Love List ~ October 2017

October 8, 2017 · 2 Comments

I haven’t done a LOVE LIST in forever.

Actually it’s been nearly a year to the day since I did the last one!

I had a bit of a break from posting this year while I was getting my health sorted out. Now that I am feeling a bit better, I am trying to keep up with posting once a week. Remember the days when I used to smash out three a week!?

Anyhooooo…. I have had so many things in that time that I have been wanting to share with you, so it’s a bumper edition this time around. I hope you enjoy it!

♥ Antipodes Juliet Cleanser

Antipodes is a gorgeous NZ natural skincare brand. This is the first time I have tried anything in the range and I love the cleanser so much. It’s a breeze to use and it leaves my skin feeling soft, clean and fresh. It combines exfoliating action into the gel cleanser so you are doing two steps in one!

My daughter who has blemish prone skin keeps stealing it too. I love that it’s in a big 200g size so it lasts longer and it’s affordable too.

Check it out here.

♥ Kinderfeets Kinderboard

How awesome is this!!! I need an adult one.

These stunning Scandinavian Kinderfeets balance boards are made from eco-friendly beech wood. They were created to help children develop a sense of balance, stimulate their vestibular system and gain a deeper awareness of their body and body parts. It can help improve mental focus and functional strength.

You can rock it. Balance on it. Push it. Spin it. Flip it and slide. Nap, relax and read on it. Use it as a play house for toys or as a bench seat. Let the kid’s imagination run wild with it!

Brilliant for kids with sensory processing disorders, on the spectrum or with special needs. These have been selling out around Australia so be quick if you are interested!

Find out more here.

♥ Mellow Deodorant Paste

The awesome peeps at Happy Skincare have released another in their Woohoo range of natural deodorant pastes. This one is a bicarb-free, essential-oil free version. It’s perfect for all you sensitive souls who react!

In their typically generous fashion, Aaron and Phoebe are giving away their new product whenever you order something over $50!

Check it out here.

♥ Lemon Canary Tea

With Pukka being taken over by Unilever (check out our convo on Facebook about it), many people are now looking for alternatives. Personally, I love buying things from small businesses that handmake their products – there is just that extra love and passion that goes into it.

I recently bought the sample pack of all the teas from Lemon Canary to see what they were like and I am not disappointed!!! Jasmin has hand-crafted an organic, loose leaf range of blends including Love, Mystic, Happy, Meditate (awesome chai), Grateful, Summer, Winter, Dinner Party and Australiana. The packaging is so gorgeous and they would make perfect gifts.

Check them out here.

♥ Tuff Stuff Stain Removing Soap

I bought some of this stain removing soap about 18 months ago at an expo and was wondering how I was going to get another one. Luckily Julie at Flora and Fauna is now selling them!

They are amazing! You just wet it and rub it on the stain – the mesh bag helps to get right into the stain as a scrubber and the stains just wash out. It even worked on a pair of my daughter’s work jeans that had some really black and greasy patches. Julie mentions that a lot of people are using it for nappies and reusable cloth pads. The Tuff Stuff is a great price and lasts ages.

Check it out here.

♥ Eco by Sonya Rosehip Sunscreen

Do you hate the ghost look when using sunscreen?? My hubby often walks around looking like something out of the Walking Dead much to the embarrassment of the teens. 😀

Sonya Driver from Eco by Sonya has a new sunscreen out that solves that problem. This non-zinc, non-greasy formula rubs in clear but sill has broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection, a SPF30 and a water resistant rating of 3 hours.

Find it here.

♥ Lilypad Reusable Covers

The lovely girls at Biome sent me out one of these to try and I love it!! It’s a BPA free, food-grade silicone cover (inspired by lily pads!). You can convert any bowl you own to an air-tight sealed container for the fridge. It fits onto any smooth rim bowl or pot including glass, ceramic, wood, stainless and more.

You can even put it in the oven or microwave if you want to and you could even use it as a splatter guard. Whack it in the top shelf of the dishwasher when you are done. So brilliant.

Check it out here.

♥ Free Gut Health Video Series

Cyndi O’Meara from Changing Habits has teamed up with Kirsty Wirth from Kultured Wellness to bring us a free four part information series on gut health. I am in the midst of my own gut healing adventure and I am starting to discover that bad gut health is the the cause of so many health issues. It’s not just poor digestion, it’s fatigue, brain fog, mental health and more. It all comes back to the gut!

I have registered and got my spot and can’t wait to learn more from these amazing ladies. When you sign up, they also give you a free ebook with healing gut recipes. Winning.

Check it out here.

♥ Aroma Leather Bracelet

This is on my Christmas wish list!! They are a leather and stainless steel aroma diffusing bracelet. A stylish and safe way to wear aromatherapy oils without touching your skin. There is a felt pad in the stainless steel locket bit that you put a few drops of oil on.

Find out more here.

♥ Low Carb Healthy Fat Cookbook

I’m not a Pete Evans fan in particular, but I do like his recipes! Having to do months of gut repair and a strict diet, I was getting really bored with it but some new recipes have really helped keep me motivated. You definitely don’t have to be attempting to lose weight or be on a low carb diet to enjoy this book. The recipes are just simple, family friendly type food (that just happens to be low carb and high fat).

I have made a few things already and everyone has been impressed. I usually pop the photos on Instagram if you are interested – but be warned, I don’t do fancy styling or anything, I just take a quick photo before we eat!

Check the book out here.

That will probably be my last love list for the year now as I gear up for my Christmas Gift Guides – which really are a love list with more of a gift giving focus. Let me know if you have something that would be perfect for a Christmas gift!

Why I’m Breaking Up With GREEN BAGS

April 12, 2016 · 25 Comments

Why I’m Breaking up with Green Bags.

Green bags came into being around 2002 and were immediately hailed as the solution to all those plastic bags we had been using.

According to Clean Up Australia, Aussies use over 4 billion plastic bags every year!! Not just available in supermarkets, many businesses now offer some form of green bag to their customers.

I jumped onto the bandwagon when they first came out and thought they were great until I started wondering what they were actually made of!

While I like the idea of having a reusable alternative to using plastic bags, I am no longer a fan of the ‘green bag’ as an alternative. They are made from polypropylene, a byproduct of oil refining, usually imported from China. And… they are ugly!

Unfortunately these bags are not compostable or biodegradable and we end up with millions of them, most ending up in landfill. They can be recycled (apparently Coles has a recycling program) but many people are not aware or do not bother.

I also found that the stitching comes loose after a while, they tear easily, the plastic insert cracks and they become useless as as shopping bag.

“A CSIRO research scientist, Dr Mike O’Shea, says the green bag’s only environmental credential is that it is not the single-use high-density polyethylene plastic bag still given out in most shops and supermarkets.” source

So what do I use instead?

For food shopping, I like to use fabric bags. They are so much more durable, easy to wash and last forever. I like to source them from op shops as they are much cheaper and I like to reuse something already in circulation. I realise non-organic cotton production is not very environmentally friendly but I think the years of use of a cotton bag, combined with it’s ability to decompose make it a winner over green bags.

I wash them regularly in hot water with a dash of eucyalyptus oil to keep them clean and fresh.

For one off purchases, I carry a lightweight fold up bag in my handbag.

You can also get some really cute cotton, jute and hemp bags online if you can’t find any at the op shops.

It’s a bit of a challenge now to see if I can avoid plastic bags and I like to say to shop assistants, no thanks, I have my own bag, I like to be a greenie! I think it gets people thinking in a subtle, non-judgy way.

Obviously if you already have ‘green’ bags, use them until they can be used no more and then recycle them properly.

What do you think? Do you love your green bags or do you use something else??

Love List ~ March 2016

March 31, 2016 · 6 Comments

Well it has been a little while since I have done a love list!

In between moving to Brisbane and settling my kids in at new schools and uni and working on my charity project and updating the website (do you like the new design and logo??), it’s all been a little crazy around here at NNAM.

Here are some things that I have been loving the last few months….

♥ 4 My Earth Bamboo Bags

I am in love with these new bamboo bags! They are so soft and light weight and perfect for replacing plastic bags when buying produce. I have also been using them damp to keep veggies nice and fresh in the crisper. Such a great way to reduce your plastic usage. Get them here.

♥ Erica Brooke Skin Care

Made by a Brisbane natural new age mum, this range is equal to any of the big name natural skin care brands on the market. Erica’s deodorant is already one of my all time favourite products and I think I am also going to add the Honey Cream Cleanser to that list as well. It’s so incredibly beautiful to use and of course, free of nasty toxins and weird stuff! Check it out here.

♥ The Wholesome Cook by Martyna Angell

I was lucky enough to meet Martyna a few weeks ago at a cooking demo and I grabbed a copy of her cookbook while I was there. I really love Martyna’s food philosophy (probably because it is so similar to my own) of eating whole foods for your own bio-individuality. So many delicious whole food recipes to inspire. Check it out here.

♥ Small Steps to Fermenting

I am about to embark on some fermenting. I find it to be all quite overwhelming and I am worried I am going to get it wrong and make us all sick! Luckily the gorgeous Lisa Corduff (guru from Small Steps to Wholefoods) has teamed up with her husband to break it all down step by step in their online course, Small Steps to Fermenting. Check it out here.

♥ Crystal Singing Bowls

I was lucky enough to attend a crystal singing bowl healing workshop last month. I felt incredibly relaxed and in balance afterwards. It was a very magical, spiritual experience. You can check out crystal singing bowls at some new age stores or look for a healing session near you!

What have you discovered lately that you love??

Tips for using up food scraps that you may not have thought of!

February 29, 2016 · 12 Comments

Tips for using up food scraps

(that you may not have thought of!)

7.6 million tonnes of food is wasted or lost in Australia every year! Those statistics are frightening.

Not only is this tough on the household budget, it’s tough on the environment. Making use of everything we have and avoiding throwing things away is a great habit to get into.

There are some pretty obvious tips on reducing food wastage like using your bones and veg scraps for bone broth, freezing bread crusts for bread crumbs, feeding dogs and chooks and composting.

But, I have a few tips for you that you may not have thought of yet.

♥ Leftover tea and coffee

If you make a pot of tea and coffee in the morning and it doesn’t all get consumed, you can make sure you use it in some other way! What I like to do initially is pour myself one cup and then put the rest in a thermos to keep hot and fresh until I am ready for another cup.

Any tea or coffee can also be refrigerated straight away (don’t leave it brewing as it will go nasty and bitter) for use in iced tea and coffee later on. Iced chai latte with milk is simply divine!

Cold tea bags are also fabulous for treating under eye puffiness.

♥ Leftover citrus

Never, ever, ever throw out your citrus peels/halves again. You can turn them into a gorgeous, fragrant and totally non-toxic cleaning spray. They are also fabulous for cleaning around the house – everything from freshening the dishwasher to cleaning chrome in the shower. Read this post for some inspiration. You can also use them to lighten the dark skin on your elbows, dry out the peel and use in cooking or add to some olive oil to make lemon flavoured oil for cooking.

♥ Smears in jars

You know those leftover bits clinging to the inside of the jar? Peanut butter, sauce, jam, honey, oil, kombucha juice?

Here is what you can do:

Turn them into a salad dressing, milkshake or marinade straight in the jar …… shake and eat!

Got passata or sauce that’s got a tiny bit left? Add a touch of boiling water (glass only) and shake and then use.

♥ Coffee grounds

There are so many things you can use leftover coffee grounds for! My favourite is to add some coconut oil and make a delicious body scrub. Cheap, easy and so effective. Now I am also wanting to make a coffee candle. Awesome!

♥ Egg shells

These are rich in calcium and other minerals and can make a fabulous garden fertiliser – simply crush and sprinkle. You can also use them to make homemade chalk. What a great project to do with the kids. Empty egg shells are also great seed starters.

♥ Banana Peels

The inside of a banana peel makes an awesome shoe shine, teeth whitener or wart remover. Add them to a jar of water and leave for a day to make an awesome homemade plant fertiliser!

♥ Pawpaw skins

These make great exfoliators due to the enzyme, papain. Simply rub it all over your face, wait a while and rinse off! Avocado skins also are great for a nourishing face mask.

♥ Meat fat
Our grandparents never threw away meat fat! It was always carefully strained and re-used in cooking. Roast potatoes in meat fat is simply divine and the nutrients are so good for you. Try it!

♥ Potato Skins

Puree up these babies and use them as a hair treatment. Leave in for 15 minutes and then wash out for strong, healthy hair. You can also toss them in oil and salt and pepper and whazz in the air fryer or oven until super crispy for potato peel chips! Yummo.

♥ Vanilla Pods

I am lucky enough to have loads of vanilla pods from bulk buying. After using them in a recipe, I save them in a jar and re-use them by infusing in milk to make a drink or custard, adding to a pot of tea to make a vanilla flavoured tea, adding to a jar of rapadura sugar to make vanilla sugar. Heavenly.

♥ Broccoli Stalks

So many people throw these out but they are fabulous sliced thinly in a stir fry, grated into bolognese or frozen to use in soup. Don’t throw away precious nutrients!

♥ Cauliflower Leaves

Did you know that you can eat these? Roast with some olive oil or use them in this vegetable dish.

♥ Apple Peels and Cores

These can be made into your own homemade apple cider vinegar. This is so much cheaper than buying ACV!

♥ Pineapple Skins

You can make a yummy fermented pineapple drink with the skins or boil them up with coconut sugar to make cordial.

♥ Watermelon Rinds

You can make these into fermented pickles. Love it.

♥ Carrot Tops

My friend Mich makes an amazing pesto with the green carrot tops! How cool. Get the recipe here.

♥ Cracker Crumbs

I make homemade seed crackers and there is usually some crumbs left at the bottom of the jar. They are so good sprinkled on salads or soup!

♥ Repurpose Cooking Fails

Let’s face it, this happens at times and it’s heartbreaking to waste all those expensive ingredients (not to mention your time and energy!) Get creative about how to turn them into something else. Some ideas:

turn failed cake into trifle, cake balls, pudding or just add a heap of icing to cover!
turn failed bread into breadcrumbs in a food processor
if you have made something too salty, throw in a raw potato to mop up the excess
split mayo can be rescued by remaking and using the split mixture instead of oil
overbeaten egg whites can be fixed by adding an extra egg white for every two
add overcooked rice or pasta to meatballs or meatloaf

I would love to hear your tips on what you use food scraps for – inspire us!

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Smart swaps for single use plastic

July 15, 2015 · 7 Comments

Smart swaps for single use plastic

Plastic really has crept into every area of our life.

It can be quite overwhelming and hard to know to where to even start. My advice is to make small swaps and just do what you can. It’s not about being perfect – it’s about making an effort.

Take a look at what single-use plastic in your life you are consuming in big quantities and aim to find an alternative.

Trust me, once you get into the habit, it’s actually easy and pretty fun to take on the challenge.

I have listed here six of the most common single-use plastics and what you can use instead.

It just takes a little planning! Are you up for the challenge?

Plastic Food Wrap

This stuff is doubly worrying as the ‘anti-bacterial’ wrap may contain harmful toxins! Replace with

♥ upcycled glass jars (the bonus is you can see what’s in them)

♥ glass or stainless steel storage containers

♥ food covers, pockets and wraps (I love the original 4 My Earth brand)

♥ a ceramic bowl with a plate on top or two plates (too easy, right!)

♥ toxic free paper products

Find out more details about how I gave up plastic wrap! I haven’t bought a roll in well over five years! Woohoo!

Plastic Fruit and Vegetable Bags

This is a tricky one because I know it’s quite a habit to use those plastic bags at the supermarket!

♥ do you need a bag? Come on, bananas don’t need a bag!

♥ use reusable, lightweight produce bags (I’ve been doing this for years and it’s easy to remember them if they are in with your reusable grocery bags!

♥ shop at the farmers’ markets with an old-fashioned basket (I am in love with these jute baskets – so chic!)

Plastic Straws

♥ do you really need that straw? Start asking for drinks without straws when you buy a drink.

♥ use a glass, bamboo or stainless straw

TIP: If you do get stuck with a few plastic bags, take them back to the supermarket! Most larger stores will have a bin where you can recycle them.

Plastic Cutlery and Plates

I know how convenient these are when you have a party, but just a little bit of thought into alternatives can mean a huge difference!

♥ get some crockery and cutlery from your op shop – it’s so cheap and it will look funky (bribe the kids into washing up)

♥ get some biodegradable catering products (they actually look much more stylish plastic too)

♥ stash a bamboo spork or cutlery in your handbag for those lunches out and about

Plastic Grocery Bags

After all the publicity and education about these, I am still gob-smacked that I am usually the only person I see at the supermarket using my own bags. Please tell me this doesn’t happen in your local area!

There are several alternatives you can use. Personally, I don’t like the ‘green bags‘ as they are usually polypropylene (a fossil-fuel based plastic) and are imported from China. I have been using homemade or natural fibre bags.

Here are some great options:

♥ make your own bag! If you can operate a sewing machine, it’s not that hard to whip a few bags up out of an old pillowcase or t-shirt

♥ cotton reusable grocery bags

♥ jute reusable shopping bags

♥ canvas shopping bags

TIP: How do you freeze food without plastic? I wrap food in a toxin free baking paper and then pop into either a glass storage container or a 4 My Earth food bag.

Plastic Water Bottles

As well as being bad for the environment, drinking out of plastic bottles can also be questionable for your health. Get everyone in your family their own drink bottle (plus a few spares) and fill up before you leave the house. It quickly becomes routine!

♥ stainless steel drink bottles

♥ glass drink bottles

♥ upcycle a glass bottle or jar

♥ invest in a nice glass jug and glass for work

♥ for hot drinks, I love my Contigo insulated stainless mug

The amazing plastic spoon

You may have seen this quote floating around on social media. It’s incredibly powerful and I love sharing it. I made my own design for it (I couldn’t find the original source of the quote, but please get in touch if you know it). Please pin it and share it on social media if it resonates with you – you have full permission to use my image, unaltered, wherever you like!

Where to shop:

Biome Eco Store

Flora and Fauna

The Clean Collective

More inspiration:

Plastic Free July

My Plastic Free Life

Treading My Own Path

Plastic: A toxic love story

Slow Death by Rubber Duck

Zero Waste Home

Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Habit

Have you got any more tips for us? What have you managed to ditch?

Win 1 of 3 Notox Boxes!

April 9, 2013 · 174 Comments

“I found so many people wanted to make a change but just couldn’t because it was too overwhelming, it would take too much time, cost too much money, there were too many big words, and they didn’t have a health food store handy!” ~ Sharon, founder of Notox Box.

I am really excited to be teaming up with Notox Box this week and offering you this giveaway! Notox Box is perfect for those wanting to explore natural products and don’t really know where to start. You can dip your toes in the water!

So what is Notox Box?

Notox Box is an Australian company who send you out a monthly sample box of some of the most exciting natural, organic or eco products in the marketplace. Find out more about Sharon and her passion here.

How much does it cost?

$25 per month or less if you sign up to more months. Postage is included and there are no contracts.

What is in the box?

You get a combination of full size, travel size and sample size items. Some things included are:

organic food
health food
superfoods
eco home and lifestyle products
natural and organic beauty products
ethical and socially conscious products

So, what do I think?

I received the Notox Box for February, March and April in the mail. I don’t know about you, but I love getting parcels in the mail and each month it was a lovely surprise to see what treats I had in store for me. I have come across many new products I have not heard of before or seen in my local stores. The cost of the box is very reasonable and appears to me to be equivalent to what you would pay in a store.

I like that you can access samples of products before committing to a full size product. Let’s face it, some of the organic products on the market are not cheap! If you do like a product, you can order it from the Notox Box website in a full size, although there is no obligation to do this. Each month as a box comes out, the girls are adding the new products to the store, so it will become a good place to one-stop shop.

I think it would make a wonderful gift idea – the gift that keeps on giving every month and perfect for those hard to buy for people. It is definitely something I would consider for my family and friends.

Okay, so who wants to try out this month’s Notox Box? Sharon has kindly offered to giveaway three April boxes to three of you!

Sharon Chung, founder of Notox Box

This giveaway has now closed. The winners were Belinda, Trish and Jodey. Thank you!

How to enter:

* Be a blog subscriber of Natural New Age Mum (that’s me!). Add your email address to the top right hand side of the blog. Please recheck you are still subscribed after my blog move!

* Like ‘Notox Box’ on Facebook. Go here.

* Have a squizzy on the Notox Box website (go here) and comment on this blog post, telling me which product you would most like to sample.

Terms and conditions: This giveaway runs from now until midnight, Friday the 20th of April, 2013. Winners will be chosen using random.org from those fulfilling the entry requirements, emailed and announced on this blog post. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook. Sorry, it’s only available to those with an Australian address.

The April Notox Box

Sharon is also offering all of you a discount if you would like to try any of the products in the store. Just enter the code NEWAGE at checkout where it says “redeem discount coupon” to receive a 10% discount. Valid till 30 April. Available for all products excluding monthly subscriptions and gift certificates. I am going to get me some more of those maple-roasted almonds…. mmmm yum!

Good luck everyone and many thanks Sharon and the Notox Box team!

Make contact:

Website: www.notoxbox.com.au

Email: hello@notoxbox.com.au

Facebook: www.facebook.com/notoxbox

Hosted by Three Lil Princesses

How to host an eco-friendly kids’ party!

March 9, 2013 · 45 Comments

How to host an eco-friendly kids’ party!

Today I am bringing you my top tips for a very green kids’ party. Keep in mind that even the little things we do can all make a difference.

♥ Plan ahead. Many environmentally friendly products are sadly not widely available, so you may need to hunt around or order online.

♥ Make a list and consider what you will need. From here you can work out how you can make the party greener. Borrow from friends, consider using things you already own or things that can be re-used, composted, recycled or upcycled in anyway.

♥ Invitations can be made at home with recycled paper or cards or you can use some eco-friendly invitations.

♥ Skip the paper invites and email the guests or create a Facebook event!

♥ You need to be very careful with balloons. If you want to have them, please dispose of them properly as they pose a choking risk to animals (even the biodegradable latex ones).

♥ Tell your guests that your party is eco-friendly and ask them to join in the fun. You could ask them to wrap the gift in recycled paper, make the gift a preloved book or toy or have a no-plastic gift policy. One year my son invited so many kids to the park and we really didn’t want over 20 toys (and the packaging!) to add to our home. Luckily he felt the same way and was more than happy to say ‘no gifts, donation if you prefer’ on the invites. He felt very proud donating over $250 to NAPCAN, one of our favourite charities.

♥ Set up boxes or bins, clearly labelled for recycling for easy clean up.

♥ Make paper chains. Use old wrapping paper, cards, brown paper or homemade artworks. Masking tape is best as its recyclable.

♥ Get creative with party decorations. Use things like candles, flowers, leaves, gumnuts, pebbles, shells, seeds and pods! Popcorn garlands and hanging biccies are fun too.

♥ Instead of using disposable plastic tablecloths and banners, invest in a gorgeous fabric party decorations that can be reused over and over again at every celebration! Check out these hundreds of ideas at Etsy – you can even find people who will make customised products for you.

♥ Check the local op-shop for colourful platters, plates and cups. It’s not hard to wash them up and you can store them in a box to be used again and again.

♥ If you want to use disposable party-ware, check out this range that is all natural and compostable. You could even use washed banana leaves as plates – what fun for a jungle themed party!

♥ Food covers are better options than using cling wrap (gosh we used to go through a lot of that stuff for parties!)

♥ Try and cater most of the party yourself. Buying individual portions of food uses lots of packaging and it’s usually more expensive.

♥ Face-paint can be really toxic. My daughter always breaks out in a terrible rash if she gets her face painted! Choose a natural face paint like No Nasties Nevada.

♥ Instead of plastic party bags, use paper bags, fabric bags, noodle boxes, paper doilies, pot plants or even paper cups! Check out my healthier party bag ideas here.

For your next birthday party, spare a thought for the environment and see if you can make even one small change. Trust me, it makes you feel good to know you are doing you’re little bit!

Do you have any more ideas?

Freebilicious Friday with 4 My Earth!

November 23, 2012 · 78 Comments

What I am reviewing today?

The Natural New Age Girl thought it was a shower cap!

Wrong! Although, at a pinch, you could very well use them for shower caps!

They are in fact, an ingenious solution to how to store food in the fridge without using plastic wrap.

We are always trying to lessen the amount of plastic we use in our home. Cling wrap on plates and bowls of leftovers was one area I struggled with! What else was going to keep it fresh and free from fridge odours?

Ta-dah! Enter the 4MyEarth® Food Covers!

What are they made from? Cotton and canvas with a biodegradable coating.

Are they reusable? Yes, just wash them up with a little soapy water and drip dry. You can also put them in the dishwasher or washing machine.

Do they come in different sizes? Yes, they come in four different sizes.

Do they come in different patterns? Yes, they come in plain and flower print.

What do you use them for? Once you start using the food covers, you will discover all different ways you can use them. Basically, anytime you would have used plastic wrap over a bowl or plate, use the food cover. They are great as I mentioned for leftovers in the fridge. The big bowl on the right in the picture has some Quirky Cooking Chicken and Brown Rice Soup in it. They also are handy for parties or bbqs to keep the flies off your salad bowls. Quite often when I am cooking, I need to let things stand, soak or prove and instead of a tea towel, the food cover is perfect.

Do they keep the food fresh? Yes! I found no discernible difference in freshness compared to using cling wrap.

Hang on, I have seen these in the supermarket – aren’t they vinyl with BPA? That’s why I have never purchased the supermarket ones! These food covers are BPA free, PVC Free and phthalate free. Totally food grade safe! Whew!

What about the company? Rebecca at 4 My Earth is a real natural, new age mum! She is committed to the environment and all her products must be ethically made and help in reducing our impact with reusable and where possible use organic materials. Another fabulous, Australian owned and run family business. They also sell lots of other cool stuff too – love their bamboo shawl so much!

Where do you get them from? You can get them straight from the lovely Rebecca online.

What’s the final verdict? I absolutely love the food covers. What a fantastic, eco-friendly idea. They are easy to use and wash and they have definitely cut down our plastic wrap use to a significant degree. No more eco-guilt!

Okay, so who would like to try some for themselves?

Rebecca is kindly giving away two of her value packs which contain four covers, one in each size.

This giveaway has now closed. The winners were Chon K and Fiona S!

This is how you enter:

* Be a blog subscriber. Add your email to the top right hand side of the blog.

* Be a 4 My Earth Facebook liker. Go here.

* Head over to the website and take a look at the food covers. Go here.

* Comment on this blog post, telling me which design you would prefer – the flowers or the plain with text.

Terms and conditions:

This giveaway is only open to Australian residents. It will close on Friday the 30th of November at midnite. The winner will be chosen from those meeting the entry requirements using random.org. Please make a note to check your emails to see if you have won! It will also be announced on this blog post.

Good luck everyone and thank you Rebecca at 4 My Earth!

Mesh bags = less plastic!

May 2, 2012 · 20 Comments

One of our goals, as a family, is to live in an environmentally friendly way. We find that we have to take baby steps – changing one little thing at a time. Otherwise, it’s just overwhelming!

Our latest eco-friendly swap has been to use mesh bags instead of plastic for our fruit and veges that we buy at the supermarket. I have been using green bags for years (and I am pretty good at remembering them now!) It just becomes a habit.

I ordered some of these mesh bags from the kitchen shop where I work. If you can’t find them, ask your local kitchenware store to order them for you. There is also a company called Onya making a version too.

I have never seen anyone use them and I thought I would get some strange looks! Nobody batted an eyelid – not even the register girl! They weigh 15g each, so it’s not going to make an impact on the weight and pricing either.

I think they are pretty snazzy – but, they are not so good for storing the fruit and veges in the fridge. Our organic supplier sells Peak Fresh green bags, so I have been using them to store the produce in.

The Peak Fresh bags are plastic, but they are really sturdy and reusable. I just give them a wash. They actually prolong the life of your fruit and veges too. That’s handy when I am paying a premium for the good stuff!

Now, if you are really clever with a sewing machine (unlike me), then you could whip up your own produce bags using old t-shirts, like these I found on Pinterest. To see how to make them go here.

So, that’s our latest step towards making the earth that bit greener! It really is very satisfying to be able to make small changes and stick with them. Hopefully my kids are learning and gaining respect for the environment as we do these things. They are the next generation looking after our planet!

How do you buy and store your fresh produce?

Win an organic lunch bag and snack pack!

April 13, 2012 · 6 Comments