Green Britain Day...

Tomorrow, the 17th of June, is Green Britain Day. Whatever your feelings may be about the fact that edf Energy is the sponsor (I am frankly, a little tired of debates around whether we should support initiatives sponsored by ‘the man’ ie. Big businesses....personally I think that the more we do to support positive steps by business to take sustainability issues into consideration the more likely they are to take notice and make even more of an effort because, let's face it, they aren't just all going to go away or turn into lovely little ethical co-operatives, but maybe that’s just me being optimistic....) there are a number of great ideas for simple activities you can do for sustainability and a great deal of information on the site here: http://www.teamgreenbritain.org/the-big-picture. By registering online you can receive a newsletter which will let you know of events happening in your area.

At a recent event I went to in a work capacity the discussion centred around which group – business, consumers or government, were the drivers of change in terms of embracing sustainability issues. As usual, there was no consensus, and as usual, the conclusion is that everyone needs to work together. An excellent point which was raised and made sense to me though, was the fact that as consumers, we don’t often have access to, in economic terms, perfect information. We can only make our decisions based on what we are told and that is not always the correct information and/or all the information. So we are forced to rely on business and the information they provide. So inevitably, the best impact we can have is to let businesses know our concerns, tell them that it is important for us to know that they are doing their best to ensure that when we purchase goods and services from them we can rely on the fact that they have done the research and they are offering us the most sustainable/ethical product they can. I know this may be a bit idealistic, but I think that rather than us, as consumers, trying to make a decision about whether, for example, loose fruit or packaged fruit, is more sustainable in terms of the joint issues of food waste, transport and packaging, that is something we need to rely on the retailers to have done their research on and then fed back to us. So speak to the businesses you use about what they are doing, as a whole, about sustainability issues....write to them/email them and let them know that you want the information. I know it may seem a waste of time as an individual but just a short email can make a big difference and needn’t be a hassle. Ok, semi-rant over.....happy Green Britain Day for tomorrow.

Kitchen Clickalong....

The OH and I have participated in few of Allegra McEvedy's kitchen clickalongs on the Guardian website. It's kind of a no-brainer that it would appeal to me, lover of food and recipe books! What makes these particularly interesting is the unknown element. You don't see the recipe as a whole so it is very different from following a recipe in a book....but it's also lots of fun.

Allegra also focuses on seasonal food and tends to use a lot of fresh produce which is great. Last night's was one of the best yet, especially because it was the first in our lovely new kitchen which has a breakfast bar counter perfect for the person on calling-out-the-instructions-from-the-laptop duty...which the OH did fabulously while also managing to make some amazing fresh raspberry and chambord based cocktails (more on them later as I think they are deserving of their own post!). We made English quiche of new season garlic, asparagus and new potatoes with lemon curd pots for pudding. I managed to use pretty much every utensil and container in the kitchen....but the end results were absolutely delicious! For anyone interested in cooking, I suggest you keep an eye out for the next one and join in....

Make do and mend....

So the OH and I have just moved into a new house.....and without gushing (I only do that to my family and friends....a lot) I am just in love with it. We are only renting so are not in the business of making huge decor/refurbishing changes.....but we are planning on being there for a while so we are making it our own.....slowly but surely.

One of the projects I want to do in the fairly forseeable future is 'upcycle' our aged billy bookcases, of which there are 5 now in the open plan lounge/dining room area. They are currently tired-looking pine and the plan is to paint them white and wallpaper the inner back panel.

This is not a new and original idea by any means, it's been done to great effect here on design sponge and there are a number of sites that give step-by-step instructions. I think it's going to look great and to be honest, if it doesn't, we can always get some new bookcases as the ones we have at the moment are not in the prime of their lives so I'm not afraid of 'ruining' them. But I would always rather reuse what we have already, especially when doing that can mean you end up with something a little bit more original and personal than something straight from the shop.

I have ordered the wallpaper already (see below....I love it) and hopefully once that arrives I can get started so will post pics in the next few weeks.

Beauty Review: Yes To Carrots Body Lotion and Eye Contour Cream

Yes To Carrots is a US-based skincare range now available in the UK. I have been using the 'C is Smooth - Body Moisturising Lotion' and 'Eye can C Clearly Now - Eye Contour Cream' for several weeks and although I wouldn't say they have astounded me they are good overall products.

The body lotion is non-greasy which is good. The only thing I don't like is that it just seems to disappear so I have to apply quite a lot before I feel like it's had an effect. I do like the fresh, 'baby lotion' smell as it doesn't interfere with my perfume.

The eye cream moisturises my under eye area effectively but unfortunately didn't do anything for dark circles or puffiness. So it's a nice product but not a miracle worker....it does however come in a very large jar compared to most eye products so will last for a long time and is good value for money.

The range uses Beta-Carotene from fruits and vegetables and minerals from the Dead Sea. Products do not contain parabens, phthalates and are not tested on animals. The 'Yes To' company state that they try to use as high a natural and organic content as possible....but this does vary from product to product, so it's best to do a bit of research and check the ingredient list for each one if you have particular concerns. The company aims to donate over 5% of profits towards the 'Yes To Carrots' Seed Fund, a US non-profit organisation which provides grants to schools and communities to help them build gardens and promote healthy nutrition. Visit http://www.yestocarrots.com/. for more information about the company and specific products.

Fairtrade Fortnight: The Big Swap is on.....

Fairtrade Fortnight starts today. This year, the focus is on swapping your ‘usual stuff’ for the fairtrade equivalent. A number of individuals, organisations and businesses have already registered their swaps at www.fairtrade.org.uk/thebigswap. The website also has more information on what you can swap, Big Swap Events and other ways you can get involved in Fairtrade Fortnight.

The great thing about this campaign, in my humble opinion, is that it is really easy for individuals to get involved. You can embrace Fairtrade Fortnight as much as you’d like, whether all you do is register to swap your regular teabags for fairtrade ones for a few weeks or possibly take it a bit further swapping a wider range of items such as other groceries, clothing or even cleaning products.

3 of the best.....ethical fashion sale items

Harriet Tunic now £30 (Frank & Faith)

Stweart + Brown Organic Tee now £24 (Fashion-Conscience)

Short Sleeved Cardi now £25 (Ascension)

Beauty Review: Liz Earle Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise

I had heard about Liz Earle products a number of times in the run-up to me actually purchasing them, and pretty much all the things I heard were good. The products are a favourite of the ‘The Green Beauty Bible’ and have won a raft of awards.

Liz Earle have a broadly ‘natural’ philosophy, although some of our stricter green friends may be critical of the fact that the range does use some synthetic preservatives. Liz Earle do no animal testing and use no animal ingredients, no mineral oils and no genetically engineered ingredients.

I purchased the ‘3 daily essentials’ from the website which are the famous Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, the Instant Boost Skin Tonic and the Skin Repair Moisturiser (I bought the Normal/combination version).

I have been using all three for about 4 months now and I am incredibly impressed. I am notoriously lazy when it comes to maintaining any sort of routine, especially a ‘skincare’ one. But I noticed the effects of these products from day one (seriously) and that just made me want to keep things up. The Cleanser smells gorgeous and for my occasionally sensitive, dry and flakey cheeks it has been amazing this Winter. I feel it wouldn’t be accurate to review each of these products separately as I have been using all three and would be hard pressed to say whether the improvement in my skin has come from one in particular or a combination of all of them. I went to a beautician I have been to regularly over the years for a facial a few weeks ago and she said my skin had never been so hydrated. I’m sure this is partially down to the fact that I have never before been so disciplined with actually cleansing, toning and moisturising on a regular basis but that is mainly because the products make my skin feel great. So a big thumbs up for Liz Earle and I am definitely going to try some of the other products in the range in the future.

Visit http://www.lizearle.com/ for more information on the range, to read their Environmental Policy Statement and to find out more about Liz Earle’s philosophy on natural and organic ingredients. Ordering products from the website is quick and efficient. The products were packaged beautifully when they arrived and although most of the packaging was bio-degradable there did some to be rather a lot of it, unnecessarily. I also received a free sample with my order, which is always nice.