How cosy isn´t this scarf?! I found it at Myrorna, the second-hand store, for about 20 sek and I wore it all last winter, and will do so this year too. Its so big and soft and simply awesome. I love those finds. 
As a student sustainability has always been important to me. In regards to food, economical sustainability has been a major question to me and I can probably count on my hands the times I’ve bought lunch on the go. I have always had an interest for cooking, and a mind for saving a few pennies so bringing my food has been natural to me. For a student, it’s almost a must. After graduation, I continue seeing it as a must.
Beside allowing me to eat exactly what I wanted, I know exactly what is in it. It is more economical: buying in bulk it’s cheaper and I don’t have to waste money on fast food. Its also more environment friendly: I can use healthy, near produced products to make my lunch and I use recyclable containers thus minimizing every-day waste. It’s a win win in every way.
If you are, like me, the kind of person who bring leftovers for lunch, you should consider which container you use. I used to have the small simple plastic ones, because they take minimal space in the cabinet and in the freezer. Ideal. But, it’s neither healthy or great for the environment so I´ve decided to change that.
I´ve invested in a few glass containers for my leftovers instead, and although they are still too few to fill up my need, I try to prioritize them. They feel nicer to eat in, and I know I don´t get any plastic in me from microwaving them. And of course, they are prettier and don’t go that ugly yellowish color after a few uses. The ones I have are from IKEA if you want to get some.
There are however two issues.
One, they are to big to fit conformable in my freezer. I´m going to look for smaller ones that work better and that problem will be solved. If you aren´t a regular leftovers-person this is not an issue, but for me who cooks for ten meals at a time it’s a problem.
And second, what to do with my old ones? This is a general issue when changing to eco-friendly products: it shouldn’t mean you throw the other stuff out because then you still created extra waste. Therefore, I´m still using my old ones, and I’m trying to figure out if I can give them to someone who needs a few free.
So they are two solvable issues at least.
Oh, and in the other container in the picture is a food thermos which is perfect for picnics and stuff, or soup. And if you often bring salad you can use glass jars for that – it’s easy and looks really tasty.
I love cloth and sewing, so I try to find new products I can replace. One of the things I’ve done this far is making make-up wipes. I still haven’t replaced all my make-up products with environmentally friendly ones, because of the simple reason that mine haven’t run out yet. But pads to run out so they have been replaced and I must say I love it.
Like with period cloth pads, one of the main reasons I like them is because they are prettier. But of course, it does have the benefit of reducing the manufacturing of cotton pads since they are used several times. You can also eco-approve them by choosing better materials. Mine are made of ecological cotton and bamboo fleece which is super soft against your cheek.
I usually use mine a few days in a row with a quick rinse in between, then give them a proper tumble in the washing machine and they’re good to go again. It´s a never ending circle of awesomness.
Anything for you?
This is me, and more importantly for this post, this is my hair. I have good hair days and bad hair days. But the thing that grabs people’s attention the most is that I have no washing days. I haven’t used shampoo or conditioner for at least eight months. I rinse it maybe once a month, but no more than that. It’s my own little micro-climate.
Hearing it, it sounds like it might be gross, but it’s not. It’s not that greasy or torn or icky in any way. It’s actually kind of nice. It does what I want it to.
The reason I started with this is mostly chance. In highschool I had micro-braids and basically couldn’t wash my hair with them in. So two months at a time would pass without a wash and it was incredibly time saving. I reduced my washing to maybe once a week. Then I went to Nepal for a few months and we had only cold water in cold weather. I choose gross before clean hair. And then I have just continued to stretch it, beacuse it didn´t fell gross like I thought it would. And now it’s been since January.
One of the major pros for me has been that it saves time, but an added effect is that I don’t use products that put a strain on the environment. Less water, less products, less strain on my hair. Thats a win all the way. Even if it grosses people out the first time they hear about it.
So, as I wrote before, I´ve now taken up my interest in sewing and will try to make a few pieces this fall. This is my wish list for the coming year:
- A blouse with a nice deep square neck
- A jumpsuit in blue silk-like material
- A swim suit, preferably dark
- A yellow blouse
- A knitted cardigan
- A pair of slacks
- Pants to climb in (strong and flowy)
- Shirt to climb in (thin and easy)
- A full-sleeved blouse
- A lace bra
- Panties
What do you like?
As you might guess from this picture, I love tea and have waaaay to many kinds of tea. I do however use only tea in bulk and no tea bags. My primary reason for this is that I can find more exciting flavours and variations that way. (And I get to use my cute container)
That I make use of less packaged products that way is simply a plus. Tea in bags are processed one extra time as they are cut to tiny pieces. I´ll readily admit that I don’t know much of the manufacttring process but what I did find after a quick search was that the filter paper the tea bags are made of is abaca. This is the leafstalk of bananas, a kind of hemp. Sadly though, I don’t know much more of it.
However, it is logical to see that bulk tea cuts out half the process the tea goes through since there is no cutting and no packaging. Thus, a lot less machines and time is needed to make bulk tea. That saves the environment through energy usage, and raw material. And also, using bulk tea there is less waste. But mainly, the taste of bulk tea is awesome.
A few years back I would never have worn this. It’s so Frida and so not me. She used to be the colourful crazy glob to my more modest blue. But I´ve come to love colours (while she has come to love dark) and now I hunt for them. This winter she went through her closet and I was there to loot, of course. This is one of my favourite finds. I was doubtful first, but it grows on me every time I wear it. It’s lagom crazy. Like modest crazy. What do you think?
Today I use a crystal deodorant as you can see. It’s made of a salt called Alun that has antiperspirant and antibacterial properties. You just add water and it’s ready to go. It seems too simple but it actually works quite well. It doesn’t add a smell to cover your sweat, so after a tough workout I still smell a bit, but for everyday use it’s perfect. That it doesn´t smell is my favorite part because it feels more natural.
This is an easy product to change in your everyday routine. A downside is the plastic package, but for a deodorant it is still a preferable alternative. You know exactly what it contains and that the production had minimal environmental impact compared to other deodorants. Also, it lasts for ages so it will be forever before you have to change and contribute to yet another packaging. At that point, there is probably a glass casing too.
lillaerika
vegannnikki
SustainableBelieving 