Happy Favourites of July 2019

I am posting this quite late in the month, but it is a whirlwind of time at the moment. Whilst I might not be doing much I have millions of things my mind is constantly focused on and there is not much headspace for anything else. Exciting things are happening in my life and I hope I can share them with you in the near future! And hopefully, I will have a bit more headspace soon to write more posts. I have so many ideas, but it seems to take too much effort to actually finish those posts.

 

I’ve achieved one of my goals for 2019 – I’ve read 100 books. For many years I’ve wondered how people manage to read so many books in a year, but by giving me time to read and with audiobooks I’ve already managed to fulfil this goal. There have been some not very good books, but mostly I’ve read excellent fiction and non-fiction books with many to do with sustainability.

Healthy Cats – I had noticed how my little Tiger kitten, who is usually greedy with his food, didn’t like to always finish his food and seemed a bit down. After a visit to the vet he was diagnosed with gum infection and we put him on a diet with wet food and dental dry food, and a daily toothbrushing. Oh, the joy to see him feeling better and being himself again. In a month almost all signs of the infection are gone and he is back to being greedy little thing. He is not enjoying brushing his teeth, but the dry food is his favourite thing of the day and he requested it countless times a day!

ModiBody – The period panties have revolutionised my anxiety during my periods. I tried them first-time last month and am already planning a reorder of a couple more pairs to keep me happy during that time of the month. They were comfortable and I felt secure and dry!

 

Ethical clothes – I rarely buy new clothes but when I do I only buy items I need. During these hot summer days, I required a couple smarter tops that were cool, most of mine are jersey t-shirts which are not very smart or woollen jumpers which although are smart are not suitable for the weather. And I found two lovely light linen and organic cotton jumpers and a linen top from Seasalt. They have become my favourite items in my wardrobe almost instantly!

Health – It’s already past halfway in the year and I have not checked on how I am doing with this year’s goals yet (you can check the goals post here), although I have been working on them. Health was one of the biggest goals this year for mind and body and I am so happy I have been working on this. I went through a few months of physiotherapy and am now working by myself. I can already see a big difference with pain levels and what I am able to do, which uplifts my spirits to the moon! There are still bad days, but now I know what to do in those situations. For my mental health, I am back to yoga, only once a week at the moment, but even that is working wonders! On top of that, I do almost daily meditation practice which is excellent for helping me to calm down and focus. For mediation, I use Insights timer and their breath meditation practices, which I’ve found to be the best suitable for me, it’s also free.

Watercolour painting – I have also found other practices that help my mental health. One day I felt this overly strong yearning to do watercolour painting and noticed how this helped me to calm down and be mindful, and completely forget the outside world. I am practising different techniques and using my creativity in a way I haven’t used it before. It’s relaxing and mindful. Have you tried it?

New shelving unit – While my neighbours were throwing out some of their furniture away I spotted a shelving unit which I loved instantly. My neighbour apparently noticed this and offered it to me. Now it’s sitting on top of my set of drawers. It looks great, offers more space for plants and books and I love it! Also, it’s very good quality and I saved it from being dumped on the landfill. Win-win!

 

READ

I actually did read a lot in July, 12 books, but although I enjoyed many of them, I don’t feel like recommending many of them. Partly I was just rereading Harry Potter’s for the comfort and felt completely lost once I had finished the series. There is something about that world that makes you want to dive in there and stay, nevertheless of all the gruesome things that happen. Maybe it’s the friendship of Harry, Hermione and Ron, or the sense of togetherness when fighting Voldemort. Do you know?

This Is A Good Guide – A massive book that will take ages to read, and I think it should rather be read almost like a coffee table book or taking hints and tips when you need them. There is a lot of good general information on sustainability and sustainable living, but it doesn’t dive deep into why something isn’t good or why something is good and therefore I would always do a bit more research. Still, it is a good place to start on your sustainable living journey!

The Graveyard book – For the fans of Neil Gaiman or Harry Potters this book was also a comfort read, although it was the first time I read it. It’s meant for children or middle grade, but it is so hopeful, unassuming and naive in a wonderful way. The book is full of adventure and different creatures. I absolutely loved it!

Blankets – This is a graphic memoir and it’s massive! It’s about growing up in a small town when one feels he doesn’t belong to and grips on things to survive, such as religion. But growing up things become more foggy and clear, and there is a first love involved. It was beautiful!

 

WATCH

Good Omens – This tv show was brilliant! It is dark and funny and unexpected!

Orange Is the New Black – The last season is out and although I didn’t like the last episode quite so much, the last season is quite good. It brings out how incarcerated women are treated poorly and about the often unfair treatment of immigrants.

 

How was your July?

With love,

Lii

 

Other articles you might be interested in:

Happy Favourites of June 2019

Happy Favourites of May 2019

Happy Favourites of January 2019

You can also find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

My Sustainable Journey In April, May and June

This really should’ve been something I post monthly, as I’ve had a bit of a blogging slump this post was one of the ones that struggled. In spite of the slump I still consciously did monthly concentrate on changing different things in my life for a more sustainable life. The previous time I wrote about my sustainable journey was in March when I was planning to get rid of the junk mail that I receive. Unfortunately, it is something that I would’ve really had to tackle on many sides and I often forgot to make the effort only woken up by ever more junk mail that I received. So I will make the effort to work on it in July!

 

SUSTAINABLE APRIL

As I planned to do in April, I did get the rechargeable batteries. However, I haven’t needed to use them yet. There is no point of taking batteries out of the devices that are using them now, and I will rather finish those batteries and recycled them. I have a few new single-use batteries still in the cupboard which I can save for when they might be needed and slowly change to the rechargeable batteries when any equipment shows signs of needing them. I will be writing more about them once I’ve used them and see whether they are actually better than the single-use ones.

This did wake me up to the fact that I rarely use batteries. There are only a few devices that I have with batteries and the only time I use batteries more often is during the winter for fairy lights, or for toys that cats use. Other devices that use batteries actually last a long time. So ones they need replacements I can start using my rechargeable batteries.

 

SUSTAINABLE MAY

For May I set myself to make my coffee drinking even more sustainable in the house as it’s slowly been going that way. First I got us an AeroPress, which although is plastic is a product that lasts a long time and has parts that can be changed. I got us a hand coffee grinder by Hario that also has parts that can be changed. And a couple months ago we accidentally broke the glass bowl from it. Instead of having to buy a whole new grinder I could go on to Hario website and just order a replacement bowl. This made me REALLY excited!

With Percol introducing compostable packaging for coffee I have been excited to reduce the amount of waste I produce from my coffee drinking, and am happy to see that there are other companies as well that are changing their packaging! I use Percol coffee with a French press. But with AeroPress, my daily coffee is usually small batch locally hand roasted coffee which I get from my local independent coffee shop. Lately, they changed the packaging in which their coffee comes. Instead of ordering a lot of big bags of beans, they now order tubs that they reuse. So now I can go with my own tub or an old coffee bag and get the same coffee beans in my own packaging. So exciting!

 

SUSTAINABLE JUNE

For June I set myself to make sure my existing phone will last for longer, and I wouldn’t have to be buying a new one all the time. One day I suddenly noticed that a back corner on my phone was chipped. I hadn’t realised that one of the panels on the phone was made out of glass and hadn’t noticed it breaking. However, now for my safety and safety of the phone, I had to get a phone case. Instead of getting yet another plastic covers (yes I do have a collection of old phone covers for my old phones from over the years) I decided to try Pela case, which is compostable phone case.

So far I had been hesitant about it because they have to ship all the way from the USA, and they are fairly pricey. I received my case a couple of weeks ago and was instantly in love with the little penguin on the back. The feel of the case is flexible and it was really easy to put on the phone. Unfortunately, the fit is not snug and it comes right at the edge of my screen protector which makes it crawl under the screen protector and dislodging it a bit, making me having to set it over the screen protector over and over again.

What is great about it though is that I feel a lot more secure with my phone now. I am not afraid that it will break any minute now, and it feels secure in my grip as well. I am sure that the case will protect my phone from any more damage and therefore keep it in use for longer, and after I am finished with it I can compost it. Hurray!

 

OTHER

MORE LOW WASTE PRODUCTS

I’m slowly getting more lower waste products. This month I replenished on the deodorant that I’ve loved using, which is in a cardboard packaging, and on the toothpaste tablets. I also got bamboo and cotton cue tips for when they are needed. I’m still to figure out how to dispose of these products.

 

BUYING FROM ETHICALLY SOURCED COMPANIES

I don’t buy clothes often and am always on the lookout for ethical fashion companies where the price is correct, the sizing is correct and they match in some ways with my values. In April I found a jacket from Seasalt Cornwall that is suitable for different situations and is great for Spring Summer season, or under a coat in Winter.

 

FASHION REVOLUTION FANZINE

I was late to notice the fourth fanzine by the Fashion Revolution team, but I am even more excited about this one as it covers crafts and artisan making. I had just started to have more questions about that so this will become handy! Check it out here.

 

PERIOD PANTIES

I got myself to try out ModiBodi period panties. I am so excited about not having to use single-use pads any longer!

 

SUSTAINABLE JULY

As I still didn’t manage to sort out my mail, I really need to work on it in July. The one thing I have been doing is collecting all the mail that I do not need that we receive, which does give an insight into how much is actually coming through our mailbox.

I will finally be looking into getting a guppy friend. It’s more than time for it!

 

What are you planning to change in the month of July?

With love,

Lii

 

Other articles you might be interested in:

My Sustainable Journey In March

My Sustainable Journey In February

My Sustainable Journey In January

You can also find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Happy Favourites of June 2019

Sister visiting – We don’t get visitors often here in Scotland and whenever we do I am overly excited. My sister visited us last month to see the new kitten, who is almost grown up already. They quickly became friends! And I got a bit of diversity into my usually monotone days. We did a small road trip, visited cafes and sat long into the night chatting. Bliss!

Little road trip in Scotland – Our road trip was only for one day, nevertheless, it was fun. We visited the Doune castle, which is used as a setting in many movies and tv shows such as Outlander and the Monthy Python, and it was Winterfell in the pilot of Game of Thrones, therefore it is named as Winterfell for the year of 2019. We drove a bit in the Trossachs national park and visited Aberfoyle. I am always in awe at the beauty of the Scottish countryside!

REN Vitamin C gel cream – I recently finished my bottle of Ren global day cream, which is my go-to day cream. It was sold-out from the usual stores where I would buy it from and I had to order it from their online store. On top of my usual cream, I got a few testers and I especially fell in love with the vitamin C gel cream. It is perfect for the hot summer days and it smells nice.

Re-acquainting myself with the library – As some of you might’ve noticed I’ve become an avid reader this year. I always liked reading but this year it has served certain escapism and therefore my reading has tripled compared to previous years. I do not have the money to buy every single thing I want to read, nor should I. I was overjoyed when I realised my local library offers some of the books I want to read that are too expensive for me to buy and that it offers two audiobook apps where I can listen to a big selection of audiobooks. Lately, I have been using my local library weekly and on top of getting great reads, it has gotten me out of the house on a regular basis.

Time With Friends – Although I am quite a strong introvert I love getting together with friends, as long as it’s not every day. Last month I went to celebrate a friends graduation with a PhD, which is so impressive! I made dinner for a friend, I went to lunch and dinner with friends and I helped friends move. I enjoyed all of it! My work is fairly solitary and I notice how I crave for some company on a regular basis.

Pela Case – I finally ordered myself a biodegradable phone case. I was at first hesitant because it is pretty pricey, but I couldn’t really justify buying another plastic one either when I don’t know the life of my phone. In general, I prefer not having a phone case, but without knowing how it happened, the glass in the back panel of my phone had broken at some point and for all safety, I knew that I needed a phone case. The phone case is soft and has a good grip, although it doesn’t fit quite as snuggly as I hoped. Nevertheless, it sits fairly well and protects my phone, and it has a cute penguin on the back!

Hoya cuttings – I recently got some Hoya cuttings from a friend of mine. I didn’t know how they would survive in my household or if they’re even going to grow. I guess I got them at the right time as the summer sun has really done wonders and the plants have put out several leafs each and seem to be thriving. I am really excited for them to grow into beautiful bushy plants!

 

READ

Maus – This is a graphic memoir of survival during the Holocaust. It is heartbreaking and gruesome, but at the same time, it shows the tenacity for survival and how horrific events mould people, their character and their view on life. It has won a Pulitzer Prize, which I am not surprised about. I cried like a baby after finishing the book and the story has stayed with me. I recommend everybody to read it, although there are definitely some trigger warnings.

Fashion Craft Revolution by Fashion Revolution – The fourth fanzine is all about craft, artisans and cultural appropriation. I found that the fanzine was ever more full of information and this time from different cultures, on their crafts and history. In addition, in the end, there are tips on how to make crafts yourself or change your garments. It is an excellent edition!

 

WATCH

Testing 7 Anti-Chafing Products – I thought this to be such a great body positivity and generally good mood video. Also, great to know that I am not the only person who experiences thigh chafing when it’s warm. I am surprised nobody has come up with a product for this problem yet that works perfectly.

Gentleman Jack – Gentleman Jack was a pure surprise of a tv-show to me! I had heard about it before I started watching it, but it surprised me with the tone of the show, the great acting and the story. It is set in Victorian time, and anything historical doesn’t usually fly with my fiance, but he was instantly swept into the story and we finished the first season in a matter of days. It is based on a diary of a woman who was one of the first modern lesbians in the era. It tells about her love life, her struggles as a woman and as a lesbian. It is brilliant!

 

CHECK OUT

Jamie Squire – Jamie Squire is a brilliant illustrator whose Instagram page I follow. She never fails to amaze me with her poignant, honest and hard-hitting yet light comics that portray anxiety and femaleness.

 

What were your favourites in June?

With love,

Lii

Sustainable Reading nr. 8

I haven’t done a sustainable reading post in so long that this is going to be a long long post. Click on the articles you are interested in and I’ll try to remember to post this more often.

 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Damage to the ozone layer and climate change forming feedback loop – The damage we are doing to the ozone layer can now be also assessed in waters, as the animals in all levels of the food chain are behaving in a different way. This is more evidence, so only time will show what they will do with the evidence.

KLM Issues Global Call to Industry, Travelers to ‘Fly Responsibly – I find it interesting that a company that makes its money on people flying is encouraging more mindful travelling, they even suggest people taking the train rather than flying. KLM has a carbon compensation programme and has already done work on their climate change initiatives. Now they are calling other industry players to join forces, which is excellent. I am looking forward to what they will do in the future!

 

Indigo to Remove 1 ‘Terraton’ CO2 from Atmosphere Through Regenerative Farming – Regenerative farming is definitely something that I am interested in, in more than one aspect, and I am glad to hear more work is done with it!

US Consumers More Concerned About Ocean Plastic Than Climate Change – I am not surprised, and wouldn’t be surprised if this was the case in other countries as well. Plastic pollution is much more readily visible, can affect people more closely than climate change and is lately been advertised very strongly. And as plastic pollution is an important thing to tackle it shouldn’t be left at that. Maybe plastic pollution is an easier thing to grasp than climate change and therefore people feel that they are doing something good for the planet.

Glass skyscrapers: An environmental boon to the built environment – Glass buildings do not keep heat in very well, but let the spaces overheat easily.

Britain’s Music Festivals Are Tackling Everything From Plastic Waste to Low-Carbon Transport – It is great to see such big events looking into how they can have an impact on climate change. I haven’t been to any festival this year so I don’t know how much they’ve really done, but this is definitely a start!

 

RECYCLING

The massive emissions-cutting and cost-saving potential of chemical reuse – Misuse or not disposing of correctly many other chemicals can be harmful to the environment as well, but when collected they could be beneficial. The basic idea of circularity.

These College Students Invented a Beach Vacuum to Suck Up Microplastics – Although this sounds like a great breakthrough I wonder how it might affect life on these beaches.

 

SOCIAL

Britain Pledges £1.4 Billion to Tackle HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria – Excellent! Now to hope that they won’t sell the NHS…

‘Groundbreaking’ Homelessness Center Offers Gym, Free Wi-Fi, and In-House Doctors for Real Solutions – This is brilliant! The right attitude to help people get back on their feet with support and a safe environment!

California Will Soon Be the First US State to Ban ‘Hair Discrimination’ – This is a new thing to me. I never before heard of hair discrimination. I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise, but nevertheless, I was shocked when reading this article. It is sad that there needs to be legislation for hair discrimination, but at the same time, it is great that the state recognises the need for it and works to combat this issue.

Over 400 Schools in This Malaysian Town Have Closed Due to Toxic Air Pollution – I do want to concentrate more on positive news but at the same time things like this need to be talked about. Factories illegally releasing toxic fumes so hundreds of kids go sick is unacceptable, and it is most likely factories that work for western companies.

The Handmaid’s Tale comes to life in Alabama. Women must heed the warning – It might not be quite the Handmaid’s tale, but how women’s bodies are policed especially as they are pregnant seems ridiculous in the 21st century, and misogynistic. It offers no protection for mothers who are might already be in a vulnerable situation.

 

NUTRITION

Edible insects? Lab-grown meat? The real future food is lab-grown insect meat – As livestock is increasingly considered as harmful for the environment scientists have been coming up with new alternatives. Lab-grown meat might require even more resources to make than livestock, but insects do not require much and the return of meat per animal is much higher. However, how will this affect veganism? How long will it take for people not to be disgusted by this meat which is a staple in some cultures? And what are the drawbacks in this?

Plant-based protein day needed on school menus – I agree! Although not only that. I’ve been in a situation where I had visited several different schools and saw the food offered to children. Without an exception, all the schools offered less healthy food and I was struggling to find foods that I would like to eat there. Of course, this is at least 4 years ago and I hope it has changed. Children should be offered more balanced, nourishing and diverse food options.

How This South African Woman Grew a Farm in a Plastic Packet – I love reading stories like this!

 

WILDLIFE

Pine woodland restoration creates haven for birds in Midwest – Birds are thriving in the areas where woodlands are cared for in a mindful way.

Biodiversity helps coral reefs thrive — and could be part of strategies to save them – Ways to possibly save or reintroduce corals in oceans?

 

FASHION

Finnish R&D Project Aims to Make Business from Circular Textiles – Finnish company Telaketju is moving from just encouraging recycling of textiles into full-blown textile recycling centre that will create new textiles. Looking forward to seeing how they will manage this!

MBDC, Toxnot Collaborate to Optimize Supply Chain, Material Transparency – Although this is not only fashion related, but rather all industries related circular economy and transparency initiative. I hope it works well!

Our Top 10+ Clothing Rental Sites Around The World – Check out Eluxe’s chosen rental websites.

5 Ways Technology Is Making Fashion Sustainable – If you are not aware of the most yet this article is a great introduction to them.

Mindful Mending: How to connect to your clothing on an emotional level and save the planet – Excellent, mending should become mainstream already!!

In Conversation With Livia Firth – Interview with a co-founder of Eco-Age.

The Art Of Stain Removal – This is what I’ve been needing for a while! I don’t like throwing away my clothes and would rather get rid of the stain. These tips should help anybody to get rid of stains from their clothes!

All the images are from Usplash by Markus Spiske.

 

What interesting either positive or negative news have you read recently?

With love,

Lii

365 Days of Happiness

(AD: I was kindly gifted with this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.)

If you didn’t yet know, 365 Days of Happiness is a book written by Jacqueline Pirtle or the #freakyhealer. The cover of the book illustrates the content excellently. It is a delicious collection of guides on how to live a happier life. There is a unique guide for every day of the year making sure there is a practice for everybody even if not every, day guide, is suitable for you.

I like to live a happy life, and I post monthly about the things that have made me happy in the previous month. I believe that to live and make the world sustainable we need to also be happy. When our own life is in balance it is much easier to help others and our planet. So make sure you take care of yourself as well as the planet. When you feel better you can put more energy into your activism!

 

365 DAYS OF HAPPINESS

365 Days of Happiness is about learning to take charge of your happiness. It is about starting to live happily every day by using little practices that you can adapt daily to notice, do and practice things that will make your life happy. It shows that happiness is not something else or somebody that will bring it to your life, but rather happiness is in you, and you have the power to make yourself happy.

The book has 365 different tasks, one for each day of the year, which will help you realise your happier life. You could read one per day, or scroll through several. I found that there are days when the task is so suitable for me I had to write it down and make sure I would adapt it into my everyday life. And there were others which weren’t really suitable for me. Nevertheless, there are so many different types of tasks and tips, making sure that everyone will find a few that are suitable for them. One of the best things about the book is how you can make your bad day just a little bit better by taking the book and finding your favourite task, or why not a new one.

 

I enjoyed going through the tasks and found many exercises that I will be adapting to my everyday life, such as making a list of things that make me happy and making sure I do some of them each day. I think Jacqueline brings out well our connection to the earth and to everybody else and talks about nourishing our soles and bodies. Sometimes the book felt a bit cheesy, or I felt that things could’ve been said in a simpler way, but I do understand that sometimes flowery overly positive writing can be inspiring if a person is not feeling very happy. It is still something to keep in mind.

 

JACQUELINE PIRTLE

A Swiss-born Jacqueline lives now in the USA, dedicated her life on being happy and feeling good about herself and in herself. This happiness was magnetic and slowly she started helping others, until in 2006 when she started leading workshops, talks and private sessions on changing your life and being happy. Her concentration is on wellness, holistic medicine, energy healing, law of attraction and happiness, and she holds international wellness degrees, as well as is a certified Reiki master. Jacqueline’s whole being, life and work is centred around happiness and it can be felt from her work and from her writing.

In 2017, Jacqueline used the year to record things she did to honour her joy and to be happy.  These recordings were based on her morning ritual of starting days with shifting her current feeling into making sure she would have a happy day. Those recordings were used to make the book 365 Days of Happiness, which is a guide to her students and to other people to find their happiness.

 

Jacqueline has truly done a great job writing this book and I can only imagine her going through some of the struggles and making her experience these exercises to be able to come up with it. Jacqueline is so concentrated on helping people heal and be happy that she created a separate Self-Study Programme to accompany the book, which covers 6 lessons that will help you find happiness on top of the book.

If you are interested in the book, as you ought to be nevertheless if you are happy or not, you can now find it on Amazon US or UK, or read it on your phone by purchasing the app. If you want to read more about Jacqueline Pirtle and her healing check out her website the Freaky Healer. You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads.

 

Have you read 365 Days of Happiness? Are you interested in reading it? Please let me know how you liked it! I will now continue my year with the book and am looking forward to how it might shift my way of thinking and feeling.

With love,

Lii

 

Other articles you might be interested in:

Sustainable Reading Nr 5

Bamboo Straw Review

The Green Eco Box

You can also find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Happy Favourites of May 2019

Writing this post I see that the previous post I wrote was from the beginning of April. Considering that I keep this blog partly to help educate myself about sustainability I am a bit ashamed with the lack of posting I’ve done. Earlier in the year, I didn’t post much as I was very busy with work, but now I can’t make the same excuse. Reflecting on why I’ve had such a long hiatus (well for me) is probably some level of burn out, or the start of a burnout. I came up with loads of ideas about what I wanted to write about but instead, I continuously chose not to take up my laptop, but rather pick up a book and immerse myself into stories. Even now it feels like I need to push myself to bring up this page and write, and hopefully this way I’ll find my passion for it again!

The thing is it’s not burnout on sustainability or activism. I think my brain has just required some time to process these few months to be able to think clearly again. I remember being younger and thinking about how people can forget things or cannot hold all the information in their head, and only now that my brain gets tired of too much information or certain stimulus that I recognise how difficult it is sometimes to keep all things organised in our heads. Our brains are not computers. On some level, they might be more powerful, but they also require their rest and reboot, as cheesy as it is to say. I still want to write about sustainability, and I still want to study and research sustainability, but while the rest of my life is finding it’s the new direction this blog suffers in return. I hope to do better this month, but don’t blame me if I still need some time.

HAPPY FAVOURITES

Meditation – It does often feel like my brain is going overdrive. It is difficult to calm it down, and I get anxious easily. For the past month, I have started the majority of the days with a short guided meditation often with breathing practice which has done wonders. I feel how I gravitate to meditate in the mornings or sometimes in the afternoon if I start getting anxious or overexcited. Just 5-10 minutes and my days have had a better start. I recommend Insights Timer for this.

A weekend of Ice Hockey – This is definitely not the most sustainable sport there is, however, it is a national pride for Finnish people and when being in their company and there is a World Championship game we are most likely watching it. This year, Finland won, and the weekend of watching the final games and seeing the Finnish team being beating so many stronger teams was quite enjoyable. Although, I rather enjoyed the company of friends and good food!

365 Days of Happiness – This book by Jaqueline Pirtle was gifted to me by Kelsey from Book Publicity services. I mentioned it in last months happy favourites as well, but this month the mention is for a different reason. This book truly does bring little glimpses and practices of happiness into every day. I have not felt depressed this last month, but whenever I’ve felt a bit down reading just a page from this book has brought a smile to my face. More on this soon!

 

Books – If it is possible I think I’ve read more than ever in one month. Many of these books are audio books, some graphic novels and poetry books, but still, the collective number is 20. There have been so many books that have broadened my view on different cultures, social classes, race, sustainability and identity.

The Summer Rain – Living in Scotland I don’t often enjoy rain but this summer rain we’ve had for the past couple of days is refreshing. And I love the smell of summer rain, that truly is happiness to me!

Friends Birthday Celebrations – I loved going out with a group of friends. To go for a delicious Mexican meal and then going around the pubs while chatting with people who I rarely see.

READ

Little Fires Everywhere – A beautiful book discussing race, class, motherhood and how it relates to race and class, who is suitable to care for a child, teenage relationships and reading people. It was an enjoyable read while it touched on important topics.

To Die For – Lucy Siegle talks about the different parts of the fashion industry and how it kills people or animals. Even if you know about the problems in fashion Lucy Siegle will surprise you with new problems.

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings – This was one of my favourites reads of the month. It is a short story collection by different authors with an Asian background. The stories are inspired by fantasy or mythology that they grew up with.

The Picture of Dorian Gray – This classic became one of my favourite classics that I’ve read to date. It is dark and twisted and examines how people behave towards beauty, and how people can hide their sins.

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness – This emotional graphic novel memoir by Kabi Nagata was very powerful. She talks about her anxiety and you can really feel how she felt in those situations through her illustrations.

Sex Object – Another memoir, this by Jessica Valenti, but this touches strongly on how women are objectified in everyday life. Reading this made me happy about how protected my life has been and that I didn’t have to experience a lot that she experienced. I got so angry over the unjust behaviour from men and women towards women in general which isn’t dealt with properly. At the same time this book introduced me to all the injustices towards me, which I’ve brushed of as “this just happens” without thinking that it happened because I am a young woman.

WATCH

I Won’t Complain Choreographed by Larkin Poynton – Truly powerful!

The Gentle Power Of Highly Sensitive People – Being a highly sensitive person it is comforting to hear and know about others who are, and encouraging the world to accept highly sensitive people as who they are and take their contribution instead of moulding them into society’s beliefs of what everybody should be like.

The Book of Life – I really enjoyed this animation which I saw on Netflix. It brought out Mexican culture, absolutely stunning colours and visuals, with interesting depth the way the animation was done. I quite liked the story and the strong female characters. However, what I would’ve preferred would’ve been voice actors who represented these Mexicans better. No matter how much I like Channing Tatum or Zoe Saldana, they don’t really represent Mexicans to me, unless I am horribly mistaken. There would’ve definitely been other’s who could’ve done this voice acting.

 

What were your happy moments in May?

With love,

Lii

 

Other articles you might be interested in:

Happy Favourites of April 2019

Happy Favourites of March 2019

Happy Favourites of February

You can also find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

 

 

Happy Favourites of April 2019

In April I was still busting on a lot of work, as I knew I was going on a holiday at the end of the month and had to have most of my work finished. So the beginning of the month was spent working so much I had to rest with a book. Easter, finally let me relax a little bit, and my holiday was a rejuvenating although also tired affair with lots to see, and chatting until late in the night. It was a beautiful month weather vice and I am left quite happy going into May.

Trip to the Netherlands – I mentioned earlier that my sister is graduating and I get to attend her graduation in the Netherlands. Funnily enough many thought that we were going to the Netherlands to visit Amsterdam like there is nothing else to see. We spend one day in Amsterdam (which is not enough to see the city properly, but I’ve been there before). The rest of the days we spend in Leiden and Hague. We were staying in Airbnb, which was a beautiful, small houseboat. It was a great experience and we had the best time, so much laughter! To everybody who is thinking of going to the Netherlands, I recommend checking some other cities in the country as well!

Balletboyz – At the beginning of the month I got to see the Balletboyz in Glasgow. It was not a long show, but I always love seeing some culture, and one of my favourite things is seeing dance.

Hario Coffee Grinder – I got a Hario coffee grinder maybe two years ago. We did a lot of research into which grinder to get. Hand grinder would be best if we wouldn’t want to spend a lot of money. Hario was, at that time, a grinder with best reviews. Since then I’ve been happy to see this coffee grinder being sold at Buy Me Once. A couple of weeks ago, however, we dropped the grinder and the jar into which the coffee grind falls into broke. Thankfully the company is smart and sells parts for this grinder on their website, and a few days ago we received the jar which perfectly fits the grinder. I am so happy that I didn’t have to buy a completely new grinder!

Game of Thrones last season started – Who isn’t excited about this? I was so excited I was shaking when watching the first episodes.

Fashion Revolution week – A fashion revolution week saw a lot of people joining forces, questioning companies and educating on how to make better decisions. I only attended one event for the week, the webinar by reGenerate, which was excellent. I wish I had attended more than one, but my trip again this year coincided with the week. Nevertheless, I do not fret for missing on it, as I think we should be working actively on these problems and not only during this one week.

Blooming Trees Outside My Window – It is finally the time when all the trees are blooming and it looks so beautiful!

Some New Plants – I got some beautiful new plants into my flat. Plants always make me so happy! But my little rascal, Tiger, really loves climbing to where I try to hide them from him and nibbles on them or pulls them out of the pots… They are still alive, but not quite so happy. I need to come up with something which will make him stop doing this. And yes, he does have cat grass which he eats, so this is not about that.

Summer Weather – Easter weather was so gorgeous. I was so happy with the sunshine and our flat was so warm.

New Jacket From Seasalt – I posted on Instagram about the new jacket I got from Seasalt Cornwall. They are an ethical fashion company (maybe not the most ethical, but they sell a great variety of sizes. More on this soon) and I was on the lookout for a jacket that is fairly neat looking and suitable for spring and summer weather. I’m in love with the jacket and keep wearing it all the time.

Making Beer Experience – I got my fiance for his birthday a make your own beer experience with Innis & Gun, which we finally did in April. It was fun to make our own beer, and we got to learn what goes into making your own beer. I was fascinated to learn how much water they used, how much waste they make and what is done to reduce that. This was, of course, a rather small batch making, but it did give me a good overview of the practice.

365 Days of Happiness gifted – I received a gift of 365 Days of Happiness by Jacqueline Pirtle from Kelsey from Book Publicity Services. I am really excited to read it. It is all about giving advice on how to become a happier person by giving a tip per day. The book is full of energetic and happy advice. More about it soon!

Mallow and White Restore Balm – I won a piece of Restore Balm for myself and my sister from Mallow and White. It is a beauty company that I’ve wanted to try for ages, and I must say I am not surprised by all the prices they’ve won and by all the recommendations I’ve read about them. I absolutely love the balm, and especially its scent. And it was wonderful bringing my sister her jar of it when we met in the Netherlands.

 

READ

I read a lot of books in April, which is funny, as I was pretty busy. Some of the best ones and the ones I recommend to read are below:

Circe – I really loved reading Circe, which tells the story of the goddess Circe by collecting her stories into one from the other literature in Greek mythology. I liked how Circe was brought to life and given a voice, motives and character. Many comment, that it reads like many short stories, but I found it quite natural. It is full of family rivalry and relationships with oneself, one’s mistakes and with loved ones. The writing is beautiful and I am really fascinated with the Greek mythology and therefore found the book a very enjoyable read. It is now shortlisted for the women’s price for fiction.

Of Sorrow and Such – I listened to this short story on audio and truly enjoyed it. Angela Slatter writes beautifully, but the voice narrating it brought the story to life. It is about witches and how they need to hide to not be burned, and men’s relationships with women. There is a little bit of magic there, but rather the type that comes from roots rather than with a wand. This made me want to read more books by Angela Slatter!

The Things I Would Tell You – The Our Shared Shelf book club choice recently, the Things I would tell you is a collection of short stories, poems, plays and articles from Muslim female writers. It is a very insightful collection with beautiful voices, lyrical writing, and many of the authors I had to write down to read more from them.

The Sun and Her Flowers – A beautiful poetry collection by Rupi Kaur. It is simple to read and understand, and many of the poems touched me.

 

I wish May will be as much filled with happy incidents as April was.

How was your April?

With love,

Lii

 

Other articles you might be interested in:

Happy Favourites of March 2019

Happy Favourites of January 2019

Happy Favourites of September 2018

You can also find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

 

My Sustainable Journey In March

As I wrote, in the previous post, March was too busy of a month for me and I didn’t have the brain capacity to handle the month’s sustainable task that I had set upon myself so I will move to do it in April, hopefully, I have more time now. I still want to do 12 changes this year and will be setting two sustainable challenges for this month.

I might not have made the changes I was planning but I did work on others. After reading the Turning the tide on plastic I became more conscientious about how much plastic I use and how I dispose of it. I started checking what type of plastic I use and recycling it in a proper way (not all yet, but it is a work in progress). I chose a non-plastic option when possible and reused some when possible. I don’t believe I am doing enough yet, but I have managed to get my fiance more into it now as well and I smile when I notice him checking for what type of plastic he is processing and how he should process it.

TURNING THE TIDE ON PLASTIC

Written by Lucy Siegle, turning the tide on plastic provides tangible actions that you can do to reduce the existence of plastic in your life. It talks through the invention of plastic and how it was invented to be the environmental solution, but how it’s been turned into a pest on the planet and on us. How, although, all plastic, in theory, is recyclable, most countries do not have the capacity to recycle it, or there is no incentive to recycle certain plastics. It does also talk about how not all plastic is bad and it is serving an important function in many industries and rather discusses what plastic we should be getting rid of.

“Meanwhile those manufacturers and retailers who gain most by pushing plastic into our lives are getting away with taking little responsibility”

“Because it is me and you, through our taxes, who fund 90 percent of the collecting, sorting and disposal of recycling of most of the plastic waste that flows into the country, while the manufacturers,brands and retailers pick up the tab for just 10 per cent.”

It discusses how those who are to blame should be made responsible, how you can pressure them to be responsible and what are the steps to get rid of the disposable plastic in your life that you don’t need and our planet doesn’t need.

SUSTAINABLE APRIL

I will be looking into receiving no or at least less mail that is unwanted and not needed.

I want to look into getting rechargeable batteries. It’s unbelievable we don’t’ have them yet as we have been talking so long of getting some so it will be my task in April. Obviously, I still need to be conscientious about the amount of electricity I use as well.

 

What sustainable changes did you make in March? Let me know in the comment box below!

With love,

Lii

Pictures are from Unsplash from John Cameron and Simson Petrol.

 

Other articles you might be interested in:

My Sustainable Journey In February

My Sustainable Journey In January

Recycled Wool Blankets from Future Kept

You can also find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Happy Favourites of March 2019

March was a busy and draining month for me. My usually part-time work was suddenly almost full-time and I still had all my other work to do as well. I felt throughout the month how I had no energy left for anything else and was continually looking for escapism in reading. This might sound like it was a bad month, but it wasn’t. Actually, I got to face challenges in my work both mental and educational which has left me feeling more in control with the work that I do and how I develop in my career. I learned a lot during March, but I am thankful that it is over as there are many exciting things to look forward to in April. Some of my favourite bits from March are below!

 

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – I went to see this exquisite modern ballet with a modern touch to the classic, which I really enjoyed! It was visually stunning and entertaining. It left me feeling elated and now I want to see the classic to compare the two. The dancers were great and powerful, the costuming spot on and it delivered drama as well as laughs. If they are visiting in your city I definitely recommend checking it out!

Scribd – This app or a service that many book lovers are talking about caught my attention. I decided to try it out and after my first month’s trial have decided to continue with it. You pay a monthly price and for that, you can listen to an unlimited audio book or read ebooks from publishers they are collaborating with. I’ve been able to find a countless amount of books from my to be read list from there, and I’ve found that it is a better service than Amazon’s audible.

New Sewing Machine – My old sewing machine gave up on me and I had to go and get myself a new one to continue with my work. It is a shame they don’t make sewing machines that will last forever, as they used to. My overlocker is from twenty years ago and I am sure it will last to my children as long as I take care of it. However, today the sewing machines, although often can often be repaired, don’t really last forever and often it is cheaper to buy new than to fix the old one. I am very happy with my new machine. It works excellently, it is quieter than my previous one and it feels more robust, however, it is just slightly slower and I miss my old machine!

Figure Skating World Championships – The season of figure skating is at an end and it couldn’t have been more exciting nor unexpected. There were so many flips and turns it was like reading a book, as I got to follow in excitement how the competitors performed and what the judges thought. Now I can’t wait for next season with its excitement.

Taking time off – In previous years I wouldn’t have dared taking time off of anything, even if I was overly busy. This year, however, I recognised that I wouldn’t leave the month sane unless I took the time off from other responsibilities or projects that I wanted to work on. And so I am very happy that I gave myself the time.

Read

Turning the Tide On Plastic – Excellent book on how to get rid of plastic from your own life. I will be talking about it more in my Sustainable Journey post.

Gender Games – This is a must-read book for everybody! It examines and unravels gender roles and gender in itself. It opens up the doors to understanding the difference from what is considered “normal” and respecting different genders.

My Sister, the Serial Killer – A women’s prize longlisted book which was an enjoyable listen (I listened to it on audio). It discusses family relationships especially between sisters, women’s beauty and jealousy.

Normal People – Another women’s prize longlisted book which is kind of a love story, that reminded me of One Day. It is easily digestible and actually quite addictive. It discusses as the title says ‘Normal people’. What is considered normal in different societies? And the audio version is lovely as it is read in Irish dialect.

VOX – A dystopian novel where women are only allowed 100 words a day. It examines in an interesting way how that affects the whole society in good and the bad ways (mostly bad).

Mom, Me, Mom – Maya Angelou’s love story to her mother. How her mother took care of her when she was an adult. It is horrifying as well as lovely!

 

What were your happy moments in March? Let me know in the comments box below!

With love,

Lii

 

Other articles you might be interested in:

You can also find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Sustainable Reading Nr.7

Fashion

Interview: Veja On Its New Biodegradable Sneakers Made From Corn Waste – It is great that there are a lot of alternatives popping up in fashion and footwear, however, the headline is a bit misleading as they say quite clearly that only part of the shoe is biodegradable currently, parts of it are not.

These Female Entrepreneurs Are Making The Fashion Industry More Sustainable – Introducing 5 amazing women and what they do to support and drive sustainable fashion.

EU Backs ‘Traceability Tool’ For Apparel Brands – It’s great to hear that EU is taking the problem seriously, although I hope this tool will also be used to support consumer decision and will truly be traceable.

Pilot Shows Female Bosses In Garment Factories Boost Efficiency – Actually, they say that, female supervisors do. It is great to hear that gender equality is taken more seriously in Bangladesh and these numbers can support more female supervisors in the factories and possibly even higher positions. However, I am afraid whether this can also lead to pushing the female supervisors to be harsher on the employees with their new position where they have to prove themselves.

MUD Commits To 100% Recycled Cotton Jeans – They are said to be the most sustainable denim brand at the moment and it is great to hear that they are pushing the sustainability forward!

Levi’s Launches ‘Cottonised Hemp’ Collection – Hemp is a more sustainable fibre than cotton, however, in the article, it is not made clear how hemp is cottonised and whether the process is done with chemicals, whether it is designed in a circular way nor any other facts on it. And the collection is just made with sustainability in mind and is not completely cottonised hemp. Still, I am happy to see that the company is paying more and more attention to sustainability.

 

Climate Change

Swedish Student Leader Wins EU Pledge To Spend Billions On Climate – She isn’t the only one who protested as there were protests all over the world where children skipped school to protest for the politicians to do important decisions about the environment. In the end, teachers joined them! EU has now pledged to put a big investment into our environment from 2021 to 2027. I hope it’s not too late.

Britain Is On Its Way To Be Powered By Renewables More Than Fossil Fuels For First Time In History – The government has just signed a deal to support offshore wind sectors and is planning for 70% of the electricity to come from wind.

 

Social

The Internet Is Censoring Our Ability To Make Informed Decisions – This is a very interesting read. You might not agree with everything, but there is a deeper meaning to it.

The Racism Of Technology – And Why Driverless Cars Could Be The Most Dangerous Example Yet – Very interesting yet alarming article into the racism in the technology sector and whether it is safe.

South African Judge Rules Same-Sex Discrimination In The Church Is Unlawful – More diversity!

Mali Is Providing Free Health Care To Pregnant Women and Children Under 5 – In addition, they are providing contraception free of charge. When health care is often expensive even in the western countries it is great to hear how Mali is supporting it’s vulnerable!

NASA Just Announced It’s First-Ever All-Female Spacewalk – It’s about time they are thinking about gender equality in that sector too!

Waste

Sir David Attenborough Backs Decision To Double UK Aid For Plastic Recycling – It didn’t really explain what it means by UK aid for plastic recycling, nevertheless, it is great to hear that recycling plastic is taken seriously. Recycling is not the answer to climate change or waste problem, but it should be considered as part of the solution at least at this moment.

This UK Charity Uses Recycling To Create Healthier, Greener Lives In Kenya – WasteAid is educating citizen in developing countries on how to collect and recycle their waste.

The #Trashtag Challenge Is Getting People To Clean Up Their Local Environments – I’m sure many have heard about beach cleanups from all over the world. Trashtag is not only for the beaches but for any environment and it’s a great movement, but it does make me sad that there is a need for such movement. Throwing trash is forests, parks or any other area is not nice nor environmental. Beaches get a lot of trash from the ocean and my next question would be, where does the trash that was collected under trashtag go? Does it go back to landfills?

 

Business

Are B Corp An Elite Charade For Changing The World – An interesting discussion into what can change the world and whether market leading it is the answer.

Ikea To Launch Furniture Rental Offering As Part Of Circular Economy Shift – It is great a company this big is thinking about their footprint and how they can reduce waste, as well as repair the items they make.

 

 

What interesting news did you read recently? Share them in the comment box below!

With love,

Lii

 

Other articles you might be interested in:

Sustainable reading No. 6

Sustainable reading No. 4

Sustainable reading No. 2

 

You can also find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.