Christmas is here once more.

And I feel that 2019 has been a hard year for Australia.

Fires, drought and our beautiful country community is still doing it very tough.

It’s prompted me to think a little differently about what I give as gifts this Christmas.

I’m trying to shift to giving the gift of fresh. Following the Woolworths initiative which encourages Aussies to support our local growers and give the gift of fresh this year.

I know that all I want for Christmas is something I can eat or drink.

That’s what makes me happiest. A gift that is useful.

So here is a bunch of ideas which I hope will inspire you to do the same.

I’ve kept it simple and affordable with everything sourced from my local Woolworths.

Remember part of the magic of Christmas is paying forward.

I encourage each of us to do more for our community and country this year.

A Berry Merry Christmas.

Why hadn’t I thought of this one before?!

Nothing says Christmas quite like a wreath.

And nothing could be more Australian than a Christmas wreath made from tropical fruit.

And this little fresh gift idea is so easy it could be made by anybody over five years old.

Take a large platter or bread board and lay a basic dinner plate over the top to create a guide for your wreath.

Start with some mint leaves to form the green base (this could also be banana leaves)

Then build the wheel with a collection of festive fruit.

All my fruit was bought at Woolworths and I chose a) in season b) in colour groups.

Lovely fresh raspberries, blackberries, nectarines and cherries.

Take this one step further by whipping some cream with icing sugar and your gift is a ready made dessert.

Stove Top Pot Pourri.

This is a total throwback to my childhood growing up in America.

Living in Boston, Christmas was very cold and very traditional.

One of the lovely traditions that I brought home was Stove Top Potpourri which is fresh ingredients and spices that you boil (in a pot) on your stove and it fills every room with the smells of Christmas.

Saxon (above) is holding my recipe - 1 x orange, cinnamon sticks, cranberries (fresh or dried), star anise and fresh sage - but you can add vanilla, cloves, nutmeg or swap out citrus for apples and the sage for tarragon.

Add a little note with the ingredients and the method is simple: put all the fresh ingredients in a po, add two cups of water and bring to a simmer. Add water as needed.

You’ll Need: Woolworths Inspire Christmas Star Serving Plate, $10 which extends the gift and then I would wrap it in some Woolworths Christmas Wrapping Paper Clear Cello,$2.

Fresh Herb Kitchen Bouquets.

This is the perfect present to take the host over the holiday period.

And prettier and more practical than a candle right?

Expressing gratitude with flowers is traditional and I love that this switches it up and it a little unexpected.

I incorporated some fresh rosemary from my garden with a selection of herbs i bought at Woolworths.

Opt for staple herbs like parsley, coriander and mint and then I like to add some Christmas herbs - tarragon and sage - to the front of the posy with a wooden peg.

Write on the brown paper, write on the peg or add a little sticker to the front with a festive message.

Carrots For The Reindeer.

This is my Night Before Christmas idea. Perfect pre Santa gift or as a healthy little something for any child in your life.

You’ll Need: a bunch of Woolworths Dutch Carrots - give them a wash and let them dry completely.

Next cut a whole in the bottom of one of these super cute Woolworths Santa Cutlery Holders and thread the carrots through one by one.

Next, I looped a handwritten note through Santa’s belt on a plain paper gift tag and finished with a gold Woolworths Luxe Auora Bauble.

Fresh Pomodoro Anyone?

I based this idea on the old fashioned notion of recipe giving.

Handing down your favourite dish to the people you love.

To kick it up a Christmas notch, I’ve added all the fresh produce you need to make the recipe and attached the recipe/method to a hand written swing tag.

You could also gift a dish, platter or pot.

I chose my Pomodoro Sauce recipe because tomatoes are in season and look wonderful in abundance like this.

This would work well with any fruit based cake or cookie recipe - I love the idea of stacking it in a jar.

You can find my recipe HERE.