New blogger Nastia, from Ukraine, is always trying to find ways to make her life greener and more sustainable. For Vox, she will blog about going green in Nijmegen. In this first blog, she tells you how to give sustainable gifts for Christmas.

Oooooh, the weather outside is frightful. Or rather unpredictable, ever-changing, sub-zero one moment and T-shirt weather the next. Which is frightening in itself as everyone knows what that means *Jaws theme*… climate change.

But don’t get too panicky! You can still have an amazing holiday season and make plenty of lovely memories even if you’re not quite sure what to pack for your getaway: a coat or a bikini. And while you’re at it, I’m gonna give you some ideas on how to make the holidays sustainable – namely, with gifts to your loved ones and of course yourself!

First of all: experiences. There is nothing that sends more of an ‘I care about you’ message than an experience they’ll never forget. Think spa-day, laser tag, wine tasting… And it can totally be student budget friendly – just head on over to Social Deal or Groupon to save some money and have a great memory to give! All of that with minimum environmental impact.

Sustainable gifts. There are so many eco-friendly companies out there that it’s almost too hard to choose just one environmental gift. My favourites for newbies are reusable bottles, handmade soap bars, face cloths/mittens and bamboo toothbrushes.

Second hand gifts. While there is a bit of stigma concerning second hand items as gifts, I highly encourage you to give it a go. Whether it’s a nice book you came across or a unique piece of jewellery – it certainly won’t break your bank and will always be special.

Plants. This goes without saying – the greenest gift of all.

Re-home what you have. While it might require some more effort on your part, this might be the most sustainable gift you can give. This holiday season why don’t you go through your home and find items you can definitely make somebody happy with?

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Read Nastia Nizalova's blogs here