Lent: Day 11 // Go Green for St Patrick's Day

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{Lent} Day 11:

40 acts // One green thing // Most of us aren’t eco-warriors all of the time, but we can take time to educate ourselves on the best ways to preserve God’s creation, and we can commit to doing one green thing. Change something simple, like switching from plastic bags to reusable ones, or walking to work a few days per week instead of using the car. Today is St Patrick’s Day and green is everywhere, so use that as a reminder! And if you’ve got any other simple green ideas, feel free to post them on the Facebook page.

{photo credit: http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/news/shoes}

I am very much pro living an eco-friendly, green lifestyle, so was thrilled with this challenge! I took the opportunity today to use my reach at the school where I work to send out a letter to parents about this initiative by Abel & Cole in association with Starfish Malawi. From 17th - 28th March, Abel & Cole will be collecting pre-loved (or new) children's shoes at the same time as delivering their local, ethically sourced, organic produce. My Abel & Cole delivery day is a Wednesday, so I have two Wednesdays to collect as many pairs of shoes as possible! Last year, they managed to send 5,000 pairs of shoes to African orphanages and this year, I want to be involved in making that number even more impressive! 

So a few more tips for living green (by no means exhaustive, but just throwing out ideas):

1) Eat as local and as organic as you can: I get an Abel & Cole delivery, which is amazing and very reasonably priced! They even schedule your delivery day in a way that makes it as eco-friendly as possible :) 

2) Use eco-friendly cleaning products: I currently use a lot of Method and Ecover products (also available through Abel & Cole), but there are even more eco-friendly products out there! I also have an amazing cleaning service called Bright & Beautiful that comes in to clean my flat some weeks that only uses eco- friendly products.

3) Use organic beauty products: In my quest to discover new organic, natural beauty products, I came across two brands I love: Dr Organic at Holland and Barrett (I can highly recommend their organic cotton wool), and, my absolute favourite, Neal's Yard Organics. I loved Neal's Yard Organics so much that even became an Independent Consultant for them and now sell their products! 

4) Using reusable bags made of natural fibres, rather than plastic bags is a must!

5) Buying ethically: ignorance is not an excuse! You can now easily identify products that are Fairtrade or through the Rainforest Alliance for example. But everything, including clothing, has the example of making you a part of the slave trade (which is far bigger now than it has ever been!) if you don't do your homework and make wise, ethical choices!

6) Using re-usable packaging: rather than buying a new water bottle daily, get one (preferably glass or BPA free plastic if you must have plastic) that you can wash and reuse. Same goes for lunch boxes, cutlery, etc - reusable, not disposable! The small effort of having to wash something up is far outweighed by the good that you are doing for the environment or so many levels! You can get some great bkr bottles from one of my absolute favourite organisations, Sevenly, which is not only good for the environment, but also donates to the cause of the week! (Also, check out their clothing, etc for point 5 above).

7) Passing on what you know to others: I blog and post through social media a lot, but recently I have also started using my role as a teacher to get people (my class in particular) to be passionate about making a difference in the world that we live in and, I tell you what, it has been incredible to see the ripple effect! I teach 4-5 year olds and people  might think they are too small to do anything, but if you can inspire a child that age to have a heart for changing the world, you are going to end up with a pretty incredible, world-changing adult! Can't wait to see how that turns out! :)

Live Free // Go through your possessions and give the stuff you no longer need to your local charity shop. Furniture, gadgets, DVDs, and books; give those things you’re never going to use again #BeFree #LiveFree.

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Hope your Lent efforts are still going strong!

Blessings!

Ronell x

"Around me when I look, His handiwork I see; This world 
is a picture book to teach His love to me"

{Jane E. Leeson}

Ethical Superstore

Today's post is about an online shop called Ethical Superstore. Whether you're new to the idea of ethically-conscious buying or you're very passionate about a whole range of ethical issues that affect what you buy, those values are personal to everyone at Ethical Superstore. They have a range of ethical suppliers that are grateful that you want to support all forms of ethical purchasing – their aim is to empower their customers to make the choices that are ethical and right for them and their family.

There is still a long way to go in order to make Ethical Consumerism a daily part of the retail mainstream and they encourage customers to help them to spread the message across to the rest of UK society by encouraging family and friends to try ethical products and to buy what they believe in.

Aligning your buying with your beliefs can be confusing, so they do their best to share product background information to help you make informed ethical buying choices. The background to the products they sell must be transparent and they are committed to researching their ethical credentials and researching questions that you may have about them.
•    Fair Trade
•    Organic
•    Eco Friendly
•    Health and Wellness promotion
•    Education and awareness building
•    Locally Produced
•    Charity
•    Fair Trade
•    Organic
•    Eco Friendly
•    Health and Wellness promotion
•    Education and awareness building
•    Locally Produced
•    Charity
They thoroughly evaluate each brand and manufacturer’s overall ethical credentials when deciding whether or not they should sell a particular product.

At Ethical Superstore, you can choose from the widest range of the finest quality fair trade ,organic and eco friendly products via their Ethicalsuperstore.com website that provides a simple and secure online shopping experience and a fast, flexible delivery service . They’re always looking for ways to minimize the impact their service has on the environment and they’re always working to make their packaging as eco-friendly as possible.  

This is s shop where you can truly Buy What You Believe.

Ethical Superstore only stocks high quality products that have a positive impact on people and/or the environment.  From Fairtrade and organic grocery shopping to energy efficient gadgets and unique ethical gifts that directly benefit the people who made them.  They sell products from leading ethical brands as well as supporting independent traders and producers across the world

In order for a product or brand to be sold by Ethicalsuperstore.com, it must have established ethical credentials in at least one of the following areas:

Visit the “shop by ethics” page for more details. »

So if you are concerned about the impact that you are having on people and the environment , this is a shop that will help you to reduce the negative effects! Go and have a look at what they have to offer- you will be pleasantly surprised!

Blessings!

Ronell x

Christmas Gifts that Keep Giving: Natural Collection

So today’s post is about the Natural Collection which has been going since 1999. On Natural Collection’s site you'll find the latest trends in organic and eco friendly fashion, handmade and locally produced gifts, and natural products for your home and garden.

The Natural Collection produces Fairtrade and Organic fashion collection, featuring the trends in men's and women's clothing made from natural and organic fabrics including Fairtrade and Organic cotton, sustainable bamboo, and hemp - many of their unique fashion accessories use recycled materials and are handmade in the UK or by Fairtrade producers in the developing world.

Whether your style is inspired by British seaside or country living or by ethnic style reflecting world cultures, you'll be sure to find the perfect gift for your friends or family or as a special treat for yourself. Check out their Good Guides where you can shop for green products according to their ethical credentials whether you're looking for Fairtrade t-shirts, Eco friendly cleaning products, or Organic coffee.

Make a difference this Christmas by buy an ethically sourced gift that keeps giving!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“Love is not patronizing and charity isn't about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same - with charity you give love, so don't just give money but reach out your hand instead.” {Mother Teresa}

Buy Fairtrade this Christmas

For those of you wanting to buy ethically this Christmas (and at other times hopefully!), an organisation you should find out more about is Fairtrade. Look out for their logo on products online and in shops.

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.

Fairtrade standards comprise both minimum social, economic and environmental requirements, which producers must meet to be certified, plus progress requirements that encourage continuous improvement to develop farmers’ organisations or the situation of estate workers.

Fairtrade’s vision is of a world in which justice and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures and practices so that everyone, through their work, can maintain a decent and dignified livelihood and develop their full potential.
To achieve this vision, Fairtrade seeks to transform trading structures and practices in favour of the poor and disadvantaged. By facilitating trading partnerships based on equity and transparency, Fairtrade contributes to sustainable development for marginalised producers, workers and their communities. Through demonstration of alternatives to conventional trade and other forms of advocacy, the Fairtrade movement empowers citizens to campaign for an international trade system based on justice and fairness. 



So in your Christmas shopping travels this month, look out for the Fairtrade logo!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it's wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.” {Elizabeth Gilbert}