Tuesday, April 10, 2018

The Benefits of Sustainable Living & How We Can All Give It A Go ♥

The phrase ‘sustainable living’ may conjure up images of yurts, goats and recycled clothing in your mind, but, you will be relieved to know that it is actually quite easy to achieve in our own homes, isn't an extremely 'out there' concept and has a lot of benefits too.

Sustainable living is basically leading a lifestyle which uses fewer resources such as water, energy and trees - and all of these things can only have a positive impact on us and the Earth too.

As less energy and water is being used, we are not only benefiting the planet, but also saving money - and who doesn't love saving a few cents whenever they can?

There are various ways in which we can change our lives for the better and live a more sustainable life. Even the smallest change in your living habits can result in some really positive effects all around and I for one think that's an amazing thing.

Starting small
You may have already started to live more sustainably without even realising it. For instance, since there was the dreaded charge to buy a bag at check out in both Ireland and the U.K., we have begun to use 85% less shopping bags!

We have all also started to crack down on recycling weekly, with separate bins for recycling and waste and many of us reuse our water bottles rather than buying a new bottle each day.

At home, we can go further to reduce our energy wastage by getting the family into the routine of switching off lights and lamps when they leave the room. As a family, we go one step further and plug out things when we're not using them too. I've shared some tips in this post about creating an eco-friendly home.

Another method of being eco-friendlier is to consider making your own cleaning products. Unfortunately, some of the harsher chemicals we use in our homes can end up seeping into rivers and damaging its eco-systems. There are plenty of easy and cheap ways we can use natural ingredients as effective cleaners.

Ran out of your usual all-purpose cleaner? Try mixing 4 tablespoons of baking soda with a quarter of warm water, pour it on a clean sponge, and wipe away. If you take a look online, you will be amazed by how many cleaning products you can create from home ingredients!

Thinking bigger
The more vegetables and fruit we grow at home, the more we can cook and preserve. By home growing our fresh produce we will be cutting down on supermarket bills, have peace of mind knowing where everything has come from, and it will also give you a great sense of accomplishment when it comes to harvesting them.

Greenhouses are fantastic investments if you are wanting to reap big returns on your growing, as they maintain perfect conditions and provide plants with shelter. However, if you don’t want to buy a greenhouse, you can just as successfully grow a variety of fruits and vegetables in your garden.

A top tip for growing produce in your garden is to purchase a fruit cage to protect your plants. They are inexpensive and effective in keeping any pesky rabbits and birds away from your growing vegetable and fruit.

Finally, have you ever thought about keeping chickens? They will be a constant source of amusement with their funny little characters, as well as freshly laid eggs - I grew up on a farm and loved going down to the chicken house to collect the eggs each day.

Chickens are also a great way to introduce responsibility to children as they can be placed in charge of feeding the fowl and helping you collect their eggs - honestly, it was such a novelty to me as a child.

Another sustainable living benefit to chickens is that they are mini recycling machines as you can feed them a lot of your kitchen waste - so it really doesn't end up being 'waste' at all!

These are just a few simple things which you and your family can do in order to live a more sustainable life and honestly, I think all of these things sound quite wholesome and lovely and quite simple things to introduce into your lifestyle.

When I have my dream house in the countryside I am definitely getting a greenhouse!
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