I've moved. Find me at www.greenchic.com.au.

Be the change...

"If you think you’re too small to make a change, try sleeping in bed with a mosquito." -  Anita Roddick

This quote ain’t new.  While there’s much truth to it, and while it’s inspirational, it’s often forgotten or overshadowed by the bigger picture.

You might not be able to completely change the world but you can at least start with your own backyard.  And there’s no better time than the present to do so.  Not only is it easier to make changes when they are small, but you can be confident changes close to home are ones you can affect, ones you can control.

Hence, no matter where you’re at in life, you can always make a change.  Everyone will make different changes, and while they may be different, collectively a greater good is still achieved, which then trickles onto others.  I hold the domino effect in high regard.  

Using a keepcup, carrying a reusable bottle, living car-free, are some of the changes I‘ve made.  But it doesn’t stop here, nor should it ever stop, as we and the world are constantly evolving.

So where to now?  Assess your surroundings, your environment.  Change to GreenPower, too expensive? Change to Red Energy who sources renewable energy.  Use less water but you like your long showers, so do something else instead.  Grow your own veggies but you’re not a gardener, then don’t torture yourself into thinking that you are.  So I ask the question again, where to now?

Well, I do own an investment property.  A rental where I pay the tenant’s water bill.  You see it’s an old school apartment, one of twelve.  An apartment block with one meter, hence the reason for divving up the water bill.  Unless each apartment has its own water meter, it will always be the responsibility of the landlord to pay the water bill.  This piece isn’t actually a rant about paying the tenants water bill, as one could easily combat this by increasing the rent.  The real issue is however, that if the tenant isn’t paying the water bill, then they don’t have any regard for water saving.  While this is purely an assumption, the fact that the water bill of the 3 bedroom house I share is much less than the 1 bedroom apartment I lease, convinces me I’m not way off.   Tenants clearly don’t care about their water usage and frankly why would they, since they aren’t the ones paying for it.

So rather than let it be, I decided to effect change.  I attended the body corporate AGM and added water meters to the AGM agenda.

For those in similar boats, here’s a template passed on from one concerned landlord to another....  I welcome you to tweak it, use it and share it.

"As you are aware currently the water bill is split 12 ways, as you are also aware the cost of water has been rapidly increasing over the last few years and will continue to go up.

The benefit of individual water meters is each owner will have total control of their own water usage.

Owners that have their units leased will be able to pass the supply charges directly to their tenants, the supply charges are around $450 per year and climbing, so they will see a ROI in less than 1 ½ years.

I consider the supply charges on the high side, I have multiple family members living in houses in South East water areas, whom supply charges are less than the 12 way split I receive. Tenants clearly don’t care about their water usage, and frankly why would they, they aren’t the ones paying for it.

For owner occupied units that take holidays or live alone will see a much low yearly supply charge."
 

All arguments point to a win-win situation, so if it’s just simply sending off an email or making a call, don’t you think it’s worth it?  It sure can’t get any simpler than this to make a change.

7 years...

My mate Ang got me this.  It's not a new invention but it's definitely a smart concept, Seltzer's 7 Year Pen.  It's sold as sustainable but it doesn't look green nor does it look recycled, and if we were quick to judge, the pen seems more a novelty than sustainable.  But when given greater thought, it's actually quite ingenious!  You see what I realized, we as people have become accustomed to the everlasting supply of pens.  Whether we use and/or "borrow" them from work or they're given to us as promotional gifts, pens are freely available, so much so when we lose a pen it's no sweat off our backs.  

So here enters the 7 year pen and this is how the game plays out:

First the question, "Really? This pen will last 7 years?"  

Next comes the challenge, "I'm going to test this claim".  

And finally "excuse me, do mind if I grab my pen back", after lending the pen. 

What's happen is, I am now more cautious when I use/lend my 7 Year Pen.  I also make sure I always carry this particular pen with me to ensure it gets it's full 7 year use.  This change in behaviour is quite astonishing as these thoughts and actions would not have come about had it not been for the composition of four little words "the Seven Year Pen".

Conclusion.  All I really need is one pen.  While some may argue that a pen doesn't take up much space, and what harm could a little pen do, the bigger picture is imagine multiplying this with the number of pens discarded daily on a global scale.  Each year, an estimated 100 million pens are discarded every day.  And imagine those that go to landfill.  And imagine to keep up with the illusory demand for low cost pens, the type of workers who make them (sweatshop labour comes to mind).

Wow, who would have thought a novel idea such as the 7 Year Pen could have such a positive effect on the world?   

Guess this simply shows the importance of innovative communication strategies when it comes to addressing conscious consumption and a sustainable future. 

Seltzer's 7 Year Pen reduces waste by increasing the size of the ink supply inside the pen. The jumbo ink cartridge fills more of the barrel's circumference, enabling the writer to pontificate a remarkable 1.7 meters a day for seven years.

"Regardless of the uber-efficient technology, we knew it would be equally important to design the Seven Year Pens in such a way you'd actually want to keep them for seven years. Our designers went to work, turning "regular" pens into "favorite" pens. We started calling them the Seven Year Pen so everyone would know it was designed with a purpose."

Seltzer Goods is a company that uses FSC certified 100% post-consumer recycled paper and veggie-based inks.  They are "serious about eco-friendly materials, packaging, and production methods".  They also support Earth Justice with an annual donation.  "Earth Justice uses the power of the law to protect our natural resources and defend the right of all people to a healthy environment."

#3thingscityilove

Airbnb might be gaining much traction these days but it’s not the only #collcons site where you can ‘find a great place to stay.  Or rent out your own.’  Windu is another similar peer-to-peer travel source for booking private accommodation all over the world. 

Wimdu.co.uk with their good friends Velvet Escape and Traveldudes are currently running the ’3 Things in the City’ I Love contest where they want you or rather us to tell them 3 things about a city we’re in love with.  This is my submission.

For I, it is very much influenced by my recent trip to Denmark.  Having spent two weeks in Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus, I was surprised the city had not been given the attention it ought to.

When in Aarhus, 3 Things you must do;

1.  Visit AROS - One of Northern Europe’s largest Modern Art Museum.  What’s extra special about this modern art museum is the rainbow panorama that sits on the rooftop of the building.  Not only do you get to see Aarhus in a 360 degrees capacity but you also get to view the city in an assortment of colors.

2. Hang around The Latin Quarter - It’s the oldest part of Aarhus and an area where creatives converge.  Eat, shop, and immerse yourself in how the Danes express themselves through art.  My two favourites places in the quarter are Cafe Drudenfuss and KaosPilots.  

Cafe Drudenfuss is a cafe that stocks its pantry with at least 75% organic ingredients but you wouldn’t know it on face value (though the vine leaves on the outside are quite green!).  Slick, modern, dane-sique.   The gourmet vegetarian hot dog is to die for.  Even my meat loving mate was impressed.  Topped off with organic vodka, organic OJ and fair trade coffee, this green chick was completely smitten. 

KaosPilot on the other hand is the training ground for the next generation of change agents and leaders in Denmark and beyond, strong on creativity, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.   It is regarded as the world's most adventurous alternative business school backed by companies such as Apple, LEGO, SAS, Carlsberg, and Nova Norsk.  Situated amongst block after block of coffee houses and cafes, the exterior of KaosPilot headquarters looks like something out of "the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco during the flower-power days of the 1960s."  It's then no surprise that Aarhus likes to think of itself as the San Francisco of Scandinavia.       

3.  Drop by the Marselisborg Palace - The summer residence of the Danish Royal Family.  While the palace itself isn’t open to the public, the palace grounds which functions as a park, holds a fine collection of sculptures, a rose garden with a pergola, and a herb garden, is open to the public when the Royal family is not in residence.  And when the Queen is staying at the palace, it’s still regarded as quite an event.  You can even watch the changing of the guard each day at noon if you happen to be around!

Marselisborg Palace

Gaining traction #whyiride

Today Project: Why Do You Ride? finds a new home at a new web address www.whydoyouride.info and site platform.  In the 3 months since the project went live, the support has been overwhelming.  Anita Roddick was so right when she said "if you think you're too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito."  From Tumblr, we've moved over to Wordpress.  While I do love the simplicity and circular images at the tumblr site, wordpress seems to let me, and you, do more.  You'll be able to view riders by city, find cycling tips on one convenient page, and be inspired by beautiful filmography that encapsulates why we ride.

Thank you for taking an interest in and being a part of the Why Do You Ride? journey.  If all this can be achieved in 3 months, imagine what can happen in 12 months?!

It's an exciting time and I look forward to discovering why you ride?  Enjoy!

1 Camera, 1000 Smiles

 So a couple of months back I purchased a new camera. I didn't want a SLR, as that's what friends are for! hehe!! But I wanted something that took decent snaps and was reliable.  My old trusty Sony was nearing its death, plus after playing up on me in Denmark (losing half my photos AND photos from 3 years back, I know my bad I should have backed up, well I didn't), it was time for a new camera.  On the recommendation of my housemate, I got myself a Lumix Lx5, one of the sell points was it had a Leica lens.  Word on the streets is Leica in the photography world is synonymous for sexy.  Can't afford a Leica camera but can afford a Lumix!  Now all I need to do is to learn how to use it.  But what about the old Sony?  It still works.  Since everyone around me seems to have a better camera anyway, I guess I could do what I usually do, that is give it to the op shop or I could google a project I had heard about in passing.  So to google I entered "donate camera melbourne children" and voila, 1 Camera, 1000 Smiles.

1 Camera, 1000 Smiles is a "project that runs photography workshops with young people living in rural villages in Bali."  They are committed to empowerment through photography and believe that by learning photography skills, young people are better able to express themselves, tell their own story and develop problem solving skills.

Wow, imagine my no longer loved Sony could bring about 1000 Smiles.  Thus, it's a no brainer, I got in touch with the guys running the initiative, dropped $6 in postage to 87 Evans Street Port Melbourne, Attn: Richard Piscioneri, and hello good deed for the day! 

Project WHY DO YOU RIDE?

I've started a little side project, which I hope will support bigger and greater things.  But in saying that, the project is ultimately all in the name of sustainable behaviour. Project WHY DO YOU RIDE? in a nutshell, is a platform that showcases the person behind the bicycle. The idea is to put the human element back into cycling, as sometimes we forget cyclists are people too (yes, I'm looking at you road rage driver).

If you’d like to participate, which I'd love you to, please get in touch, either on Twitter @cangreenbechic or via email.

Happy - The Movie

Two words: WATCH IT. 

http://www.thehappymovie.com

My Eco Bag that's not made Eco

My everyday bag holds a lot of stuff. It's stuff that helps me lower my impact on the environment.

• Reusable water bottle - which I refill with cold filtered water. We're pretty lucky that filtered water can be found pretty much anywhere these days.

• KeepCup - for my coffee naturally

• Foldable/crunchable carry bag - say no to the consumption of throw away plastic bags

• iPhone - no longer do I rely on a paper diary. I do however still carry a notebook which gets much use as oppose to a diary which never really ever gets filled. I don't know about you but I somehow have conditioned myself into believing that if the date has past, I can no longer write in that space... what wasted space.

• Hairbrush - made from bamboo, a natural renewable resource
  

• Melbourne Bike Share blue key - while I do have a bike and I do ride it, I don't always have it with me. With a bike share station a 2 min walk from my work, it's perfect for those days when it rains in the morning, thus I don't ride but clears up in the arvo when I can ride (very Melbourne). It's also great when I'm at one end of the city wanting to get to the other end of the city. However, one of the problems why Melbourne Bike Share hasn't been a success like in many other cities is that riders in Melbourne must wear a helmet. Thus in order for me to use one of the blue shared bikes, I need to carry my helmet with me pretty much at all times. While carrying my helmet hasn't become habit yet, wishful thinking has me hoping it will become a habit...? At present, my bag can't accommodate a helmet but I guess I can clip the helmet onto it. The question then is can I put up with having a helmet hanging off my bag? I guess I'll have to convince myself it's just like one big fancy keyring?! We'll see or I could just use a bigger bag?... hmmm.....

Anyhooz, Melbourne Bike Share is another product/business I can add to my #collcons list. While I'm a little behind on reporting on the #collcons list, it is happening and to be honest most of these collcons businesses are startups, thus the traction isn't really there yet. But that's where it's about supporting small businesses that are forwarding thinking. You got to start somewhere right? And isn't it grand to be a part of the change that transform hyper consumption into collaborative consumption? Damn straight it is.

Hello belated 2012

Berlin Street Artist @Chxxx - created on the back of a cereal box


I'm back! Well I've been back for a while, it's just that 2012 has been a rather fruitfulness start of the year.

*

I've been consulting on the implementation of an Environmental Management System for Sentia Media, for their Australian and New Zealand offices, with interest now being expressed from the company's Southeast Asian offices. Majorly awesome but everything in due course. What's amazing is that it all started from one office in Melbourne, to now being taken off globally! However, much is still to do. Greatest achievement has been the formation of the Green Team (official name not yet determined as the naming competition is still running). Working in conjuction with Sustainability Victoria has also been a blessing.

What I've found is you can only do what you can within your means but that shouldn't hinder you from any opportunity to create change.

"Senita Media Green Team is a program for staff, lead by staff"
Monetary investment is little but non-montary support in great.

*

I've also started working as a "Story Teller" for a vintage clothing brand, creating original content for their blog through travel tales and the people who crosses pathes with them. What I love about this project is bringing pieces from a past life back to life again. A fine way of reducing consumption, while celebrating the individual that you are. In time, more will be divulge as we're still only in planning stage. So watch this space.

On a Big jet plane

I am a fan of Angus and Julia Stone. #Justsayin.

But I guess as a sustainability campaigner (which is what I note as my occupation on custom forms!), I really ought not to be a fan of big jet planes. But travel is important.

For Norwegian environmentalist, Erik Dammann, travel allowed him to “challenge Western values and lifestyles in order to promote a more responsible attitude to the environment and the third world.”

Dammann returned to Norway with the realisation that the West’s focus on competition for personal gain had more to do with social structure than human nature. He also came back with a deep respect for other cultures and with a sense of responsibility for the way they were being destroyed by the consumption-oriented Western lifestyle and world view. He perceived an immense gap between the stated values of Western society, such as justice, freedom, responsibility and solidarity, and the actual impact of that society on people in other countries and on the Earth.

So for the following month I will be blogging from http://www.travelgreenchic.tumblr.com/, documenting the amazing stuff happening in the UK, Denmark and Germany. I am out to prove being green is simply not all mung beans and no style. Far from it. It's everything we know but just simply tweaked for the better.

*this blog post comes to you from the skys... Emirates A380 OnAir internet... crazy this technology stuff!

In all colors and in all sizes

The festive season tis upon us with jolly times catching up with me this weekend. But I got through it. Maybe it's the excitment I'll be jetting off soon that is helping me push through it. And before you start questioning the "jetting off" aka isn't flying really bad for the environment, I refer you to this post (the start of my travel blog which explains why travel is important).

As I start preparing for my trip, working out what to pack, I realize it's also the perfect opprtunity to do a big clean especially since when I return it'll be 2012, a start of a new year. The big clean involves going through items I no longer wear or use and d0nating them to charity. What always seems to stump me is what to do with bras I no longer wear. Is it rude/offensive to donate used under garments?

Several months ago I remember reading an article about an organization who were collecting bras for third world countries. Thanks to trusty Google I came to find Uplift Bras, an Australian charity that collects and distributes new and secondhand bras to third world countries as well as indigenous communities in the NT.

"It is not just a matter of comfort for these women. There are medical issues as well including back problems and skin diseases particularly for those who are doing hard manual labour."

Check out Uplift Bras and the good work they do.

So in the keeping up with the crazy season and borrowing a quote from Damien Hirst "it's not me but the drink speaking", I asked my girlfriends if they had any unwanted bras they could give me. Given that I am the so-called "hippie" of the bunch, I had to explain they weren't for me... whether they believe me, we'll see come time we exchange chrissy gifts!

Mi Shed Tu Shed

My shed is your shed. And so leads me to add another #collcons business to the list.

Open Shed is a peer-to-peer rental website that allows you to list the things you have around the house, which you might not want to let go of but you also never really have any use for.

There's much benefits to be reaped by not being so precious about your stuff. One namely is that you can make a little cash from renting out your stuff but also you can save yourself a little cash by testing driving items you might want to play with now but maybe not in the future.

Another benefit as well as being in line with the Buy Nothing New Month campaign, a campaign that saw the social media junkie in me come out, is the reduction of waste, thus the reduction of items sent to landfill, thus the reduction of greenhouse gases produced. Wooah and wow, cause it's a win-win-win!

Let's remember, Buy Nothing New Month ain't about anti-shopping, rather it’s pro conscientious consumption, thus it's not ‘Buy Nothing New Never.

In an article published in the Sydney Morning Herald Business pages, ‘Will Any One Buy Anti-Shopping Campaign’, a poll was carried out asking readers what they thought of Buy Nothing New Month. Over 10,000 people voted (this is huge for an online poll) with 82% saying Buy Nothing New Month to be a good idea, only 18% suggesting it would harm the economy.

This simply shows that there's a groundswell of people living thoughtfully when it comes to respecting our finite resources. Businesses such as OpenShed help foster such behavioural change in consumption and asset owernship, making it easier for the everyday Joe Blow to cash in on the potential $3,772 worth of unwanted items they have around the home. On an economic scale, this equates to almost $43 billion in potential trade. So hands up if you think not buying new will hurt the economy??

Flexi-ing my bank balance & carbon footprint #collcons

To kick off my Collaborate Consumption life, I got myself a Flexicar Membership via a Green Renters membership. A double win.

A Green Renters membership starts from $25 to $100. No matter which membership you take out with Green Renters, you're guaranteed to score yourself a Flexicar Membership as well. You see, Flexicar is a carsharing business that recognizes there are cheaper and greener ways to car ownership. Partnering with Green Renters highlights Flexicar's committment in paving the way for a more sustainable world.

The 3 major benefits of a Flexicar membership:

• Rid the responsibilities and costs of car ownership such as servicing, car insurance and registration
• Eliminate the fears of purchasing a dud car
  
• Reduce your environmental impact by only using the car when you truly need to

Check out the car locations to see if they are conveniently located near you. I'm pretty lucky, the closet flexicar from where I live is a 2 min walk away. Booyah!

What I'm also loving is I can also choose the type of car I need or want. So if I need to pick up something large like a bookshelf from Gumtree or at the market or on eBay, its so much cheaper and less of a hassle to simply grab the flexicar than to organize a delivery guy (usually $50) or hire a car for a whole day.

Taking out a Green Renters membership helps support the work they do in providing sustainable living advice to those living in rental property.

With Christmas just around the corner, this could be the gift of all gifts! "Hey hun, guess who gotcha a car for Christmas?! It's all yours when you need it!"

Challenging the Status Quo with #CollCons

#CollCons, the Twitter hashtag for Collaborate Consumption. A term used to define a way of life in the 21st century as opposed to 20th Century Hyper Consumption where it's about more, more and more. #collcons gives real meaning to less is more.

Christmas being just round the corner means we're also headed towards a new year. Wowzer, another year already? While I'm not a fan of using this phrase but I will, boy time sure does fly. Rather scary actually, there's still so much to do, and yet the years seem to keep passing me by.

I've wasted so much time constantly searching and hoping others will do the right/honorable thing, and while I have the support, I am still seen as a complicated character, or the nicer term would be free-spirited. People simply don't understand why I choose to work part-time and occasionally freelance. I continually get sent full-time job offers and I know it's because they care. But you see, I feel I have more control of my life when I work 2 jobs. Having watched organizations screw people over, I don't need to waste my time worrying if one day I'll be the one screwed over. One job will always be a back up for the other. I know I have a strong work ethic but I also know I don't like being taken advantage of either.

Life ain't a dress rehearsal. And I want to live.

So enters Collaborate Consumption. If I reduce my consumption or if I share my consumption, I can work less and live more.

In the next few weeks, I'll be joining, signing up, registering with #collcons focused businesses to support my life changes. Watch this space. Sustainable behavior change, absolutely!

Dining the way it should be

I probably have mentioned this a number of times that I'm a hop, skip and jump kinda girl. So it says quite a lot when I say I will travel to the otherside just to dine at Little Deer Tracks, a cafe and gallery in Coburg. Two trains will get me there or a rather long bike ride or lets compromise, 1 train ride and a reduced bike ride!

There is much to list as to why Little Deer Tracks has found a way to my heart. I've always had a soft spot for Italian family home style dishes (Da Noi in South Yarra being my ultimate favourite restaurant of all time... get the picture?!), but it also doesn't hurt that the cafe is the brainchild of Marco Sellitto, a veteran known for iconic venues such as the Continental, Marios and the Italian.

You wouldn't know until someone decides to order bacon on side that this is a meat-free cafe. Being meat-free however, doesn't mean boring and blah. Far from it. Spaghetti with lentil ragu, brocolli saffaron lemon fetta risotto, fetticinni with wild porcini mushoon and truffle are a just a few dishes to tempt you with. Yes I love my carbs and naturally those dishes linger in my memory more so than any carb free ones!

Little Deer Tracks is a place where one can expect healthy, fresh food, organic, free-range, pure olive oil used for frying, rennet-free cheeses, homemade and slow cooked but without any of the "hippie" tags or labels. Coz at the end of the day it's all about good food. No "faux" meat, just real food.

Should you cave and order a pasta dish, I recommend that you throw in the towel and load up on the cafe's infamous sourdough bread, which Marco calls ''Pascoe Vale brew'', where he nurtured the starter for four years on his window sill. I would never have thought bread could be sooo amazing but it can.

Btw, staff are mighty charming, unpretentious and knows a thing or two when it comes to dressing vintage!

Quirky love, the cafe is scattered with loads of little piggie figurines. But don't think it's just for decoration, one has gone missing and continues to be soarly missed.

Could I, will I eventually become a Coburgher, who knows? But what I do know is that this is how cafes and restaurants should be. A fine example, something for the government to consider when selling climate change?

Nature's Alternative Soap is A-OK

A while back I purchased a packet of Wild Soapnuts. I had read about them in an Oxfam email blast but it was at one of the many markets I loiter at, that I finally made the purchase. While I may have made the purchase I either forgot about them or there was so much laundry detergent laying around that I just never had the need to use them. I'm all about not wasting anything unless I really dislike it but I will always give it a go first or it's past it's used by date.

Anyhoo, I finally took the plunge and tested these Wild Soapnuts over the weekend. I had finally run out of laundry detergent, outside was washing weather and I was in desperate need of underwear. Everything was going swimmingly until I realized a funky smell on my fingers. These Wild Soapnuts sure are smelly. Not sure if its just the ones I got but lets say I had to wash my hands not once, not twice but three times to rid the funky smell. So I was worried during the wash cycle. Will my precious clothes reek? OMG I hope not.

Guess what? They didn't, actually there was no smell but maybe a clean one! Plus my mascara stained towel was no longer mascara stained. Booyah! I really need to have more faith, don't I?

What are Soapnuts?

The soapnuts I used are from the outside of a macadamia-sized berry found in the Himalayan foothills, which is then cracked open and dried in the sun, producing a dark golden shell. The shells are found to contain a high percentafe of saponins (mother nature's soap), a surfacant, which is found to remove dirt and oils from fabric when dispered in water.

Why Soapnuts?

Soapnuts are a wild harvested product in true organic form. Used for centuries in India, China and Nepal, and has been tested to be hypollergenic, antibacterial, biodegradable. It's on the supermarket shelves in Europe and it's cheaper than the chemical alternatives.

Soapnuts can actually be used as a liquid soap as well, but for the time being I'll just stick to using them to launder with first! For more info check www.wildsoapnuts.com.au

M.I.A. Green Chic

Yes, I've been kinda M.I.A lately. But I've not been away. I've actually been rather active on the social media front. Tweeting, Facebook-ing, Blogging, YouTubing rah rah rah under the moniker(?) Buy Nothing New Month. That's right folks I've taken charge of the social media side of the campaign. Privileged, absolutely. Busy, damn straight. But all in all it's exciting. It's a campaign where it's not asking for money, it's more, in my opinion, about setting you free.

I personally, view the campaign and these are my thoughts only, as why be manipulated into buying stuff you don't need? Know what you like, buy what you like. But don't say you don't have money or boo the carbon tax or the economy and retailers will suffer. These are pretty poor excuses. For retailers, are you scared people will realize you're selling them a crap product? What makes you so special? What about service businesses? What about businesses that are striving to do good or design for the better? Do they not deserve a fair go? As oppose to retailers manipulaing people to buy stuff they don't need? I pity those who defend these retailers, how they need someone they don't even know to stroke their ego for a brief moment, just to be sucked into buying an item they may never use so as to feel better about themselves in the short-term. But in the long-term they end up the sad fool who continues wishing they were something they're not, rather than just living and doing what truly makes them happy. If you are angered by my opinions, then I guess I've hit a nerve ?!

I'm not saying there's a right or there's a wrong. Everyone's values are different. If you value buying stuff you never use, higher than saving for something you really want, like a house or a holiday, or even that beautiful hand made necklace, then we don't have a problem. We only have a problem when you're not truly honest with yourself.

Wooah a light hearted campaign and I've not made it light hearted in this post. But this is my personal blog and I own my thoughts.

I'll leave you with the light hearted side of the campaign by quoting Buy Nothing New Month ambassador, Paul Gilding;

“Buy Nothing New Month isn’t about going without, nor is it Buy Nothing New Never. With the rising costs and pressures of living, it’s about living smarter, reassessing how much we really need, looking at where our stuff comes from, where it goes, and what our alternatives are. Importantly, it highlights the time and money we can access by modifying our consumption and waste.”

WORD.

Round the Corner I find 2 Bushrangers

Two-ish months ago, I moved into new shin digs and while I miss having the yarra river right at my door steps (now I’m 10 minutes away from it), I am however rewarded with a new local. I do love Tofu International on Bridge Road but I consider that a little far for me. I’m a hop, skip and a jump kinda gal. So coming across Gypsey and Musquito was like finding gold at the end of the rainbow!

Why I am in love with Australian bushrangers from Van Diemen’s Land? The story of Musquito, an Aboriginal, and Gypsey, an British, uniting to fight for indigenous rights, teamed with servings of free-range eggs and pork, offerings of 6 types of bush teas, use of leatherwood honey from Tasmania and bush tomatoes (for chutney) from the Northern Territory, basically keeping it short and sweet, they work under the banner of local, native and iconic produce.

Recycle, reuse, upcycle, all things that encapsulates sustainability and tables that faciliate communal bonding, makes this local treasure a home away from home.

For coffee connoisseurs, 5 Senses is the choice of brew. And for those who have a soft spot for childhood favourites, Spiders (the drink) are also on offer but with a twist. Mineral sodas such as blood orange together with ice cream in jim jam jars, helps make Summer not seem so far away.

NB - KeepCup friendly yes they are!

Do your bit with just one call

I live in the City of Yarra. As a renter I don't really take much notice of what's happening in my municipality but you know I really should.

What I didn't realise and I reckon most residents don't either is that we don't have to dump our hard rubbish on the streets. While leaving hard rubbish on the kerb can be seen as a generous way of letting go of items, it's also a fast track way of sending items to landfill. And we want to avoid landfill as items sent to landfill increases greenhouse gases.

So how has the City of Yarra address this issue? They have set up a hotline (03) 9205 5190 for residents who wish to request a hard or green waste collection. By having council collect our hard/green waste, they are in a better position to dispose, recycle and recover items for re-use.

One phone call, too friggin easy don't you think?