Christmas isn't about how much money you spend, it's about how much time you spend...

Have you seen the amount of crazy "12 days of Christmas" deals plastered all over the internet? Christmas has become commercialised, you can't get away from that fact. I've noticed that I've become pretty bah humbug when it comes to the run up to Christmas over the last few years. It's not because I don't like Christmas - quite the opposite! Its one of my favourite days of the year! It's the run up that upsets me. I don't like watching the emotions of those around me at breaking point because they're stressing over buying presents or preparing the big Christmas meal.

Is it because we're skint?

James and I have managed to let the stress and hassle of Christmas go over our heads. I often wonder if the reason is because we're dive bums, and have been for the last 7 or so years. We haven't had the money to splash out on our loved ones for a long time. And we've been so busy diving that we have definitely neglected our friends and family throughout the year (for 4 years we lived away so never saw them at all except for Christmas time!). This is why we make sure that we can spend quality time with them during the festivities instead.

Giving back - The 12 Cleans Of Christmas

I could write a whole blog post in itself about how James and I have tried to change the way we deal with Christmas on a personal level. From making hand made gifts to buying eco friendly products -  we've racked our brains to make Christmas special for our loved ones.

When it comes to businesses it's tricky. A business needs to make money, right? But at this time of year it doesn't feel right to prey on the emotions of our stressed friends in the interest of making money. So, instead of planning/marketing/advertising money off deals on the run up to Christmas, The Fifth Point team have decided to spend this time differently.

We'll be going out every day and picking up litter wherever we are - at the beach, along the river, in the woods, in the town. Some days will be big cleans, some days will be just making an effort to pick up something - even if it's just a handful of rubbish. The important thing is to spend the time doing something for the environment.

Why not join us? If you're out between now and Christmas, pick up some litter, snap a photo and post it with our hashtag #12cleansofchristmas. We'll share all your photos!