back to "normal" whatever that might be! :o)

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    1. I like to drag Christmas out a bit, even though it feels finished somehow after the day itself. Mick's gone back to work this morning and Eleanor's gone back to school, it doesn't take long to feel normal again once that happens.

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  10. I love Christmas cards, though nowadays most people I know send photo cards. I wish we had a recycling program like that here, what a terrific idea.

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    1. More and more people seem to be giving a donation to charity rather than sending cards, I wonder if they'll end up fizzling out all together. The recycling scheme is a great idea, something I'm very happy to support.

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  11. I always have the cards and decorations away before Twelfth night.

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    1. We do too as Mick's always back to work before then.

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  12. It's strange to see all these clear spaces where the tree and cards stood two days ago.... Jx

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    1. It is, though it's nice to have a bit extra space again as the tree takes up so much of the room.

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  13. Hi Jo, I've just realised that my comment must have been eaten in cyberspace. Good for recycling your cards. I either do that or reuse. My decorations were taken down on the Tuesday last week, as I don't like them up as the New Year approaches. Silly thing about me. Hope the week is going well with everyone back to normal. Take care.

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    1. I like to keep the decorations up in to the new year but I like them down soon afterwards. Everything went well yesterday, it doesn't take long until everyone's back in to the swing of things once they're back to work and school.

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  14. I must take our cards to Sainsburys next time I go, they are sat waiting!
    Lisa x

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    1. It's a good scheme and there's lots of Sainsbury's or Marks & Spencers around so it's accessible to lots of people.

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