Sustainable September 2017 - Day Twenty Nine

SEPTEMBER 29 (FRIDAY)

FASHION & BEAUTY - RESPONSIBLE DEJUNKING & RECYCLING

Making life a little kinder for our planet and all those who live here.

Welcome back to the last week of Sustainable September. This week is all about Fashion and Beauty.

It is simple the less we consume and the more we wear the clothes we already have the more environmentally friendly they become. However, there are times that it is impossible to keep clothes. They don't fit, they are unflattering, they are out of fashion, they are stained or ripped, they are thoroughly warn out.

Sustainable September Day Twenty Nine: Dejunk your excess.

This may seem a little strange to talk about Dejunking now after talking about waste this last 28 days. However consuming less and owning less is a massive part of reducing your environmental foot print. So I am here to talk about responsible dejunking and recycling.

If you are going to be creating a a capsule wardrobe (check out the last two days worth of blog posts for more information) it often involves getting rid of lots of clothes that no longer fit, aren't your style and are are stained or broken. Even though I will be talking about this in terms of clothing, some of these ideas apply to all the things you are getting rid of. 

Yesterday you would have started going through your wardrobe and putting aside the things that don't fit, are broken or stained, are too big, too small and aren't your personal style. Instead of just chucking all this in a bag and dumping it in landfill, I want you to look at what you have. 

DONATE: The things that are too big and small and aren't your personal style can be donated to a local thrift store, asuming they are in good enough condition to be sold exactly as they are (anything else is not going to be resold). You could also resell them yourself if you want to (to earn some extra cash). This means that anything with stains or breaks must not be taken to a thrift store, it is the same thing as throwing it in landfill because ultimately that is where it will be sent. 

First lets talk about REDUCING what you going to be sending to landfill. After all your resellable stuff is donated or resold you can then move on to the next group of things. The ones that are broken.

BROKEN: If they are broken, see if they can be mended. If they can be mended, can you rewear them? If you can rewear them, do they fit? are they stylish enough? do they go with more than one thing in your Capsule Wardrobe? The best thing you can do is repair them even though they no longer fit you, your style and dont match anything in your wardrobe. Then they can be sold or donated. I did this with a pair of shoes I owned at the beginning of the year. They were ones that i had worn to be bridesmaid at my best friends wedding, but i rarely wore them. The only times i did wear them, the straps broke on them. The straps pulled out of underneath the sole of the shoe. So I went to a cobbler and had them repaired. It cost me $10 to have 2 shoes fixed but then I was able to donate them as they were going to be useable/saleable for a charity thrift shop. It might seem silly to have something fixed to then give them away, but they were good shoes and I knew they would come in handy to someone sometime in the future.

Is something ripped or stained so badly that it can't be donated? Is it so bad it can't be fixed?  Then there are two options 1) Upcycle it into something that will be useful. 2) Rip it up and use it as rags.

I have done both of these.

UPCYCLING: For the first one I turned an old Flannelette t-shirt into a bunch of different things. Hand warmers, gift bags, a BBQ apron and more. I even had someone love the Apron so much they bought it off me and someone else loved it so much they commissioned me to make another one in Red! :) 

RAGS: Then there is those clothes that are stained so much that they can become nothing but rags. I had an old t-shirt that was so badly stained and holey that it would have ended up in landfill if I had decided to take it to an op-shop. Thankfully it was a cotton t-shirt so it could be ripped up fairly easily and then used as rags. I use it now in the shed for all kinds of things. From wiping up the paint from my projects to dusting, to using it for checking the oil guage in the car. I didn't realise how many tissues/papertowels I used that have been saved because I reused my own rubbish and turned my old clothes into scraps. I turned my old university t-shirts and promotional-shirts (one off t-shirts that no-one would buy from a thrift shop) into rags and now they have a use and have not ended up in landfill. I have been able to wash these rags over and over again. They are mostly made of cotton so they can be thrown into my compost once they are well beyond washing.

FANCY DRESSES: I have a bag of dresses at home that are waiting to go to a new home. And i have a plan for them rather than sending them to an opshop. There is a school not too far away from me that is looking for pretty dresses. They loan the dresses students whose families cant afford to purchase ones for school dances or School Balls. Everytime i find a fancy dress (in an Opshop) or I grow out of one of the ones id worn in the past, or ones my friends is getting rid of some of their fancy dresses, I put them aside ready to take to this school. There may be something like this in an area near you.

Those of you who want to donate your wedding dresses can either resell them, donate them to charity or even donate them to a cause where they will be Upcycled. What i am talking about when i say Upcycled is turning these dresses into Angel Gowns. "
"Angel Gowns Australia Incorporated ...provides services to bereaved families who have suffered the unimaginable stillbirth or death of their baby, families who are or have gone through the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or families who are impacted on by a child's life-limiting illness or special needs.From donated wedding dresses we lovingly hand craft Angel Gown garments which are then donated to hospitals, funeral homes and directly to families through special orders.

To bring a ray of sunshine into special children's lives we use the left over tulle from wedding dresses and transform it in to the most beautiful Tutus, which we also donate to hospitals and other children's charities all around Australia" 

Currently they have an over-supply of wedding dresses. They will be taking more dresses in the future, when they are work their way through their current supply. So donating your wedding dress to this cause would mean that you would have to hold on to it (in Australia at least). 

I am sure there are a lot of other things that you can do with your old clothes!

TOWELS, SHEETS & BLANKETS: If you want to donate old towels, blankets and sheets you can donate them to homeless shelters and pet shelters. The worse condition they are in the better they are for animals and less for human use. Donating these items can be a huge kindness particularly in winter times and when blankets and sheets are needed to keep people and animals warm. 

I hope this helps you with your donating and recycling of old clothes and fabrics. 

With Love,
Daena x

The gift of joy

I didn't post yesterday, because I fell asleep instead. I really needed the sleep too so it was a win!!! What I wanted to share was the days 4&5 of the gift bag I got from the church ladies. If you read the last 3 blog posts you will be able to see the progression of receiving kindness. Love it. 

Day 4 was a gorgeous purple wrapped gift. 

 

 

It was the gift of perfume. I don't wear perfume so I will pass this on to someone else (or donate to the charity shop). I am blessed to have received a gift though. One that I have happily received, enjoyed opening and can now bless another with its contents. 

Day 5 was sweet too. 

 

  The little book and soap were very much appreciated. I will probably keep both, unless I see someone else has a need greater than my own, to which I will pass it on. I am so blessed to be given something so thoughtful. Someone  mwanted to make my day/week better and they have done that. 

Tonight I had the privilege of catching up with the lady who organised the gift bag for me. So I was very profuse in my gratitude because I appreciate all the well wishes and kindness behind the gifts. Sure it might not all be bits I'll use, but the thought behind it was wonderful. The love, kindness and consideration that went into a gift like that was very much appreciated. It makes a person feel very special. 

I hope you are all going well. A lot of people are on holidays as of now (Easter weekend here in Perth) so stay safe. Sending lots of love to you all. 

Love Daena x

Ps. I've gotten rid of 4 more items of stuff to go in the opshop donation bin. I didn't photograph them all but I'm pleased to have gotten more stuff out of my life to make more space for the activities and people I love. Xx

Lent gifting day 40

It's technically the last day of the 40 days of lent (even though technically Lent isn't over yet). And I have decided to give away 2 toys today. These are more pieces of memorabilia than toys though. 

 

These two toys were gifts to celebrate two of my three graduations. The left Owl was a hand knitted gift from my mum who gave this little cutie to me for graduating high school and the little professionally made koala (wearing Bachelor of Arts colours) was a gift for my undergraduate graduation. When I got my masters I didn't get one of the toysbecuade I didn't fly to the eastern states for my graduation. I did spend my actual graduation day wandering around in the mortarboard (from my first degree) just because I loved it. 

I am sure these toys will do more for someone else than they are doing for me at the moment. Right now they are dust collectors. They look pretty but they don't do anything for me at all. I love seeing my mums skill in the owl but the blanket that I photographed the toys on is one my mum made for me. I also have hundreds of other little bits and pieces that my mum has made, mended or imagined for me. Saying goodbye to these two toys isn't anything that I am sad about. I am pretty happy actually because I know they will make someone else smile. 

I wanted to share something gorgeous with you all too. Today my mum went to church and one of the church ladies (who have known both mum and I for years) gave mum a package to give to me. It's gorgeous. She knew I had been sick lately. The last time she saw me I was sobbing all the way through the church service. It was a bad day for me physically and emotionally. All kinds of bad crap has hit me all at once. So today she sent me a "care package". 

 

I love this kindness idea. It's basically 7 gifts, something to open every day,  for a week, to make you feel like you are love and appreciated. I wanted to share because it is such a gorgeous idea for any friend, family member or coworker who is sick or going through a hard time. We could all make little bags like this and give our kindness freely. 

   

The message you attach could be anything you want. Encouraging the receiver. The first parcel I opened, for Day One, today was the red package. 

 It turned out to be a gorgeous Vanilla Bean candle. I love vanilla so it turned out very well indeed. 

I felt really honoured that the little group of people at the church had thought about me enough that they decided to gift me one of these little care packages. It was beautiful. I feel very special. I felt like I had been seen and heard. I feel like I have friends at the church mum goes to because they knew I needed a reason to be happy and then they did something that makes me happy. They shared their kindness and generosity. 

This quote struck me today and I think it sums up this act of kindness perfectly. 

 

When you act with Kindness you are a HERO to me. ❤️

I hope this finds you all well. 

Love Daena 

Lent gifting day 38 & 39

Sometimes we have great plans and sometimes it just doesn't happen. 

I've been working really hard to post daily but it didn't quite go to plan yesterday. Yesterday I took my niece down to the park and when I was there I got the starting of a migraine. My sister thankfully was on her way from work so she was able to swing past and pick us both up and take us home. 

By the time I got home I was nauseous and by the time I had had a chance to fill up my water bottle and make sure I had an ice pack I was vomiting. Great topic of conversation, I know. Hehehe. I then proceeded to sleep from 5pm to 11.30am when I was taken to the doctor and then back to bed until almost 6pm. I had basically spent 24 hours in bed (excluding the time I was at the doctors). 

 

Needless to say, by this evening I felt much better, although not 100%. But I got sick and tired of being in bed so I got up. I Had dinner with my family, watched some tv (fairly quietly) with the adults in my family and played a game of cards with my brother in law. All with my sun glasses on! 

Even though I was sick I didn't forget I had to do two days worth of blog posts. I'm making it short and sweet today because I need to. 

Yesterday's giving was another toy. 

 

I've had this "baby" doll for as long as I can remember. But I don't need it anymore and I know there is some little kid out there who will love her like I did when I was younger. So I think she would be in better hands than mine where she can be loved and appreciated. 

 

Today's act of kindness and gifting is also a toy. A "Big Bang Theory" kitty cat called "soft kitty". When you press its paw it sings the soft kitty song that Sheldon makes Penny sing when he's sick in the TV show "Big Bang Theory". See the clip below. 

I was actually given two of these toys a couple of years ago. My niece loved one so much that she used to use it all the time when I didn't live with her. She would crawl into the guest bed with the Soft Kitty and play it over and over and over and over again. The batteries almost died in it from being played so often. She loved it and it apparently reminded her of me. So when she was feeling bad she would climb into the bed I used and hug my toy. Kind of cute. But since I've been living in the same house she has been hugging me and not the toy so it's time to give it up. 

  I gave one away a few months back. But I thinks it's time I pass this cutie off as well. If my niece got some much out of it when she was younger, someone else will love it too. 

I want to make people's lives better. If by giving away some of my stuff I can do that then I am thrilled to. 

My Lenten gifting is not my only act of kindness in the 40 days of lent (which ends on Palm Sunday) but it is one that I feel comfortable photographing and sharing. Sometimes I do kindnesses anonymously so I can't share them here without giving myself away. Sometimes I do kindnesses that other people know about so I can share them and I do here or on Facebook. Sometimes I don't tell anyone because it's not something that I could share without sharing personal information or share something that isn't mine to tell. Kindness is also shown in my discretion.

But the lent gifting I can share because I is mine. I can show you what I'm giving away because often I don't know who it will end up with. I have no attachment to who gets it or where it goes. It is also something that I am giving up for the benefit of another person, group or community. What better Kindness can I do that giving away something every day in Lent? And tomorrow is the end for this "game". Although technically each Sunday during lent isn't counted so it really ends on the Thursday before Easter. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and the beginning of what the Christian church calls Holy Week. The beginning of all the events that lead up to the crucifixion on Friday and the resurrection on Sunday. 

Even though lent doesn't end until Thursday most people I know give stuff up until Easter Sunday. So it's really a choice to how far you go. I will see how I go tomorrow I may even continue to give things up for charity until Easter Sunday just to push myself. I still have Heaps of stuff in my home that I Could regift. But if you are playing this gifting game too... please feel free to finish whenever you feel you want to. 

Hope this finds you well. 

Love Daena x

Lent gifting day 34

Karate was a passion of mine for a long time. Many of you won't know the I trained for 21 years, in Renshinkai, finally gaining my 4th Dan (4th level black belt) several years ago now. I trained at least twice a week for most of that time. I loved & hated it. I loved my karate family. The people I trained with for that time are still people I cherish even though we don't see each other much anymore. I loved the energy I had, the power, the strength. I hated the muscle pain and most importantly I hated giving it up. 

Because I have Endometriosis I had to give up my training & teaching because I was so fragile. One accidental punch or poorly placed kick and I could have ended up in the emergency room (assuming someone could have gotten me out of the foetal position). I got to the point where I couldn't stand up let alone run and fight. The fragility is what I really hated most. 

I miss training. When I get my health back I hope to go back to Karate. 

In the meantime I am getting rid of a small "graduation" gift mum hand knitted me when I went for my 3rd Dan Black Belt and of course survived and earned the belt! 

 

Part of the reason I am passing on this little guy is because he will fit in a shoebox (for the Christmas Shoebox appeal) but also he's a painful reminder of what I'm missing. He's been stuffed in the back of the cupboard for the last 4 years. Weirdly I don't have the same sadness when I look at my Gi (aka. Karate suit) or my black belt (with its 4 red stripes). I don't get that sadness when I look at my karate certificates or even my karate licence and grading book (I still have these things in the hope I can return to the sport in the future).

I love karate and I enjoyed doing it for so long. 

People assume that Karate is very violent and sometimes it can be (if you aren't trained well or are training for something else like MMA). I must admit I have broken a few bones from Karate but I've broken 4x as many from other activities like tripping over at school or falling out of a boat. What I did learn from Karate is confidence, respect (for myself and others), strength (physically and mentally), and discipline. All of things have helped shape me into the person I am today. 

What sport, hobby or activity have you given up? Or have you had to give up for whatever reason? Would you go back if you got the choice? 

Much love, 

Daena x

Lent gifting day 33

I don't know about you but Lent is flowing FAST!!! I feel like I'm only just getting the show on the road and it's almost over. Woweee. They say time flies when you are having fun! 

I'm sticking with the soft toys for now because I have so many of them. 

 

This little guy will be small enough to fit inside a shoebox. So I'll vacuum him thoroughly and then give him to a friend who collects small toys (in very good condition) and donates them in shoe boxes to kids in 3rd world countries around Christmas time. 

He was a free promotional Teddybear for a company that has since gone bust so there is no reason for me to keep it. It might bring joy and love to the life of a young person. I had a collection of soft toys that I've loved over the years so I know what one soft toy can do for the life of a child. 

So thank you to the teddy bears and fluffy penguins who I have loved over the years (I collected penguins in my younger life). Thank you for the kindness you have bestowed on me: Being there to cuddle when I was afraid of the dark or when I was scared; reminding me I am loved and am capable of love; letting me dress you up in stupid clothes; forcing you to drink/wear "tea" which may have in fact been toilet water; being there to hold when I cried. See, to a kid these seemingly inanimate objects come alive and support our younger selves in the darkest days. 

I am reminded of Toy Story 3 where Andy is able to pass his old toys onto a new generation of toy lovers. The toys are happy and Andy is happy because his toys are being loved by someone else who loves them just as much as he once did. 

Sending big fluffy cuddly hugs to all those who need it at the moment in honour of all the stuffed toys we have loved over the years. 

Love Daena 

Lent gifting day 31

Today I'm donating a book. 

 

A tiny book but a book nonetheless. It took me an hour to read so I recorded it on Litsy. I have a Litsy account which is basically an online booklist crossed with twitter. I wanted to record the books I've read and to create a wish list of books to read in the future. So many books to read. 

I wrote a short review so I'd remember what it was about. So now I can pass the book on. Books are something that give wisdom, transport you to other worlds, open your mind & can bring hope. So giving them to other people is really good.  Or at least it is in my opinion. 

I hope this finds you well & with lots of books to read! 

Much love, 

Daena 

Ps. What is your favourite book of all time? And do you have any to recommend here? X

Lent gifting day 18

The more I give away the more I find that I want to give. Has that ever happened to you? 

It is the same with kindnesses. The more kindness you bestow on others the more you want to do. It's boarderline addictive. Just with none of the bad side effects! Hehehe. 

Today's kindness and gifting is something that is still in its packet from when I got it back in 2015. This glass from Coca Cola was a freebie from McDonald's. 

 

It's been about 6 years now since I gave up coffee and coke (most strong caffeinated drinks) because of chronic stress induced insomnia. The fact I even own a coke glass is kind of funny. So donating this to someone who like the glasses or loves coke (I know a few) seems far more appropriate than me keeping it in my boxes of stuff in my cupboard. 

Have you looked at what you are using? Does it align with your current lifestyle? Does it align with your values? 

I know for me, owning a coke glass doesn't align with my lifestyle or values. So thankfully I can give it to someone who can use it and whos values and lifestyle aligns with it too. Yay for giving!!! 

 

(Check out my Pinterest board for Kindness Idea to find this quote and many other kindness inspired pictures). 

Much love to you all! 

Love Daena x

Lent gifting day 17

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!! 

Today marks the 40th Anniversary of my Grandfathers (my mums dad) death. So we just celebrated this Scottish mans life by drinking his favourite Scotch Whiskey and playing cards on this traditionally Irish celebration of Saint Patrick's life. My grandfather had a healthy sense of humour too. Playing cards and raising our glasses to his memory...We had a lot of fun. 

I really wanted to start this Game of Lent Gifting to have fun as well as make my life easier in the future. So today's thing to gift was something that was fun to use when I needed it but it's also fun to give to someone else to enjoy. I love general knowledge. I know my friends and family have laughed sharing the stupid and random information that stays with all of us. So I'm glad I can share this with someone else.  

I often take life too seriously. I know it. But I also make sure I laugh a lot. In the weirdest and more complicated situations I often find something to laugh about or to share a giggle with a friend. 

My niece and nephew have also both found their niches with jokes and jokes books. So I can giggle with my niece and nephew over bad knock knock jokes. I really appreciate their humour. 

Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. 

Make sure that, not matter what is going on in your life, you take time to laugh and make yourself feel good. Comedy shows and comedians are just a couple suggestions. Because honestly sometimes we just need to laugh our heads off and feel good. 

Sending love and kindness to you all. 

Love Daena 

Lent gifting day 16

Today I spent some time with my mum helping her get rid off few things. Making space for her to be able to do some of the creative work she thoroughly enjoys. 

Her graph piece (for those following at home) is not as long as mine but she's started getting rid of things to charity which is awesome. My niece is also well ahead of where she is supposed to be this time of Lent, which is awesome!!!! The best part is moving stuff that has been basically useless but has been in our lives for such a long time!

For example, I bought this under garment for a wedding I was involved in ages ago. Like decades ago (okay I'm not that old but it was (I think) for my sisters wedding which was 17 years ago now. So almost decades but definitely a decade a go. Scary. I don't feel that old. 

 

I think I wore it twice for the same dress. Sadly it's been sitting in my closet ever since. It's amazingly still in wonderful condition and it will be perfect for someone else. This cost me about $100 when I bought it all that time ago and if it gets sold at a charity shop they wouldn't ask for even half of that. Sadly it also doesn't fit any longer so I don't know why I've kept it all this time. 

How are your donations going? Are you playing along at home? Have you chosen a charity to donate to yet? If not then find ones close to you that do the most good in your eyes. Do some research to see if their values align with yours. 

Enjoy, 

Love Daena 

Lent gifting day 15

Simple and sweet today. 

My lent gift for today is probably highly offensive to some. And for that I am sorry. This magnet was another cheap thing that I found in the "gift box" ready to give to someone. After I bought it I realised just how UNkind it was. Even though I have a healthy dose of sarcasm and a good sense of humour, I just couldn't bring myself to give this one to anyone. 

 

I think the following picture that I (roughly) did from a Pinterest quote sums up my "gifting" perfectly (check out my Kindness Pinterest board for the original). 

 

 

I may have regretted buying the magnet but you will never regret being kind!!! Someone at the charity shop may have a different sense of humour to me. Fingers crossed it will be loved and enjoyed rather than remain hidden in my box of gifts. 

Much love,

Daena 

Lent gifting day 13

I got to talk to my best friend today who has recently moved interstate. It was so lovely spending some time catching up via Skype. 

One of the things I found in my recent dejunk Session was about 200 postcards from around the world that I've bought and never used. I think I've mentioned them before. I've started sending them to my best friend. Every couple days I've written one to send which is fun and I hope makes her feel special. 

I love the way that receiving snail mail makes me feel better. It is a pretty simple kindness to do too. Sending an encouraging letter or postcard to someone makes them know you have been thinking of them. Plus in my case, it used postcards that would other wise go to waste. In Australia it costs $1 to send a postcard anywhere inside Australia. Of course it cost more to send stuff internationally but I often like to send nice bits and pieces to my friends overseas. 

Kindness doesn't have to be expensive. A one off postcard (you can make your own) to a friend or family member and the cost of postage can mean the world to someone. Getting a card to know you care can be something that lightens a day. 

Back to the Lent challenge. 

 

I recently wore this dress out as part of a Tinkerbell costume. To a Disney themed night at a city nightclub... it was so much fun!!!! I danced for hours and hours. So good. And I'm so glad I had flat shoes not heels like my friend in the picture next to the green legs (which happened to be my green legs). 

 

My friend, who is the other set of legs in this picture, went as the fantastically Mad Hatter! We also had Megara from Hercules, Esmeralda from the Hunchback Of Notre Dame, The Little Mermaid (dressed as Ariel when she was voiceless and on two feet) and her prince, Eric! So much fun to sing loudly and dance to Disney Music. We also danced to other 90s music, a fun reminder of my childhood! :) 

Anyway... the dress. A friend had given me the dress a few months ago as part of a group of things to be gone through and then donated to charity. I pulled this out to keep in our costume box. Then I decided to do the Lent giving and I knew I was going to be donating this dress because I really didn't need to dress up as Tinkerbell any time soon... or so I thought. 

Then the Disney themed night club night happened so I decided to actually get one wear out of this before I would pass it on to someone who needs it. This one isn't actually going to go in the charity bag today but be given to a friend who needs it for another fairy themed event. I'm going to give it to her to keep if she wants or donate on to someone else who needs it in the future. It's a pretty good quality dress that was once longer and had been a bridesmaids dress. It makes a fantastic Tinkerbell costume. 

It was awesome giving this dress a last hurrah, for me at least. I will also have lots of fond memories to pass along with the dress. I won't forget the memories but I don't need to worry about keeping the dress. Plus someone gets something they need FOR FREE! Winning on all fronts! :) 

Here are some words on my favourite subject kindness... "My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who you are, to astonish a mean world with your kindness!" Maya Angelou. 

I hope you think of a whole range of simple kindness ideas you can do to astonish this world with Kindness. 

Love to you all, 

Daena x

Sharing my first video for kindness...

hello my lovelies,

So I am keeping as busy as ever!

If you read my last post you know that in February mum and I moved house. So I have been a little chaotic. They say the inside of your house reflects your mental state. So chaotic is a very good description at the moment! hehehe.

When Mum and I moved house into my sister & brother-in-laws house, we basically had 3 houses worth of posessions. I have put aside a bunch of stuff for when i eventally leave the nest. Mum had her little house full of stuff. And also, my sister also had an already full house. So things have been a bit squished.

Recently we have been working to reduce down the large number of "things" in our large combined house. I mean we dont need 3 sets of dining chairs & tables for instance. Mum and I lived in a small house before moving into my sisters, and the move has given us both more and less space. For me there is SOOOOOOOO much more space in the bedroom!!!! And yet we have a lot less in the communal areas.  All 6 of us share the communal areas, which is great for a big family, it means we are always around and communicating with each other! However, when you have at least 2 sets of couches and dining settings and fridges/freezers etc, it can be quite squishee. Hence the reason we have been working to get rid of a bunch of it, to make life easier for all of us.

So how do you turn something you NEED to do into a Kindness?

You give your "stuff" people who need it.

Some of  it is going to a womans shelter. They have very specific needs and wants and we have a trailor full of stuff waiting in the Carport to be taken down the hill to the organisers. The trailor just isnt quite full yet, so i dont want to send it until it is!

So one of the things i did this week (friday actually) was take a huge load of our "junk" to an op-shop. Or as many of you call them, Thrift stores. I love op-shopping! I am sure any one who has read the "Sustainable September" posts, will already know. It is so much fun! :)

Anyway, to share a little bit of what i did, i actually made a video. A VIDEO!!! i know... a bit exciting! So much technology. It has helped that I recently got a new phone so i actually have a decent camera now that goes on adventures with me.

So I hope you liked it.    

I appologise to those who are not native English Speakers. I do talk a bit fast! Sorry!

One of my favourite Kindnesses is Op-shopping. Not only is it recycling clothing and goods and helping the environement but it is also providing services to the community. Often the money that comes from the sales of second hand goods goes to a charity or donated to a good cause. It often gets poured back into the community. Not to mention it is a great place to get rid of your things that are good quality and that have life in them still. It is so much better than throwing them in the rubbish bin/trash.

The little Church run community Op-Shop that i went to has so much for sale at really good prices. They had so many books, hats, crockery, washing baskets, storage tubs, knitting supplies, couches, bookshelves, doggy coats & beds, blankets, plants, clothes (i went back and bought 3 brand named t-shirts for my brother in law and it cost me $6 or $2 each!!!!), plus they have wedding dresses, formal gear, leather jackets, shoes & slippers, bedding... and well a bunch more stuff I mention in the video. and it is so affordable.

I hope you like the video! I wanted to do a "welcome to Daena video-blogging" video... but I havent gotten that far yet, and i couldnt wait to see what you think of this one. It is often hard to capture kindness without it seeming super contrived or intrusive. So i thought an "after-kindness action report" was the best plan!

I hope you like it. If you want to know anything more, or can think of a kindness you would like to see in action, let me know! :)

Love and hugs to you all,
Love Daena

Sustainable September 2015 - Day Eighteen

Hello again my lovelies,

I've been a bit better today. I spent the morning in bed resting. I felt a bit better this arvo so I did my Dejunking, from a couple days ago. So I took Marie Kondo's advice and grabbed all my clothes from around the house & dumped them in the lounge. I have to say it's quite confronting how many clothes I had. 

And this is the lounge after i'd finished!

See all those bags filled with clothes? Yes there are 6 of them. That's 6 bags less than I needed to have in my room, and in my closet! :D So happy. Some of my clothes will go to the Thrift Stores, others will be given to friends (we have a hand-me-up swap group for clothes) and my ball dresses will be going to a low socio-economic school that offers a "rental" service for it's students for ball dresses for their school ball/prom. 

I, still feeling ill, had some vegetarian soup for dinner too! :D which is a tribute to the idea I gave for today! Being a Weekday Vegetarian as inspired by Graham Hill.

It was delicious and exactly what I needed! :) mmmm soup! :)

So today's Sustainable September idea is something I've been doing a lot of this last week. 

September 18: Use a Handkerchief/Hankie. 

Instead of filling the rubbish bin or compost bin full of snotty tissues, use a reusable, washable, tough but gentle handkerchief! I have several hankies that I actually inherited from my dad (except the floral one - that was a gift). 

KINDNESS IDEA: buy some handkerchiefs to give to someone that needs one. that someone could be YOU!!! It could be a random person sneezing on the train, it could be a neighbour, a friend, a family member. I like to have one with me that I can give to someone, that I haven't used first. So generally I take at least two Handkerchiefs with me when I am out and about when sick. Just to clarify, I do like to make sure that I am not infectious before I go out whilst sick.  

You could also add a handkerchief to a "Get Well Hamper" with some soup (home made or packet soups depending on your skills in the kitchen and time constraints), a mug, some sore throat lozenges, Vics Vapour rub, a pair of warm socks, a good book and maybe a movie. All the things to survive a cold.

I hope you are all feeling well, 

Love Daena x

Sustainable September 2015 - Day Sixteen

Hello my dear friends and followers,
Forgive me for a late blog post today but I'm rather unwell. I wanted to do something fun and exciting because i want it to inspire me to be fun and excited (even when i feel so crappy).

So today's Sustainable September idea is...

September 16: Dejunk! 

Go through your things and get rid of everything you don't NEED! One idea for this is so you can make some extra cash selling the stuff at a garage sale, eBay, or at a vintage shop (depends how old your stuff is really). I was reading an article today about how actually holding, or even shopping at, Garage Sales are excellent for the environment. The article by Domain talks about putting "personal financial gain aside, garage sales are also doing their part for making us a greener country by encouraging reuse and reducing waste. “Passing on what you don’t want to someone who does want it is a fantastic form of sustainability,” Nichols says. “Over the past decade, Australians have doubled the amount of waste we generate, from 22.7 million tonnes to 43.6 million tonnes. Landfill is a significant issue but collectively we can make a real difference” (2015).

Okay, I know you might not think this whole de-junking business is exciting, but for me it is. Currently I actually have a crazy messy room at the moment. I hate the mess. And I am a little ashamed of how bad I have let it get. I have been so busy this last month that I have literally thrown thing into my room so as to get more stuff in there. I think its time I got rid of some of the "Stuff". I do not need it all. Except the books. I do need those right? ;) 

This is also part of the Zero Waste book. The Second Phase of Bea Johnson's book talks about Reducing. I know you have seen the below diagram before. And this is another part of it.

Diagram: page 15 of Zero Waste Home.

Bea Johnson writes... "Reducing is an immediate aid to our environmental crisis. It addresses the core issues of our waste problem and takes into consideration the imminent environmental consequences of population growth, associated consumption, and the finite planetary resources that cannot support the world's needs. Reducing also results in a simplified lifestyle that allows you to focus on quality verses quantity and experiences verses stuff. It encourages questioning the need and use of past, present, and future purchases. The things you own, you own because you need them." (pg 19).

I love this book! On page 21 Bea offers a range of places to get rid of your excess "stuff" too. Things like selling to Amazon.com, eBay, flea markets. Or even if you want to continue the kindness on, pass it on to Goodwill, Salvation Army, Freecycle.org, Homeless or women's shelters, schools, etc.

There are so many things you could pass on. That you do not need in your life, that someone might need. And that you can share.

I have been following the work of an organisational specialist from Japan recently,  Mary Kondo. The following video is from her...



She is a genius. Asking the question "Does this item spark joy?" To clarify does it make you happy? does it make you proud? If it doesn't get rid of it. If it does, keep it! :) This is a perfect way to de-clutter. The video is long but it is really worth it. And you can always buy Mary Kondo's book "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up", which I will probably buy in the near future.

KINDNESS IDEA: Donate some of your de-cluttering to charity, so that they can make money off your donations.

I hope this finds you well, and healthy!
Much love,
Daena x