5 Lessons Learned in 2018

The year is winding down and it's time for a little reflection on the past twelve months.

I've learned a lot this year, and I'm going to tell you all about the lessons 2018 has taught me.

Image: Wolf Bear - I believe in the good things coming, today and every day. 

1. I Can Do Anything I Damn Well Please. 

This year has had an overarching lesson above all - I am the master of my own fate. I can do whatever the hell I want and I don't have to justify myself to anyone.

Now, looking at this statement it's fair to say that it could be construed in a negative light, but I don't mean it as such. I'm not just rolling around doing whatever whims take me and I'm certainly not out to hurt anyone with my actions. What I mean is that I CAN move to India. I CAN quit my job and go freelance. I CAN propose to my man. I can do anything. And that lesson is so positive for me.



2. The Only Way Out is Through. 

I will say to almost anyone who asks that I loved my old job. I did. For ages. But then it became a chore. It became repetitive and boring and it eventually began to grate on my mental health. I knew that I couldn't just give up though, and so I persevered and made myself keep going as I searched for a job that would help me pursue my dreams.

I am glad that I kept going, that I openly discussed the issues I had developed with the job with my managers and my friends, and I am so glad that I am pursuing my freelance dreams, because it has only bolstered my opinion that the company I worked for prior to my freelance career are awesome - because they understood my viewpoint and they were there for me until the very last moment.

3. Intentional Living is For Me

India has taught me something about myself that I really never fully focused on: I am far more thoughtful than I ever gave myself credit for. I have learned that living intentionally is far easier and brings a lot of contentment to my life. I am trying to be more thoughtful about how I consume everything (which is bloody difficult in a country like India), and I feel the benefits of it already.

Granted it has only been a couple of months, but I am feeling so much better about my life and my footprint. As I write this I can happily state that I have managed to have an almost zero waste cup of tea in Starbucks - opting for a ceramic cup, not using sugar packets, not putting my teabag on a napkin, asking for a jug of milk instead of a UHT packet and so on.

FYI, I'll be uploading my What's In My Low Impact Bag in the future, so check that out! 

4. Make Gratitude the Attitude

I've always been the type to say thank you to anyone who has ever done something for me, but this year I have been more vocal about it again. From emailing companies who create a product I love and enjoy to expressing to my friends what they mean to me, gratitude is the most wonderful thing we can spread. Telling people that we appreciate them is so important. You have no idea what that small moment of connection and positivity can do for a person's mental health, your smile and positivity can bring real change to the world around you.

I've also been donating to creative projects by creators I love and enjoy where I can, though this is entirely non-essential.

5. Put Down The Tech

A lot of my life is lived online, but I have come to learn and further, enjoy putting my tech down. Making friends with people, learning about the world around me, feeding the street dogs in my locality - all of this has been facilitated by putting my phone down and paying attention to something beyond my screen.

I've been able to come off my antidepressants, I've learned how to mitigate my migraines, how to live more thoughtfully and how to actually be a human. When I do want to take a step away from the world, I don't feel bad - balance is the key, and there's no guilt on the occasions that I do need to block out the world - I'm just not constantly plugged into an electronic device.

So there are some lessons I've learned this year. I hope they were interesting to you and perhaps inspired you for 2019. 

Amy 

xo

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Red Goes Green: Ways To Declutter Your Life

If like me, you love a good clear out, you should enjoy today's post. I have been working on decluttering my life across three locations, Hyderabad, Meath, and Dublin.

Most people have three methods of decluttering: The Bin, The Charity Shop, and Recycling. Now I get it, it's easy to put clean plastics and cardboard and other recyclables into your green bin, and it's not a huge thing to bring your glass bottles and jars to the Recycling Banks, but what about the things you can't readily recycle or donate?

Today I am going to bring you my tips for decluttering your life, including the awkward things, in the categories of Donate, Recycle, Trash, and Misc.

Donate: 

Good quality clothes, such as that dress you bought last year that you swore would be "the dress" but you only wore three times. My modus operandi for donating is, "Would I want to wear this?", "Would I buy this?" and if you say yes, and it's not in absolute rags, it's good to bring to your local charity shop.

Now, the thing about this is, if you have a lot of stuff to donate, you may need to spread it around different charity shops. I like to give to my local Saint Vincent de Paul shops, which gives me the opportunity to donate in more than one area. It's also not cool to just dump all your shameful impulse buys in one place and make someone else do the hard work, so think about your plan.

You can also always donate at local bring banks if they have clothing donation bins, and if you live in an urban area, you might even be able to donate to local shelters and so forth. Have a look online for the best resources for you. Seriously. It'll take ten minutes and it will be a great use of your time.

Alternatively, donating can take the form of offering your friends first refusal on items from your wardrobe, before you take the remainder to the charity shop or donation center.

Recycle: 

Easy enough, if you have access to a car. What I like to do is to take a day to do the sorting, and get all of the recycling in one place. Then in the morning of the next day, or on a day when you can, load up your car and head for the local recycling center. They will have designated areas for cardboard, tins, electronics, and so on. One thing I love the recycling center for is the clothing recycling facilities. Any clothing that you have that is holey, or tatty, or whatever else can be sent to recycling for textiles.

The beauty of this method is that you can make a huge dent in a small amount of time, and you can really make a change. Recycling center entry fees are extremely affordable, and if it costs you a couple of quid to get in, it's worth it!!

Equally, you can always take a couple of things that are not fit for donation, but in decent condition to make into rags for dusting and cleaning, saving you the cost of paper towels or fancy-schmancy microfibre cloths!

Trash: 

Of course, there are things you may have to bin, and the likelihood is that you will have to toss out, and that's fair enough. The main thing to bear in mind here is to minimize the amount you need to toss in the bin.


Misc: 

There are things that you shouldn't bin, that you can't easily recycle and that you should not donate. Things like old pillows, teddies, and duvets/blankets. You can donate these to local dog shelters. Honestly, they will be delighted to get them and use them, and you will feel so good that the kitties and the puppies that are sleeping on them are warm and comfy.

Food scraps can be composted for the most part, if you have space or utilities to do so. If you don't, please do not fret, you are already doing the best you can.

Gift bags are good to keep and reuse, to re-wrap a gift for someone you love. Save your dolla-dolla for use on other things!

If you have doubles of things you don't want, then pass them along to people you think might enjoy them. For example, I have a second set of cutlery, so I gave the extra set to Dex for work, and now he has a low-impact lunch kit!


I hope these were useful to you!

Amy
x


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Red Goes Green: Easy Low Impact Living Swaps

As I've been doing more to be a conscious consumer and make better choices with regard to being more eco-friendly and lowering my footprint on this planet, I've come across a few different swaps that were incredibly easy to make.

Ta-Da! A shiny new segment on my blog, dedicated to all things sustainable and low impact!

I know not all of us have the money to go out and spend on replacing things in our lives that are more eco-friendly and less wasteful, but there are certain choices we can make that make our day to day lives greener.

I've tried to include the approximate price brackets for these swaps so I can show you how accessible they really are. The idea of this movement is to make conscious changes that add up to a more sustainable lifestyle in the long-term. It's also a great way to save money, which, for me, is important as myself and Dex are going to be saving for our wedding come the new year, and we want to be sure that we are doing everything we can to help ourselves in that goal!


Reusable Water Bottles 

This can be as easy as reusing a bottle you got water in one day and simply refilling it wherever you can. If you are in the market for a good quality water bottle that will last you a long time to come, then you could pick up a double-walled bottle from stores like Stock on South King Street, or even TK Maxx.

TK Maxx is a good option for budget-friendly choices that usually are not wrapped in plastic, then put in a box and so on. You can usually pick out the bottle you want from a shelf load of options and all you have to deal with is the sticky label on the outside. Much less wasteful than a plethora of single-use water bottles or a bottle wrapped in two or three layers of soon-to-be trash!

Cost: €0 - €10

My canvas bag I got in my local Ikea

Canvas Grocery Bags

My mother instilled in me from a young age that to carry a small foldable shopping bag with you is the most useful thing you can have. Most of us have one or two lying around that we were given for free at some event or that came with a purchase of some kind.

I have two that I keep on me at all times, just to make sure that if I do need to carry something on a moments notice, I don't need to worry about needing to get hold of a plastic carrier bag. Once I've gotten to my destination, which is usually my home, I simply fold it up and pop it back into my bag for the next time I might need it. Handy!

The beauty of the canvas bag swap is that you can get ones that are personal or that fit your ethics/morals/tastes to a tee. I have one for a few years now from the Yes Equality movement during the Marriage Equality Referendum a few years back. It makes me smile knowing that the purchase I made of that bag helped to fund a movement I was passionate about, and I feel so badass knowing that I get to show my support not just for my beautiful LGBT peers, but also for my belief in being more environmentally sound.

Cost: €0 - €3

Cutlery

I have a reusable cutlery kit that I adore, but this doesn't mean you need one.

You could just as easily snag a knife, fork, and spoon from your cutlery drawer and use them. All you are doing is helping to avoid the use of plastic cutlery. Let's be honest here, plastic forks are shit, and they're a waste. Carrying cutlery is easy as! If you wanted to be extra environmentally sound, you could even wrap them up in a cloth napkin to eliminate your use of paper napkins!

Cost: €0 - €8

Shaving

I'm sorry, I'm just so so obsessed with my Safety Razor that I cannot shut up about it. I want to kick my own ass for going on about it so much. Honestly, though, it has changed my entire shaving routine. I get a closer shave that lasts longer and I enjoy the process.

You can get safety razors from all kinds of places, from AliExpress to eBay to more specialized local stores like Shaving.ie, and they come at all sorts of price points, ranging from low to very high. Once you've made the investment into the razor, the blades are all you need to replace, and they are super cheap.

You can recycle the blades, but be sure to do so SAFELY. They're sharp, and you don't want to undo all your good work by slicking some poor binman open. Many razor sheaths (the plastic thing they come in) have a reverse slot for the old blades so you can be sure you're being as safe as possible in your disposal.

Shaving with a safety razor has taking a boring, generally dreaded chore to a wonderful self care task. I like to combine a few other self-care things with the process of shaving my legs, such as doing a hair and face mask combo, listening to some music or a podcast, and generally taking the time to enjoy the meditative process. Compared to disposable razors which don't shave as closely, the whole process of shaving with one is not nearly as enjoyable all around.

Who knows, you might end up like me, who now faces the task of getting a safety razor for her fiancee who has taken a liking to my one!

Cost: Razor; €20 - €100+, Blades; €3 - €10 per pack of 10

Feminine Hygiene Products

If you are a person who has periods, you will know that the use of disposable products is absolutely rife. By making the switch to reusable alternatives, you will be saving money as well as waste.

I have a menstrual cup, but I'm also dying to get hold of a few reusable pads to try out and use during the nights. I'm not repulsed by my own body, neither should you be. Empty the menstrual cup, wash the pads, it's not a huge deal to do and the environment will thank you for it!

Cost: Varies

So there you have some easy Low impact Living Swaps that don't break the bank, but that you can treat yourself too if you would like to. The cost involved with each of these swaps are mostly one off purchases that you will have forever with any luck, or if you must make repeat purchases, you won't have to do so very often at all. 

Remember that this lifestyle is a journey and you don't have to be perfect. Doing your best is absolutely enough! 

Til next time, 

Amy x 

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