It is the season to be kind!

Merry Christmas to all you wonderful people. I wish you the happiest and kindest Christmas, and an even better beginning to the new year! :) 

To those who don't celebrate Christmas (or if you belong to another religion) I wish you a peaceful and relaxing end to the year. I hope the new year also brings you kindness and joy! 

I really want to thank you for your encouragement & support this year & over the last few years! It has meant so much to me. It has been such a hard year, in so many ways for my family and I that we are looking forward to a better year next year! 

So here is to a new year filled with hope and kindness. :) 

luv much,

Daena x

Kindness continues...

Hey everyone, did you miss me? I sure missed you. Life has been crazy and all my plans of blogging daily have gone right out the window. But at least I'm back writing again. :) 

For those who don't know, this month is NaNoWriMo or, to the uninitiated, National November Writers Month. It's been going for years and I've been doing it for years but this year I have come full circle and am writing fantasy stories about characters I've written about in the past! But I have to tell you writing, whether it be blogging or story telling, keeps me happy. I have so many ideas and often I find life get in the way. But that just adds more inspiration!

 I sometimes wish I had a job as a writer then I'd get paid to do what I love, which would also mean I would have accountability to others. Plus i work so well to a dead line! :)

Anyways, that wasn't what I was really wanting to tell you about. Seeing as I haven't has a chance to upload the hundreds of kindness ideas yet (for the last several months), I thought I would share with you today's kindnesses (and yes there was a few more than one).

So today I went to help mum at her MU (Mothers Union) meeting. It's a group of Christian women who come together and have a good time, eat food and try and support local community groups. Well, today was their Christmas craft day that mum was helping with. I volunteered to help the ladies, aged between 60-95 years young, make Christmas crackers! And amazingly it's much harder than it sounds. But not too complicated! I didn't take any photos I'm afraid but it was very successful. :) there was other crafts too, ready for next months MU Christmas party! 

Not only did I make Christmas crackers for all those that were working at other tables as teachers for the craft I also made crackers for those that couldn't make today's meeting and I helped others make their own. I also helped the ladies organising the event (mum included) to pack away, then I did a load of washing up, dryed up and even brought the rubbish bins in from the road!

I was very busy and I'm exhausted now but it was a lot of fun! 

I just wanted to share this with you so you knew I was keeping up with my kindnesses! :) 

Simple kindnesses are the best. Today cost me a bit of time, but no money. Sometimes your time is the most valuable asset you have! :) 

Hope this finds you all well! :) 

Luv Daena x

A kindness for me... and a bit more...

Hey my lovelies,

I have been thinking a lot about what to write... as I haven't had time yet to sit down and type up all the kindnesses from those 8 journals! So when today happened I just had to share!

I got "Kindness-ed" today! I know its not a word... but I like to think it applies.

Today I was wandering home from work... I have about an 800m walk to the train station. On my way two cyclist were stopped on the side of the bike path. One was looking bored, whilst the other fixed his bike, so I did what I always do when approaching strangers, and I smiled at him. He smiled back. That was cool. A little kindness done.

I walked past and had to basically walk back past him as I walked up the ramp to go over the bridge to the train station. At which point I smiled at him again. And he smiled back.

Then he yelled (as I was almost past him, if not above him)... "You have a beautiful smile. Keep smiling".

I yelled "Thank you" and possibly blushed and then was out of sight.

It was really nice to receive a compliment!

Giving compliments is one of the simplest ways to encourage someone. It is also one of the simplest and quickest kindnesses a human can do. You can give them to strangers and loves ones... and those in between!

"You look beautiful today!"
"I love that colour on you!"
"You are an incredible multi-tasker."

 One of the things I have had to learn as an adult is to actually TAKE a compliment. In this day and age we often negate what others say about us that is positive because it is unfamiliar territory. But you can embrace the "amazing-ness" in yourself. And embracing you own "amazing-ness" means you can then share it with others.

The following are not the best ways to respond to the compliment someone gives you... because you are actually negating the compliment.
"Oh, this old thing?"
"You must have me confused with somebody else"
"Yeah, but I could do better."
The best way to respond to a compliment (at least the way I have found) is to look them in the eye and simply say "Thank you." That is all it takes to receive a compliment.

Don't ever doubt that you are wonderful, beautiful, and creative. You are all those things! Those attributes exist in each of us and they are different in each of us. I love finding what makes someone creative because for me it is art yet for someone else it might be the way they write, dance, sing, play a musical instrument, build a boat, tell jokes, build Lego, plan adventures, spray paint, decorate cakes, build computer generated worlds, make clothes, create culinary masterpieces... oh the list goes on... and on... and on...

Which reminds me of the Albert Einstein quote about trees and fish... you know the one...

What i am trying to say is that everyone has something that they can be complimented on. Yes sometimes it is a little harder to see than it is for others, but everyone has something that is wonderful about them.

I love starting conversations with hard people! you know the ones who insist on being rude to you even though you have only just met them? My game is that I try to find something to compliment them on by the end of the conversation. Sometimes, it is not appropriate to say "I love your amazing eyelashes" or "Wow, you are a formidable person", yet as I am looking for something to be happy about them, it is like a light in the other person shines for me. Yeah... I know that sounds corny. But I love corny. I love that I can see the beauty in someone, that maybe others may not see. I hope that one day everyone will see that beauty in everyone they meet along their path. It isn't easy... but it is a wonderful way of living.

One thing that complimenting Kindnesses remind me of is the story of The Warm Fuzzy's and the Cold Prickly's... if you ever want to read the story you can here. It is all about how being kind to others means that there is more kindness to give out. Being generous means there is more generosity around you. The story also addresses people who give out things that look nice but actually leave a cold and prickly feeling on the inside. These could be seen as kindness, but is masking the rude intent behind it. Anyway, it is a very good story and has been translated into lots of languages. I love it. So you should totally check it out.

It is funny really... this was going to be a little post about how I got complimented on the way home from work. I love that it turned into a little more. I hope you enjoyed my enthusiastic sideways jaunt because I believe giving compliments as an act of kindness is simple and can be done almost all the time. If you gave one compliment a day, your kindnesses would start stacking up around you... just like me... and other people would be touched by your kindness too.

Hope this finds you all well,
Love Daena

Zucchini Slice Recipe... because i forgot in Sustainable September!

Hello my lovelies,

when I was doing sustainable September I was talking about what you can make food with the things that are in season. One of my favourite things to make when zucchinis are in season is to make Zucchini Slice.

I promised the recipe... so here it is! Finally! :) Lets think of it as my little kindness of today... but I'm sure I'll probably do something else too! ;)

Zucchini Slice

Ingredients:

375gm grated Zucchini

1 cup grated Cheese

3-4 slices of chopped Bacon

1 medium Onion

1 cup Self Raising Flour

½ cup of cooking oil

5 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together. Put into a greased and lined tin. Cook in a medium oven for 30-40 mins on 180*C

For a vegetarian option leave out the bacon and add some grated carrot and corn kernels. 

Hope you enjoy! Because it is truly delicious! :)

Luv Daena 

Becoming a blog junkie...

Hey everyone,

Are you surprised to see me back again so soon?

I don't know about you but I am surprised to see myself back here... writing again so soon. After all I thought I would fall straight back into my no-blogging-unless-I-really-should-ness.

But I have some Good news! I have now got internet at home! YAY! :) I guess you are now wondering how I was posting on here daily for a whole month without the internet at home... well for the most part I was writing everything I could before hand on my laptop with out internet access... uploading photos from my phone and when the blog was almost ready to post I would upload it whilst using my mobile as a modem. I have to say this internet at home thing is a lot less complicated and a lot easier to do! :)

Well yesterday... I had to make the active choice to not blog... and it was harder than I thought (am I becoming a blogging junkie?). However, I was over on the 365days of Kindness Facebook page giving away another set of 3"x3" cards for people to give away as their own kindnesses. Tonight is another draw... so if you want to you can go over to check out the last two GIVE AWAYS!

I cant stay away from Blogging for long, now that I have gotten in to the habit (not nuns habit because that would be weird!). So maybe I can keep going! :) After all I am like 22 months behind on my day to day kindnesses. And thankfully I found my 8 journals (Yes that was a whole 8 Journals) that will help me catch up and share.

There are only 7 journals in the picture, I know. But the 8th is almost filled so its still in my room waiting to be finished.

Now I just have to sit down and actually type them all out... add photos and links (if there are any) and then BAM! Done! Okay... I wish it were that simple! So be kind to me when I am slow to get these blog posts out.

What did you think of Sustainable September? Do you think we should do it again next year?

I hope you are all well.
Love to you all,
Luv Daena x

Sustainable September ... its over!

Hello my lovelies,
So tomorrow is October... which means the end of September! Which means the end of Sustainable September! Which means... well... I don't now HAVE to post every day! lol. But hopefully the trend will continue! :)

But on a fun note... Today was all about up-cycling! :) One of my most favourite Sustainable September ideas EVER!!! lol!

So many awesome ideas! :) And there are so many more on Pinterest!!!! I have actually started typing in something I have excess of plastic bottles, tins or anything else really... and then get all the awesome ideas people have already made with those things!!

For all those who are interested...Here is the follow up from Sustainable September in case you missed any of them!

Sustainable September Kindness Ideas

Monday - 1 September – Take public transport or ride your bike to work/school/uni.

Tuesday - 2 September – Recycle any recyclable materials.

Wednesday – 3 September – buy a KeepCup (Or other reusable coffee mug)

Thursday – 4 September – When you shop try and buy local products.

Friday – 5 September - Sign a petition to protect the environment

Saturday – 6 September - Start a Worm farm or Compost bin

Sunday – 7 September - Buy seasonal produce.

Monday – 8 September - Use Reusable Shopping Bags

Tuesday – 9 September – Buy organic and/or Fair Trade products

Wednesday – 10 September– Find a place for eat that is eco-friendly and has sustainable practices

Thursday – 11 September – Do some research into which brands are environmentally friendly

Friday - 12 September – Use a reusable water bottle

Saturday - 13 September – Go Op-Shopping.

Sunday – 14 September – Go for a walk in the bush, on the beach or a naturally beautiful place

Monday– 15 September – Do Meat Free (or Meatless) Monday.

Tuesday– 16 September – Create a “plastic wrapper free lunch” by using these ideas.

Wednesday– 17 September – Buy Environmentally friendly clothes

Thursday– 18 September – Look at the Green Vehicle Guide when looking at buying a car

Friday– 19 September - Look at the water-wise website for ways to decrease your water usage.

Saturday– 20 September – Plant some vegetables and herbs in your garden

Sunday– 21 September – Look at Power utilities websites for ways to minimise power usage.

Monday– 22 September – Buy in bulk.

Tuesday– 23 September – Use a Hankie or Handkerchief rather than tissues.

Wednesday– 24 September – Use Paper Shredding in garden or for pets.

Thursday– 25 September – Look into Solar Power.

Friday – 26 September – Do research into where your money goes. Consider ethical investments.

Saturday– 27 September – Reuse your old woollen clothes/accessories to make blankets.

Sunday – 28 September – Borrow books from your local library instead of buying them.

Monday – 29 September – Plant a tree to offset carbon emissions.

Tuesday – 30 September– Upcycle!

I just wanted to say thank you for encouraging me with everything. This was a new project I wanted to test out! And it seemed to have worked well! :) Let me know what you think of it all.

I hope this finds you all well! :) 

Much love, 

Daena x

Sustainable September Day Thirty - the final Kindness Idea!

Hey beautiful people,
I cant believe Sustainable September is coming to an end! Where has this month gone?

Firstly... An actually happy birthday to my mum... On her birthday!!!

Love you mum! You are one of the many reasons I keep doing this project. I love seeing the kindness you bestow on everyone you meet. You are strong and compassionate and brilliant! :) After all you had me! ;) heheheheh. Just Kidding about that last bit! I love you so much and am blessed to have you in my life!

So tomorrow's Sustainable September kindness idea is the LAST Eco-kindness for this years Sustainable September!!

And awesomely... It is my favourite!!!!!! :D

Tuesday – 30 September – Upcycle! This is possibly my most favourite Sustainable Kindness Ideas ever. The term 'Upcycle' basically means to “Reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original”Read More.

I love creating treasure out of trash so much! So much so that I have a whole folder full of ideas of how to do this on Pinterest. Click here for the link to my Pinterest Page. Not to mention that there are folders full of ideas on "Eco & Environment", "Kindness ideas", "Tyre Ideas" (uses for old car tyres), "Pallet Crafts", "Glass craft", "Cutlery Craft" and so much more.

All I did was strip off the tuna labels, removed the glue marks and wrapped some red Christmas cord around it and popped a tea-light candle on the inside (You could use a battery operated one if you have kids - in fact I recommend it!). An instant and cheap Christmas decoration that has more value and beauty than it did before! :)

These are some awesome ideas, from the simple to the extreme. I love the amazing ideas when it comes to upcycling! :)

What is the coolest thing you have ever upcycled? 

I have a whole lot of old plastic water bottles that I think I will turn into bird feeders for around my house.

 

I want to create the project in the top right! Looks pretty simple. Plastic bottle, some string (or wire) to hang it up with and a couple of wooden spoons! Not to mention the Bird seed! :) and maybe a stanley knife to cut out the spots for the wooden spoons. Pretty awesome, and quite simple, really! :)

A lot of trees have been cut down in my area and they used to be a source of food for a range of birds. I love hearing and seeing birds in my area that it might entice them to come back and enjoy my garden a little more! :)

I cant believe this is the last idea for Sustainable September!!!!

But don't worry I will check back in tomorrow to see how you are all going!

Much love to you all!
Luv Daena x

Sustainable September Day Twenty-Nine kindness

Hey my lovelies,

So tomorrow is my mums birthday! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!!!! :D 

Today I went to the Farmers Market and bought a whole lot of fresh fruit and veggies to make yummy food for my mum and I. Yesterday I bought a new-to-me Thermomix. I bought it second hand, which is another way of saving the environment because there is less waste in landfill!!

I took this whilst hiding from the rain under the coffee stand tent! :) Mmmm... Soy Chai Latte... Any excuse will do! ;)

I have to say I am a little bit of a Thermomix convert! In 24 hours of having owned it I made chocolate dairy free custard, hummus, two batches of strawberry jam, vegetable stock, zucchini slice, and strawberry sorbet! So I think it's been a good investment! And something I can tick off my goals list! :) Which is awesome! I always feel so blessed when I can tick something off that list! :)

My first ever time using the Thermomix I made Chocolate Custard for mum to go with some home made Jaffa Cake (To use up some of the excess oranges we had in the house! So YUMMY!!!

5 jars of Strawberry Jam and 2 Jars of Home-made Vegetable Stock! Lots of the stuff from the stock came from my own garden!!! How awesome is that! :)

Literally straight out of the oven, my Zucchini Slice - looked more like a loaf here because I over blended it! (Accidental Thermomix accident, that actually turned out alright!).

Made fresh Strawberry Sorbet for my mum and niece tonight! Turned out alright! Yay! :) Learning! lol

Anyway, back to Sustainable September!

Did you borrow a book from the library? Was your library even open today?

I may have not planned the library day very well! As some are only open on weekdays and occasionally a Saturday! But If you DID manage to get to the library, what book did you borrow? 

I saw this one in the library and was keen to read it! :)

Me undertaking my favorite pass time - READING! Not Selfies! lol! You all know how much I love BOOKS!!!!!

So, tomorrow is the second last day of Sustainable September! Time has been flying right? So tomorrow's Sustainable September kindness idea is...

Monday – 29 September – Plant a tree to offset carbon emissions.

You can use a carbon calculator to figure out how much carbon you are emitting into the atmosphere. You can do that here through Carbon Neutral. You can then also plant trees to offset that amount of carbon you emit each year through the same website... check out the specific link.

Or join a group like Men Of the Trees. The plant seedlings to “prevent the spread of deserts, erosion and salinity.” They have made a huge difference when it comes to planting trees in Western Australia specifically. To read more follow the link here. 

I hope this finds you all well. Only one more Sustainable September Kindness to go! And Its my favourite one of all!!!! 

Much Love, 

Daena x

Sustainable September Day Twenty Eight kindness

Hello my wonderful friends!

Did you know yesterday was the 150th post for this blog? Well you do now! 

Did you know that yesterday also saw the Facebook page reach it's 200th follower? Well you know that now too! ;)

To mark the two milestones yesterday... 200 Facebook followers and 150 blog posts I wanted to do a little give away!

Recently My sister, Vandra, and I have been giving little cards (3"x3") to strangers! For example: to amazingly friendly waiters, to the lady who sold me her old Thermomix, the lady at the cemetery who helped us finalise dads plaque and placement, someone looking sad on the bus, etc.

And so I decided that to mark the milestones I would like to give away 4 sets (of 8) of the little hand made cards. They are for you to use, as a way to do a kind deed for strangers or friends! I made them for you myself! :) They all, also, come with envelopes that my awesome mum helped me make!!!:) thanks Mum!!!!

So I'm going to post the 4 sets (pictures of them) in the next few hours on Facebook. And if you like them and want them, Like the page, comment and like the picture and I will chose someone at random from the list of people who want that set! And I will send them to you after that! :)

Sound fair? I hope so! It's the first time I've ever done a give away like this! but it's my way to say thank you for all your support over the years!!!!

SET ONE is here on the link to Facebook. Let me know what you think! 

 

Anyway, back to Sustainable September. Today's kindness was one asked for by mum. About turning old wool into blankets for people who need them. I have talked about blankets for Wheelchairs for Kids many times before in posts. But we have just started making blankets for people who live on the streets. Of course kids need smaller blankets... and so the bigger ones are taking longer, but we know that they (either one) will be appreciated greatly! :)

These are the Blankets mum did for Wheel Chairs for Kids in January. (most of the other photos are on her camera... these ones just happened to be on mine!).

And on to tomorrows Sustainable September Kindness idea.

Sunday – 28 September – Borrow books from your local library instead of buying them. You not only save yourself a lot of money but you also help the environment by reducing shipping and transport impacts (and you are saving trees from paper production) because several people read the same copy of the book .

Photo taken from Local Government Website

 

 

You can also donate books to the library and local schools if you no longer need or want them. This is a photo of my local Library. I have only recently discovered the benefits of this particular library! :) Its like Daena Heaven!!!! SO MANY BOOKS!!!!! hehehhe!

Anyways, I hope this finds you all well! 

So much love & Kindness, 

Daena Xx

Sustainable September Day Twenty Seven kindness

Hello again...

How are you? Did you learn much about how you are investing your money? How about your superannuation?

Its all about the Money, Money, Money! ;) lol

This is the actual Australian Currency - I often have my international friends tell me it looks like play money. But I assure you it IS real!!!!!

Anyway's tomorrows Sustainable September kindness is...

Saturday – 27 September – AS PER MUMS REQUEST – Reuse your old hand knitted or crocheted jumpers, scarves, beanies, leg warmers or other things that you no longer have a use for... either donate them, if they are in good condition, just as they are or unravel them and turn them into blankets for the homeless, for charities, for elderly people in nursing homes, or for Winter Blanket Appeals. 

If you can't knit or crochet then find someone who can. Or check out a YouTube clip or buy a book and learn how to Knit or Crochet to make your own blankets or other things for charities. 

Or you can check out these YouTube clips to learn how to knit:

 

and to Crochet:

Or you can join a social craft group to learn how. There are so many ways to learn how to Crochet or Knit. :)

This is me making a "Scrap blanket" with crochet from all the left over pieces from mums knitting. some of the scraps are only as big as a 30cm (1ft) ruler.

Let me know how you go! I would love to hear (or see) how you go mastering some of these techniques.

And gentlemen, don't think this is only a women's thing! I know a lot of men who knit and crochet! :) Its an awesome skill to have to make your own clothes and your own blankets or scarves.

Much love to you all,
Luv Daena x

Sustainable September Day Twenty Six Kindness

Hello my lovelies,

Can you believe there is only a few days left until the end of the month? This month has flown by... That's for sure! 

So today's kindness was to check out Solar Panels! :) and buy them if you can! Or if you rent like me... you can find other forms of solar power like phone chargers and camping solar panels to help you rely less on Fossil Fuel based power.

Let me show you this awesome place in Denmark, WA! It is the Shires council offices and it's amazingly covered in solar panels!!!!!

That's right all those black things on the roof are solar panels!!!! How awesome is that? 

AWESOME!!!!! :D

I've seen lots of businesses, councils and residences with solar panels and it reminds me we are blessed with some amazing Sunshine here in Australia! (Even if the above photo is taken in the rain!). 

So tomorrow's kindness is ...

Friday – 26 September – Do some research into where your money goes. Do you have super? Do you have an investment portfolio? Does that money go into the production or acquisition of fossil fuels? Is that something you are comfortable with? If not consider looking at Green energy alternatives for investments or companies who deal solely in ethical and sustainable investments like www.ethicalinvestment.com.au or see if your own fund has a “Fossil Fuel investment alternative” or “ethical" or "Green investment option”. 

NOTE: This is not financial advice! This is just something to consider when you are looking at where your money goes, and how that money is helping or hindering the earth. 

I love the video for them though... it explains a bit out the investment company!

Let me know if you already have "ethical" or eco investments! 

Hope this finds you all well! 

Luv Daena x

Sustainable September Day Twenty Five kindness idea

Hello!

How are you? Are you enjoying Sustainable September? I am! :D

So today's kindness was to use your old paper shreddings in either your garden or give them to someone to use for their pets and animals! 

My shreddings make it to my sisters house for her hens to use in their laying boxes...

 

 

The shreddings make nice nesting for the hens. Then I also get to share in the awesome delicious home grown eggs ;) I'm not silly at all! lol

 The Sustainable September Kindness Idea is

Thursday – 25 September – Look into Solar Power. 

If you don't already have it on your house/workplace, research and plan to get solar panels on your roof. SolarGain is a company that works in Australia (this is the link for Perth residents). 

To be honest I don't know too much about solar panels for housing, as I can't use is on my own house. But I imagine each solar company has specialties and price differences. I have shared this link before, to the Synergy website for Solar power, if you want to check it out too, for another perspective.

If you live, like I do, in rented accommodation look at other forms of solar power. I have recently discovered Solar Power phone chargers! You could leave the chargers in your car or on a sunny window and come back & charge your phone from them later. They are very reasonably priced.  This is a link to an iPhone Solar powered Charger and I also found a Solar charger/torch/usb/radio/basically everything which would be awesome in emergency situations. 

There are also Solar Panels that come in portable sizes (Briefcase size & slightly bigger), that are marketed for camping. I have seen some on different camping sites I have visited. They power caravans and other things like camping fridges during the night and day. You can check out this one (of many), link to portable solar panels. 

NOTE: These are not the only websites or products available on the markets but its an idea of what is available. And I do not benefit from sharing these sites over others... they just happen to be the ones I have come across in my travels and have been looking at for my own personal use! :) Hope that makes sense. 

If you get any of the above, let me know what you think. If you have a great brand of solar panel, I would love you to share. I'm still a "newby" when it comes to this whole thing, and any advice would be appreciated.

Much Love to you all, 

luv Daena x

Sustainable September Day Twenty Four Kindness

Good day my fine fellows,

How are we today? are you well? No colds? No flues? I hope not! But if you do, then the kindness for today was meant just for you! The eco-kindness idea for today was to use a Handkerchief rather than paper tissues.

I found this awesome site called DIY Natural with a whole post about the best reasons to use Hankies over Tissues... if you want, you can Read More here.

Lets continue on the paper theme!

I know that we all have certain paper work that we need for tax purposes. But after 7 years, they are usually able to be retired, at which point they need to be shredded. Which leads me to the Sustainable September kindness idea for tomorrow...

Wednesday – 24 September – If you need to shred old paperwork, put it in the garden in your compost. Alternatively you can take your shreddings to a pet store or a friend who needs shredding's for pet rodents, chickens or other animals. Or donate them to a pet shelter. 

I hope this finds you all well... and healthy! ;) but if not... you know what to do! ;) lol

Much love to you all, 

Daena x

Sustainable September Day Twenty Three Kindness Idea

Hello beautiful people! :)

How are you? It's meat free Monday again (as it is every Monday or whatever day in your country). And so far so good for me this time! Breakfast was Muslie. 

I was working today in Fremantle... Which is an unusual expedition for me! But I has fun! I found this little shop called The Raw Kitchen 

And I had some delicious food (raw, organic, & vegan... Impressive I know!)

Needless to say, it went down well! :)

This is my round two at meat-free Mondays! 

Not only did I get back on the horse for meat free Mondays but I also went op shopping again! 2 pairs of jeans for $1 each! You can't beat that anywhere else!!!! 

However, Today the kindness idea was to buy in Bulk. Did you find any bulk specials? I got a good special at Woolworths this week with 4 Litre Rice Bran Oil for only $15. That was a saving of $8! :) And it's a bulk buy. I love that I can decant and refill my old glass oil bottles from the big tin one! This reduces the amount of waste that goes into landfill.

Tomorrows kindness idea: 

Tuesday – 23 September – Use a Hankie or Handkerchief rather than tissues. 

Recently I had a bad head-cold...Something I haven't had in ages! I took this as an opportunity to experiment. I couldn't believe how many tissues I used one day, to how many hankies (that I could wash) that I used the day after. It was quite scary. I had a bad head-cold, something I hadn't experienced for some time. I used HEAPS of tissues that would only go into the bin (or even the compost bin) but I could be saving trees if I used a reusable tissues. Save the tissues for the visitors. 

Photo from Google Images Link here

NOTE: beware of hygienic handling and laundering of Hankies, to prevent further spread of germs.

I really hope those in the Southern Hemisphere have survived the winter season well, with only minimal illnesses. 

And for those in the Northern Hemisphere I hope the upcoming winter season sees you remain healthy. :)

Much love to you all. 

Luv Daena

Sustainable September Day Twenty Two Kindness Idea

Hello my lovelies,

I'm trying to get a little more organised... here is a post just after 2pm! YAY! :) heheheh...

So yesterday was to check out the different power sites to find ways to reduce your use of power and then your use of fossil fuels.

"Turn off standby power and save up $150 a year" is one of my favourite ideas from the Western Power website. I do this every evening before I go to bed. I turn off all the power to the TV, CD player, DVD player, Kettle, lamps, Computer, printer etc. I keep the switches off when not using them. Saves us lots of money and power too.

"Vacuum the dust from the fridge condenser coil at the back of the fridge to help keep your refrigerator running at optimal efficiency," is my favourite idea from the Synergy website. I love that this is an idea I haven't heard before. So cool.


Tomorrows Sustainable September Kindness idea is:

Monday – 22 September – Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk not only saves you money in the long run but reduces the mounts of packaging that goes into landfill.

I usually buy Rice in 5kg Cotton Rice Bags, that I then decant into a Tupperware container for storage. I then use the old rice bags for laundry bags particularly for your “delicates”.

My sister and some of her friends have organised a small co-operative for buying in bulk. They get things like eco/recycled toilet paper (“Who Gives a Crap” – that's the name of the toilet paper), organic nuts, Coconut oil, organic fruit, organic cacao powder and organic cacao butter... and they are just the things my sister has told me about. They have it all arranged to work best for everyone. I like that this is a small community. They have found that buying organic products in bulk is so much cheaper than buying them individually... dramatically reducing the overall cost. 

Who Gives a Crap is a toilet paper company that is both environmentally friendly and world friendly. "50% of our profits [go] to WaterAid to build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world".

Shops like FAL or Cash and Carry usually sell in bulk to supermarkets and retailers, so if you can get your own card to go there, then you can buy in bulk for personal use or organise to share it (dividing both product and cost) among your friends and family. You can also do this directly from wholesalers.

There are so many ways to buy in bulk, with a co-op or individually.

Hope you all go well. 

Luv Daena x

Sustainable September Day Twenty-One Kindness

Hey hey,

Another late post today! But a post none the less! I had a better day today than I did yesterday! I am  still a bit exhausted but I've achieved so much.

Yesterday I got printed 1000 photos (yes that was one thousand) of my round the world trip from last year! Today I've been putting them together in scrapbook albums! Or maybe the better line should be... I've started! Lol! And I've got half an album completed which is pretty awesome! :) only about 10 albums to go! lol. I really do love photos and Scrapbooking, so it's not too bad for me! :) 

So today's kindness idea was to plant vegetables (&/or herbs) in your garden!

Here are some photos of my garden:

In the garden bed I am growing Lettuce, Spinach, Rainbow Chard, Potatoes, Spring Onions & just recently I started growing Beetroot.

Tomato, Basil and Lemon tree.

(Back row from Left to Right) Onions, Blueberries, Olives, Capsicums, Beans
(Front Row) Parsley, 4 Figs (my first try to grow from cuttings), and a white mulberry.

This does not include my front garden, which includes Yellow Passionfruit, Mint, Thyme, and a dwarf peach. I've been sharing all the abundance in my garden with my neighbours. They love it and they now also share their excesses with other neighbours and myself. This season was awesome because it was the first real big crop of Avocados one of our neighbours has been growing for ten years! :) and they were delicious! :)

I have to keep most of my plants in pots because I'm renting but it just shows what you can do! :) 

I hope your expeditions in the garden went well today! :)

For todays Sustainable September Kindness idea it is simply to:

Sunday – 21 September – Look at the Western Power/Synergy websites for ways to minimise your power usage. 

NOTE: for those that don't know Western Power and Synergy are the power companies that run out of Perth, Western Australia. You could check with your local power company for ideas to minimise your power usage.  

If you hove wind or solar power already on your home, then you are already doing well to minimise your fossil fuel usage. :)

Western Power has some awesome ideas of how to save money and save power... after all Saving power is a good idea because "It reduces greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change. While renewable sources of energy, like the wind, play an increasing role in our system, the vast majority of our electricity is still generated from fossil fuels like gas, oil and coal. Therefore reducing our electricity use reduces the flow of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere." Read More.

For more info  on power saving tips check out this link.

Synergy has also got some awesome tips on how to reduce your energy consumption, for ideas click here.  They also have a whole lot of information for those who are considering switching to Solar Power, for that click here. These are both for residential use... but im sure they have commercial links too. 

If you can reduce your power consumption and reliance on fossil fuels you are giving the earth one of the greatest kindnesses. 

Hope you are all well and doing the best you can with the Sustainable September. 

Luv Daena x

Sustainable September Day Twenty Kindness Idea

Hello everyone,
I have been having a rough day. I'm usually pretty perky but its been one of those days that just seems to wear you down. I have actually achieved a lot. And yet I am exhausted... physically, mentally, emotionally.

One thing that has been keeping me focused & motivated is the Sustainable September kindness ideas. I have always struggled to be consistent with my blogging however having the blogging app on my phone and on my laptop has allowed me to have more flexibility in when and where I blog. So I am as impressed as most that I have actually managed to keep writing a blog post a day for so far 20 days (Seeing as i started the day before Sustainable September actually started).  They do say that it takes a month to get the habit started... fingers crossed after September ends I will be able to keep this enthusiasm going! :)

So todays Sustainable September kindness idea was to check out the Water Wise website.  Did you do that? If so, what did you find? If not, did you do something else to help the environment? To make your life more sustainable?

I checked out the website and was impressed with what they have to offer... a whole lot of ideas and even informing people about what assistance programs are available. Particularly for rainwater tanks and new dual flush toilets. :) I thought that was pretty cool. :)

I currently live in a rental property so getting a rainwater tank has to be approved by the owners before I can even look at getting one installed... but I think I might even talk to them about it. I love rainwater to drink... my godmother has a rainwater tank and I think I had about 4 litres of water a day whilst staying with her because the water tasted so much better than simple tap water. :) It also is nicer to use when washing your hair... It makes your hair softer and shinier! :) Or at least that is my experience.

Photo taken from Google Images... For more info click here

I also love that the website has ideas for Kids. :) All those parents out there... there are awesome ideas on how to get the kids interested in this environmental kindness. Check it out here

In my research for todays i also stumbled across a few international websites for Water Saving ideas.

For those in the UK: http://www.waterwise.org.uk/  It has tips and ideas for all areas of your house & Workplace.
  
For those in the USA: http://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/
This website is based on the Water: Use it wisely campaign out of Arizona, USA and is awesome for all the amazing ideas it has for conserving water, a list of 100 ways. 

I'm afraid I could not find a website for Russians on water saving. Considering the top four countries that follow this blog are Americans, Russians, Australians and British... I'm sorry I couldn't find a website that would be useful for everyone. However each of these websites have something to offer everyone... so hopefully you have found something you could adopt in your own home or workplace, not matter what part of the world you are from. :)

If you have a look most of the websites I have used can be used by non-australians as well as Australians. If there isn't anything that works for you... check out the web to find a local website that relates to one of the Sustainable September Kindness Ideas. And if you find one for your particular country that you want to share with me... I would love to hear about it! I might even be able to include it for next year, if I am brave enough to do this again! lol

Anyways, Thats all fair and good but that was all for today... hehehehe ... But we have to move on to tomorrows kindness idea...

Saturday – 20 September – Plant some vegetables and herbs in your garden, in a few months you will be able to reap a harvest. Saving the planet and "Saving your hip pocket" (an Aussie expression meaning to save money). 

Grow Your Own Food and Be Good To the Environment from Who's Green? has this to say on growing your own vegetables and its impact on the environment. "...You can help to reduce the carbon emissions that are associated with air freight and other methods of transportation. Growing your own produce is the green way to save time, money and energy. You and your family can share in the healthy tasks of maintaining an organic garden as you enjoy your home grown produce together, safe in the knowledge that you are eating the best and healthiest produce available while you do your part to keep the environment safe and clean." Read more

 I have planted hardy herb plants like Parsley, Mint & Thyme (they are delicious in pastas and savory dishes). I am currently growing a range of vegetables, fruits and herbs. I admit I have my fathers same Green Thumb. If you have a Brown Thumb, perhaps you could talk to a “Green Thumb” friend or neighbour and offer to do them a trade, you buy the plants (its an initial outlay that can be expensive) and if they (the Green Thumb) can get them to grow/keep them alive, they can have a chunk of the produce. Its an idea.

I always have excess produce, so I usually give my sister & her family some and then my neighbours too... which is occasionally something that I use for a "Regular" Kindness idea. I have already given away excess lettuces, rainbow chard, yellow passionfruit, mint and thyme. My mint and thyme are out the front of my house so my neighbours can use it too whenever they want... after all both seem to take over my small front garden. But I don't mind because they smell so nice.

Finally, I hope this finds you all well... I will share photos of my garden with you all tomorrow.

Much love,
Daena x