Our winter school holidays kicked off with an exciting invitation to enjoy a staycation at the Dorsett Melbourne. The hotel requested my honest feedback on their sustainability initiatives, particularly in reducing plastic usage. I must admit, I've been invited to stay at hotels before, but the Dorsett's level of engagement and openness to improvement was truly refreshing. Right from the start, it was evident that the team at Dorsett Melbourne was committed to actively learning, improving, and creating a positive change towards becoming more environmentally friendly. Before delving ..read more

Hemp textiles have grown in popularity during the last decade as the environmental benefits are rediscovered. Hemp fabric has a natural unique style and feel, is highly durable and breathable, making it ideal for clothing, homewares and even footwear. The material that's been used for 8,000 years and was once so popular to make clothes, paper, rope and other items that it became a currency.  Compared to cotton growing hemp requires less water, and little need for pesticides or fertilisers. The hemp plant also takes up less space, produces quickly, while improving soil health as it grow ..read more

The time I get to enjoy a magazine is few and far between at the moment but when i do get to curl up with one (and a cup fo tea) I'll choose one about sustainability and eco living. We have a great selection of Australian magazines with a focus on sustainable living that can be found at local newsagents and even your library. Magazine subscriptions through iSubscribe make a great gift.   Australian sustainable and eco living magazines: Pip Renew: Technology for a sustainable future Peppermint Grassroots Sanctuary: Modern Green Homes Good Organic Gardening Australian ..read more

Plastic Free Lunch Bag by Life Without Plastic We started primary school this year. I'm saying we because the transition from kinder to big school has been felt just as deeply by my 5yr old as it has been by me! The first weeks of Prep have moved with ease and faster than I expected. That's not to say there has not been some days when he's grumbled about attending. When I give him the option to stay home and learn with me, i'm always met with a confident no, thank you. I would be happy to home school him but he is not as keen. Last year we had many conversations on the different ways ..read more

The week before the arrival of baby number two I asked via social media what kind of topics would be helpful and interesting for me to write about. One topic was eco friendly zero waste craft and play activity ideas for children. So here we are (over a year late) with a series on easy zero waste craft and play activities for the family and caregivers to try.  The craft activity I'm going to share is how we made paper mache bowls using scrap paper and homemade glue. These were a lot of fun to make. The project prompted my 5yr old to ask about the different types of materials a bowl ..read more

Our eldest child has a generous collection of toys. 99% of them have been passed onto us from older cousins, friends, and picked up secondhand (Op Shop, Facebook Marketplace and eBay). They mainly consist of anything with a wheel. My feet have stepped on a fair few matchbox cars in the past few years. Ouch! The reality of choosing only secondhand toys is they have been pre-loved and pre-played, meaning the toys can be very close to breaking by the time we get to them. Notably toys picked up from Op Shops are the ones close to becoming landfill. My guess is some people feel guilty about put ..read more

“We can't take your donations, sorry. Our storage is full.” I overheard this response to another customers at the Op Shop just after the new year. It's not the first time either and I have also received this response when trying to make a clothing donation.  Before I learned about the major environmental and human impact of the fashion industry, Op Shops were the go to place to help me make way for the old so I could replace with the new. Essentially, they were my scapegoat. I could unload a bag at their stores, or into a charity bin when the store declined my stuff. There was never a ..read more

This is an overdue announcement for blog readers - we have a new addition to the family. To be honest it kinda feels like he's been with us for more than five months. There's a feeling of him being here forever. Old soul perhaps? If I could describe him in one word it would be jolly. Or peaceful. He radiates a soothing energy I'm clinging to in these turbulent times. The dark hair in his newborn photo above has fallen out and is now golden. Sadly, neither children have inherited my ginger hair. He is desperately trying to push and lift his small body up to crawl. Once he's mastered this ..read more

My 4 year old has become fixated on receiving a lot of gifts this Christmas. It’s the first Christmas he knows presents are given by Santa and who Santa actually is. The expectations on the present front are high and the list he wrote for Santa is loooong. You'd think living in a zero-waste home that practices minimalism there would be no expectations to receive a bounty of gifts. I was puzzled at the start too. Neither myself or his father actively talk about Santa, Christmas, or gifts, to warrant it. Where did this come from? How did a list of 20 trains, 11 Disney Pixar Cars, a new train ..read more

Every few months an article or graphic appears debating the importance of individual actions in response to reducing waste and plastics compared to the steps business and government can take. It's a worthy debate, especially as many of us are realising most environmental destruction and social injustice has been steered for centuries by business and governments. For a long time these businesses and governments have distracted us, helping craft the message that it's the individuals responsibility to make changes, do the right thing, litter less, turn off the lights, recycle right etc. I wan ..read more