Category Archives: Green news

10 Things you Can Live Without this Autumn

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

Trading Traditions and Ditching Consumerism

It’s happening; I can feel it in the air. It’s barely November and already the steady increase of crazy Christmas consumerism has begun! As soon as the flurry of Halloween costumes, confectionary and unidentified themed plastic objects left shop windows, in popped the Christmas displays to fill the capitalist gap and empty our pockets. Still, no one is forcing us to buy things we don’t need. Are they?

In my previous life (not the one where I was a lucky cat who slept all day in a warm Californian sun…) I worked in retail management. It was my job to make people purchase more; from creating eye catching window displays, and buying in exciting “new” stock, to strategically placing impulse items by the till to catch people out as they stood in the queue, bored and eyes wandering. Christmas was when the big boys came out; the sparkle, the colourfully Christmassy packaging (exactly the same item as usual, only green and red) and of course, the wonderful sales charm. Continue reading Trading Traditions and Ditching Consumerism

Your Green Life: The Double Life of Mrs M.

This weeks Your Green Life interview is with a lady whose writing has kept with me captivated for several months now; with her fascinating, honest and often humorous blog The Double Life of Mrs M.  I was intrigued by Megs description of her blog as a space “...devoted to nurturing my other personae, the ones that barely got a look-in during the working week.” something which I think we all strive to find in some way or another. 

But this is exactly what you get with The Double Life of Mrs M; a multifaceted blog which covers (but is never limited to) food, gardening, traditional crafts and sustainable living. The fact that this last subject is interwoven among many other aspects of Megs personality, struck me as a very real and honest approach to green living, and I wanted to know more about this wonderful Mrs M… Continue reading Your Green Life: The Double Life of Mrs M.

Your Green Life: The Green Gables

For many of us, sustainability is something we try to incorporate into our home lives; by switching to more environmentally friendly products or walking instead of driving. But I am eternally inspired by people who bring their ethics to the business world too, and show other how you can be successful AND eco! 

One such business is the wonderful Green Gables, a stationery and gift company that not only produces and sells green products, they operate green too! Here the founder shares her ideas for green living, and why everyone has  a responsibility to muck in! Continue reading Your Green Life: The Green Gables

A Question of Ethics: Dairy Farming

Milk: the “nutritious” white stuff that played a huge part of my childhood memories; from drinking vats of banana Nesquik, to turning it multi-coloured in my Lucky Charms cereal. We were advised to drink it daily, and were outraged when Margaret Thatcher “took it away from us” in the 80s.

According to This is Dairy Farming, British dairy farmers produce around 11 billion litres of milk annually; of which 5 billion litres is sold for drinking, and 6 billion litres is used for dairy products such as cheese and butter. We really do love the stuff!

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It’s been in my life for nearly 30 years and a key part of our nation’s diet; so – as a vegan – what’s my beef (pardon the pun) with milk now? Well, it wasn’t until I actually knew where milk came from, and how it’s made, that my taste for dairy soured altogether. I used to love creamy yogurts, and sprinkled cheese on almost everything. Now, not only do I avoid the stuff, I disagree with the ethics of the whole industry entirely.

I personally found my discoveries of the dairy industry rather emotional – so much so that I became vegan as soon as I found out. But in order to really explore the ethics, I want to let the facts speak for themselves; and allow others to share their thoughts and experiences of dairy farming. So here goes… Continue reading A Question of Ethics: Dairy Farming

Your Green Life: Zero Waste Week

I must admit, I’ve been dying to get in the head of Rachelle Strauss ever since I came across her genius on Twitter a few months ago. This lady, with endless enthusiasm and zero waste knowledge, was an early inspiration to me when I started A Lazy Girl Goes Green. With years of experience of running awareness campaigns, and an army of committed bloggers at her side (me being one of them this year) this chick knows her stuff!

That day has finally arrived, where we all get to hear from Rachelle on her inspiration, lazy green tips and why we all need to keep a Native American principle in mind… Continue reading Your Green Life: Zero Waste Week

Natural Flea Repellents for Pets 

I have two wonky cats that I love very much. Timid but loving Merlin is my 3 legged black wonder and Mango, the one-eyed ginger, is a sleepy ball of fluff.

But as much as I love cuddling up with them whenever I get the chance, this time of year they are prone to fleas and those blighters aren’t so fun! As Merlin has a skin allergy problem, I treat them both with stronghold every month, which usually does the trick. But often my soft furnishings get left out of the process! Continue reading Natural Flea Repellents for Pets 

Your Green Life: The Friendly Fig

I always say that living sustainably doesnt have to involve becoming an eco-warrior overnight; growing your own food, making your own clothes and living in an eco (or tree) house. It simply means making a conscious effort to live a little greener, doing as much or as little as you can. Whether its making a switch to natural cleaning products, having a little less meat and buying less stuff, or going completely plastic free and vegan. It doesn’t have to be a stressful process, it should be easy and fun!

So, to demonstrate the varied and fun ways you can live a greener life, I wanted to interview a few inspiring people who have done just that. And so “your Green Life” is born; quizing people on what green living means to them, their insider advice on doing it the lazy way and, more importantly, what inspires them to keep it up!

First up is the lovely Bianca Scartabello from the fabulous lifestyle blog, The Friendly Fig Continue reading Your Green Life: The Friendly Fig