Monthly Archives: May 2012

Perth Green Events – June 2012

Posted in Media, Perth by

I really do get so excited when I see Perth continually bringing awesome eco events to it’s stage. There seem to be so many fantastic community-driven activities to get involved in nowadays that it really gives you hope that the green change is coming. So I thought I would combine them all onto the one post for convenience. If you know of any that I have missed please either email me on oliveonblonde@gmail.com or leave a comment below. And if you attend any events I’d love to hear your feedback too! Get inspired…

1st June – Movie Night screening ‘Growing Change’

When - Friday, 1st June: Arrive and get seated at 7pm, movie commences at 7:30pm

Where - Naregebup Environmental Centre. 49 Safety Bay Road, (Opposite Lake Richmond), Rockingham

Bring - A plate of food to share, a snuggle rug and dress for winter.

Cost - Gold coin donation.

Go check out this inspiring documentary about Venezuela’s Food Revolution. Venezuela is conducting one of the most exciting experiments in the world: to grow a fair and sustainable food system. Throughout the documentary you will journey with the filmmaker through fishing villages, cocoa plantations and urban gardens all the while examining this growing social movement – a movement that is proving that communities can triumph over corporations.

If you would like more information about the event contact 08 9591 3077.

 

5th June – Eco Design and Renovation Workshop

When - Tuesday, 5thJune.  7pm – 8:30pm

Where - Flinders Park Community Hall, Hillarys (See the map here)

Cost - Free.

Josh Byrne: Picture courtesy of ABC Gardening Australia

A great event to learn about retrofitting, renovations and renewable energy. As part of the Think Green Energy Workshops series ABC TV Gardening Australia Presenter, Josh Byrne, will demonstrate how you can use passive solar design to keep your existing home, renovation or new building project comfortable all year round.

Bookings are essential. Register via email at info@joondalup.wa.gov.au or call 9400 4527.

8th June – Photographic Exhibition and Fundraiser for the animals of Bali: ‘Look Twice’

When - Friday, 8th June. 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Where - Tompkins Park Function Centre. Cnr of Dunkley Avenue and Canning Highway, Alfred Cove. (See the map here)

Cost – Free entry. Pay as you go bar facilities.

An excerpt from the event Facebook page says “The ‘Look Twice’ exhibition showcases the animals of Bali as never seen before. These uplifting and poignantly beautiful images reveal their strength and spirit, and are a testament to the valuable work undertaken to save their lives. You will fall in love with every one”.

Last year I blogged about my visit to BAWA (Bali Animal Welfare Association); the animals, people and philosophy of this tireless organisation stole my heart. 100% of the profits goes to BAWA which is funded entirely by individual donations, fundraisers and volunteers. The artworks are for sale and there will also a fabulous silent auction donated by generous local businesses.

The animals of Bali are extremely vulnerable and their suffering can be huge. If you want to learn more, I wrote about what the dogs alone are up against in their daily fight for survival. It was devastating to see but SO inspiring to see what the people over there are doing to support the animals! If you choose one event to support this month, please let it be this one.

(Here is the link to the BAW Facebook page.  They give frequent updates on the characters that are rescued and inspiring acts of kindness from people touched by the animals plight. Everyone loves a happy story).

Ceewee – a Bali dog that I met at the BAWA head office.

14th – 16th June – Human Rights Arts and Film Festival

When - Thursday 14th – Saturday 16th June. Varied – see timetable.

Where - Luna Cinema Paradiso. 164 James Street, Northbridge WA

Cost - Tickets range in price – approx. $16

When you combine a whole lot of award-winning films/documentaries with a worthy cause you can’t really lose? The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival is being run across Australia this month and is coming to Perth as well. See the Perth section of the website here for detailed timetables and to purchase tickets as well.

My not-to-be-missed choices are The Island President and Buffalo Girls:

The Island President: documents the President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, as he campaigns for the world to recognise that his nation (consisting of almost 2000 islands) is facing extinction at the hands of climate change. The backdrop of the film is the United Nation’s 2009 climate summit in Copenhagen where Nasheed is very much a small fish in a big pond. This documentary drives home the point that our actions are affecting the entire world, including some of our most vulnerable people. This multi-award winning film (including Toronto International Film Festival 2011) is paced by a breath-taking Radiohead score, just in case you needed more convincing to see it!

Buffalo Girls: reveals a growing issue in developing countries that I had no idea even existed!  In Thailand it is currently estimated that up to 30,000 children are involved in underground child-boxing tournaments to win money to support their poverty-stricken families. Following two eight-year old girls (Stam and Pet) film director Todd Kellstein wrestles with an increasingly common question that plagues human rights campaigners for developing nations – is this pathway exploitative or empowering?

15th June – Movie Night Screening of ‘Bag It’

When - Friday, 15th June. 6:30pm (if you want dinner) – 9pm

Where - Replants. 96 Wray Avenue (Near cnr of Wray Ave and Hampton Road – the west side)

Bring – Food, drink, chairs, blankets, pillows – anything that will take you to comfy town!

Cost - $5 for entry. $10 vego meal available.

This is a documentary about an ordinary guy who looked around one day and realised – ‘Wow. I have a lot of plastic in my life’. So he set himself a simple goal – to stop using plastic bags at the grocery store. This simple goal turned into an inspiring documentary that proves that you don’t need to be a scientist, politician or lawyer to use a little bit of knowledge to make a whole lot of difference. Take a look around. Is your life too plastic? Do you want to make a change? Get inspired! 

16th June – Plastic Free July Workshop

When – Saturday, 16th June. 1pm – 3:30pm

Where - Perth City Farm. 1 City Farm Place, Perth

Cost -  Free – as long as you are registered for Plastic Free July (click here if you aren’t)

It is about time that you start getting yourself excited and prepared for Plastic Free July. A group of Perth’s Metropolitan Regional Councils (Eastern, Western and Central) have banded together with the Earth Carers to host this informative session to get you ready for you month free of polymer! There will be plastic free demonstrations, hands on activities and tips and tricks from those in the know. It is being held at Perth City Farm to which is an experience to visit in itself!

The event is open to anyone registered for Plastic Free July (and you are welcome to bring a friend) but RSVP’s are essential. Either call Amy or Rebecca on 9384 4003 or email Earth Carers – earthcarers@wmrc.wa.gov.au

There is also a Facebook page for the event (here) and Plastic Free July (here)!

17th June – Children’s Forest Planting Day

 When - Sunday, 16th June. 10am – 1pm

Where - Whiteman Park. Park Entrance off Lord Street, Perth (map here)

Cost - Free.

What a great way to get your kids interested in conservation and nature. Men of the Trees are hosting the annual Children’s Forest Planting Day where you can bring your family to this absolutely gorgeous community forest for a bite to eat, free entertainment and to help by planting native seedlings in the twelfth stage of the forest! If anything is going to get kids passionate about the environment it’s mud and this is a great interactive way where they can get their hands dirty and have some fun.

For more information either call 9250 1888 or see this link.

21st June – Movie Night Screening of ‘Bag It’

When - Thursday, 21st June. 6:45pm – 8:15pm

Where - Presbyterian Ladies College. 14 McNeil Street, Peppermint Grove

This is a documentary about an ordinary guy who looked around one day and realised – ‘Wow. I have a lot of plastic in my life’. So he set himself a simple goal – to stop using plastic bags at the grocery store. This simple goal turned into an inspiring documentary that proves that you don’t need to be a scientist, politician or lawyer to use a little bit of knowledge to make a whole lot of difference. Take a look around. Is your life too plastic? Do you want to make a change? Get inspired!

30th June – Wholefood Cooking with Jude Blereau (Plastic Free July)

When - Saturday, 30th June. 1pm – 3pm

Where - The Grove Community Centre. 1 Leake St Peppermint Grove

Cost - Free – as long as you are registered for Plastic Free July (if not click here)

This is your last chance to get informed before your month of being Plastic Free starts! But if you are feeling a little worried then come and meet renowned Perth Wholefood Chef Jude Blereau (see her inspiring blog here) who will teach you how to shop, prepare and cook food with NO disposable plastic packaging. Learn and be surprised.

RSVP’s are essential – email on rsvp@wrmc.wa.gov.au or call on 9384 4003

There is also a Facebook page for the event here.

You may have also seen Jude’s book around…

 

Healthy Banana, Sultana and Walnut Cupcakes

Posted in Food by

Vegan

Preparation time – 15 minutes; Cooking time – 15 minutes

Makes 12

I love cupcakes. I could eat ‘em for every meal, every day of the week if I had a better metabolism. But I am pregnant at the moment so I guess I get a temporary reprieve. But still – it is always good to be healthy where you can so I made up this recipe and packed it full of fruit and nuts which meant I wouldn’t have to feel quite so bad about cupcake time! (Cupcake time – in case you wish to join me – is Monday through to Sunday from 4am – 11:59pm).

The great thing about using fruit in your baking is that it acts as a binder which means you don’t need any eggs and they also sweeten the muffins so you don’t have to add extra sugar. And to be extra healthy and cute I carved out little red apple hearts for a garnish and took them to my mother-in-laws for Mothers Day. All in all – cupcake win!

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Wholemeal Flour
  • 2 tsp of bicarb soda/baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 Cup of walnuts, chopped
  • 120ml of oil (use coconut if possible, otherwise any vegetable will do)
  • 4 x very ripe banana’s
  • 3 T crushed pineapple
  • 1 T maple syrup
  • Juice and zest of one lemon
  • 1/2 Cup of raisins
  • 1 standard size tub of vegan cream cheese (Tofutti is available at supermarkets nowadays!)
  • 1 Cup icing sugar (give or take depending on taste)
  • 1 x red apple or some strawberries to garnish – OPTIONAL

Method

1.   Preheat your oven on 180Celsius / 360F

2.   Add wholemeal flour, bicarb soda, cinnamon, lemon zest of half a lemon (save the other half) and walnuts into your mixing bowl

3.   Place oil, pineapple, banana’s, maple syrup and juice of one lemon into a bowl. Mash until the banana’s don’t look like banana’s anymore!

4.   Pour your wet mix in with the flour mix. Put on medium speed until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

5.   Add the raisins and fold into the mixture. It will be quite a thick mix.

6.   Spoon these straight into your greased baking tin (You can use cupcake liners if you’d like but I really think they are a bit of a waste of paper!   Do you really need them?)

7.   Bake for about 15 minutes – checking with a skewer into the centre of one of your cupcakes.

8.   Once they look like beautiful golden mountains bring them out and allow them to cool.

9.   In a food processor add your vegan cream cheese, sugar and the lemon zest of the saved half of the lemon and mix until smooth. Taste test to see if you need more sugar or lemon.

10.   Spread the cream cheese frosting onto your cupcakes. If you want to be cute, you can cut out little lovehearts from red apples or strawberries and use them as a garnish.

DIY Citrus All-Purpose Cleaner

Posted in DIY, Eco Home, Plastic-Free by

I love citrus. At the moment every time I walk into the lunchroom I get these beautiful wafts of oranges and mandarins. Then comes afternoon tea and I get to devour a nice fresh lemon… don’t judge me… I am pregnant and I am allowed to eat weird stuff! But it did pain me to see all the peels getting chucked in the trash especially considering that so many cleaners boast about their citrusy scent or about how powerful they are due to the use of real lemons! As with most things I have decided that it would be much easier (and healthier) to go straight to the source, which is always nature.

Looks almost good enough to eat!

Unless you have your own citrus tree (lucky you) you might not get through enough peel to make a lot of this. Firstly, as long as you put it in the fridge your peel will last up to ten days. Secondly, a good trick is to put a container in the kitchen at your office and ask people to put their peel there instead of the bin. Anyone that follows my Facebook page may remember that at first I got called a ‘freak’ for this email request BUT by the end of the week I had had plenty of interest in the recipe and I had enough peels to make a good few batches of cleaner. Once it is ready I am going to take it into work (along with the recipe) to show people how well it works. Sharing the eco love people!

What You Need

  • Citrus peels – any kind! If you want an extra strong cleaner use only orange peels
  • Bicarb soda
  • White vinegar
  • Essential Oil (optional)
  • Something to scrub with – scourer, dish brush, nail brush
  • Old jars
  • Old spray bottle (use one of the containers that used to hold your nasty cleaner!)

Method

1.  Gather your peels and place in a bowl.

2. Cover with water and then sprinkle bicarb soda quite liberally over them.
3.  Dip the peel and give a quick scrub. Place the scrubbed peel into a colander. (This is to remove all the nasty chemicals from the peels and make it a truly natural cleaner).
4.  Once all the peels have had a quick scrub rinse them thoroughly.
5.  Place all the peels into a jar.
6.  Fill the jar up to the level of your peels with vinegar.
7.  Store in a dark, cool place for between 2 weeks and a month. Shake it once a week if you remember – make sure the lid is on tight!
8.  Shake the mixture vigorously then pour the mixture into a container, straining the old peels.
9.  Mix 1 part vinegar mix with 1 part water and pour into your spray bottle! If you would like add ten drops of an essential oil with antibacterial qualities (i.e. teatree, lavender or lemon).

It is a fantastic cleaner and will work on most surfaces (not glass) and strong stains. Be careful if you use only orange peels as the oil in orange peel is very strong and can be quite abrasive. It is always best to do a spot test.

At first I had hoped that this could be used as a detergent but I want to actually test that recipe before I just send it out there as I am not sure quite how well it will work. This one I have used before and it is tried and test! As soon as I try the detergent mix though I will make sure I report back to you all.

Happy Cleaning!

P.s. This is also a great plastic free cleaning recipe if you are partaking in Plastic Free July. See here to register! 

Plastic Free July – Take the Challenge!

Posted in Animals, Eco Home, Environment, Issues by

Plastic is literally taking over the planet. Wherever you are right now stop and have a look around. How much plastic can you see near you? Then take into account the plastic that you can’t see – plastic in cosmetics, clothing material and in your chewing gum (yep, it is made of plastic!). Then there is landfill. Now go further – think about our oceans. We have basically created a thin soup of plastic that touches every corner of the globe. It doesn’t have to be this way though – it is easy enough to change habits and shift demand towards better, kinder alternatives. As always it starts with the individual – so here is an encouraging kick-in-the-butt to get started! One of my favourite Perth organisations Western Earth Carers have started Plastic Free July; a challenge that anyone can partake in to try and reduce their dependency on plastic.

Why Give Up Plastic?

What resonates most to me when I think about why we should all try to eliminate plastic from our lives is this; we are using a material that is designed to last forever to create items that are designed to be thrown away. That just doesn’t make sense. Think about the lifespan of a lollipop wrapper for example, the plastic is made using precious oils and gases (both non-renewable resources) it is ripped off without a thought and is thrown away. But where is ‘away’? Away is landfill or our waterways where it then kills animals, pollutes the ecosystem and eventually breaks down into microscopic particles that are ingested into the food chain (which ends with us).

And, more directly, there are also all the links between plastics and serious disease such as obesity, diabetes and cancer. BPA (Bisphenol A) is a chemical that is used in the production of polycarbonate plastics. Our use of BPA is so prolific that a study detected it in the urine of 93% of the population over 6 years of age. The convenience and ‘economical’ nature of this material is literally killing us (and the planet) and the real tragedy is that it is completely unnecessary. There are so many opportunities to recycle, reuse and – best yet – reduce by using biodegradable alternatives. But while we continue to accept the status quo, nobody is going to change anything.

(If you want to learn more about plastic pollution then check out this quick and bloody interesting You Tube video featuring Charles Moore – the man that discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch back in 1997).

The Challenge

Here are the rules;

  • For the entire month of July attempt to buy no plastic packaging.
  • Choose your commitment level – either 1 shopping trip, 1 day, 1 week or 1 month.
  • Create a ‘Dilemma Bag’. This will be your sin bin, used to collect any plastics that you accidentally accumulate or couldn’t avoid. At the end of the challenge Earth Carers have requested that everyone sends in a picture of your dilemma bag.

I will be committing to the entire month and I really hope that if you decide to give it a go that you push yourselves! It is not a competition, it is a challenge. If you accidentally consume plastic that is okay – just stick  it in that bag.

When I first found out that I was pregnant I was at a loss at how on earth I was going to get through nine months without my customary Saturday night champagne (not to mention my equally important Sunday through to Friday red wines?) but now that I am used to it, it is actually really easy. I am confident it will be the same with this challenge. Who knows… it might stick?

Take the leap!

Come on… Be brave! Make a concerted effort to do what is best for the planet and your health and register with tfor the challenge here. They also have a Facebook page with all sorts of updates and encouragement.

But don’t stop there – get your family involved, put some information on the fridge in your workplace, form a pact with your partner. The more people that are involved the pool of creative minds to bounce idea’s and tips off.

I wanted to include this gorgeous TedX by Beth Terry who founded My Plastic Free Life (a fabulous resource). In it she explains the moment that made her stop and change direction, her experience so far and her tips and tricks on reducing her plastic consumption. She is so inspirational because she is so normal. Absolutely gorgeous.

Start Planning

This is not the sort of thing that you can just jump into without at least a little bit of preparation. I am going to make sure that I provide plenty of resources and recipes to help you out.  Stay tuned for my next post which will contain instruction on exactly how to prepare yourself and your household for the challenge. In the meantime here is an old post with tips and tricks on reducing consumption or you could take a deeper look at the effects of plastic to really get you motivated.

If you are in Perth the Western Earth Carers also have a whole heap of events to provide inspiration and information like an introductory workshop before the challenge starts,  a screening of Bag It, a wholefood cooking class with Jude Blereau and a finale party to celebrate your efforts!

For Em’s follow up post 5 Steps To Being Plastic Free click here

My Diet Is Better Than Yours!

Posted in Animals, Environment by

The only types of labels I like are the ones that are plastered around my kitchen reminding my husband exactly where to put each pot, pan, utensil or ingredient. The OCD side of my persona enjoys nothing more than looking in my cupboards and seeing everything in its place – perfectly organised, nothing out of the ordinary. Ironically – this is the exact reason that I hate the labels we put on each other. They aren’t harmless guidelines (my husband would argue the same about our kitchen system) they are parameters – unyielding, unforgiving and often untrue. And nowadays I see it more than ever when it comes down to what we eat.

From Daniel Vitalis.com

I Am Not Vegan

I thought I was vegan for a year and a half – apparently I was not (and never will be) a “proper” vegan. I actually experienced anger from a lot of vegans (some of them good friends) about the way my improper vegan lifestyle was damaging to the overall cause. I did not consume meat or dairy. I did not eat store bought eggs. I did however eat eggs from my parent’s hobby farm where no chicken was or will ever be killed. This – to my surprise – enraged people. In my view I was being true to the cause; I was not contributing to the negative treatment of any animals, nor environmental degradation related to food production, nor the exploitation of local/indigenous people (apart from my mum when I would force her to make me Pavlova). But I received a lot of criticism from people that I would not have expected it from. I was told that I was not as good a person as my properly vegan counterparts. I suspect that these people were trying to change my opinion/stance/behaviour but all it did was completely alienate me from a really beautiful philosophy.

What happens when you criticise someone…

See while I was looking down the end of a pointed finger (they were yelling down at me from a far superior plane of spiritual connectedness) all I could look at was their fridge. Highly packaged foods with little nutritional value. Non-organic fruit and vegetables, which have more miles attached to them than Richard Branson. Genetically modified soy. Carbon heavy plane tickets. How on earth could this person be judging me when they are committing all sorts of environmental sins? And there we have it! As soon as you tout yourself to be the Messiah of all things holy you turn a massive looking glass onto every decision you have ever made in your life. You immediately push people on the back foot while they grapple for their self-defence can of pepper spray.

Forgetting the labels and accepting each other  

In my mind I am doing all that I can. I do not support industries that I do not agree with. I do support those that I do. Such as oyster farming - it improves water quality, provides local people with non-destructive employment, and many studies prove that they do not feel pain. But in the end what I believe (and if you agree with it) does not matter. Omnivore, locavore, vegan, fruitarian, organic devotee, self-sufficient. They could all spend their entire lives criticising different aspects of their consumptive habits or they could look at all the positives of their collective diets. If people have made the conscious decision to alter their food habits for the better then they should be praised rather than demonised about the specifics. Call me vanilla or defeatist if you will but I feel that positive reinforcement beats punishment and shame every time.

What everyone should do

In my opinion there are only three things that every single person should do;

  1. Everyone should endeavour to be as informed as possible about any industry or impact that they contribute to. If you don’t agree with it – don’t contribute to it.
  2. Don’t judge. Everyone has different opinions, timelines and motivations to change.
  3. Lead by a great, happy, kind example! People gravitate towards good energy.

I am really sorry if this has come across as a rant or as if I do not like or believe in the Vegan cause. I very much do and I still apply a lot of these philosophies to my life. I just started to notice a lot of really wonderful people that are all committed to a better world, bickering over the idiosyncrasies of their respective diets. That has just been my personal experience and my motivation behind the article. I just hated that people said that I was not a supporter of animal rights because I eat oysters. Humans are like onions dammit – we have layers!!!

Steve Irwin ate meat and did a hell of a lot for this planet. Ellen DeGeneres is vegan and does a hell of a lot for this planet. Saddam Hussein ate meat and Adolf Hitler was vegetarian and I guess it’s safe to say that they have both done a hell of a lot to the planet as well. Let’s focus on the good in people hey?

Please feel more than free to leave comments. Are you a food snob? Have you been shamed about your diet? Do you think it is a good tactic to incite change? I ‘d be really interested.

Big News, Little Facelift and A Whole New View

Posted in Eco Home, Life of Olive, Media by

Well it has been quite a while since I got my blogging clogs on… two whole months in fact. And my, my how much can change in such a short time! Firstly, I’d like to say thanks to all the little emails and messages that I got, checking I was still alive and greening. I am! And after a two month interlude I feel that not only should I give a bit of an explanation on where the hell I’ve been but also a re-launch of sorts. I am taking the blog in a slightly different direction and wanted to explain how I got there and the little journey I have been on.

The Big News

Back in March I started feeling really sick and really tired. There are some fairly obvious deductions a young lady can make about those symptoms and after a quick dash to the chemist it was confirmed – we are expecting a little bundle of joy! My gorgeous husband and I are ridiculously excited about the bub but I have encountered one not-so-tiny drawback… morning sickness. Except it was actually all-day-all-night sickness! This is not the type of green I like to promote on my blog! So even though I have been dying to update my blog I have been completely incapacitated. My amazing husband has seriously picked up the slack and has basically spent the past few weeks carting in buckets and buckets of raspberries – Hero! Slowly, slowly it is starting to get better though so it is onwards and outwards from here my friends!

Nicknamed Yertle.

The Move

In some weird collision of fate my little family has made the move back into the home we own rather than our gorgeous shabby rental in Freo. The timing was partly perfect (due to the impending expansion of our brood) but also a tad upsetting as Secret Harbour is a decidedly less eco suburb. I have moved past the devastation though and I am now actually really excited about this new challenge! In Fremantle it is expected and oh, so easy to be environmentally friendly. Don’t get me wrong, that is fab, but my blog is about encouraging people to be sustainable which includes a large amount of people who may not have all the resources conveniently at their fingertips! I am now one of those people. I will be constantly reminded about how hard choosing the more sustainable, ethical option can be for some people and therefore will make sure I give as many options, ideas and resources as possible.

We have set sail for the coast.

What does this all mean for the blog?

Even though I have been splitting my time between moving house and vomiting (charming beast aren’t it?) it has, in a way, been great having a bit of time away from the blog. It has given me time to look from afar, think about what I enjoy writing about most, seeing which posts you guys like reading the most and just pondering how I want to approach life in general. Here is what I came up with…

More Positive Posts

In the past I have undertaken massive and draining articles about huge issues like the other GFC (the Global Fish Crisis) or Palm Oil. The main reason I wrote these was because before looking at how to change bad habits, I like to ensure I am absolutely the full bottle on the issue myself. I used it almost as a self-education process. But one thing I have noticed is that even though the posts are important, reading about catastrophe after catastrophe can be, well, bloody depressing. I also found it made me narrow-minded and a bit cockeyed really – a Green Nazi if you will.

We definitely all need to make sure we know exactly what is happening in the world – knowledge is power – but I think it is also SO important to focus on what we can do as well as acknowledging the good that is being done already. Use success stories as your cheer squad – prevent that completely unconstructive feeling of hopelessness. So while I will touch on the nitty gritty I will mainly focus on what we can all do to avoid contributing negatively to the planet. This being said… there will be the occasional issue that I won’t be able to pass on – Monsanto, I’m looking at you punks!

There’s still a whole lotta beauty in the world!

Health Focus (With Occasional Baby Bits)

I want to make my house the perfect healthy environment for a little munchkin to grow up in which for me equates to no chemicals, organic food and a happy lifestyle. And – according to Mrs Obama – that means being selfish and looking after myself! This is a new concept to me. So I am looking forward to exploring and experimenting with natural therapies, meditation, yoga, spending time outdoors, possibly throwing away the TV and cooking foods from scratch. And updating my blog with the progress of course.

More DIY and Upcycling

Now that I am in my own home I am able to renovate, retrofit and plant! I have so many projects that I just didn’t have space for in the last place so I am really excited to now have the ability. Hopefully I can give ideas on simple DIY ways to be more sustainable (eg; growing your own food) as well as fun ways to reduce your impact (like making your own products, furniture and art). I will also commit to using as many (if not all) recycled and reclaimed materials rather than just being one of those craft blogs that just goes out and buys everything new!

Bunting… or “Funting” if you will?

And Finally…

In keeping with the selfish theme I am just going to start enjoying life a bit more. Get out there exploring (with my camera always in tow so that I can share my virtual picture album). Be happy. Read some books. Draw.  Smooch my husband a bit more. Take the scenic route. Marvel at simple beautiful things… like strawberries! Choose some crazy wallpaper just because it makes me laugh. Read Dr Seuss every day. Judge less. Do more for animals. Finally, hug that Boab in Kings Park (his name is George). Celebrate the good that is being done rather than mourning all the bad. I have come to the conclusion that a smile will change a lot more minds than a big, ranting frown will! So here goes.

Barefoot and without a care in the world.

P.S. Just in case you are wondering what the inspiration is behind this sudden perspective change then please take some time out and watch the video below. Alice Herz Sommer provided me with a virtual kick in the arse. When I’m 108 I want to be just like her…

“I look where it is good. I know about the bad, but I look at the good thing” 

- Alice Herz Sommer, Happiest Woman In The World!