Christmas is a jolly time of year, but not good for recycling | Washi Tape Canada

If you haven’t been swimming in cardboard boxes, wrapping paper and styrofoam in the leadup to the biggest gift-giving day of the year, you probably are now. 

Put the final touch on your eco-friendly gift with reusable fabric ribbons or natural items like twigs or Christmas tree clippings.

Brighten someone’s morning cup of coffee with this colorful mug featuring a cheerful print of a happy Sikh man.

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Wrapping paper and other gift garnish: Stock up for next Christmas, but don’t stop there. Rummage through the rolls and racks and grab versatile gift wrap, tissue paper, ribbons and bows. Some wrapping paper comes in non-traditional Christmas shades, like white, blue and pink, and can easily be used on birthday presents with no one the wiser. I, for one, have accumulated enough discounted, generic paper to shroud birthday gifts for generations to come.

Ayako couldn’t have looked more in love with her new hubby, Moriya, despite the fact she would officially lose her royal status following the nuptials. Under protocol dictated by the Japanese Imperial House Law, women lose their royal titles after marrying commoners. However, in a break with convention, the Princess will retain honorary positions at two organizations, the Imperial Household Agency, officials revealed.

Things were not too good at our house. But my brother and I decided to have a Christmas. We went in the woods and cut a small cedar. We put it in a bucket and put rocks to hold it. We decorated it with little pieces of stuff. My brother and I were big kids. We knew about Santa Claus. Our little sisters did not. We were worried they might not get anything. My mother walked eight miles to Asheboro to welfare; she walked there and back.

Yes, it’s the week of the fourth of July. But there is way more to do in the Valley than just go watch a fireworks show. This week you can get geeky at Rocket’s Rad ’80s Party, eat your heart out at Mesa Feastival Forest, or go see local queens Jackie Beat and Sherry Vine at Battle of the Bitches. For more things to do, visit Phoenix New Times’ calendar.

Cloudy with occasional showers for the afternoon. High 43F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

We love the way this classy lighter looks like it’s wearing a collar of bubbles. To make it, take your sticky flat-backed pearls and cluster them all the way around the neck of your lighter, interspersing pearls of different sizes to create a lovely necklace.

Despite all reason, the accessory is surprisingly versatile. A big, black, handmade silk bow from the Santa Fe studio Bianca & Red affixed to the end of a braid pairs well with the I’m-dressing-for-myself vibe of Phoebe Philo-era Céline. The same brand’s long, red-and-white-striped iteration, made from a cotton-linen blend from Italy, looks like something Dolly Parton might have worn in the 60s when tied to a low, loose ponytail. But when pinned atop a high ponytail, it’s sheer cheerleader. The accessories designer Jennifer Behr has gone so all-in on bows that her Website has the Bow Shop selling a velvet bow studded with pearls for $198 or plush ones made from vintage velvet in hydrangea, rhubarb, and dandelion.

No time to plant succulent pots? Tie a sprig of fern, other greenery, or herbs around a folded napkin with twine and add a tag.