Sustainable Mama

01/06/2026

Found a sneaky carrot in the garden growing under a marigold bush (yes I said bush, it’s huge) and harvested my pumpkins before the storm/frosts 🌧️

Unfortunately I dropped the carrot before I could take a picture of how fat and ugly she was and then the baby ate it 😅

22/05/2026

Always happy to help out the community with a few beeswax goodies 💛

Thank you is never enough
As a Not-for-Profit charity the Ellesmere Toy Library is reliant on our Communities for support. Whether it is through Memberships, donations of toys, storage bags and containers, products for fundraisers or wider community Grants we are very grateful for the support
Our Local Supporters this year including Leeston Freshchoice, Ellesmere Butchery, Barnes Family Farm and Broadview Organic Produce These discounts and donations of products allow us to make a bigger profit from our Lions dinner fundraising endeavours . We were also lucky to be able to raise some more funds via the Lions and the Southbridge Rugby 150th celebrations.
We have also been the recipient of grants from the Mainland Foundation, New Zealand Lotteries, Christchurch Casino Charity and Cogs to help with our running expenses. These grants help us keep our Membership costs down and to purchase new toys. Thats the best bit of my job! Watch out as you pass by our library for our great new signage!
Congrats to the lovely Zoe who won the draw for our Mothers Day raffle! We couldnt have done it without the donations from Hamner Springs Thermal Pools and Spa, Barkers of Geraldine, Challenge Leeston, Sustainable Mama, as well as from the Leier and Lodge whānau.

15/05/2026

It’s such a beautiful, calm autumn day here at the Leeston Market 🥰🍂

14/05/2026

Saturday 9.30-12.30
Leeston Main Street
Church grounds
See you there 👋🏽🐝

06/05/2026

Some flowers wait until evening to really show off, and they can make a porch or garden path smell wonderful after the sun goes down 🌙
🌸 I like planting fragrant flowers near a sitting area, doorway, or walkway where you’ll actually notice the scent.
🤍 White and pale flowers are especially pretty at dusk because they seem to glow in low light.
🌿 Tuberose, night-blooming jasmine, heliotrope, and night phlox are lovely choices if your climate suits them.
⚠️ Angel’s trumpet and datura are beautiful but very poisonous, so I would be careful with them around children, pets, or grazing animals.
🪴 For a small garden, even one fragrant pot near the patio can make summer evenings feel special.

03/05/2026

We are having a Mother’s Day sale over on our website
Everything is 10% off when you use code “LOVEYOUMUM” 💖💖💖 so there’s no excuse to not get her something a little bit cute and meaningful

Website link in our bio 🔗

22/03/2026

Sadly didn’t win the pumpkins growing contest this year…. The winner came in at 48kg 🫤😮 for my first time growing a giant pumpkin variety I had a lot of fun and learnt a lot along the way. I’ll be taking seeds from this year one to save to grow again next year and fingers crossed I’ll aim for 48kg too!

……..if you are still reading then you must want to know how big mine was…. A tiny 12.8kg, but in my eyes she was a whopping 48kg 🥰🥹😅

24/01/2026

I’m having a 20% off sale for ALL CHRISTMAS THEMED CANDLES
Beeswax candles never go off and never lose their beauty, we are simply just clearing stock for other new candles that will make their appearance this year!
The link to buy is down below or on my instagram page!
While stocks last

https://felt.co.nz/listing/605489

11/01/2026

Alcohol culture is so normalized we invented "family-friendly bars."

Think about that for a second.

A place where the primary activity
is consuming a substance that alters your state...

and we bring our kids.

Because there's a patio.

Because they serve chicken tenders.

Because there's outdoor seating
and it's "casual."

So we tell ourselves it's fine.

We're not getting drunk.

We're just having a couple.

The kids are playing.

Everyone's having fun.

But here's what's actually happening:

Your kid is watching.

They're watching you order drinks.

They're watching other adults get louder, looser,
less inhibited.

They're watching the progression.

And they're learning something
you're not saying out loud:

This is normal.

Adults go to bars.

Adults drink at lunch.

Adults need alcohol to relax on a Saturday afternoon.

You think you're teaching them
that drinking can be casual.

But what you're actually teaching them
is that alcohol is always present.

It's at restaurants.
It's at parks.
It's at kid birthday parties now.
It's at brunch.
It's at the zoo.

There's nowhere you go
where it's not an option.

And that becomes their baseline.

They don't learn,
"Alcohol is something adults do occasionally."

They learn,
"Alcohol is something adults need everywhere."

So when they're 16
and drinking at a party...

they're not rebelling.

They're doing exactly
what you taught them.

Social situations include alcohol.
Casual hangouts include alcohol.
Good weather includes alcohol.

It's just... always there.

I've worked with thousands of people
who grew up in "moderate drinking" households.

And the pattern is always the same:

Their parents weren't alcoholics.
They weren't abusive.
They just... always had a drink.

At dinner.
At the lake.
At the game.
At family gatherings.

And now as adults?

They can't imagine
a social situation without it either.

Not because they're addicted.

Because it was always the baseline.

That's what "family-friendly bars" teach.

Dependency.

Family-friendly bars don't exist...