For me, Christmas is the best time of year. I get to see my family, relax, catch up with friends and, best of all, watch as shopfronts, streets and homes transform into glittering places of red, green and white! However, I’m also conscious of how much waste seems to come from this one day. We gush over new clothes, toys and gadgets but in the wake of our giddy euphoria, we leave a path of reindeer wrapping paper, opened bon bons and discarded lolly wrappers.

Wood is one of the most versatile materials used for building homes, furniture, toys and utensils. Forest & Wood Products Australia explain why it’s great for the home.

Carbon neutral. As trees grow they naturally store CO2 from the atmosphere. When a tree is harvested it continues to store carbon for the remainder of its life as a wood product – whether that’s as a floorboard, in a weatherboard exterior wall or a piece of furniture.

Being one with nature can calm fraught nerves, rejuvenate the mind, refresh the body and soothe the soul. Here’s how to bring a little of the outdoors in.

• Choose an earthy palette. Paint walls with colours that are inspired by nature: green evokes grass, trees and plants; blue is refreshing like water and ethereal like the sky, and yellow is bright and warming like the sun. • Install timber flooring. Wood floors are stylish and renewable products which create a feeling of warmth in the home.

There's nothing quite as nice as stepping out of a hot shower and into a luxuriously soft towel - especially in winter.

And these bath towels from Onkaparinga are just the ticket.  Available in a variety of colours and styles, these towels come in two ranges Egyptian Cotton and Luxury Cotton.

The Luxury Cotton range is available in a range of colours to suit any bathroom decor including white, oatmeal, sesame and soft grey. And the Egyptian Cotton range comes in white, oatmeal, mushroom, china blue, eggplant, and aquamarine. 

Sounds Like Home has a range of gorgeous artworks featuring single and multiple birdcages in varying sizes. They’re carved on mangowood panels and the smallest is 40cm by 40cm. Prices start from $104.50.