BACK TO SLACK!
There’s no denying, the last few years has seen a lot of the progress that was made in mainstreaming ‘zero-waste’, unravel before our very eyes.
Reusables cups were shelved, plastic bag recycling was paused, and ‘single use’ played the hygiene card, to effectively worm its way back into the everyday.
Almost overnight, plastic seemed to become as ubiquitous as it ever was - perhaps even more so! From perspex till screens… to those little white LTFs, the hallmarks of this ‘so be it’ period in plastic’s long, pernicious reign, are all around, for everyone to see!
As if the mandated wastefulness of the last few years wasn’t bad enough, we now have the increasing currency of convenience to content with, as busyness and normal life thankfully and finally resume.
Add to this the rising cost of living, and it’s no wonder that the refill stores, in particular, are suffering.
We’re not sure what the answer is - or even if there is one - particularly as long-termism continues to be over-shadowed by a sheer sense of ‘survival mode,’ for want of a better word.
That said, there does still remain SOME small scope for sustainability practices, even within the re-appraised priority framework of 2022!
Mostly, this depends on unpicking the genuine cost-saving sacrifices - born out of the current climes - from the convenience ones fallen into out of habit.
Forgetting the shopping bags.
Forgetting the reusable water bottle.
Forgetting to make lunch.
These lapses in ‘green cred’ are easy and low-cost to reinstate, and represent the ‘something’ in our control, that is infinitely better than the ‘nothing’ that isn’t, especially as we try to personal finance our way through an unprecedented demise in disposable income.
#refillstore #zerowaste #zerowasteliving #plastic #sundaythoughts
Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day…
and yes, this little square should probably contain some kind of wispy, ethereal wedding snap, a ‘first-date-throwback’ or, if the current trend is anything to go by, a love-note-to-self wrapped up for public consumption.
All of the above - however inspiring and useful they may sometimes be - somehow this year (for me, at least!) creaked of insincerity.
So…instead, I’m using the V-day sentiment to pay tribute to THE teen tv series that is almost solely responsible, for introducing the class of 99’ to the reality (and sometimes torture) of that head-over-heels feeling we like to call L.O.V.E.
As a push pin for when love-hearts-scribbled-on-the-back-of-your-notebook became ‘a thing’ – My So Called Life is probably etched on the memory of every teenage girl who, after watching, could never quite see the school boiler room the same way again.
If you haven’t ever seen ‘My So Called Life’, then firstly… you’ve missed out.
Secondly, much of the ramblings in this post probably won’t make much sense!
By all accounts, it takes having witnessed Clare Danes and Jared Letto single-handedly squash the pre-teen boy-meets-girl dream - to understand why the series holds such significance, twenty plus years later!
For all its seeming irrelevance to adult life - not to mention those face palm moments of teenage angst - this programme DOES highlight one important truth!
That is, that LOVE is not nearly as clean cut, loud or visual as the heart-shaped gestures that have come to definite it, would often imply.
Quite to the contrary, ‘love’ so often creeps in undetected, and thrives not in the limelight, but in the privacy and comfort of it’s very own beating boiler room. ❤️
Love, in this way, is not always romantic, dear-diary-worthy or butterfly-sparking, but none of this makes its existence any less so!
On this ‘so-called’ day of love, this is perhaps reason enough to go rogue on the socia
ALL THAT GLITTERS 🎆
Fireworks….
There’s something quite magical, mesmerising and just a little bit nostalgic about them!
Whatever you might think of the noise (pet owners… we feel you!) there’s nothing quite like a good old-fashioned display, for taking advantage of the unique health benefits of suspense, awe…and fresh air to boot!
It’s not just the entertainment factor, however, to which much of the mood-boosting effects of firework displays is owed.
It also, to some extent, comes from the simple action of…looking up!
It’s probably safe to say, most of us spend a whole lot of our days looking DOWN, or straight ahead, without ever really thinking to focus our attention UPWARDS!
By turning our attention skyward, we’re not only defying the draw of our phones, but also taking advantage of the physical changes that happen when this posture is adopted.
When the chin goes up, the shoulders naturally fall back and the chest opens, working in the same way as the ‘power pose’ on mood and mindset. Social psychologists call it ‘embodied cognition’, where the body – especially posture – influences the mind, and vice versa.
So there we have it…!
An extra reason to bundle up and brave the cold this weekend, safe in the knowledge that there’s much more to the 5th November festivities…than meets the eye! 🎇
#fireworks #fireworknight #5thnovember #rememberremember #healthmagazine
Self Care Sunday beauty reviews are back!
POT LUCK 🥘
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Finding more ease in the kitchen, is something that the last few weeks of cooking chaos have probably created a very real need for!
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After all, the alternative of spending hours pouring over recipes, rarely lends itself to the time limitations of post-Christmas life.
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The solution, in part, is to master the art of cooking improvisation.
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In other words, the ability to go rogue from recipes, by drawing on an amassed understanding of how to mix, match and work from scratch.
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Utilising what’s to hand, and getting by with whatever isn’t, is the key to stretching our ingredients further, so that we can in turn save time and money... and maybe even improve our nutrition in the process.
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Of course, it does help to have the staples at the ready (more details in the bio link), but arguably the most important thing to have in stock, is a genesis of lessons in trying and testing...and maybe a bit of luck!
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Taking existing recipes, and swapping out new and different ingredients that might work as well, if not better... is as good as a starting point as any.
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In the interests of improvisation, we’ve kickstarted the #scrapstosupper challenge with last night’s roast dinner leftovers, a tin of beans and some gravy, cook in a pot for 40 minutes!
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It sounds questionable, but tastes delicious! #honestly
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#cookingwithkeftovers #leftovers #easyrecipes #wasteless #onepotmeals #healthyeating #nothinggoestowaste #hungry
👖 FOR 🧬
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Today marks the start of the annual fundraising campaign Jeans for Genes Day (@jeans_for_genes) which is run by @geneticdisordersuk - the national charity that supports individuals and families affected by a genetic disorder.
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Ordinarily, we’d all be coming together, wearing our jeans and supporting the many fundraising events that would have likely been taking place across companies, schools and communities nationwide.
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However, like many other charities who have been affected due to the cancellation and postponement of fundraising events this year, Genetic Disorders UK are especially in need of our continued support at this time.
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Monies raised through the many virtual Jeans for Genes Day events running this week, will help to continue to fund the important work of this charity, and to enable them to provide grants to organisations running projects that aim to transform the lives of children with genetic disorders.
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According to Generic Disorders UK, half a million children in the UK are affected by a life-altering generic disorder, and 30,000 babies and children are newly diagnosed each year.
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Some genetic disorders are apparent at birth, while others are diagnosed at different stages throughout childhood, and sometimes into adolescence.
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For the duration of this week, we’ll be donating 50% of the profits from sales from our denim collection on @shopmystyle.uk – the preloved fashion marketplace - directly to Genetic Disorders UK.
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The link to this collection is on the bio, and for more details visit https://www.jeansforgenesday.org/our-work
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📽 @love_disfigure @a.l.fraser @caro.matthews
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#jeans #jeansforgenes #jeansforgenesday #fundraiser #denim #dungarees #lucyandyak #charityfundraiser #healthmagazine #healthmag
‘Making your workouts SHORTER could make them more effective’
Squeezing exercise into a busy schedule is not always easy, but according to @kellyreedfitness - a consistent and effective fitness programme is likely to happen if you think SMALL!
Setting the bar too high by committing to an exercise regimen which requires too much time and physical energy can make it unobtainable long term, which can be both disappointing and detrimental to confidence and motivation.
To show us how to make out workouts shorter, and more conducive to the early morning or after work rush, Kelly has put together this short demonstration of a series of moves you can do anywhere, anytime. No gym required!
Kelly Reed Fitness
#WednesdayMotivation #fitness
More tips at https://www.health-magazine.co.uk/single-post/2019/01/01/Five-minute-fitness
Ever wondered what it's like to be a successful health blogger? We talk to Zanna van Dijk Wholeheartedly Laura Hungry Healthy Happy by Dannii Martin CarlyRowena Maeve Madden Chocolate Covered Katie The Little Green Spoon and Celery and Cupcakes to find out about the highs and lows, and how they started out, in the spring issue of Health Magazine. For more details and to subscribe visit www. health-magazine.co.uk/spring #health #blog #healthblog #healthmagazine
