2/ Save the rubber bands off your fruit n veg bundles, your mail etc. incredibly handy

3/ Walk and or Ride your Bicycle Seriously, you’ll save HUGE $$ and you’ll get fit and you’ll save the planet That’s a Win Win Win!

4/ Embrace a packed Lunch from home to take to work – once again, SAVE $$, Eliminate Plastic and eat better food Leftovers are KING

5/ Use a cake scraper to get every bit of food out of the pot you will get all the good bits and save $

6/ Start a List – This is where you write down what you wanted to buy, instead of actually buying it. If in a month’s time you’re still needing/wanting that particular item, then you can start seeking the best Zero Waste version of it. This could mean Creating your own, Op Shopping (thrifting) EBay, Facebook Market place, purchasing locally made/crafted etc…

7/ Google “What’s happening” in your local area and if there isn’t any Zero Waste groups or Swap groups then consider starting one. It could simply be a once a month get together where everyone brings something to share and you discuss tips, tricks & all things Waste Free.

8/ Make collecting discarded rubbish a priority on your daily walk /cycle to work – carry a small cloth bag and your gardening gloves with you and pick up the loose rubbish you go past. It doesn’t take long when you get home to sort it into it’s correct disposal piles/bins and you’ve saved it from entering the ocean.

9/ Grow Something. Be it a single Herb Pot on your sunny windowsill, or a full blown garden that takes up your yard, growing something saves waste and creates opportunities.

10/ Turn the oven off 10mins before your food is due to be finished. Leave the door closed and the residual heat will finish the cooking off nicely.

11/ Repurpose items lying around your home. That chipped Teacup that you cant let go will make a cute succulent garden the plastic wrapping that came on a bunch of flowers from a well meaning friend can be carefully removed from the bunch and wiped over with a damp cloth. It can then be used for wrapping gifts at a later stage.

12/ Use Online Services instead of physical ones. Newspapers, Magazines, Music, Books etc…

13/ Take your own Headphones Unpackaged food, Cup, bamboo cutlery Neck Pillow and throw rug on your next flight ask for your drink to be put directly into your own cup, refuse those useless little bags of peanuts and shrink wrapped personal care items.

14/ Select natural fibres when you do need to purchase new. Be it clothing, a bag, dish cloths etc. this way when they’re worn out, they can go straight into the compost pile.

15/ USE WHAT YOU HAVE – Simple and affective. Don’t own a fancy Keep Cup? Try a Jar with rubber bands around it as a heat band

16/ Reuse everything! I know this is a similar tip to number 11, but the point needs to be made. That cup that the handle broke off, it can be used to scoop your homemade clothes washing liquid out of the bucket and into the washing machine. The plate you dropped and can’t glue back together? Use the pieces to write on and mark out your veggie seedlings

17/ Borrow DONT buy! I don’t own a food processor shock! Horror! Hahahahaha… I don’t want to own one either, it’ll just be another gadget to clutter my home Instead, I simply posted on Facebook that I was looking to borrow one and that I’d make cookies in exchange for the borrow. I had 5 people offer theirs in 5 minutes flat

18/ Make do – Don’t have a rolling pin? Wash the empty wine bottle from last night’s dinner and use that! Don’t own stackable pots to melt chocolate? Try a Pyrex bowl over a pot of boiling water, works just as well! Just don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water or your chocolate may burn

19/ Learn “No Thank you.” No thank you to the “free pen” the energy company wants to give you as a thanks, No Thank you to the balloon the salesperson in the shopping centre wants to hand your kid. No thank you to the plastic, rubbish filled party bag at the neighbors kid’s party. You get the idea…

20/ Remove bins from all rooms of the house expect the kitchen. (Or go ahead and remove them all together) Having bins conveniently located in every other room encourages waste. Mindlessly throwing something out you’re supposedly done with stops you from rethinking what it can be reused for. We have a small 10ltr reused Ice Cream bucket from my cafe that sits in our kitchen as our “bin.” We challenge ourselves to go as long as we possibly can without filling it. We’re not anywhere near perfect, we still create waste, but we’re a heck of a lot better than when we started this journey 4 years ago.

21/ If you can’t find it plastic free, don’t buy it! This is a big challenge as we are a plastic filled nation and just about everything comes with some form of plastic these days – BUT TAKE HEART, there are also pretty much alternatives to almost anything. It may take some research in your local area, but it’s worth it.

22/ Ditch paper towels for good! Use old towels cut up into usable sizes, op shop for face cloths as their the perfect size to cover food when re-heating etc.

23/ Ditch Tissues as well! Make the Handkerchief Cool Again! Op shop baskets are filled with prettiest retro print handkerchief’s . They’re normally 30cents each

24/ If you forget something from home and there is no zero Waste option available, Go Without.. This isn’t a popular point, but it will make you remember your Cup/bag/container/Jar/Utensils next time

25/ Forage overhanging Fruit trees I live in an older neighbourhood and so many of the old homes have huge fruit trees that have grown so large that they hang over the fences onto the street side. At the moment there are Mangos Avocados and Passionfruit overhanging. I simply popped my head over the fence and asked nicely if I could collect some the fruit on my side of the fence. They didn’t mind as long as I stuck to “my side.”

1. We are no longer shopping at any of the Big Chain Supermarkets. We have been playing with this idea for a while now, slowly but surely adjusting what we can buy from where in order to make the final leap … We now do a combination of stores & the local farmers market. Depending on my work roster etc, each week we go collect our fresh produce / sourdough & pizza bases from the farmers market. We have a great relationship with the stall holders & manage to get just about everything package free. We have a whole foods bulk store in town now, so as we run out of things we make a list & take our jars/bags to refill when it’s convenient. The local butcher accepts my glass containers now that I have explained what and why we do what we do, which my love & my daughter are very happy about as I told them they’d have to give up meat if the butcher wouldn’t take our containers lol  if I’m rostered on weekends, my local fruit n veg store is willing to take my own produce bags out the back to the fridges to get me loose green beans and loose lettuce etc so that I don’t have to buy the plastic wrapped ones on the shelves, all it took was a “please” and then a big “thank you.”

2. We are growing a small garden. All basic herbs are now growing nicely in our garden, tomatoes  are going nuts and the cucumber  is trying to take over  we are attempting  carrots, beetroot and Onions also, stay tuned.

3. We are making every 3rd month a “No Spend Month “ in order to keep our budget under control & hopefully afford a few more weekends away on the motorcycle  and a trip to Sydney to see family. We believe in experiences over stuff, this is just another way to make sure that happens.

4. 3rd Year in a row, we are attempting to continue our “Buy nothing New” year in the clothing area of our world. This means only Second Hand or hand me downs for the kidlets and hopefully NOTHING for the adults – This could get interesting haha…

5. We are working on following our flow chart of Zero Waste Living – REFUSE – REUSE – REDUCE – RECYCLE – ROT and my personal favourite – BORROW!  So many people own SO many Things! And if you ask, the worst they can say is no 

6. We have set a goal to only give Homemade, Handmade or re-loved (second hand) gifts this year. The kidlets are still wrapping their heads around this one, but we will see how we go. Up until now we have always done a combination of it all and some new stuff too, this was my way of weening them off the consumer lifestyle their Father has them living at his place (shared parenting is interesting sometimes haha) and helps them see how they can live and actually feel a lot happier for doing so.

7. Being PRESENT… Believe it or not, this has everything to do with Zero Waste Living. One of the main reasons society has become consumed with consuming is because we’re always looking for “the next thing.” Instead, our little family is focusing on being in the moment, with whoever is there, in the place we are. Just being. Enjoying. Practicing Thankfulness and being satisfied with what we “have.”

Anyway, I look forward to this year with you all, thanks for reading 

You can read the first 25 ideas here:

25 Zero Waste Living Tips for Families

Here’s the next 25 on our list –

26. Stop using cotton buds

Cotton buds are usually made with plastic, and they’re single use too. They’re not actually particularly good for your ears anyway, so giving them up is best.

27. Swap to bamboo toothbrushes

Instead of using plastic toothbrushes, consider switching to bamboo brushes. They’re much more eco-friendly, especially as you should get a new brush every few months. Recycled plastic is another alternative.

28. Buy loose fruit and veg

Instead of buying fruit and vegetables in packaging, get them loose. You can take small bags shopping with you and bag up what you need to avoid using plastic bags.

29. Use cloth napkins

Whether you’re having a dinner party or just a normal family dinner, get a set of reusable cloth napkins and placemats, instead of using disposable paper ones.

30. Keep kids clothes

Are you planning on having more children? If your family isn’t complete just yet or your kids are still growing, keep clothes that are still in good condition to be handed down.

31. Make water more exciting

Drinking tap water is OK here in most parts of Australia, and it’s way better than better than buying bottled which almost always comes in plastic! But water can sometimes be boring. Grab a filter and fill your own bottles. Or make it even more interesting by using a SodaStream or adding fruit and other infusions.

32. Keep a reusable safety razor

Use a safety razor in the bathroom, instead of plastic razors. It will last a lot longer, and you can replace or even sharpen the blades to keep them going.

33. Flush less

Avoid using too much water in the bathroom by flushing your toilet less. You can install a double flush button or reduce the amount of water used in each flush by installing a gadget in the tank – or just a plastic bottle filled with water.

34. Plan your meals

Meal planning helps you to reduce waste and shop smartly. If you know what you’re making, you know exactly what to buy. You can also avoid giving into getting a takeaway.

35. Share baths and showers

Conserving water by sharing baths and showers can be a great way for young families to reduce waste. Of course, at some point, the kids are no longer going to want to share with either you or each other! But the grey water can often be used for other things afterwards.

36. Use refillable pens

Disposable plastic pens aren’t necessary when you can get fountain pens and refillable ballpoint pens. Some use cartridges, but others can be filled straight from a bottle of ink.

37. Get rid of junk mail

Start saying no to junk mail by removing your address from mailing lists. Even just a sticker that asks for no junk mail can work – if it’s ignored, don’t hesitate to contact the people responsible.

38. Compost garden waste

After you’ve been gardening, make sure your garden waste goes on a compost pile or bin. You can then use the compost to fertilise your garden and keep the circle of life going.

39. Give up single-use straws

Straws might be convenient to have, but many people don’t really need them. Unless you have a medical use for them, plastic straws can be replaced with alternative materials or ditched altogether.

40. Swap out plastic lunch boxes

Taking a packed lunch to school or work is a good first step. Go even further by replacing plastic lunch boxes with alternatives, such as bamboo and other sustainable materials.

41. Store food properly

Storing your fresh food in the right way should help it to last longer so that you end up with less food waste. Some things should go in the fridge, while others might need to be stored somewhere cool and dark.

42. Get multi-purpose items

Having items in the house that serve more than one purpose can help you reduce how much stuff you have. A canvas shopping bag might also work for storing some produce, for example.

43. Ditch wrapping paper and birthday cards

Instead of using wrapping paper, you could reuse newspaper and packing paper. Gift bags are also a good idea because they can be reused. You might even want to consider no longer giving birthday cards or buying recycled ones.

44. Use makeup remover pads

Rather than cotton wool or makeup removing wipes, you can get reusable pads or cloths that help you remove your makeup without the waste. You just need to wash them before you reuse them.

45. Buy biodegradable poop bags

Pets are part of the family too. If you have a dog, you can buy bags for picking up their waste made from biodegradable materials.

46. Get pet food and materials in bulk

Another tip for pet owners is to buy food, litter, bedding, and other materials in bulk. Try looking for a bulk store where you can refill containers.

47. Ask for alternatives to material gifts

When gift-giving occasions roll around, consider alternatives to material gifts and ask friends and family to do the same. An experience or time with someone you love is even better. Last birthday I received 4 tonnes of dirt for my veggie garden. Gorgeous!

48. Reuse packaging

If you can’t avoid buying a product with packaging, or you get a gift or delivery with excess packaging, see if you can find a way to reuse it.

49. Upcycle broken items

If you’ve broken something and it can’t be repaired, you might not have to throw it away. You could give it new life if you’re creative enough.

50. Turn down receipts

Refuse receipts when you shop, unless you really need one for a big purchase. Some stores will now email you your receipt for large purchases, so you don’t need a paper one. Add these zero waste tips to your lifestyle, and you can start living a greener lifestyle.

A Typical Day in our Home is as follows:

5:30am wake up at the latest (4:45 on Friday/Saturday’s as I open the cafe)

Lunches / breakfasts prepared while I drink my tea

Kids dressed & ready by 7:30am leaving them time to play/create/chill

I’m out the door by 7:45am as I start at my family’s cafe at 8am, hubby does the school drop off run & heads straight to his office.

Work til 12/1 depending on the day – bike home to get dinner started, eat lunch, spend 30mins or so with hubby if he is home (he works from home but travels for meetings, speaking engagements)

2pm : head to the school as parking is atrocious, take paperwork/current book I’m reading so that the 45mins wait til school is finished is not wasted. While waiting I check emails, write blog posts, do paperwork for either the cafe or the Martial Arts branch that I run.

3pm: Home with the kids, afternoon tea, homework, spend some time with them cooking/crafting/playing.

5pm : On Training Nights I’m out the door to Teach a Martial Arts Class – on my way to my class which is 25 mins from our home I drop the kids to their Class as they train under my superior Instructor, this way there is no clashing between us as Parent/Child during class

6pm: Run Class (SUPER FUN!) this is what I classify as “me time” as I love what I teach & get so much out of it.

7:10pm : Leave Class to collect kids on my way home again. I have an amazing Assistant that packs up my hall & attends to any remaining students so that I can leave on time.

7:45: Home, quick Dinner that I prepared at lunch time for us all

8:15: Kids in bed  – dishes, clean up, prepare lunch boxes for following day, finish up any paperwork needed for following day, do any top up cooking to baking needed for the following day.

10:30-11pm : BED

Hahahaha, when you look at it, it looks like a big life, and truth be told it is, but it’s all worth while for the future ahead.

I use any spare moments among the chaos to research, read, study & learn about my passions ( anything Zero Waste focused, saving the planet focused etc) and I do my best to implement 1 new thought/idea into our world every 1-2 months so that it’s well used so to speak by the time that I share it with you guys.

We own a very cute 3bed, 1 bath post war cottage that we love – our mortgage is well under the Australian average, we are very blessed to live in what is still classified as a “country town” so land prices are not as absurd as the rest of the Sunshine Coast… Hubby & I keep our earnings separate, so we take turns paying the mortgage payment, and split life’s costs between us for the rest of it. We deliberately chose to live in a smaller town as this keeps our day to day living costs down & this way we can save towards our future

We choose to buy all fresh produce package free, 80% unpackaged staples & make as much at home as possible, this really does keep our costs down as we’re not paying for the convenience of it being made for us.

When we were buying plastic wrapped bread for example, it was costing $4 a loaf for the good quality wholemeal or seeded bread. Now that I bake it at home it costs $2.90 a loaf & the slices are huge therefore we eat 1/2 as much as we used to, making the loaf I bake last longer than the bought one did…

I use Sunday afternoons to bake/cook up a storm for the week ahead. Cookies, bread, at least 3 nights worth of dinners, any other snacks we need etc. a big salad for lunches & whatever else is needed. This takes me 2-3 hours but it’s “me time” once again as I’m happy in kitchen because I know exactly what’s in the food I’m nourishing my little family with.

Each night I make sure the kids uniforms are ready for the next day, their bags are cleaned out, their lunch boxes are empty ready for the next day. Any books/activity items etc that are needed are placed close by for the following day. I try & remember to prepare snacks for myself for work the next day so that I’m not tempted by all the yummy treats we sell at work

I have most Sundays off which means this day is used for anything & everything I enjoy – walking the beach, exploring a rain forest, chilling at home, reading etc. Down time is the only way I keep going each week – it is SO important

I also make it a priority to “date my husband “ – this is essential to our lives running smoothly as without a happy marriage, life generally goes to crap (speaking from experience) now our dates are not extravagant or expensive – most of the time it is simply cooking something I know he will enjoy & know has been made especially for him. We will put on some nice music & just sit n talk about life, laugh at the silly things we’ve done that week ( I’m always doing or saying something that turns out to be mixed up & therefore quite amusing) sometimes the night turns into deep & meaningful conversations, every now & then heated discussions and just about all the time it ends with us both feeling closer together again & ready for the next week ahead…

I make sure my reusable bags are always ready, my jars are washed as soon as they’re empty & put aside ready for my next trip to the Bulk food store & that their are reusable cups & produce bags in my handbag, the basket on my bicycle & in the car… this stops us needing to use plastic or single use items… We all take our Water Bottles EVERYWHERE and if for some reason they’re forgotten, we ask for a glass of water wherever we are rather than buy a plastic bottle or we make do til we get somewhere that we can get a glass of water…

I think that’s just about everything, if you have any questions, feel free to email me or contact me on Instagram.

Peace

Here is short list for those who want to live the Zero Waste basic lifestyle WITHOUT the hefty price tags

You don’t need a fancy Reusable Cup for your daily coffee/tea run – a mug from your kitchen cabinet will do – a repurposed glass jar with a lid if you need to transport it in the car ( grab a cloth napkin & tie it around the bottle to insulate it & make it easy to hold) anything that will hold liquid

Repurpose Jars / containers from food items you bring into your home – no need to go out & purchase containers to refill at the Bulk store/Markets/Grocery Store. 99% of my reusable items are simply repurposed from items that were already in my home. I use Repurposed Jars for EVERYTHING haha – freezing leftovers, storing dry goods in the pantry, a vase for flowers, the list is endless & doesn’t need to cost you a cent

Cutlery – if you own cutlery in your home then you’ve solved your issue already – no need for fancy “cutlery kits” – I have a fork, butter knife, and teaspoon all in the bottom of my handbag – only time this doesn’t work is for travel, to which I put them in my checked luggage & have snacks prepared in my Jars so that I have no need for the cutlery til I’ve reached my destination.

Produce Bags = Pillow Cases  have a look in your linen cupboard, my bet is that there is more than a few odd pillow cases in there, and they’re normally made form light weight fabric that doesn’t add to the weight on the scales – also, Paper bags are a great low Waste alternative too – I save the bags from our mushrooms & use them for all sorts of things.

Water Bottle – any bottle will do! I know a friend of mine that repurposed a Wine Bottle as her Water Bottle she gets the best looks in public when she gets thirsty & needs a drink – especially when her son asks for sip Bahahaha… anyway, like I said, any bottle will do…

Reusable bags = old tops/t-shirts upcycled YouTube the “ T-Shirt Bag” tutorials – you’ll thank me later

Wrapping Paper for Gifts = any paper you have in the house – your kids drawings that are lying around, the wrapping your loo paper came in ( we use “Who gives a Crap” toilet paper, a 48 roll box lasts this home 6 months, and the paper wrapper gets a second life as all sorts of things

Cloth Napkins / “Un Paper towels” = An old bed sheet cut up into squares or an old bath towel – trim the edges & if you can borrow or own a sewing machine, just hem the edges to keep them from fraying & Ta-Da

BONUS TIP * Cat Toys* – The paper tube from your toilet paper roll – a scrunched up ball of paper after its finished with – leaves from the garden – feathers you’ve found on the ground when walking /hiking, attached to a string on the end of stick… all of these are used in our home on regular basis & our cats are always entertained.

Hope these tips have helped, always happy to answer any questions, shoot me an email or find my on Instagram thanks for reading

• Star Gazing…  Star Walk 2 App $4.99, this app I already owned & hadn’t used, it was incredible sitting on the beach at sunset, watching the stars come out & being able to aim my phones camera at the stars & learn all about them Waterfall Hikes.. take a thermos of coffee or a packed lunch – sun, fresh air, exercise & nature

• Foraging in local woodland areas for flowers / firewood/pine cones can be fun together, we did this down at our local creek & bought our findings back for our backyard fire pit

• Be a tourist in your home town – visit all the free historical sites, you just might learn a thing or two – make a day of it, pack snacks, water & head out to discover your own town

• Take a walk along the water – whatever water is near you – make out like you did when you were first dating, it’s exhilarating

• Make dinner, pack it up & take it to your local park/beach/lookout

• Set up a romantic dinner at home, I’m talking candles, table cloth, music (no tv!) Cook your spouse’s /partners favourite dish – you’ll be the favourite for weeks to come

• Check your local library for free classes you can take together, learn a new skill, laugh with each other while trying

• Plan an adventure date where you give your other half clues that they have to figure out in order to move to the next destination – this can be a couple of hours long or all day long depending on what you’d like to do or how adventurous you want to get

• Check out your local paper for weekend events, our area normally has at least 3 free events on each weekend

• Set up a day spa in your own living room, warm candle light

Hope this has helped some of you, it’s all about thinking outside the box of consumerism & having fun while doing it… Time for a change of mindset in our society

Now people often chuckle at me when I say that because they assume that makes me a “zero waste hypocrite.” Not so…

Here are a few simple, quick ideas & tricks that help me stay true to my values & saving our precious  all while letting those I love know so…

1/ Hand made cards / written notes, letters etc… This is something that means SO much to most people. That you’ve taken the time to hand write anything these days is amazing with eCards & email & gifs & online stickers.. blah blah blah… we have become lazy in our words & rely on others to write it for us instead of writing it ourselves… Time to change the way we show our love, let’s re-introduce the written word… Example – for Valentines Day this year I sat down & wrote out a list of everything my husband does in the space of a day for myself & our kids (totally bragging here, it took up 2 A4 pages)  and he LOVED it. He said no one had ever taken the time to do something so thoughtful for him

Before. What only cost me a little amount of time & some scrap paper turned into a treasure that he keeps by his side of the bed 

2/ homemade gifts 

This is a HUGE category & I cannot list every single homemade idea I’ve ever done, but my best 5 are these:

coffee coconut vanilla body scrub – I use the used grounds from work, coconut oil, raw sugar & pure vanilla essence – easy, quick, smells divine & leaves your skin glowing.

Food goods! Cookies, muffins, rocky road, Muesli, chutney, jam – the list is endless! The internet is filled with easy to follow recipes for any & all food ideas you may have.

Photo collage in an opshopped frame

Look up the meaning of the person’s name online & create a framed copy of their name, it’s origin, meaning etc. most people have no idea these days why they were named what they are and find the concept cool.

Find out who their favourite artist or author is & then set about to find a copy of their work  – op shopped or printed off the net & use it in a creative way – eg: to cover a notebook for their personal use – framed once again – in a homemade art piece of your own for them.

And a bonus one because my mind is filled with them – homemade vouchers! These no longer need to be tacky, scrappy looking things. You can easily find scrap card or paper & cut it  up into credit card size or bigger if needed. It can be from a simple “Get out of doing the dishes” right through to dinner of their choice, a foot massage, cleaning their house etc etc.. whatever you’re willing to do. People love this & feel honoured that your volunteer to do things or make things for them.

3/ if you’re a bit of a green thumb then try saving seeds from your organic tomato  or the top of your pineapple and start re-growing them as gifts. Op shop are filled with lots of pots all shapes & sizes & potting mix is cheap. You’re able to give a gift that keeps on giving by giving them living food.

4/ If you live near forestry areas or fields, I have several times collected native bush flowers & leaves & twigs and combined them together to make a natural bouquet for friends – they love it! Or if you’re a gardener then fresh flowers from your very own garden means so much too.

5/ Op shops are FILLED with incredible gifts people. I keep my eyes peeled at all times when I’m in an op shop for gifts that pop out at me & scream “I’m for such & such, pick me!” I have been able to find brand name gifts for the “brand snobs” in my life. Hand knitted throws are in abundance during summer, so I stock up on them & give them out as gifts throughout autumn/winter and they also make gorgeous baby gifts too. Books, scarves, frames, pottery, plants, hats, board games – the list is endless, just let your imagination run wild.

6/ Invite them over for a home cooked meal of their choice. Decorate the table nice with reusable napkins, candles, incense etc & make a playlist of their favourite music on Spotify or YouTube etc. Take the time to make them feel loved.

7/ Take them on a “mystery tour.” This takes a little more time & effort on your behalf, but the results are normally wonderful. Take the time to write out clues to their favourite locations around your local area & then be their “chauffeur “ as they figure out the clues. Have a small gift or a snack or meal or drinks or something organised for each location. Enlist the help of others that mean a lot to this person & have them waiting at each location too. Make it a day long event if you like. It will be remembered for years to come, I promise.

Hope this has helped you all. I have so many other ideas, just little time to write them down at the moment. Any questions, just ask 

Thanks for reading once again

Many people have done this challenge, however few have done it while living in a home with 2 small children and a partner that is still in the early stages of understanding “zero waste.”

Last year while on our annual motorcycle ride, I had 2 weeks to just think and re-evaluate our world, consumerist wise. As I packed for the bike trip I looked at what I was taking for a 2-week trip and realised just how little I needed to be clothed, warm and happy.

Amazing when I then looked at my wardrobe and realised that even though I own about half of what the average Australian owns, I still didn’t wear most of it…

So, when I returned from our trip, I had decided that a “Buy Nothing New Year “ was happening for myself and my, at the time fiancé. Being divorced with kids makes the whole “Buy Nothing New “ a lot more complicated on that front, so I decided that I’d just do my best on our end with the kids.

I went through our home and assessed what we all owned, cleaned out what we no longer used/wore and took it to the local markets to sell. Donated what didn’t sell and then made the announcement to my little world of people what was happening in our home.

Mixed reactions of course, but my fiancé was 100% behind my decision and since he was the one I was living with, that’s all that mattered.

Long story short – I would call our year a success – it was not completely purchase free – I will upload a photo to Instagram of the very few items we made very conscious, calculated decisions when buying. We would discuss each purchase for at least 2weeks before making a final decision.

I took the journey one day at a time – some days finding it incredibly easy and some days all I wanted to do was go to tree of life and buy the latest gorgeous skirt… but I resisted.

The Library became our main source of entertainment on a rainy day – and the kitchen, baking and creating.
Op shops were my saving grace – If we actually needed something (example, My boots fell apart, beyond repair and so I needed some for work – one week of op shop searching and I found a great pair for $8)

I found that if I wanted something, like an electric mixer to make a Birthdate gift cake, all I had to do was ask a member of my family or a friend and they would have whatever I needed and were more than happy to lend it to me – to which I would always make a little something extra as a thank you. And made sure I returned the item in pristine condition so that if I ever needed to borrow it again, they would have no worries with it.

Birthdays – anniversaries – special dates – our wedding day: all of them came with it’s own challenges and all of them had a zero waste or near zero waste option – Example: I found my daughters flower girl dress at one of our local op shops for $8, it was a little big, but a friend of mine who is a seamstress took it in as a wedding gift to me, free of charge.

Gifts became a labour of love – I am a gift giver, always have been and I wasn’t about to let this zero waste living decision change that. I would look at the month ahead and decide whether I was going to make the various gifts I needed or op shop for them – sometimes a mixture of both depending.

Christmas was my final hurdle – We have always done the “4 gift rule” for our kids: Something you need / Something you want/ Something to read / Something to wear.

I relented and let the kids pick the “something they want” and purchased those Items new. I found 2nd hand clothes they needed at local op shops and books the same. My son needed shoes and so they were purchased. My daughter needed a new backpack as hers was beyond repair (how do kids do that?!) so I searched until I found one I was happy with and that will hopefully last a few years.

I found a book that my husband had been looking for and he also got a hat that I found in a local op shop.

I gifted a massage to my secret Santa (we do that in my extended family circle) and have cookies to the rest.
All these things add up to a little more effort yes, but that effort is so deeply rewarded by the reactions of the people that are receiving the gifts, knowing the effort that had gone into then and knowing that we were having very little impact on our precious earth.

We found it such a success that we have decided to continue on our “Buy Nothing New Year “ take 2 for 2018.

Let’s see how it goes – I have so many dreams and aspirations so we will see how it turns out.