Dot's Xmas recos

So, I will get to the cheese but first, Dot wanted to show you some of the greener pressies she's acquired this Christmas. First, from the MIL a fabuous new tote which speaks for itself.

Do what it says on the bag - just say no! The MIL got this at The Organic Farm Shop in Cirencester; not sure where else you can get your hands on this exact one but check out this site for other reusable bags - a friend Sam's Mum is making them and they are totally gorgeous. Available only in the UK at the mo but if anyone has any bright ideas about how she can break into the US, just let me know! Anti-plastic statement bags are set to be a trend, I reckon (they already are in Australia), so prove how ahead of the curve you are and get yours while it's hot. Or even better, make your own with an old bag and a magic marker. You heard it here first...

Next up Dot's pressie from me - yes, it's a sock puppet! No, I have no idea what animal it's meant to be, but look, she likes it! Oh, in case you're wondering, this is eco-friendly because it's made from an old sock (we did wash it first) and bits of felt and buttons that were lying around. Who says kids need loads of stuff to be happy?

Next up: Dot's dinosaur! A gorgeous squishy dinosaur made of post-consumer recycled fabric (that looks like it's Missoni but is actually Muji) from Emily. She likes it so much someone wondered whether she wouldn't end up being a paleontologist. Er, maybe.
And finally, a sleeping bag created by my Mum from a polo neck jumper I wore when I was 19 and forgot even existed. She made the chest bit from the neck so she didn't even need to gather or smock it - genius. Toasty and gorgeous, perfect for PA nights and has to be better than buying (yet another) grobag, even one of the organic ones you can get now. That little hat is also very eco - it was her Dad's when he was a baby, knitted by his aunt Leslie. Gorgeous, eh? And the hat's not bad, either (ho ho)

Right, the cheese thing. It's going to be a huge anti-climax now, isn't it? So, as you know I was in Waitrose in England with the parents last week. They were doing great - organic milk? Check. Organic yoghurt? Check. Organic chocolate, baby wipes, cereal bars? Check, check check. Organic cheese? Oh, hold on a minute... As Mum approached the cheese fixture, I watched as she walked right by the Organic Yeo Valley cheddar and reached for her usual Davidstow (non-organic) cheddar. I raised an eyebrow. "What?" she said. "We like the Davidstow." "Oh yes," I said, giving her a look. "The extra mature organic is a pound more per kilo," she said. "And?!" I replied. I'm sure Dot also raised a brow from her buggy. "Oh, alright," Mum said, "We'll get the organic mature and extra mature but I'm still getting the Davidstow. We'll do a taste test." "Deal," I said.

So after dinner she brought in the cheese plate. "Hold on a minute," I said, "Let's do this properly." I went to the kitchen and arranged the three samples on a plate, the Davidstow at 6 o'clock, the extra mature organic at 10 o'clock and the mature organic at 2 o'clock. "Right, let's start with the cheese at 10 o'clock," I said. "Well, I can tell you without even tasting it that's the Davidstow," said Dad. "It's pale, creamy, definitely." I smirked. We tried it. It was great. "Right the two o'clock", I said. "Plasticky," we agreed and moved on to the 6 o'clock. "Not as good as the Davidstow," said Dad. I couldn't keep a straight face. "That is the Davidstow," I said. "And the 10 o'clock is the extra mature organic" "Really?" said both parents. "You see!" I smirked. "So will you change to the organic?" "Definitely, it's much better," they agreed.

Because I'm so pathetic, this made me really happy. Another small victory for littlegreendot. Changing the world one lump of cheddar at a time.