So much has happened in the year 2019.
I don't think there has been more news regarding animals with plastic filled stomachs more in any other year than this.
The Amazon Rainforest Fires, Venice flooding, Australia's bushfires...
So much of the world is crumbling.
With Christmas round the corner, and as you start thinking about Christmas gifts, I hope to urge you to think green. We have enough junk at home. Our kids have enough toys, we all have enough clothes, and we still have our box fill with white elephants from years of Christmases. So please, stop. Do something different this year.
1. Buy experiences.
There are the usual suspects: The zoo, the aquarium, the museum, the amusement parks... But if nothing looks good, gift a hands on lesson! Pottery classes, macaron making classes, baking classes... Or if that doesn't tickle your fancy, gift a spa experience or an all expense paid trip to a good restaurant! I assure you that they will have more fun and remember more of it than that game their face is stuck to in that Nintendo switch.
2. Pay for classes.
So many children now have music classes, art classes, swim classes, etc. Just inform the parents that you would like to pay for X number of classes. Then couple that with a card and a handmade voucher stating the class you are paying for. I'm sure the parents will be very appreciative and you don't have to guess which educational toy would be less likely to end up spending its life under the sofa.
3. Take an old jam jar to the bulk shop.
Take all those clean jam jars sitting in your recycling box, wash it again and dry it and take it to the nearest bulk shop. Fill it up with fancy chocolates or nuts or snacks. Tie a ribbon or use some paint markers and decorate the bottle! It will be a more unique gift than that heavily packaged, marked up chocolates and biscuits from the store.
4. Organize a make and take gathering.
Instead of the usual Christmas party where everyone cooks too much food, eats too much food and leaves the floor littered with torn up wrapping paper and crumbs, organize a make and take gathering. Do something intricate like sugar cookies or something super simple like bread sticks or a pound cake. Make it together, have fun, chit chat, make some tea and eat some treats you made then take the rest home. It will still be filled with fun, laughter, opportunities to catch up on each other's lives, just without the massive amounts of leftover food and packaging waste.
5. Pay for a service.
Everyone could do with a professional house clean, or an aircon servicing, or a mattress deep clean, or a carpet clean, or even a professional complete car wash. Pay for it. Seriously. It would be SO much more useful and appreciated than that expensive candle in a jar that you are thinking about.
Some might say this takes away from the joy of Christmas. I don't agree. I believe that we can still be happy without a mountain of presents at Christmas. I hope that my children will learn that Christmas does not mean presents, but instead mean love, friends and family.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Monday, July 15, 2019
My Willing Struggle
We just came home from a road trip around Scotland and our fridge was empty. So this morning, I had to head for the grocery store with K and N while Q spent time in the library catching up on his dissertation. We actually have three other grocery stores nearer to our place, two being in the same building as us... but we rarely buy anything from them as 90% of their food is wrapped in some kind of packaging. Instead, we often choose to do our weekly shop at a store about a 15 minute walk away because they have a wider variety of unpackaged produce. The kids enjoy choosing the fruit and veg, filling the bags and pushing the basket around.
On our way back, N decided that the walk was too far. So he stared to complain: 'Why do we have to walk SO FAR! I don't want to walk.' x1000 times. During whole performance that included dragging his feet, he tripped on his own feet and fell face first onto the pavement. Of course that escalated things and the complaining turned into loud wails of pain and distress. I picked him up, dusted him off and waited for him to calm down a little before continuing our journey with his hand in mine. He continued to wail as we walked as I tried to look confident and unswayed by the stares of other pedestrians. As the heavy grocery bag dug into my shoulder, I thought about how I could have avoided all this hassle if I had just bought my groceries from the nearby shops. That led me to think about all the hassle we go through every single day, bringing our own cutlery, containers, reusable wipes, water bottles... How we actually wait to buy things now because we try our best to find them in the charity and thrift shops or get them second hand on fb marketplace instead of just popping into the shops to get them. How we changed our diet so that we could reduce our carbon footprint by eating less meat, drinking less cow's milk and never buy fruit and veg that are packaged. How we choose places to eat based on whether or not they use disposables, often forgoing it if the store uses disposables.
Then I thought about why we do it all, about how it all started with the simple desire to live a life that was less damaging to the earth. Sure, it would save me the half an hour walk there and back but then I would also be generating so much more plastic waste each week. That waste would survive on this earth longer than I and maybe even my children would. We may have a lighter and less bulky bag if we didn't pack our cutlery and containers and bottles but every time we head out would mean another bag of waste generated just from one meal or even a quick snack. We would be one of the many people just mindlessly filling up the trash cans. Using our own containers and cutlery when buying food means that we get to enjoy it AND feel good because we aren't having to throw something away after the 10 minutes it takes us to eat it. The changes we have made in our lives have also changed the mindset of our kids. They now look for forks and spoons in our bag rather than at the counters of food stores, they check to make sure if the item is wrapped in unnecessary packaging before considering if they would like to buy it. Shopping at thrift and charity shops have taught us that a lot of what we want is actually not necessary. I can't count the number of times I went into a charity shop thinking 'I need to find _____' and have not been able to find it, then later realise I have been able to live without it for months and actually don't need it any more. It has also taught the kids to wait indefinitely for things they want instead of just buying everything that catches their eye. It also causes them to treasure their finds so much more, and even if they lose interest in their finds after a while, it goes back to the charity shop they got it from for another child to enjoy. Avoiding packaging also means that we eat more fruit and vegetables and eat less processed food which deifinitely helps our health (and waistline). Snacking now also often means fruit rather than crisps and chocolates, although I still do enjoy the occasional chocolate 😛. While trying to do good for the earth, it has also changed us for the better.
No matter how far we are in our journey to being eco-friendly, we will always struggle as we work against our natural human tendency to favour convenience over all else. I question myself every time I find myself in an uncomfortable situation, and every time I chose the harder way in order to be eco friendly and did not get an instant reward for my choice. I struggle every single day as I choose to walk away from comfort and convenience, yet see bins overflowing with disposable single use packaging and question if my actions even make any impact. But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is the impact I am having on my own life and the life of my children. I will willingly struggle every day in the hope that K and N will grow up with a different norm from my generation. Where cheap and easy won't be the qualities they base their decisions on, and that their natural tendency will be mindfulness toward how their actions and choices impact the lives of others around them and the world they live in.
Street food bought in our reusable food pouch. Took us 10 months to try it because it took us 10 months to work up the courage to ask if we could use our own containers 😅
On our way back, N decided that the walk was too far. So he stared to complain: 'Why do we have to walk SO FAR! I don't want to walk.' x1000 times. During whole performance that included dragging his feet, he tripped on his own feet and fell face first onto the pavement. Of course that escalated things and the complaining turned into loud wails of pain and distress. I picked him up, dusted him off and waited for him to calm down a little before continuing our journey with his hand in mine. He continued to wail as we walked as I tried to look confident and unswayed by the stares of other pedestrians. As the heavy grocery bag dug into my shoulder, I thought about how I could have avoided all this hassle if I had just bought my groceries from the nearby shops. That led me to think about all the hassle we go through every single day, bringing our own cutlery, containers, reusable wipes, water bottles... How we actually wait to buy things now because we try our best to find them in the charity and thrift shops or get them second hand on fb marketplace instead of just popping into the shops to get them. How we changed our diet so that we could reduce our carbon footprint by eating less meat, drinking less cow's milk and never buy fruit and veg that are packaged. How we choose places to eat based on whether or not they use disposables, often forgoing it if the store uses disposables.
N happy to be home and looking forward to his promise of fruit.
Then I thought about why we do it all, about how it all started with the simple desire to live a life that was less damaging to the earth. Sure, it would save me the half an hour walk there and back but then I would also be generating so much more plastic waste each week. That waste would survive on this earth longer than I and maybe even my children would. We may have a lighter and less bulky bag if we didn't pack our cutlery and containers and bottles but every time we head out would mean another bag of waste generated just from one meal or even a quick snack. We would be one of the many people just mindlessly filling up the trash cans. Using our own containers and cutlery when buying food means that we get to enjoy it AND feel good because we aren't having to throw something away after the 10 minutes it takes us to eat it. The changes we have made in our lives have also changed the mindset of our kids. They now look for forks and spoons in our bag rather than at the counters of food stores, they check to make sure if the item is wrapped in unnecessary packaging before considering if they would like to buy it. Shopping at thrift and charity shops have taught us that a lot of what we want is actually not necessary. I can't count the number of times I went into a charity shop thinking 'I need to find _____' and have not been able to find it, then later realise I have been able to live without it for months and actually don't need it any more. It has also taught the kids to wait indefinitely for things they want instead of just buying everything that catches their eye. It also causes them to treasure their finds so much more, and even if they lose interest in their finds after a while, it goes back to the charity shop they got it from for another child to enjoy. Avoiding packaging also means that we eat more fruit and vegetables and eat less processed food which deifinitely helps our health (and waistline). Snacking now also often means fruit rather than crisps and chocolates, although I still do enjoy the occasional chocolate 😛. While trying to do good for the earth, it has also changed us for the better.
K finally found a bracelet that fit her in the thrift store after months of looking.
No matter how far we are in our journey to being eco-friendly, we will always struggle as we work against our natural human tendency to favour convenience over all else. I question myself every time I find myself in an uncomfortable situation, and every time I chose the harder way in order to be eco friendly and did not get an instant reward for my choice. I struggle every single day as I choose to walk away from comfort and convenience, yet see bins overflowing with disposable single use packaging and question if my actions even make any impact. But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is the impact I am having on my own life and the life of my children. I will willingly struggle every day in the hope that K and N will grow up with a different norm from my generation. Where cheap and easy won't be the qualities they base their decisions on, and that their natural tendency will be mindfulness toward how their actions and choices impact the lives of others around them and the world they live in.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
K turns 5.
I can't believe my baby is 5 years old. As cliché as it is, it really does feel like I just had her. In a blink of an eye, she is now a full fledge 5 year old kid. I can't even call her a toddler any more!
Being 5 years old is a HUGE deal to K for one big reason... it is the age she can finally have lollipops! I don't know when it started but it was just one day when she picked up a lollipop and asked to have it and I just said: 'You can when you are 5 years old' and it stuck to her. If you know K, you'll know how much she loves rules. She will follow it to a tee and on top of that, makes it her responsibility to keep everyone in check. Whenever she got a lollipop or saw one in the shop she would point to it and say: 'Only when I'm 5, right Mom?' Then turn to N and tell him: 'When you are 5, you can have a lollipop. Now you are (insert age) so not just yet, okay?' Now she is the grown-up 5 years old required for that first lollipop taste so of course she had to have lollipops for her birthday!
Q and I believe that the value of experiences far exceed the value of physical gifts... Also, I really don't like clutter AND we are on a zero waste journey. So spending money to go places trumps toys for us! Being in the UK this year gave us a wider choice of experiences to choose from, so we planned a long weekend filled with experiences starting with a group celebration at the ice cream farm!
We had a very rough start to the weekend, with a huge mess caused by the rental car company. We ended up having to rent a smaller car elsewhere at the last minute, causing us to not be able to bring our neighbours along for the celebrations 😢. After a hectic morning of problem solving and work around, we finally got a rental and managed to arrive at the farm just before noon. The weather was dreary with rain falling for most of the day but thankfully we got a spot in the indoor soft play area where the kids spent most of the day. After about an hour indoors we headed back outdoors where thankfully, it had stopped raining. We walked around a little looking at the animals they had there and did a few rides.
Even though the rain had stopped, the wind was really strong and it was really cold so we decided to get into the car and head for an early warm dinner. We found out about the Farmhouse Inns group a while back and loved their concept. They have an 'all you can pile on your plate' kind of meal, PLUS an indoor playground for the little ones.. wins for both parents and kids.
After dinner, K received her birthday present from the Wongfoks, a box of homemade taste safe play dough in rainbow colours (because unicorns and rainbows are K's thing 🦄). I'm thankful for friends who are willing to follow our requests for 'zero waste' presents 😍. I know that not everyone agrees with our philosophy of gifting, but it is very heartwarming when people respect it.
The next day, it was still very cold and wet outdoors so we went to an indoor playground. The kids had fun running around and burning off some energy at Adventure Forest Play Centre before heading to Mustard for a very VERY indulgent lunch.
The weather forecast was better on Sunday and perfect for a trip to Farmer Ted's and boy did we have a great time! The kids had a whole range of experiences in just this one destination from touching bearded dragons and snakes to sliding down a hill in a toboggan.
We ended the weekend having tea like queens.
I asked K if she enjoyed her birthday. She said yes, and that her favourite part was opening her presents 🙊.
I asked her what she would prefer, lots of presents or going to a lot of places... She very honestly said: 'Lots of presents!' OOPS! I guess the brainwashing process isn't complete yet 😂.
Being 5 years old is a HUGE deal to K for one big reason... it is the age she can finally have lollipops! I don't know when it started but it was just one day when she picked up a lollipop and asked to have it and I just said: 'You can when you are 5 years old' and it stuck to her. If you know K, you'll know how much she loves rules. She will follow it to a tee and on top of that, makes it her responsibility to keep everyone in check. Whenever she got a lollipop or saw one in the shop she would point to it and say: 'Only when I'm 5, right Mom?' Then turn to N and tell him: 'When you are 5, you can have a lollipop. Now you are (insert age) so not just yet, okay?' Now she is the grown-up 5 years old required for that first lollipop taste so of course she had to have lollipops for her birthday!
K with her lollipop, N and S with their chocolate pops
Q and I believe that the value of experiences far exceed the value of physical gifts... Also, I really don't like clutter AND we are on a zero waste journey. So spending money to go places trumps toys for us! Being in the UK this year gave us a wider choice of experiences to choose from, so we planned a long weekend filled with experiences starting with a group celebration at the ice cream farm!
We had a very rough start to the weekend, with a huge mess caused by the rental car company. We ended up having to rent a smaller car elsewhere at the last minute, causing us to not be able to bring our neighbours along for the celebrations 😢. After a hectic morning of problem solving and work around, we finally got a rental and managed to arrive at the farm just before noon. The weather was dreary with rain falling for most of the day but thankfully we got a spot in the indoor soft play area where the kids spent most of the day. After about an hour indoors we headed back outdoors where thankfully, it had stopped raining. We walked around a little looking at the animals they had there and did a few rides.
K giving N the first lick of her ice cream
Even though the rain had stopped, the wind was really strong and it was really cold so we decided to get into the car and head for an early warm dinner. We found out about the Farmhouse Inns group a while back and loved their concept. They have an 'all you can pile on your plate' kind of meal, PLUS an indoor playground for the little ones.. wins for both parents and kids.
After dinner, K received her birthday present from the Wongfoks, a box of homemade taste safe play dough in rainbow colours (because unicorns and rainbows are K's thing 🦄). I'm thankful for friends who are willing to follow our requests for 'zero waste' presents 😍. I know that not everyone agrees with our philosophy of gifting, but it is very heartwarming when people respect it.
Enjoying their handmade gift
The next day, it was still very cold and wet outdoors so we went to an indoor playground. The kids had fun running around and burning off some energy at Adventure Forest Play Centre before heading to Mustard for a very VERY indulgent lunch.
Having a ball of a time 😉.
Fried Chicken!
Pancake Mountain!
The weather forecast was better on Sunday and perfect for a trip to Farmer Ted's and boy did we have a great time! The kids had a whole range of experiences in just this one destination from touching bearded dragons and snakes to sliding down a hill in a toboggan.
Our first face to face with a ferret. This one's called Smokey.
I thought the frog was quite high in the ick factor (although the kids were unfazed)...
Then they upped that and took out a hissing cockroach 😵.
We ended the weekend having tea like queens.
I asked K if she enjoyed her birthday. She said yes, and that her favourite part was opening her presents 🙊.
I asked her what she would prefer, lots of presents or going to a lot of places... She very honestly said: 'Lots of presents!' OOPS! I guess the brainwashing process isn't complete yet 😂.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
