From 2011 to 2016 I was pleased to be able to have done 365days where I did a kind deed every day(& 366days in the leap year)!
In 2017 I am doing it again...my aim is to inspire others into action by showing them how simple it is to do kind acts for others. I do this by doing a kind act a day. I do this by sharing my story and some ideas for living a kinder life. Kinder for others, kinder for ourselves, kinder for the planet. Welcome to 365days of kindness!
So today was all about OP-SHOPPING!!! Or thrift shopping! And today I got to see the super fancy and super expensive kind and then the not as expensive type.
Now, to explain, I was wandering the hip and with it streets of Canberra today, as its my last full day here. I found some very expensive op shops, think expensive & designer second hand goods!
Tomorrows idea is another simple switch:
Buy/use a wooden or bamboo toothbrush.
I bought some last year, some for me and some for the rest of the family. Whilst they are not to everyone's liking they are much better for the environment.
I have only just recently thrown my first bamboo toothbrush in the compost and I just love it.
If you are also looking for a way to get rid of your old plastic toothbrushes consider recycling them.
Kindness idea: donate toiletries to a local homelessness shelter or emergency relief centre.
Toiletries are needed by so many places not just the ones mentioned. Because toiletries are used by everyone they are often the first things to go and so lots of charities and community services are always needing more.
Front Lines: micro-beads in toiletries.
One thing you might like to know about when you are purchasing your toiletries is plastic micro-beads.
These are in everything from shampoo to toothpaste. These are really bad for the environment. And get into our waterways and into all types of water creatures. Here is the video from the UK about the micro beads and how and why we need to prevent the use of them in all of our things.
I hope this finds you all well.
I leave Canberra tomorrow and I have really enjoyed my stay.
How is it going? Simple ideas seem to be the go. Didn't you just love the "Forest Man" video? So good.
I talked about replacing tissues for Handkerchiefs today. When I packed my bag to come to Canberra, Australia, I packed as many handkerchiefs as I did underpants. Having been sick I wanted to be prepared for anything. And so far I am please I did. We used a couple as napkins after I managed to spill a whole bunch of stuff everywhere on a picnic. I've used them to blow my nose after reading too many beautiful stories about kindness (my favourite reason to cry). I have even used them to wipe the sweat off my fave after going for a run! Yay. Go me.
I thought I would show you one of my favourite handkerchiefs.
It used to belong to my dad. His initials are embroidered on it. Every time I use it I think of my dad. He was an amazing and environmentally minded man, so it seems so appropriate that I share it with you all this month.
I also love how handkerchiefs are making a come back. Has anyone seen the movie "The Intern" with Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway? Well amazingly handkerchiefs play a pretty cool role in that movie. Bringing them back into fashion.
So today is another K.I.S.S. Principal. Remember it's Keep It Simple Sweetheart. We don't have any stupid people here!
Sustainable September Day Eight: use a metal or glass straw instead of a plastic one.
A few days ago we watched clips from the Zero Waste front liners. One of them pointed out the stupidity of straws. Something that you use once and then goes in the bin because it's useless after one use which may only be seconds. Then these pieces of plastic end up in the bellies and noses of someone of our most precious wildlife. Hopefully you all remember the video from last year of the turtle with the straw stuck in its nasal passage. It was seriously heartbreaking and more than a little gross.
For Christmas last year I bought my family 10 metal straws between six of us. I usually keep 2 on me, in my handbag. One for me and one for whoever I am with. Usually mum and I. It works well. But often we really don't need to use straws at all.
I know there exceptions for using straws. Some people have to for face or teeth surgery. I couldn't have done without a straw when I had my wisdom teeth out. Then there are the elderly (like my dad used) because all their food is liquid. And it helps regulate how much they consume in one hit, stopping them from choking. Dads nursing home has special cups with built in straws so he didn't need to use throw away ones.
When you think about it, most places you would use straws are related to soft drink or cocktails.
If you think about the straws from fast food venues, they use those stupid plastic caps for the straw to go through too. That is more plastic going to landfill and it even has the potential to end up in the ocean and stomachs of wildlife. Mind you, even if you swap out the straw for a metal or glass one, then you are still making a huge difference. Make sure you tell them no straw when you order your drink/meal.
If you think about cocktails or soft drinks from restaurants, you need to talk to the bartender before they make the drink because if they have already been added to the drink they won't use it again, they will just throw it without it ever having been used. Which is a stupid tragedy all of itself.
Asking for no straw is something that takes a bit of time to get used to but once you do, it's just like any other habit, it happens naturally.
Kindness idea: purchase a glass or metal straw for a friend.
I decided this was a good kindness for me after last year. I ended up saving them to give as Christmas gifts. My niece and nephew love using the metal straws I bought them. They particularly love to drink their smoothies or milkshakes through them. Best thing about the metal ones is that they won't break if dropped, which is the best option for kids.
The glass straws are very pretty and you can SEE how clean they are. Usually all reusable straws come with a cleaning brush so it's easy to clean. It's also cool to see the water/juice/cocktails/milkshake/soft drink go through the glass straws.
Front lines: all I can say is... This kid is awesome! I just love how kids are the ones fighting for the small changes that will make big differences in the long run.
This interview is even better with more statistics.
Well done Milo! Now we just need to get something like this off the ground here in Australia!
So today is all about riding the bus or walking for Sustainable September. I was offered the use of the car today but decided to take the bus instead. Getting from one place to another on the bus has been a huge help because it means I actually get to look out the window and see what we are going past instead of focusing on the road and other drivers.
I love the bus company "Action" in Canberra because they have these awesome slogans like "c
Conserve our fossil fuels. Be in... Action". Clever slogan.
It was awesome to ride the bus into the city because I got to see more.
lus it's a lot less stressful, seeing as I would be driving in a new city, on roads with some serious quirks, without any one telling me if I was doing the right thing. I mean the GPS would tell me where to go but they can't tell you you are in the wrong lane until it's too late. Hahaha.
Another plus is that I have been able to write my blog post from my phone whilst riding or waiting for the bus. Yay!
Today's idea is another simple one. I like the K.I.S.S principal "Keep It Simple Sweetheart". Yes I know it is often "stupid" instead of "sweetheart" but I like the kindness version better. I wonder why?!
Sustainable September Day Seven: use a handkerchief instead of tissues.
There was a point recently when I was really sick. And I mean. Really sick. Almost all of the rest of the family caught it too. There are 6 of us living in one house and if one of us gets a cough, cold or flu then the rest of us often get it too. This flu was no exception. I am still experiencing some after affects which sucks.
Me, four weeks ago.
Me, four weeks ago plus 5 minutes. After a coughing fit. I still had my sense of humour.
The two photos were during the height of my flu. At least my awkward sense of humour remained. I took these photos so my friends would know I was still alive.
Thankfully I am on holiday so I have had time to rest, heal and recuperate!
What all this has to do with today's Sustainable September environmental kindness idea is that we went through about 20 boxes of tissues in two weeks. That is a lot of paper being used and destroyed. Now most of these tissues were either thrown in the fire (burn bugs, burn!) or thrown in the compost. However we could have used our handkerchiefs more.
I personally have about 15 Hankys that I use fairly regularly. For cleaning my glasses, for blowing my nose, for when I got for a run (& get sweat in my eyes) and wiping my eyes when I am crying. Not to mention they also are excellent when you need a napkin! Mayonnaise on your face... Get out your hanky! Chocolate on your face... Wipe your face with the hanky, then lick the hanky! I'm kidding! Or am I?! Hahah.
Kindness idea: make a "Flu survival kit" for a friend, family member or coworker.
I have done this a few times. I like to include some lemon & ginger tea, a pack of sore throat soothing drops, a pack of hankies or box of Tissues, some home made soup, some paracetamol, a nice DVD (not something like 'contagion' Unless your friend has a sense of humour and is into scary movies) and maybe even a mug for hot tea and or soup! Maybe even some Vicks vapour rub and/or some lip balm.
You could do whatever you want really. Just do something to make them know you are thinking of them. You could drop it to their home (if they aren't at work or at family events or any other activities). Or you could do a RAK drop, knock/ring and run.
Front lines: Forest Man.
I struggled to think of anything along the lines of colds and flu. But instead I thought about paper and what it is made out of... trees. There are a lot of people doing amazing things when it comes to the planting and preservation of trees. But My favourite is the story of a guy in India who for the last several decades has been planting trees. They call him "Forrest Man".
So I made it safely to Canberra and had a pretty good trip to get here. No big dramas or issues really. A bit of turbulance. I took my reusable water bottle and my KeepCup too. They were both lifesavers. I find that my KeepCup is so good for flights because I have a lid for it, unlike the ones the airlines actually supply, which makes turbulence a breeze. The water bottle I have with me is only 500ml but fits perfectly in my handbag. Here is is below just so you could see that this is me at the airport living the dream.
My waterbottle getting a trip on an Aeroplane
A view over Adelaide (I had to stop there before going on to Canberra).
Getting ready to fly on to Canberra from Adelaide. Should have photographed my KeepCup and WaterBottle in the pouch on the back of the chair.
It was really rough turbulence just before landing in Canberra and my KeepCup was literally a life saver. As turbulance hit 5minutes after the cabin crew had come around with cups of hot tea and coffee. So no spills or burns for me! YAY! Thankfully a lot of people had juice today or it could have been a lot worse.
Whilst I am in Canberra I am staying with an amazing friend here and we had a wonderful meal out tonigh before i got taken back to his house, where im staying this week, and we got to put the last of my bed together. He bought a bed for me so i could come stay with him! Talk about kindness!
I will have to keep it fairly quick tonight as I am already exhausted and want to get into the new time zone as quickly as I can. So here goes... lets look briefly at paper.
Sustainable September day 3: Say NO to Receipts.
Saying No to receipts is about reducing the wasteful consumption of wood and paper. If you don’t need a receipt say no when asked (preferably before they print it off). I understand many people need receipts for tax purposes. But if you don't need to keep receipts then don't. This way you can easily reduce your paper waste.
“Paper products are crucial to society, as they have enabled literacy and cultural development. However, without changing current paper production and consumption practices, growing demand for paper adds pressure on the Earth’s last remaining natural forests and endangered wildlife.
WWF advocates reducing wasteful consumption of wood and paper. But even with more frugal use and greater efficiencies, net demand is likely to grow with rising population and incomes in developing countries. So how can we produce more paper without destroying or degrading forests, in a world where competition for land and water is increasing ?
This challenge spans the whole supply chain, from where and how wood is grown and harvested to how wisely and efficiently it is processed, used and reused. It also involves changes to consumption patterns – such as eliminating excessive and wasteful use of paper in rich societies, while improving access for the poor to paper products that can improve education, hygiene and food safety.” (http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/deforestation/forest_sector_transformation/pulp_and_paper/)
Paper waste is a large issue because of the sheer amount of trees that are used to create the paper in the first place. Often the trees being cut down to make paper have come from naturally occurring forests and rainforrests. This destruction og the natural environment in not sustainable, whilst destroying natural habitats for animals and birds. This is not good for the environment.
I love paper as much as the next person. I really love books and notebooks. I am a bibliophile, so reducing the amount of paper in my house is hard. Like the statement says above, Paper is crucial to society and education. However, reducing the amount of useless paper waste is not that hard to do.
For the last few years I have been looking at the work by the Bea Johnson. She wrote the book “The Zero Waste Home” and has inspired me to reduce the amount of waste I, personally, put into the world. I know I have written about it a lot in the past so I will leave this light but she talks about simple ways to reduce waste. The first is to say NO to it. If you don’t need, it don’t take it. This includes freebies, samples, pamphlets and business cards. This can be very hard to do but I often end up chucking out so much stuff that I don’t need just because it didn’t cost me anything to aquire. Feel free to adopt the practice of saying no to all these ‘free things’ too. However, the easiest way to start is to say No to receipts. And build up these habits.
Kindness Idea: Learn how to make your own paper from your waste paper and turn it into a beautiful card or wrapping paper.
Often i will send off a card or letter to someone who just needs to know i am thinking of them, is having a hard time, or is away from home. This just makes a person feel special. Making things for another person is a complimentary way to show you care for someone. You also care for the environment by reusing a resource you already have lying around. You can use old news papers, wrapping paper, used printing paper, old study notes, and even the backs of cards (i like to keep the pretty fronts of cards and reuse them too).
On the front lines: The Zero Waste movement.
Here is a TED talk by the amazing Bea Johnson. I hope you like it.
or this one my Manuela Baron...
Hahaha.. so much for a short post. I do love to type. The hard thing sharing this stuff is knowing when to stop. Like I should have done a while back. hahha.
I hope this finds you all well.
Love to you all,
Daena xx
