A slower and more sustainable life
Disclaimer: This post contains affilitate links – I will earn a commission if you buy any item. Baking my own bread has long been part of my life. We bake about once or twice a week to have fresh bread. The part we have been …
Disclaimer: This post contains affilitate links – I will earn a commission if you buy any item. There are so many zero waste alternatives that it can be daunting to start thinking about it. But fear not. This helpful guide will show you the best …
Disclaimer: This post contains affilitate links – I will earn a commission if you buy any item.
The holiday season is the time to spend time with your family and loved ones and give them time and thoughtful presents. I’ve collected my favourite Christmas gift ideas in this article below.
If you are keen on baking or crafting it may be the time to give them some homemade presents. Why not try my traditional Vanillekipferl recipe if your loved one has a sweet tooth? It’s actually really easy to make and you could involve children in this activity. It’s vegan as well. 🙂
If baking is not your thing maybe you like to try your hand at making a crochet cloth set which would be useful around the house. I’ve given these away to friends who are into Zero Waste and they are very appreciated.
If you don’t have the time to bake or craft there are always thoughtful small presents you can gift. Think of your friend or family member and think about what they may think useful.
I’ve collected a few Christmas gift ideas below that you can check out and will be adding more Christmas gift ideas if you share them in the comments!
1. A book
Got a friend who is interested in the Zero Waste topic but does not know where to start? It is easy to get overwelmed but small steps make it easier. Get them this book to learn how to start the zero waste lifestyle at home.
Books make wonderful Christmas gift ideas. Consider if your friend would prefer a physical copy or an e-book to make it extra special. I know I prefer holding a book while my partner prefers e-books.
I have one of these and find it incredibly useful. It keeps my drinks cold in the summer and warm when it is cold outside. I find I never use another reusable mug than this one. It is also taller than usual travel mugs.
This is a beautiful bathroom accessoires set which has all you need to keep your bathroom organised. It also includes a georgous vase and a soap dish which makes it easy to keep your zero waste bathroom neat and tidy.
4. Time vouchers
The gift of time is a precious Christmas gift idea and does not cost you anything! Did a friend of yours have a baby recently? Offer to babysit the little one to give the parents a bit of a break! If you think about it you will probably find that you have some friends you would appreciate the gift of time more than any material gift!
Sometimes a food hamper is exactely the right present! Do you have a foodie in your group of friends? Or someone who is maybe struggling a bit more to get food on the table? Treat them to something special and get them a food hamper. You could prepare one yourself or get one delivered.
Do you have any special Christmas gift ideas? Please share them in the comments!
I’m a book enthusiast! I love reading them, smelling and unfortunately collecting them. As much as I love seeing all my books when it comes to moving I always notice I have too many. Recently I have noticed these cute homemade DIY book exchange boxes …
Lemon water makes a wonderfully refreshing drink in the summer. Just squeeze or juice a few lemons into still and sparkling water and you have a lovely drink with an extra boost of vitamin C! But what could you do with the leftover lemon peel? …
It may sound easy but we all know staying organized can be hard at times. I want to share my 10 top tips on how to stay organized at home so you find time in your day to actually do the things you want to do – like starting a side hustle.
I’ve been in full-time employment my whole life but always managed to have a side hustle or two at the same time. Many people asked me how I managed to do that and it is easy I try to stay as organized as I poassibly can. I will not always succeed and that is ok. Nobody is 100% perfect but by planning ahead I can stay in better control and achieve more things.
No matter how you call it – being organized or time management – it takes some time and practice. Don’t expect your life to change overnight but incorporate some of the following tips into your normal life and you will see changes soon. In the end, we all just have 24 hours in the day and good time management just means being more organized and finding out where you “waste” time.
Now I am not a big fan of the term “wasting time” as these downtimes are really important so we don’t get to stressed. My personal goal is also to slow down in life and actually purposefully “waste more time” on more mindful activities. But to do that I first need to find out where I maybe spend too much time on activities that neither fill me with happiness nor move me forward. Sometimes time management may also mean outsourcing tasks if you can afford it.
These are my top tips on how to stay organized:
This may seem like a simple tip but is actually a really effective way to learn how to stay organized. If you already know what you need to get down at what time it makes it easier to follow through with it. Also, if you place your items, like house keys, mobile phone etc always in the same spot it is easier to find them again. I use a shallow bowl for this purpose and since then have not misplaced my keys anymore
Think about your current routine and how much time you spend on each task. Are there any that are redundant or you can speed up? Are there any tasks you dread but that could be made easier? Maybe get some help from your partner or family. Tasks shared with others will seem less like a burden and you spend more time with your loved ones.
I really believe in to-do lists to help you stay organized. Personally, I love a good old-fashioned list that I write out a the beginning of the day or the night before. It can also be helpful to make a weekly or monthly to-do list. Whatever works best for you. You can use paper and pen like I do or use an app on your phone.
The best thing this when you get to check an item on your to-do list. At the end of the day you will know exactely where your time went and what you achieved. I feel so much more productive since I started having a regular to-do list and it keeps my on track. I can also see when I have to many items for one day and start moving them around to another time or day to ensure I don’t plan too many things for the same day. That just would leave me be stressed and I want to avoid that.
This can be achieved by either involving family members or actually outsourcing certain tasks. For example if you spend a lot of time cleaning the house or maintaining the garden but you don’t actually enjoy the tasks why not get your partner or kids involved?
If that is not an option to find out what it would cost you if you would hire someone to take over the tasks that take up your time. This is a good idea in particular if you are keen to start a side hustle. If your side hustle will bring in more money than the task you are outsourcing then it is a win-win. Not only can you spend your time on something you enjoy but also you can employ someone who then can support their family.
This tip goes hand in hand with the last tip and will help you stay organized. You need to find out which tasks in your life take the most time and which don’t either make you happy or move forward. Sometimes you may be able to outsource these tasks and sometimes not.
If you cannot outsource a certain task maybe you can deprioritize it in your everyday life. Maybe there is someting you want and need to do yourself but it can be done less often. Think what that could be in your life.
Life can get hectic but usually we make our life busier than it needs to be. By being late to appointments you will feel stressed and not in control. Try and avoid it where you can. Leave a bit earlier than you have to in case you get delayed. Take something with you to keep yourself busy. Maybe write out your to-do list for the week.
Personally I even arrive a little bit earlier when I can and take a book with me. These are the perfect moments to spend on some mindful activities like a walk in the neighbourhood or reading a good book.
These are my top tips to learn how to stay organized in everyday life. It can be challenging at first but if you follow these tips you will see that you have more time in your day then you think.
Hopefully you will be able to use the time to either live a slower and more mindful life or follow your passion and turn your dreams into a reality.
If you have other tips on how to stay organized please share them in the comments. I’m always keen to learn how to improve my life and learn from others!
You may be reading this blog and think: yes, I want to slow down my life but how? There are so many commitments. The To-Do list does not seem to get any shorter. You may even have noticed that you start things but don’t finish …
Disclaimer: This post contains affilitate links – I will earn a commission if you buy any item. Not only is oat milk very cheap and locally produced but it is also a more eco-conscious choice than say, almond milk. Making your own oat milk is …
Disclaimer: This post contains affilitate links – I will earn a commission if you buy any item.
For this blog, I wanted to give you a list of books that either focuses on sustainability or had a clever way of incorporating it. Here is my list of sustainability books. Reading is one of my favourite past times. I much prefer it to just watching tv and I have hundreds of books at home.
Usually, I have at least one book that I’m reading but sometimes even two. I love reading at home. Just sitting on the couch or make myself comfortable on the bed. Also, when spending time on public transport or if I head to the park I will usually have a book with me.
I generally prefer fiction to non-fiction. However, I have read some fascinating non-fiction books in the past that focus on sustainability and zero waste. If you are interested in these topics you may find these books useful.
Non-fiction sustainability books:
Gaviotas by Alan Weisman is a fascinating book. I received it as a present from a friend and could not put it down once I started reading it.
It follows the story of Paolo Lugari, a young Colombian development worker in the 1960s. He wondered if the uninhabited, infertile Ilanos could be made livable for the growing population of Colombia. It is a great example of how to construct a society which has sustainable living at its centre.
The book tells the story of a permanent village called Gaviotas. It focuses on how its inhabitants build contraptions to harvest wind energy and water. It also shows how they managed to restore an ecosystem.
Bea Johnson has written Zero Waste Home – a well-known book which has inspired millions of people worldwide to try a zero-waste lifestyle.
I was fortunate enough to listen to one of her talks on how she reduced her household waste to just one litre per year. She has great tips on how you can transform your own life with pratical and simple tips.
As I said I love fiction and there are not too many books here that have a focus on sustainability. However, there are some that manage to include it in a clever way with one of the characters being vocal about living a more simple and sustainable life.
One of these books is Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver.
It focuses on the life story of two families, in different centuries as they navigate the challenges of their times. The book is easy to read and has a character who is educating her family on a more minimal and sustainable lifestyle.
I will add more sustainability books here as I come across them. If you know of any interesting books on sustainability please share them in the comments.
If you want to read more on sustainability and zero waste check out the sustainability section of my blog.
The travelling industry and associated transportation of travellers produces a large part of the greenhouse gas emissions. You may already be doing quite well and live more sustainably by being more conscious about your life at home. But then you decide to go on holiday …