• About
  • Archive
  • Contact
The Greening of Gavin
  • Home
  • Our Green Shop
    • Little Green Workshops
  • Green Workshops
    • Cheese Making
    • Soap Making
    • Soy Candle Making
  • eBooks
    • Clay Oven eBook
    • Keep Calm and Make Cheese eBook
  • Podcast
    • TGOG Podcast
    • TGoG Podcast Archive
    • Little Green Cheese
  • Vlog
  • Cheese
  • Green Living
    • Chickens
    • Gardening
    • Soap Making
    • Recipes
    • Climate Change
    • Peak Oil
    • Solar Power
  • Resources

And So This Is Christmas

December 25, 2014 @ 21:46 By Gavin Webber 18 Comments

Our Teddy Angel

Our Teddy Angel

What a year!

Firstly, seasons greetings to all you out there who have read the blog and listened to the podcast during the year.  Without all of you to urge me on via comments, likes, personal emails, and iTunes reviews, I may have thrown in the towel a while ago.

Regular Blogging and Podcasting does take a fair bit of time out of my week, but I still believe that it is so very worthwhile.  Not only is it personally satisfying, but it has helped build a community of like-minded people who I just enjoy interacting with, as well as becoming a massive archive and knowledge base of our journey towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

I have mentioned a few times that we were going to have a very modest Christmas celebration today which was entirely focused around family.

We kind of had two celebrations today, one at breakfast, then one for dinner.

Breakfast was croissants, ham, and cheese with fresh fair trade coffee.  Kim, Ben, and I gathered around our modest tree and shared our presents.  There were only a few thoughtful gifts, mainly clothes for Ben as he is a growing lad, and a Sodastream.  We do like the occasional fizzy drink, so decided that we would produce no more waste in this area of our lives.  You get to reuse the same bottle over and over and can get the CO2 cylinder recharged or swapped.

Our tree

Our tree

Then we headed off to our daughter Megan’s house for lunch, which was delicious and played board games with Amy, Lawrence, Megan, and Jake.  We had a ball.

Back for a nap, then a Skype call with Adam, Sina, and baby Emily in Germany.

What a great day.  No consumerism necessary to have a brilliant time with family.  As I mentioned in podcast episode 091, you don’t need to buy your family’s love.  You just need to be present and in the moment.  I love and treasure all of my family, and had the best day ever!

Hope you had a great time today and celebrated in your own special way.  I will be back to regular posts next week, and Kim will be joining me in our end of year wrap-up podcast episode that will be published soon.  That should be a hoot.

Take care one and all.  Love and hugs to you and your family, and thanks for dropping by for each and every post!

 

Will this article help someone you know? If so help them out by sharing now!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket

Related

Filed Under: consumerism, Family

← TGoG Podcast 094 – Local Food Equals Less Waste Potato and Leek Frittata →

About Gavin Webber

Gavin Webber's daily goal is to live a more sustainable lifestyle, in an effort to reduce his family's environmental footprint so we can all make a difference for our children & future generations to come.

Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Comments

  1. Debby says

    December 25, 2014 at 22:40

    Merry Christmas from Columbia Missouri USA!

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      December 26, 2014 at 10:47

      and a Merry Christmas to you and your family Debby!

      Reply
  2. Melindi says

    December 25, 2014 at 22:53

    Happy Christmas to both of you, Melindi

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      December 26, 2014 at 10:48

      and to you and your family Melindi!

      Reply
      • Melindi Robertson says

        December 26, 2014 at 21:05

        and I’m celebrating extra too. I have just bought a house on 1 1/2 acres outside Pomona (Northern part of sunshine coast in Qld) and move in during Feb!

      • Gavin Webber says

        December 27, 2014 at 21:59

        That is fantastic Melindi. You will have a blank canvas to work with. You could make an amazing subtropical food forest in that climate! x

  3. Michael says

    December 26, 2014 at 11:32

    Season’s greeting to you and the family as well Gav.

    I agree that one of the nicest parts of Christmas day is that pleasant snooze after lunch 🙂
    (or maybe that’s just a sign of age :o) )

    The other thing you forgot about you blog is that it keeps people like me on our toes and pushing that little bit harder in our efforts as well.

    Here ‘s to another year of saving the planet, one blog at a time 😀

    Cheers
    MOC

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      December 27, 2014 at 22:03

      Season’s greetings to you and your Mick. The nap was amazingly refreshing. Must be because the Grandpa genes have kicked in 🙂

      Reply
  4. theresa says

    December 26, 2014 at 12:12

    Hi Gavin,
    Thank you for urging me on, the saying out of sight out of mind, is so true, you help to keep things in sight
    by sharing what you do which inspires us to give it a go.
    Have a great day
    x Theresa

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      December 27, 2014 at 22:04

      No problems Theresa. x

      Reply
  5. Nola Kontjonis says

    December 26, 2014 at 16:13

    Merry Christmas to you and Kim and family and many thanks for all the wisdom and ideas I have learned from you this year. Keep up the great work! Our planet needs you!
    Cheers,
    Nola Kontjonis

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      December 27, 2014 at 22:05

      Merry Christmas to you and your family Nola. x

      Reply
  6. rabidlittlehippy says

    December 26, 2014 at 19:50

    Keep it coming Gav! You do inspire much thought and many actions. 🙂

    Merry Christmas to you and yours. Glad to hear you had such a wonderful day. 🙂 xxxxx

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      December 27, 2014 at 22:02

      Thanks Jessie. Love to you, Martin and the kids xox

      Reply
  7. Lynda D says

    December 26, 2014 at 21:04

    Great minds think alike, we bought a family present, a sodastream for those exact same reasons. Tom has always liked his water fizzy and i was sick of buying water. Crazy! Now he is making his own and we also managed to make some diet fizz for Maison yesterday that suited his Type 1 diabetes. Even better you can choose how strong the flavour is and how much fizz. I wouldnt expect anything different from you guys than a Christmas centred around your wonderful loving family. Love is priceless and cannot be bought.

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      December 27, 2014 at 22:01

      Cheers Lynda. We think that the Sodastream should pay itself back after about 40 bottles. A pretty good investment, and we have just been using a couple of syrups and cordial to flavour the drinks. It works well.

      Reply
  8. Allotment adventures with Jean says

    December 27, 2014 at 08:02

    Hello Gavin. It sounds like you had a lovely Christmas shared with your family both in person and over the wires. I have enjoyed your posts and podcasts over the year but don’t always comment so I thank you now for continuing to keep us informed.
    My own family are scattered with brothers and their families in the UK, but I am lucky enough to have both sons over here in Brisbane. I feel very lucky that in these times when the globe seems to get smaller and smaller that my ‘boys’ have settled here in Brisbane where I can keep an eye on them as they are only in their 40’s. Fortunately my daughter in law helps with this too.
    Happy New Year to you and yours Gavin and all the best for 2015.

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      December 27, 2014 at 22:12

      You’re most welcome Jean. It is great that your boys have settled close to you. It is great to have family close by. We do miss our son Adam, who settled in Germany, but we have Skype so that will have to do. All the best for 2015 Jean. x

      Reply

Comments build lively communities. Let me know your thoughts, but keep it clean and green! Spam is removed instantly.Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search This Blog

Follow my work

About Gavin Webber

About Gavin Webber

An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

Delve Into the Archives

Visit Our Online Simple Living Shop

Little Green Workshops

Latest Podcast Episode

Subscribe on iTunes

Top Posts & Pages

Black Aphids On Garlic
Broad Bean Rust
2 Fruit Marmalade
Outdoor Solar Shower
How To Remove Scaly Leg Mites
African Horned Melon
Hot Chilli Chutney
Repeat After Me. I Will Never Plant Potatoes With Pumpkins Again
Dripping at the Co-op
Organic Jonathan Apples

Recent Awards

Recent Awards

Local Green Hero

Categories

Favourite Daily Reads

Debt Free, Cashed Up, and Laughing

The Off-Grid Solar House

Greener Me

The Rogue Ginger

Little Eco Footprints

Down To Earth

Surviving the Suburbs

Little Green Cheese

Eight Acres

The Witches Kitchen

TGOG Readers On-line

Podcast Reviews

  • Always inspiring and entertaining!
    August 4, 2016 by floriographer from Australia

    I've crowed about Gavin's podcast before but I just have to recommend it once again - I love that he shares his learning as well as his successes - it helps the rest of us try try try again! Thanks Gavin!

  • ms
    July 22, 2016 by Ketaea12 from New Zealand

    I really enjoy listening to Gavin, he has a kind lovely voice. He covers some great relevant topics for the everyday greenie. With lots of tips or how to or what not to do. Thanks Gavin, love it!!

  • Well worth your time to tune in
    October 23, 2015 by A Vision Splendid from Australia

    I can highly recommend Gavin’s podcast ! I have followed Gavin’s blog since the very beginning and have loved to see his journey unfold. Gavin has a lovely speaking voice so this podcast is always very easy to listen to. Gavin has a very authentic approach to his green living lifestyle. He shares the ups and downs but always provides motivation and practical steps that we can all implement.

  • very good
    June 28, 2015 by Scared pax from United Kingdom

    This is a great podcast if you want to improve your life in so many aspects and become a more sustainable person. I love the soothing voice, the good pace, and it contains lots of useful information. Recommended!

  • opened my eyes
    May 25, 2015 by Gorn4lyfe from Australia

    A wonderful show!

  • Inspiring
    April 30, 2015 by Alan Whelan from Ireland

    This is a great podcast if you're looking for practical info on saving money by living more sustainably from someone who's made that journey over the last few years. Told in a nice, easy conversational style

  • Green Living, inspiring and practical
    January 8, 2015 by EliseMac from Australia

    Thanks Gav for sharing what has (and hasn't) worked along your journey for living a greener lifestyle. Inspiring and achievable for anyone, I look forward to this podcast weekly.

  • Local food equals less waste
    December 27, 2014 by allotmentadventureswithjean from Australia

    Another brilliant podcast from Gavin Webber encouraging us, and showing us how, to cut down on food miles, growing our own food, and cutting down on food waste. Gavin is a really interesting speaker, showing us how to eat better, growing our own food and how to live more sustainably.

  • Honestly australian
    December 15, 2014 by HodgepodgeOz from Australia

    Fantastic podcast, with a wide variety of well thought and researched topics. Gavin is a honest, forthright pod aster with a genuine interest in helping others get green. Like a day alongside is a day wasted, so too is a week without listening to Gavin. Highly recommended for people starting out, or those in the midst of their new lifestyle. Keep it up Gavin, wish there were more great reviews! Kimberley

  • Morning motivation
    December 8, 2014 by Bunnyworm from Australia

    Gavin has a great passion for living this greener lifestyle that motivates others to do the same. The podcasts are always interesting and informative. :)

  • Passionate Advocate
    October 18, 2014 by BoomOpGirl from Australia

    Gavin's enthusiasm and passion for creating a more sustainable world is nothing short of contagious. Thanks Gav, you are my weekly source of motivation for living a sustainable life! :)

  • Gavin speaks from the heart
    October 13, 2014 by Green gavin from Australia

    Gavin's podcasts are required listening for anyone planning to live a more sustainable life. He doesn't preach, but tells you his story from the heart. You'll laugh, smile, share in his concerns and along the way you'll pick up some great tips on living a simple life.

  • Green thoughts, so well iterated
    October 9, 2014 by Kwasikwami from Australia

    This is a wonderful podcast. Not only does Gavin talk knowledgeably on a range of sustainability topics from gardening tips all the way to the issues facing humanity as a whole, but he does so in such a wonderful voice, it's like listening to my Dad, love it!!

  • Easy listening inspiration on being green
    September 24, 2014 by Broomedy from Australia

    Gav knows how to share his journey to a more sustainable life in a manner that shows just how easy it really is. Not to mention healthier, economically beneficial and generally rewarding. The podcasts are an easy way to absorb Gav's great lifestyle. I recommend to anyone.

  • Thanks Gavin!
    August 31, 2014 by Honeywoodmilk from Australia

    Great practical advice for a greener lifestyle. This podcast is for anybody interested in growing their own food in suburbia, saving electricity, brewing beer, making cheese, all that wonderful business and most of all, saving money! Thanks Gavin, love the podcast mate!

  • Enjoyed those ideas for staying warm
    August 15, 2014 by enduringdragon from United States

    Like you we are having winter here in Chile—brrr! Every bit we can save on heating we will.

  • Green Podcasts
    July 26, 2014 by Carneu from Australia

    Excellent podcasts, which are full of information to help get started on a sustainable lifestyle.

  • Practical ideas and inspiration
    July 19, 2014 by HeathrowHeath from Australia

    I highly recommend Gavin's podcast and blog. Down to earth, entertaining and inspirational. Thank you.

  • Interesting & easy to listen to
    April 27, 2014 by Velocity3 from New Zealand

    Gavin & his guests make this green journey lots of fun.

  • Great green listen
    April 18, 2014 by Obscurenickname from Australia

    Gavin is a great down to earth, tell it like it is aussie with a passion for sustainability and growing food and making cheese

Carbon Offset website

Copyright - Gavin Webber © 2025