Category Archives: Green Living

Events, Green Home, Green Living, War on waste, Zero Waste Week

2015: The Year of the Monumental Clear Out!

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2015 is set to be a very exciting year for me, with lots of planning but hopefully lots of fun too. In June I turn 30, in August I graduate from my (6 years in the making…) History degree and, in October, I am setting off on a 6 month backpacking trip of a lifetime (of which you’re sure to be sick of hearing about over the next few months!)

My travelling plans, however, will be requiring a lot of organising at home, as I’ll need to leave everything behind; living with the bear essentials of which I can happily carry on my back. So aside from 2015 being a big year of adventures, I sense it’s also going to be a year of BIG clear outs as well!  Continue reading 2015: The Year of the Monumental Clear Out! →

Events, Green health, Green ideas, Green Living, Recipes, Seasonal, Vegan, What to buy, Where to shop

Ditch the January Detox and Try Veganuary

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OK, I’m only going to admit this to you just this once, so soak it up while you can. I didn’t exactly follow any of my own advice when it came to succumbing to Christmas confectionary. In fact, not only did I not “step away from those special edition boxes of chocolates” as I advised last month; I continue to purchase said naughtiness to this day. I know I know, I’ve put shame on the whole sustainable community and I deserve every inch of the added layer nestled around my waist!

But as per tradition, January is a time of getting fit, getting healthy, and generally getting off our butts after a month of eating, drinking and being far too merry! I’m sure I’m not the only one making health food shopping lists, avoiding alcohol and setting a 6am alarm for that early morning run (which predictably gets put off for “one more day“). According to the world, we need to repent for our Christmas sins with a diet and exercise regime stricter than our bodies have ever seen! Continue reading Ditch the January Detox and Try Veganuary →

General ramblings, Green Living, Seasonal, Sustainability

My New Year’s Green Resolutions

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Hello my lovely lazy green people, I hope you all had lovely Christmas breaks and not feeling too full and lethargic! My break has been so relaxed that I completely switched off from my every day life. Now I’m slowly trying to get back into the swing of things and beginning to think about how I can get next year off to a positive start.

It’s been 8 months now since I decided to change some of my lazy, or procrastinating, habits into green actions. There have been many things I’ve found relatively easy to do – such as switching to organic food and buying less “stuff” – and some things I have gradually learnt to do over time; like going plastic free, and cutting out ingredients like palm oil.

But going green hasn’t always been easy for me, and I thought it might be useful to share some of the things I have yet to transform into more sustainable practices; if only to assure you that these things don’t always happen overnight! Continue reading My New Year’s Green Resolutions →

Green Home, Green ideas, Green Living, Seasonal, What to buy

I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas

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You may have noticed this past month that I’ve been very careful to limit my festive themed posts; sticking by my belief that Christmas shouldn’t have to take over the whole of December (or in fact November or January either). And all in all it’s been my most relaxing December ever! There’s been no frantic late night shopping or messy weekend baking sessions; and I haven’t even stressed about what colors fairy lights to hand in the window. Success!

Instead, I’ve spent the past month away from my computer, away from the shops and in the company of lots of friends in the great (chilly) outdoors. Don’t get me wrong, I have invested some thought into the 25th December, but only in the way you would organise a birthday party or day out with friends; not a month long build up to a day of excess! A few nice vegan friendly treats, some mulled wine spices and a few inexpensive but thoughtful gifts are all that’s needed to make my day special.  Continue reading I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas →

Green Living, Interviews, Sustainability

Your Green Life: Gordon Seabright (Eden project)

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This weeks interview has a more personal touch to it, as it happens to be the Director of my own wonderful place of work; the Eden Project! When I began working here, over 3 years ago, I had little knowledge of the world of sustainability, and even less awareness of just how much our life depends on the plants and animals we share this planet with. 

But over the years I have learnt so much, and this stunning place – in the heart of Cornwall – continues to inspire me. I know it’s had a effect on the way I see the world and how I live to respect it; so I was intrigued to how other employees feel about sustainability as a result. Well, who better to ask than a key figure behind one of the UKs most popular tourist attractions and  educational charities?!

Here, Director Gordon Seabright tells me all about his journey to eden, his personal motivations for greener living, and why cycling through London is just too fun to give up…. Continue reading Your Green Life: Gordon Seabright (Eden project) →

Green Home, Green ideas, Green Living, War on waste

Winter Rest for Washing

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Without the risk of sounding like a bit of a stinker, one of the things I love about winter is not needing to do my laundry as often. In the summer months clothes get sweatier, sandier and generally dirtier! But when it gets chilly outside, and my body turns to an icicle, I can get away with wearing outfits multiple times before they need to go through the washing machine.

A few months ago I swapped my usual washing powder to soap nuts, and have recently been experimenting with eco balls (which are awesome BTW!) to use less chemicals on my clothes. But it’s not just the toxins on our skins, and in our water, that excessive clothes washing contributes to.

It’s estimated that every year UK washing machines use £800 million of electricity, and 500 billion litres of water, just to keep up with our obsession for cleanliness. That’s a lot of time, money and natural resources to be spending on a few scraps of fabric to hide our nudity! Especially when you consider that demand for water has doubled in the last 30 yrs; and that by 2025, two thirds of the world population will face water shortage. Continue reading Winter Rest for Washing →

Green Home, Green ideas, Green Living, Seasonal, Sustainability, War on waste

Give-a-thing-away-a-day: my advent challenge

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Recently one of my close friends, Kate (who works for the awesome neighbourhood sharing organisations, StreetBank) drew my attention to a thought provoking film: My Stuff. The film centres around 26 year old Petri Luukkainen, a man from Finland who decides to put all of his stuff in storage and only take one item back per day, for a year.

The idea struck a chord with Kate, who believes passionately that we don’t need to own as much “stuff” if we simply opened our homes (and hearts) to others and shared the resources we already have. For Luukkainen, by shedding himself of his belongings, he was able to focus on the things that really mattered. Continue reading Give-a-thing-away-a-day: my advent challenge →

Green ideas, Green Living, Green news, Seasonal

10 Things you Can Live Without this Autumn

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Its raining, it’s pouring….and A Lazy Girl Goes Green is chilly! I can already feel a few of my favorite lazy habits sneaking back in now that autumn is in full swing; many of which are inadvertently countering all the positive green changes I’ve been making so far this year.

So I decided to make a list of some of the key culprits that might try to tempt us, even though we really could live without them during these autumn and winter months.  Continue reading 10 Things you Can Live Without this Autumn →