Wednesday, August 6, 2014 Going Green(ish)

I don't really know what has caused the change, but within the past year I've become a lot more conscious about what is going into my body, my overall health, as well as (now to get really green here) the health of the planet. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older and it's just a maturity thing, maybe it's just an interest/passion that is developing like any other hobby, maybe it was moving out of home and having to buy all my groceries and cleaning products for myself for the first time, maybe it's George's influence, maybe it's the blogging world influence, maybe it's my limited budget influence.. maybe it's a combination of all those things! Most likely. But living simply and healthily is something that is growing in importance for me, and I'm actually really enjoying the process of learning new things and trialing new methods and discovering new foods and products and why they're beneficial to us and our environment. I'm still a long way away from being the healthiest person out there - I enjoy chocolate way too much, and sitting on my ass watching movies way too much, and cheese... oh, blessed are the cheese makers.. but I've really come a long way in the past year and I think slow change is the most effective change anyway.. right?.. right.

I thought I would share a few sources of inspiration that have really helped me in learning more about this "lifestyle", if you could call it that. If you're interested in learning a bit more about healthier ways of living, I wholeheartedly recommend checking out the following:

Oh Dear Drea (Blog)

I think this woman is amazing. Her cooking, her creativity, her humility, her work ethic. I cannot recommend her enough.

Annie Jaffrey (Blog/YouTube)

Annie has also undergone a massive change in lifestyle over the past year. She has recently adopted a raw vegan lifestyle and although I'm not ready to undergo a change like that, she has a lot to offer and she is really passionate about what she does. I've learnt a lot from her. She is also super sweet.

Ecoholic Beauty (Blog/YouTube)

I've only discovered Jessica recently but, oh my lordy, she is fab. I've already learnt SO much from her, plus she is so entertaining and hilarious. Her blog and her channel are still relatively "small", big but small, much bigger than mine! But I can see great things in the future for this woman. Check her out.

Anna Krien. Us and Them: On the Importance of Animals. (Book)

I love Anna's style of writing, for one. She is informative and engaging, while not being preachy. She gives the information, and leaves us to make the decision. I also recommend that you read anything else she has published, ever.

Jonathan Safran Foer. Eating Animals. (Book)

This book is quite well known, and I know it has had a big impact on a lot of people. This was what actually first made me choose to become vegetarian. George also read the book, and although he is not a vegetarian, he has really cut down on meat a lot. This Johnny Saf dude is persuasive!

I think that will do for now. If you check any of these guys out, I really hope you enjoy them or, even better, learn a little from them :)

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 Homemade Lavender Shampoo

There are so many benefits to making your own shampoo. It's cheaper, it stretches further, you know exactly what is going in to it, and with a bit of research you're able to alter it to adjust to your hair needs. I wash my hair every single day... yes, I've been told many times how bad this is - that I'm "washing away all the natural oils" etc etc etc. but I seriously cannot deal with greasy hair on my head. I need to go live in a jungle for a year where I can have no contact with human beings, so as to allow the grease-ball of fibers on my scalp to adapt... but until I get the opportunity/ability to live in a jungle for a year, I'll continue to wash it everyday.This unfortunately means that shampoos and conditioners can be quite costly for me, and so I'm always on the hunt for cheaper alternatives. Homemade is the key. I originally found this idea on http://wellnessmama.com/3701/natural-shampoo/ (a beautiful blog), and I love it. It works great. All you will need is:

• 1/4 cup coconut milk. Organic would be the ideal but unfortunately my local grocery store doesn't stock it.
• 1/3 pure Liquid Castille Soap (I used Dr Bronner's, Lavender scent)
• A few drops of lavender oil or whatever scent you prefer. I like Lavender because it is said to have calming effects which is great for first thing in the morning right?
• Finally, a pump bottle to store the shampoo

You simply have to mix all these ingredients together, shake it a bit, and you're good to go! If you've never given homemade shampoo a go, I really recommend it. There are heaps of great ideas out there, so with just a little research and little bit of trial-and-error, I really think everyone would be able to find something that works for them :)

Sunday, July 20, 2014 Sunday Snapshots

Today George and I made the most of the fact that it wasn't icy cold and windy and raining in Melbourne... which seems to be a rare occasion this winter. Whenever we have a free day and don't know what to do with it, we usually look up www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne and find a random cafe or restaurant to go to. Today it was a new cafe that opened up in Armadale, called Gardener and Field. I highly recommend it. The food was lovely and the place is filled with fresh (real!) flowers... Hence the name, I suppose.  

We also did a spot of shopping on High Street and stumbled upon a shop called The Industrial Revolution. Was a really cool place, but a confusing place. The stuff that looked new was cheap and the stuff that looked old was expensive. The power of vintage, ey? It's a crazy world we live in, folks.

 Hope you're having a lovely weekend :)

Saturday, July 19, 2014 Storing Clothes Without A Wardrobe (His & Hers)

It was only a couple of days before we moved into our current apartment that I realised.. crap, we don't have a wardrobe. This is the first place that George and I have moved into where there isn't a built-in closet, which means that neither of us own one. And with so many other things to be spending on money, we had to think of alternative, cheap ways of storing clothes while still making them easily accessible. *Enter Ikea*. We purchased two Rigga Clothes Racks from Ikea, one for me and one for George. Costing only $19.99 each, they seem pretty sturdy and they are quite "aesthetically pleasing".

Now that we have these racks, I've realised that they actually look much better in our apartment that a wardrobe ever would. Because our place is so small, I feel it's quite important to keep bulky items to a minimum, for they would have the potential to make the place look even smaller and too cluttered. Although having our clothes out in the open means that we have to put a bit more effort into keeping them looking neat and tidy (there is no place to hide), I think it pays off well. 

And now for some photos of "George's" rack.. half of which is occupied by my winter coats :P 

Friday, July 18, 2014 Recent Op-Shop Buys (aka thrifting)

I thought I would share some recently purchased items from a few different op-shops around Melbourne. Since going back to studying full time after finishing up at a full-time job, I've really had to adjust my spending habits. In a strange way (and although I would love to have the option of just splurging on a few items here and there) I think it's a lot more satisfying to shop on a budget. It's more of a challenge and hence more of a reward. I'm also conscious about how much we waste... Not talking about money here (that's a whole other story) but more so about materials. I was in a Target Outlet the other day, and I was looking around at the mountains of clothes, and it occurred to me... where do all of these clothes end up?? When we just keep producing everything in bulk, where does it all go?


1. Denim Shorts. I've been pairing these bad boys with feminine, lacy tops. 

2. Sheer black/silver dress. This is so easy to style because it basically does all the work for you. I wore it the other day with black stockings, black ankle boots and a black turtle neck crop top underneath.

3. Bohemian swirl top. It looks like a simple tank top but it actually fits very nicely. I don't know whether it's the material or the cut, or something else, but it's very flattering.

4. Navy blue silk "undergarment". I picked this up from the sleepwear aisle, but I've just been wearing it like any other top. Scandalous. 

5. Tie-dye patterned top. It's a very light material so I think it will be great in summer. Paired with a maxi/midi skirt, it'll work to give a certain "edge" to an outfit, I think.

6. These were so so so cheap! I think these three came to $2 all together. I've been using the tall, cream mug to hold some cooking utensils, I've been using the "terracotta" looking mug to hold my knives, forks and spoons for easy access, and I've been using the mini-milk jug to hold milk (revolutionary ey?)when we brew our coffee on the weekends. I love these!

7. Spotty teacups. Enough said.