Sustainable September 2016 - Day Eight

Hello Sustainable September-ers. 

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! 

I hope this finds you all well. 

Love Daena X

Sustainable September 2015 - Day Nineteen

Hello again!

Thank you for coming back again! :)

What have you been up to today? Today I have still rested, and also decided to steam mop the house. I have decided the steam mop does NOT bring me joy! I have a pretty tiny house, but when you have to actually steam mop three rooms (the bathroom, laundry and kitchen) takes 3 hours to clean, its just easier to get the ordinary mop out. So my solution is that I will be getting rid of the steam mop (with my mums blessing of course). It is amazing that now I am looking around the house with a thought to de-junk and live a less impact-full lifestyle, I am noticing the stuff that sits in areas and collects dust.

Today when I was resting I was reading more of Zero Waste Home! I am almost half way through! :) One thing Bea Johnson talks about is living a minimal life so that you do not have to spend so much time cleaning (thankfully) and you have more time to do things you enjoy, like spending time with family and friends.

One thing that came up is a bit of a love of mine. A secret love of the Capsule Wardrobe.

Picture from Adventure Chick via Pinterest.

September 19: Create a Capsule wardrobe. 

For those who don't know what it is, it is about having a wardrobe where everything is classic style and can be mixed and matched so that you can layer and it all matches/contrasts. It often means having a very small collection of clothing that is good quality and long lasting. I used a capsule Wardrobe when I went to Europe in May. It meant I only needed to take Hand luggage, and it had 3 weeks worth of clothes. Amazingly there were still a few pieces of clothing that I didn't use, and a couple that had to be replaced on the way. I was so in love with the idea that I learnt a lot about myself and my purchasing habits along the way. I got lots of my ideas from Pinterest. If you want to see what I am talking about you can look at my Travel Wardrobe folder here.

I also used the App on my iPhone called Stylebook. It helped me figure out what would go with what for my travelling. I also use it now to make sure when I buy something it will go with the rest of my wardrobe. It sounds weird, but i found it fun. You can also see how much stuff you have. Like that massive pile of clothing that was in my lounge room yesterday, you can avoid, overbuying.

We are often compelled to buy more and more, and then we find that we have less and less to wear. When you have a compact wardrobe it is easy to choose what to wear because you wear what you have, and it all matches or contrasts so it all works together. You also are more likely to look after the clothes you have rather than finding them disposable. 80% of all cloth that is not usable goes to landfill. Reducing this percentage for ourselves is really important.

I admit I am not perfect. When I started creating a capsule wardrobe in May, I had a lot of clothing that didn't fit into this philosophy, and some of it doesn't work for me, or bring me joy, any more (hence why I got rid of 5 bags). I also learned that for this to work you need to buy quality clothing with durable fabrics. I had been buying cheap clothes that died pretty quickly, and now I buy better quality ones so that I know that they will last the distance. I have discovered that you don't need to spend a fortune to get a good quality capsule wardrobe when you check out the Thrift stores/Op Shops either! :) Buying second hand is a great option when you are looking for quality because items of clothing have been pre-tested for you. Don't you hate getting that t shirt home only to discover it gets covered in pills in a day? or the jeans that even after washing them 5 times, still leave your legs blue? I like charity stores/thrift-shops/op-shops for helping me to get the things I want or need for my wardrobe. Like recently I bought 3 beautiful scarves for $3AUD total ($1AUD each) at a St Vinnes store. YAY! i have had so many people ask me where I got my grey scarf from, because it also doubles as a wrap in cool weather! Plus recycling clothes is better for the environment! Having less helps your immediate environment, because you are using what you have. It definitely saves you money because you are less likely to buy clothes that do not fit in the capsule!

One of Bea Johnsons suggestions and reasons for having a small wardobe is in case of emergency. She is able to literally throw everything into a suitcase and nothing gets left behind. I think this is super important in an area like where my sister lives, that is prone to Bushfires. She lives in a beautifully lucious and green area filled with trees, bushes, greenery, native animals and birds It is beautiful. It is also dangerous. In the 8 years that they have lived in the house in the hills they have had to evacuate 3 times. The last time was the closest to their home. Thank the heavens their house has been safe every time! I see the benefit for a capsule wardrobe so that we can get our clothes out of the house in the case of an evacuation. It could also something that could help when you have to rush for national or international travel in a hurry. I have had friends and family in other countries who I wished (at various times) that i could just pop on a plane and be by their side. Having a capsule wardrobe means you could pack and be in the airport fast! I like that idea. I guess because it is based in kindness. Being for people you love in their time of need. Making that easier has to be worth it! :)

For clothes that aren't worth keeping and have huge stains and rips in them, consider turning them into house hold rags to use in the place of paper towels. 

KINDNESS IDEA: Buy socks for Homeless people. Often the one thing that is needed most for Homeless people is socks and it is often the thing that is not remembered that is needed. Warm/thick socks are usually good during winter months. And lighter ones during hotter months. But buy what you think you would wear. There is even a campaign in my city for this purpose exactly at the moment it is called Socks in the City. Check it out here.

I hope this finds you all well!
Love Daena x

January 13, 2014

Today has been another devistating day in the Perth hills with the fire continuing to burn down homes and leave families in the lurch! It's been so hard to watch as the number of houses that were destroyed went from 27 houses to 52 within 24hours! So sad to see such a beautiful community struggle through the hardships... But I have seen such an out pouring of love like nothing I have seen before! People bought trailer loads of clothes, toys etc to drop points, people have offered their homes to strangers, bought meals and donated food to firefighters and the affected alike! It is so beautiful to see kindness after kindness come from this small community city! 

Apart from keeping people posted by sharing posts on the www.facebook.com/365dayofkindness

And my personal page, I also helped mum today by getting names & contact details for a person on the phone (they had called for a sales talk) but who after hearing about the fires near their homes was looking to offer their house for emergency accomodation! 

I took a box of toys into Vinies today from my sisters house... It was only a small box! 

I spent time sharing positive videos & messages of hope on Facebook so that there was something good for people to see! 

I want to take the time and say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped out! The firefighters (paid & volunteer), the government agencies & the charities, those who have given their time, money, homes, spare clothes and goods... THANK YOU!!! You are working miracles right now! Keep up the amazing work! 

Much love, 

Daena Guest

Ps. Special shout out to my sister who spent today looking after 3 extra children (ages 1,3 &5) whilst the children's parents were fighting fires! You have done a huge kindness so that a mum & dad know their kids are safe, whilst they are working to make the whole shire safe!  Great kindness big sister! Bravo! X

January 14, 2014

Hey everyone, 

Well it's official! I am completely exhausted! 

Today mum &  I went and helped my sister with the 5 kids (2 of her own &  3 extras who were under 6!) she has been looking after since yesterday. The fires in Perth are still burning, however it looks like they might finally be under control! Hooray! Sadly 52 houses were lost with many more damaged. The fire fighters did an amazing job keeping the number so low when it could have easily been in the hundred! Thank you to our fire fighters & emergency services! You have done an out stranding job this week!!! The 3 extra children my sister was looking after, & we helped with a little today, were kids of two volunteer firefighters & emergency service officers! Beautiful children! 

Whilst my sister was dealing with the two littlest ones and mum was occupying the attention of the two middle ones (the eldest looked after himself), I was able to do some housework for my sister, in cleaning up the lounge, toy room & family rooms, and putting in a load of dishes in the dishwasher! It's amazing how crazy a house looks after 5 kids under 10 (4 of which are under 6), have been in it for 24 hours! I totally respect single & stay at home mothers (particularly ones with more than one kid) because of the whirlwind that surrounds those 5 when they were playing! Wow! 

For the three middle children (all girls) I acted as hairdresser & did each of them a funky hairstyle for the day ... Sometimes more than once! Girls love to have pretty hairstyles! 

Today I also taught my nephew how to play poker (my sister learnt poker too) & a card game called "spit"! My nephew is a regular card shark! He learns quickly! :)

I also read 3 chapters of a fairy book to my niece before she went to bed because after the other 3 kids went home (the fire is almost under control so their parents could go home & rest & take the kids with them), my niece needed some quiet TLC! 

Needless to say... I'm exhausted & I was only there for 12 hours! I think my sisters whole house will be sleeping very soundly tonight! You guys did an excellent job sharing toys, food, attention, rooms & time with people who needed it! Thank you for your kindnesses!!! 

I'm crawling into bed... 

Much love to you all, stay safe! 

Luv Daena 

Paying it Forward

Hi all,
I just wanted to share with you one of the pay-it-forwards that I did vicariously today!

The story starts about 5 months ago my mum & I helped out at a community day for the nursing home my dad lives in! We put in heaps of hard work & helped them raise a total of about $3000AUD! As a thank you the nursing home staff gave us a HUGE box of chocolates (1.32kgs to be exact). We gratefully accepted the gift along with a bunch of flowers each! We were spoilt but knew neither of us could eat the chocolate (my mum has diabetes & I'm trying to avoid getting it!)!

So instead we thought of donating it to a local emergency services like the police station! We made a few plans that fell through but it finally happened! today I could pass that HUGE box of chocolates along!

It just so happens that a huge brushfire threatened my sisters house, & many more houses yesterday, and they had to evacuate! but my sister didn't have enough time to grab anything on her way to pick the kids up from school, not knowing it would be too dangerous to return after that! so she and her kids had the clothes on their backs & their car, my brother-in-law was at work and only had the clothes he had with him etc. it turned out that it took 150 firefighters, and several airplane water bombers all afternoon & all night to contain the situation, but contain it they did! My sister & her family was allowed to return home today.

My sister came down to my house with her kids for lunch (she didn't have any food to give them for lunch as before school they still weren't allowed to return home) so she bought them down to us & we all had lunch together!

Now my sister & I had talked about this box of chocolates a few times (after all our house/unit is tiny & the box is massive). And today we were reminded of the importance of our emergency services, particularly the fire fighters!

My sister lives down the road from their local volunteer firefighters station, so I decided to give the chocolates to her for her to give to any firefighters she came across (if they were still at the station as it was early evening). So that is what my sister did!

She dropped the chocolates in, after seeing that several cars were still at the station and gave them the chocolates & told them thank you for everything they had done to keep her house & all other houses safe in the massive blaze! The fire fighters were very thankful & my sister left in tears! She felt as blessed as I did to pass it on!

I was just grateful I still had my sister, & her family safe while men and women volunteers & career fire fighters put their lives on the line! Thank you to everyone who made a difference in that fire & all other fires here in Australia (& around the world)!

My sister & I now know how much of a blessing it is to pay it forward!

Luv Daena x