Blog - My Green Closet

Finding my Perfect Bra

by Verena Erin | posted in conscious fashion |

This post was kindly sponsored by Lara Intimates.

Bras have been difficult for me – trying to find something that checks my ethical and sustainable criteria, plus looks good, and fits correctly has been a challenge, but then Lara Intimates came along.

I discovered Lara in their crowdfunding stage and loved their mesh styles and mission, but initially assumed they wouldn’t have my size. So I was thrilled when they reached out asking if I wanted to test their “Find My Bra Size” feature and found out they actually do make my size!

Here’s what I love about Lara

They use reclaimed and surplus materials

They source luxury lingerie fabrics from companies who have leftovers or maybe had an issue like the fabric was the wrong colour, these textiles are unused but would just go to the landfill if brands like Lara didn’t exist. Any fabrics they do get in weird colours they have dyed black to match. It’s not just their textiles that are eco-friendly, Lara also used reclaimed and surplus components and hardware when possible and sustainable options for things like their tags and packaging.

They cut and sew consciously

Two often overlooked sustainability issues with fashion is excess stock waste and cutting room waste. Lara makes all their garments to order so they don’t have unused stock and this also allows them to be strategic when cutting out the fabric – mixing and laying pattern pieces like a tetris puzzle to reduce fabric waste.

They have their own studio-factory

Lara’s founders Faith and Cindy wanted to manufacture locally but they they were shocked to find there was only one lingerie factory in Britain and they couldn’t afford to work with them. So what did they do? Set up their own factory in-house! Lara has an all female team and a focus on providing training and a high standard of living for their employees. They even have plans to launch an apprenticeship program to train and provide job opportunities for low-income and vulnerable women teaching them technical design and manufacturing skills.

They have great styles

The typical “eco” bras I’m used to are basically a simple bralettes with elastic and a piece of fabric, but Lara has changed the game with their unique, mesh-panel designs. Their styles not only look really good but the layered mesh also adds extra support where you need it.

They actually fit

Ordering online you never know how the garment is going to fit, so it’s extra daunting ordering something like a bra. Not only was I happy they actually carried my size, but I was also impressed how well both styles fit. I do prefer the Wren bra comfort-wise because I just don’t find a halter as comfortable across the neck, but both are snug and supportive and fit well in the cups without any issues.

Also if their size calculator didn’t work for you, you can return or exchange your bra for free! (Or if you’re in London book a fitting at their studio)

They want women to love their boobs

Lara also has a wonderful body-positive ethos. They shoot on models with different body types and also have women share their stores in The Boob Diaries. I wish I could say that I’m 100% confident in my body but the reality is I had to push myself to take photos and film in just a bra. It’s not only incredibly awkward since I’m not at all a model and don’t know what to do, but I couldn’t help but wonder what people will think and compare myself to all the gorgeous, skinny, tanned women on Instagram. Loving your body is a personal journey, but I also think brands who showcase more than one body type is an important part of helping change how we see ourselves.

Today is International Women’s Day so a perfect time to join me in practicing some self-love and acceptance. 💕

Also it’s a great day to remember that roughly 80% of garment workers are women, so an incredible way to support other women around the world is by supporting women-owned businesses and brands that pay fair wages, care about, and empower the women who work for them!

Learn more about Lara

💋

Sustainable Travel in Lisbon

by Verena Erin | posted in travel |

We recent went on a wonderful trip to Lisbon. This was our first time visiting Portugal and much of what we experienced was from suggestions – thanks to everyone who recommended places!

As we visited in mid-February we only saw a fraction of the visitors that likely visit in high season and were lucky enough to still get sunny weather nearly every day. We spent most of our time wandering the neighborhoods and cobblestone streets. Although we had sore legs from the many hours of walking each day, we really enjoyed our time there. Here’s a few of our favourite places to see, shop, and eat at if you’re visiting beautiful Lisbon:

What to Do

LXFactory

LXFactory was recommended by many people, and with good reason! It’s a district with old brick buildings and warehouses filled with shops, cafés, restaurants, and artist’s studios. There are even a few sustainable/ethical stores (details below), and a restaurant with mostly vegan food (not our favourite, but nice for a lunch while exploring LXFactory). I recommend planning an afternoon here and meandering slowly from place to place, have some drinks and food, and check out the street art.

Alfama neighborhood

Alfama is full of traditional-style buildings with cobbled, narrow streets winding up, down, and through the hills. Speaking of hills, this neighbourhood has plenty of them – definitely come prepared with decent walking shoes when you visit. There was something interesting to experience at any time of day – the sleepy quiet of mornings, laundry draped outside of the windows’ clotheslines, the impressive wall art around nearly every corner, and Fado songs (typical Portuguese music from Alfama) drifting out of nearly every restaurant later in the evenings. Definitely give this neighbourhood a wander if you’re in Lisbon!

Miradouros

As Lisbon is a hilly city, there’s no shortage of viewpoints or Miradouros throughout the hills. Try to visit a few in different neighbourhoods if the weather is clear, as they’ll give you a picturesque view of the city and ocean. We visited any that happened to be nearby or on the way we were heading, and they were all impressive in their own way.

Where to Shop Sustainably in Lisbon

Organii

Organii is one of the eco/ethical shops we visited at LXFactory and we were really impressed! It’s full of natural, organic, sustainable, and ethical products ranging from housewares to fashion to children’s toys and clothing. I even found the coat I’ve been looking for! It’s made by a conscious Portuguese company called Näz, their materials are all production surplus and deadstock, and they only use recycled buttons on their garments made from things like paper, cotton, and even coffee grounds. The coat is exactly what I had been searching for and I’m so glad I waited for the right piece. This shop is a must when visiting LXFactory. Organii also has a cosmetics-only shop just down the road from their larger location. They carry different natural brands as well as their own line of soaps and oils, I also picked up their winter body oil which has a lovely spicy/forest-y scent.

Organii natural beauty in Lisbon — Checking out their in-house oils

There are a few other Organii locations in Lisbon (some cosmetics only or baby products) but if you’re already visiting LXFactory, you’ll get everything they offer in one location. We also saw SkunkFunk (sustainable fashion), and Nae (Portuguese-based vegan shoes) while wandering through LXFactory so definitely check those out while you’re there as well!

Fair Bazaar

Fair Bazaar is a small shop is situated in a gorgeous old building along with other interesting stores, collectively called Embaixada. They also sell Näz (and carry more of the line than Organii), as well as other clothing brands, shoes, accessories, jewellery, and some care products. Everything here is sustainable or ethical and they also sell some cork products, which is a very common material in Portugal. Although it’s important to note that while there’s a lot of cork it seems like most of the cork companies also include leather in their products, which was pretty disappointing to see – although Nae (at LXFactory) has some cork shoes that are completely vegan!

Sapato Verde

Sapato Verde is a vegan shopper’s dream! They carry a variety of shoes as well as bags, clothing, accessories, home goods, toiletries, and even have a small vegan grocery store and café at the back. They have an interesting selection of eco-friendly products including a candle brand that uses old cooking oil for their candles and flip flops made of cork.

I was most impressed with their selection of footwear including Nae, Natural World, and Original Cork in styles from dress shoes to runners to casual shoes.

Garbags

This one was an interesting surprise and classically eco-friendly. Garbags takes everyday waste such as coffee bags, tire inner tubes, shampoo containers, and other kinds of packaging waste to create unique pieces including wallets, carrier bags, pouches and notebook covers. They even have a deal where if you bring in some of your waste (something they can use) they’ll give you a discount on their products! They also offer interchangeable covers for their messenger bags, so you can change up your style without buying a totally new bag. Definitely a unique business model and it’s cool to see how they turn waste into functional products.

Where to Eat – Vegan Restaurants in Lisbon

The Food Temple

One of our favourite meals of the trip was at The Food Temple. You’ll find it down some narrow twisting sidewalks, just look for the blue light out front. We recommend making reservations here, as when we arrived (without reservations) there luckily happened to be space for 2 at a shared table, but many who came after us weren’t so fortunate. Their menu changes daily and they have shared tapas and dishes. On the day we went we had a spinach soup, veg chorizo and avocado salad, some kind of interesting potato dish, and a burger with the thinnest curly fries to share which was a pretty good amount for us. They had a variety of local craft beers and interesting desserts such as the lavender-infused raspberry cake they offered on our visit. The staff were super friendly and it was a lovely dinner, but unfortunately I don’t have photos. 🙁

Princesa do Castelo

Princesa do Castelo is a small vegan restaurant/cafe in Alfama that also has a changing daily menu (this seems to be common in Lisbon), we ate here a couple times and weren’t disappointed. They have a few long shared tables plus a couple tables for 2, but again space is limited so reserve a table or arrive before the lunch/dinner rush. The first time we went we each tried one of the 2 mains – a vegetable thupka with ginger lemon tofu, and a chickpea/pumpkin/spinach curry (pictured). We finished with Portuguese custard tarts; although these are common in Lisbon they offer a vegan version.

Sama Sama

We were walking around on the one rainy day we had and stopped here for a quick lunch. Sama Sama is a tiny crepe and juice bar with just a bar, so don’t expect a place to sit (though there were a couple of small stools near the door). They serve vegetarian and vegan crepes both savoury and sweet, and the two we had were fantastic! Since it was lunch we had savoury crepes but I wish we had time to also go back and try the sweet ones. This place is especially great if you want to grab a crepe and walk around the neighbourhood or by the ocean.

Overall Lisbon was a lovely city and perfect for travellers like us who like to wander through the streets and neighbourhoods. While it doesn’t have a ton of sustainable shopping, the stores it does have are definitely worth checking out, as well as the delicious restaurants.

Find everything:

Also check out everything I packed for our trip.

What Eco-Influencers Eat

by Verena Erin | posted in eating |

What is a sustainable diet? I’ve teamed up with other members of Ethical Writers & Creatives to share what we eat in a typical day and why.

The video above ^ shows what I ate on a day of healthy, home-cooked meals.

Morning

My day started as it always does with a cup of tea. Tea is a must-have for me and I drink at least one cup a day.

For breakfast most days I’ll have oats or muesli with fruit. I usually use oat milk but our grocery store was unfortunately out of stock, so this week we had rice milk (I always make sure the milk has added calcium though). This muesli has dried fruits but I added a banana as well.

Later in the morning I’ll have a light snack, and we had some delicious clementines which make a perfect snack.

Afternoon

For lunch I’ll often have leftovers from the night before – I like to cook extras so we have enough for lunch the next day. If there aren’t leftovers, this simple sweet potato and crispy kale dish is something I really enjoy in the winter – it’s warm and comforting plus includes seasonal veggies! It’s also really easy to make and just involves roasting sweet potatoes and making kale chips close to when the potatoes are done. You cut the potatoes open, add hummus and top with the baked kale. The potato and hummus are super creamy and the kale chips adds a great texture.

Later in the afternoon I’ll usually have a snack. This might be some nuts, or hummus with veggies or chips (if I didn’t already have hummus for lunch). Sometimes I want something sweet and will have chocolate or if I’m out with friends we’ll usually go for coffee and cake in the afternoon. On this day I had some homemade “peanut butter bites”. These ones are just peanut butter, puffed amaranth, and maple syrup – you can find tons of different recipes for things like this on Pinterest and they can be a great snack, but I wish I had also added chocolate. 😉

Evening

For dinner I usually make a big curry, stew, stir-fry, pasta dish, or “Buddha bowl” like this day. I’ll try to use up what veggies we have around and for this bowl I wanted to use leftover kale (and actually should have made an extra sweet potato for it too). I also added cooked mushrooms to the rice, chopped tomato and red pepper, steamed broccoli, and chickpeas. For a sauce I made a quick sesame sauce based on Minimalist Baker’s tahini dressing.

Finally I’ll often end the day with another cup of tea, I love a peppermint or a herbal blend at night. 🍵

I enjoy cooking but often don’t want to spend too much time, so I try to make more simple, healthy dishes. Usually quick and simple for me means pasta and sauce, packaged foods, or going out, but I’m finding more and more delicious healthy dishes that are also easy to make!

vegetables — Photo by Peter Wendt on Unsplash

How is my diet sustainable?

I’ve been vegetarian for over 10 years now and follow a mainly plant-based diet which is a big part of sustainable and ethical eating for me. Food was actually where I began my journey (after learning about the cruelty behind factory farming) and made me think more about what I consumed, where it came from, and the greater impact it had.

We are very lucky to have good organic stores in my city (that aren’t crazy expensive) and I buy a lot of our groceries organic, especially produce that uses the most pesticides like the “dirty dozen”. Most people assume I buy organic for health reasons, but I’m actually more concerned about the affects of pesticides on biodiversity and especially how they harm bees, which are so important as pollinators in our food system.

When planning meals I try to incorporate seasonal produce and buy locally-grown when possible. Eating seasonally is not only more sustainable but also more affordable and I enjoy trying new recipes and ways to eat seasonal fruits and veggies.

Some things I’m currently working on are reducing plastic packaging by buying what I can in bulk and I’m also trying to buy fewer pre-made, packaged foods – this not only reduces plastic waste but they’re generally not very healthy, plus a lot of them contain palm oil which I like to avoid due to the deforestation issues caused by palm plantations.

Another important aspect of a sustainable diet to me is food waste and I try to only buy what I know will get used/eaten. Something that I’ve found incredibly helpful is having a small fridge which seems common in Europe but not what I’m used to in North America. With a small fridge you can see everything and remember to use it, plus you can’t over-buy because there isn’t space for it. We almost never have to throw any food out which I’m really happy about.

photo: Dennis Wilhelms www.denniswilhelms.com

With any diet changes and shifting to more conscious eating, I think it’s really important to take it in small steps and not worry about being “perfect”. Food is such a huge part of our daily lives and I’ve found focusing on one thing at a time and slowly building on that to be really helpful.

So that’s how I eat, but there are many different approaches to a sustainable diet. See what these other eco bloggers and content creators eat:

Alden from EcoCult

Kathryn from Going Zero Waste

Jen from Honestly Modern

Leah from StyleWise

Florine from The Wasted Blog

Cait from World Threads Traveler

Chloé from Conscious by Chloé

Holly from Leotie Lovely

Renee from Model4GreenLiving

Faye of Sustaining Life

Fashion Week | Sustainable & Ethical Trade Shows

by Verena Erin | posted in conscious fashion, style |

Last week I went to Berlin Fashion Week to check out the Ethical Fashion Show and Green Showroom, as well as sustainable brands at the Premium and Seek fairs. I also went to Frankfurt for Innatex, another sustainable trade fair. These shows were for brands to sell their A/W 18/19 collections to stores and also included lectures and press/blogger events.

It was wonderful to see so many conscious brands, EFSB/Green Showroom had 170 labels, Premium and Seek both had green sections and Innatex had about 300 brands!

My goal for the week was to find some new brands and especially some that have a strong design focus. It’s no problem finding sustainable basics and I’ve shared a lot of staple brands, but it’s harder to find more fashion-forward styles. I was excited to find some brands with beautiful designs but a lot of them didn’t allow filming or photos. So here’s some of the new brands I found that I didn’t or couldn’t share in the video but will be keeping an eye on:

Reset Priority (currently swimwear/lingerie but they’re also launching a clothing line)
Noumenon
Buffet
By Signe
also I showed them a little, but I’m definitely going to be following August

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to film the fashion show, but here’s the official video from Ethical Fashion Show Berlin:

Biggest takeaways that I learned/noticed at the trade shows

Some common trends for fall/winter are:
- 70’s styles and prints
- red is going strong, lots of bright and darker/faded shades
- monochromatic looks were popular
- corduroy has made a comeback
- still a lot of minimalist knits
While brands might try some more creative designs, the basics and classics are what sell.
Price point is a huge struggle for brands – trying to keep prices down without compromising ethics and sustainability, and also explaining to consumers why the products cost more.
Organic cotton is by far the most used material (which isn’t the most sustainable).
- Although there is material innovation happening and it’s exciting to see more recycled/upcycled materials and brands!
A truly vegan brand has to also have a sustainable focus, so many vegan products and materials are still harmful to animals and very damaging to the planet.
More conscious brands have “design first” marketing which is wonderful to see, because it doesn’t matter how eco/ethical you are if people don’t like the styles.
- On the other hand though, a lot also need to step-up their branding, images, and information, they have great products and stories but aren’t showcasing and communicating it well online.
There is a lot of potential with wool, especially alpaca, which not only is an amazing fibre for clothing but can be farmed sustainably and (I believe) ethically as well.
Finally, this industry is built on passion, there are so many small labels who want to make a difference, tons of bloggers who use their moments of spare time to try and spread the message, and people who are trying to make changes for a better future. Even though there are always going to be things that can improve I came away feeling incredibly inspired, hopeful, and so grateful to be part of such an amazing community.

and speaking of bloggers…

Some of the lovely women I met creating conscious content:

English

Cherie – Sustainable Fashion Matterz

Kim – Kim Goes Eko

Lisa – At Least

Mia – heylilahey

German

Corinna – Kissen & Karma
Franziska – Un Petit Sourire Slows Down
Jana – Not Another Woman & Gern Geschehen (podcast)
Laura – The OGNC
Lena – Healthy Lena
Marisa – My Fair Ladies
Mary and Rosi – Green Looks Great
Nicola – Fairnica
Nina – Pink & Green
Phoebe – Phoenomenal
Sarah – undeinepriseliebe
Talisa – Talisa Minoush (youtube)

One of the highlights was the Fashion Changers pre-peek event where you could try on clothes from the brands, and they had stylists, makeup artists, and photographers. I should have stayed longer to do some more photos, but here’s an outfit with a jumper from Lanius and pants by Maria Seifert.

Overall it was a great experience and I’m so glad I went. I have a pile of business cards to go through so I can keep track of the brands I liked and need to research/hopefully will share more from. I also feel so inspired and excited about this conscious fashion movement, the change is slow, but it’s happening and will keep growing!

Fashion brands in the video (in order of appearance):

(note that the pieces shown in the video are for FW 18/19 though so likely aren’t currently available)

* indicates an affiliate link, for more information please see disclosure policy

Winter 2018 Capsule Wardrobe

by Verena Erin | posted in capsule wardrobes |

please note: this post contains some affiliate links

The pieces I chose for my winter capsule wardrobe:

Velvet bodysuit from Underprotection (read a brand review)
Navy tee from Lanius
Blue spot tee from Dedicated*
Black tee from Funktion Schnitt
Black sweatshirt from Dedicated*
Grey jumper from People Tree
Grey top from Comazo | earth
Long shirt from ArmedAngels
Plaid draped shirt – secondhand
Beige cardigan – old
Green cardigan – DIY/handmade
Gold/green jacket – secondhand
Grey/brown sweater from Izzy Lane
Blue fisherman sweater – secondhand/vintage
Sweater from People Tree
Red jumper – old
Black pants from People Tree
Wool trousers – secondhand
Light jeans from MUD Jeans*
Linen skirt from NotPerfectLinen* (read more about my love of linen)
Black dress from People Tree
Check tunic from People Tree
Tee dress from Kowtow
Ikat jumpsuit from Matter Prints* (more about ikat and the jumpsuit)
Brown jacket – DIY/handmade
Denim jacket – secondhand
Woven cape – secondhand/vintage
Knit vest – DIY/handmade
Purple/teal scarf – DIY/handmade
Knit brown/red scarf – DIY/handmade
Cream knit hat – DIY/handmade
Black floppy hat – secondhand
Backpack from Matt & Nat (please read why I no longer support Matt & Nat)
Black purse from Matt & Nat (please read why I no longer support Matt & Nat)

My capsule wardrobe is adapted from the Project 333 challenge. Over the course of creating my many capsule wardrobes I’ve been fine-tuning them to figure out what works best for me. In the spring I decided to no longer include shoes as part of my capsule wardrobe, because I feel I have a good core “shoe capsule” and the one thing I often seemed to miss was some pair of shoes that I hadn’t included.

I also find that I need more pieces in the fall and winter and fewer in the spring and summer, so I don’t try to hit a specific number, I just build a wardrobe I think would work well, and it usually ends up being 30-35 pieces.

* this item was sent as a gift from the brand

30 Sustainable Resolutions for the New Year

by Verena Erin | posted in conscious fashion, Lifestyle |

Living sustainably is all about making small changes and continuing to learn and improve. Incorporate some sustainable goals into your new year’s resolutions for a more conscious year.

Eco friendly resolution ideas:

1. Air dry your clothes to help them last longer and save energy and money

2. Watch/read an environmental documentary or book every month (check out resources for some recommendations)

3. Avoid palm oil (more about palm oil and deforestation)

4. Never throw away clothes (what to do with your old clothes)

5. Start a capsule wardrobe (how I plan my capsule wardrobe)

6. Switch to reusable menstrual products (more about switching to a menstrual cup)

7. Try to first repair items before throwing them away

8. Drive less- instead walk, bike, take public transit, car pool, etc.

9. Wash your clothes in cold water (more clothing care tips)

10. Use natural and non-toxic cleaning products in your home (my simple, DIY cleaning products)

Simple, green cleaning products - vinegar, baking soda, and Dr. Bronner's liquid soap

11. Host a clothing swap so your friends, family, or community can shop each other’s closets

12. Try a shopping fast/challenge

13. Switch to a green energy supplier for your home

14. Buy only cruelty-free beauty products

15. Contact your favourite brands and ask questions

16. Buy products in bulk

17. Reduce meat and animal products from your diet, even just eating a more Mediterranean diet makes a big difference

18. Find green beauty alternatives (more about the products I use)

19. Incorporate seasonal foods into your meals

20. Buy organic

21. Always bring a reusable mug/bottle

22. Contact your government reps about important issues

23. Plan your shopping and reduce food waste

24. Set up a monthly donation to your favourite organization

25. Buy from local businesses first

26. Carbon offset all your travel (how to carbon offset)

27. Volunteer for an organization/important cause

guppyfriend laundry bag - reduce microfibre pollution

28. Avoid synthetics or get a Guppyfriend bag to help reduce microfibre pollution

29. Take part in a sustainable community – like the My Green Closet Facebook group 😉

30. Share your favourite conscious fashion finds on social media

What are your sustainable resolutions for the new year?

Plant Based Recipes for the Holidays

by Verena Erin | posted in eating, holidays & events |

Reducing meat and animal products is a great way to be more sustainable during the holidays. These are 7 plant based food ideas which are both delicious and festive:

Mulled Wine

A steaming glass of spicy mulled wine is perfect on a cold day. I’ve tried quite a few different ways of making it and Jamie Oliver’s method is definitely the best- creating a syrup first makes it so much more flavorful. Although his recipe is quite sweet, so I’d recommend adding less sugar if you don’t like a very sweet mulled wine.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

My favourite treat for the holidays are chewy ginger cookies. I unfortunately don’t have a recipe to share since I don’t usually measure things, but if you search “ginger molasses cookies” there are lots of different recipes. An easy sub for cookies is to replace 1 egg with a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 2.5 tbsp water).

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

This is great salad for any fall/winter dinners. The colours are lovely together and I really like the combination of flavours and textures. You can find the recipe here (although I usually like to add more seeds and cranberries, and use less oil).

Crispy Garlic Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are another great holiday food. I usually just make them roasted with some lemon, but this year we tried out Minimalist Baker’s recipe. They’re delicious but VERY garlic-y so adjust if you’re not huge garlic fans. I also really enjoyed them with the Sriracha aioli dipping sauce, it would make a great appetizer.

“Cheesy” Chive Biscuits

Biscuits are also nice to have especially if you have gravy with your meal. Hot for Food has a nice savory biscuit recipe that I tried out and they turned out really good, although I’d recommend using a metal circular cutter if you have one (instead of cutting like I did) to get the nice fluffy edges.

Beet Chips

The colour of these baked rosemary beet chips is perfect for the holidays. They’re a great snack, but making them can be a little tricky- it’s very important to cut them evenly and keep an eye on them while baking because they can burn easily.

Pastry-Wrapped Lentil Loaf

For the main dish I really recommend this lentil loaf from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken. I’ve made this for a few different dinners and it not only looks really impressive but it’s hearty, nutty and a great sub for a meat main. I think it’s best served with an onion or mushroom gravy.

Happy Holidays! xx

Easy DIY Holiday Decorations

DIY Sustainable Christmas Decorations

by Verena Erin | posted in holidays & events, home |

This holiday season keep it green by using natural and re-purposed materials in your decorations. Here’s 5 easy DIY projects that are festive, minimalist, and sustainable.

Wintery Branches

You will need:

branches
jar
salt
string/yarn
a fork
scissors

Find some nice looking branches and put them in a jar with salt to hold them and make sure they’re stable.

To make the pom-poms wind the yarn around the fork and then tie together in the middle. Cut the loops on either side and fluff up and pom-pom (here’s some step by step photos). Add a string to hang.

You can also add any other lightweight decorations to the branches. Paper decorations work really well!

Dried Orange Slices

These are lovely to hang in a tree, make a garland, or hang in windows and have the light shine through. You will need:

a few oranges (depending how many slices you want to make)
kitchen towel
oven

Slice the oranges trying to keep them even. Lay the slices out and use a towel to soak up excess moisture. Put them either on an over rack or a baking pan with baking paper. Bake at 100°C, they can take a while to dry out so to save some energy I like to keep them in the oven for around 45 mins (turning the oven off after 30 mins but leaving them in) and then put them on the top of our heater for the rest of the day to totally dry out.

Once the slices are dried you can use as is or take a needle and thread and string them together in a garland or create loops for hanging.

Origami Stars

These are a nice DIY that you can use scrap paper for. You just need paper and instead of trying to explain the steps probably not very well, here’s a good tutorial on how to fold them.

Minimalist Triangle Tree

I love the minimalist/Scandinavian style of this simple tree. It’s perfect for small apartments!

You will need:

6 sticks/dowels (3 shorter and 3 longer depending on how high you want your tree to be)
string
paper/decorations

Take the 3 shorter sticks and make a triangle with the ends overlapping. Tie each corner together and wind the string around a few times. Take the 3 longer sticks and tie together a few cm from the top making a triangle. Put the open ends into each corner of the bottom triangle and tie together.

You can then either create your own ornaments and hang them from the top, or use a few ornaments you already have. Top the tree off with a star. ⭐

Candle Jars

This is probably the easiest project and they look really lovely. You will need:

jars
salt
tealights and/or floating candles
string
cinnamon sticks/pine branch
oranges/cranberries/rosemary

For the regular candle jars, add a couple cm salt to the bottom of a jar and put a tealight in the middle. Take a few cinnamon stick or a little piece of a pine branch and tie to the outside of the jar.

For the floating candles, add cranberries, orange slices, or rosemary springs to a jar with water and put a floating candle on top. Cranberries work best, other things like orange slices will discolour the water over time, these also wont keep a long time so they’re best as a “day of” decoration.

What are your favourite green holiday decorations?

Also check out my eco gift wrapping ideas and plant based holiday recipes!

I added up how much I spent on Ethical Fashion this year

by Verena Erin | posted in conscious fashion, shopping tips |

The number one response I get when talking about ethical/sustainable fashion is that it’s too expensive. I get it, the price tags are a lot higher when you compare them to fast fashion, but a big part of shopping consciously is also buying less. For the last few years it didn’t seem like I was actually spending a lot more overall buying ethical and sustainable brands because I was also buying fewer items, however I wanted to see for sure. This year I calculated all the money I spent on clothes and shoes, including the retail value of any items that were gifted to me and I was a bit surprised with the results.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the average American spent $1,803 on apparel and related services in 2016. Meanwhile a British survey of 2500 people found they each spent an average of £1042 (about $1400 USD) on clothing- although I’m not sure if this did or didn’t include footwear.

This year was definitely a more expensive year for me since in addition to buying a few items for my capsule wardrobe and replacing some pieces, I had to buy a new pair of running shoes, got a nice pair of heels, had to replace my swimsuit, and also invested in a sweater from Izzy Lane for my upcoming winter capsule (even though I’m not wearing it this year I still included it in my calculations). My total expenses for clothing and footwear in 2017 came to the equivalent of $1544 USD. Over $200 less than the average American, but about $145 more than the average Brit (although if the survey actually didn’t included shoes I would definitely be under).

The garments I purchased were from ethical and sustainable brands and yet my spending is close to the averages. People assume I spend more money on clothes because the items have higher price tags, and I even thought my expenses would come out to be above average this year with the 2 pricier shoes (they are about 30% of the total). Next year I’m pretty sure I’ll be under both averages.

I’m excited to have this little bit of data to back up what I suspected – that “buy less, buy better” doesn’t mean you have to spend more. Plus if you’re budget conscious and $1500 USD is too much for a year, there are so many ways to shop consciously and affordably! I have a video all about it. 🙂

Also I have to mention how much I love having a capsule wardrobe. It’s the reason I’ve been able to be more thoughtful and selective with the items I choose to invest in. I don’t mind spending more on a piece not only because it’s ethically made and environmentally friendly but because I know it’s something that’s going to work with my wardrobe and get a lot of wear.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this! Do you feel you spend more shopping ethically? Has a capsule wardrobe helped you save money?

Minimalism & Gift Giving – How to Talk to Friends & Family about Unwanted Gifts

by Verena Erin | posted in holidays & events |

Are you trying to live sustainably or more minimalist but your family or friends love giving presents? This can be a difficult topic and conversation to have, but it’s worth it!

You might get resistance at first but if you follow these suggestions most people will understand and eventually come around. In my experience some are often very grateful or appreciative of you initiating a shift!

Tips to Reduce Unwanted Gifts

Keep the conversation positive

This is the most important. Gift giving can be very personal to people so telling someone you don’t want “junk” or their sweatshop-made gifts is hurtful and will make them upset and defensive. Instead focus on how other things make you happy or bring you joy.

For example you could explain how you’ve worked hard on decluttering and instead of physical gifts the thing you’d love most is to enjoy some quality time together.

If there’s something specific that you’d like, instead of talking about how other similar items might be unsustainable or unethical, focus on how that item would work really well for you and be a meaningful gift.

If you don’t want anything but know people will definitely want to get something, ask for a donation. Explain that you really care about a certain cause so it would mean a lot if instead of gifts they made a donation to a certain charity/organization you support.

You want them to see how this is something that would make you happy, not feel bad about their gifts or like they are unappreciated.

Make alternative suggestions

Maybe your family, friends, or coworkers are feeling the same way about all the gift-giving but no one else has expressed it. Try offering some other fun ideas to change up your traditional gifting:

Instead of getting individual gifts you could suggest that everyone draws names and buys 1 “big ticket” gift for 1 person. This way you can spend a little more on the gift and get something the person truly wants.
You could agree to gift experiences – dinners, movie tickets, coffee dates, or any activity they enjoy. Instead of giving gifts why not spend time together and make memories!
You could decide to gift consumables like homemade cookies, coffee/tea, favorite liquors, etc.
Or another option if you’re all crafty is to give handmade gifts
You could all use a wishlist. There are apps like Giftster where everyone lists things they’d like, you can share it with a group and mark things that are purchased so there won’t be duplicates. This way people can ask for things they actually want and it makes shopping easier for everyone.

Show extra appreciation when people respect your wishes

Remember that it can be a big deal for some people to change their habits. If your relative who loves piles of presents gave you a charitable donation like you asked, they might be worried that it’s “not enough” or you’ll feel left out when everyone else get their gifts. Make an extra effort to thank them and explain that it’s a wonderful gift and really means a lot to you!

Of course you should show gratitude, but taking extra time to explain how meaningful it is will help the person know they made the right choice and they’ll also likely remember for the next time how special that gift was to you.

What about when you receive an unwanted gift?

I think it’s important to still be gracious receiving unwanted gifts and then try to find that item a home where it will actually be used. I really like how Courtney Carver explains gift giving; that the “gift” isn’t the physical object, the gift is meant to be an expression of love or appreciation so you can keep the intention of the gift but still let go of the object. The person who gave you the gift likely wouldn’t want it to cause you stress or negative feelings.

If you know someone who would use and appreciate the gift, re-gifting can be a great option. Also look for charities you might be able to donate it to, for example if you received skincare products that you won’t use try to find a local shelter that takes care and hygiene products.

Then try again with gentle suggestions next time. Remember that it can be a process and take a while for people to adjust.

Photos from Unsplash

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