#this and buying a mooncup 8 years ago | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ratherbeem-blog · 5 years

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Down the line again

After an unexpected procrastination hiatus, I’m going to give blogging another go again. What better way to start than dwelling on those goals I said I’d stick to.

1. It’s pretty easy to see that I haven’t kept up with this one – the last time I blogged on here was October 15th. I haven’t really got a good excuse, but I found that writing is useful to me to get my thoughts out and track them, so I’m going to try and get back on this wagon. I want to be able to look back on my progress over the year, so I’m going to make more of an effort to keep this updated for myself.

2. I haven’t read a full book yet, but I have started on The Great Indoors by Ben Highmore. I’m very into interior design and homeware, so it’s a good starting point. I need to make more of an effort to finish it, so let’s make this my own smaller goal – I’ll post something proper about it on this blog by 5th December at the very latest.

3. I haven’t got involved in community things specifically – I’ve done a bit of shopping in charity shops, but nothing that gets me directly into the community. I want to do a big food shop soon and donate stuff to the food bank, but I’d also like to do something more hands on. There’s a community theatre down the road from my flat, and I’d love to paint scenery or something for them, but I’ve not got round to contacting them yet. I’m getting more involved at work, in a way – I’ve been talking to people more and I’m doing the Secret Santa, and someone even came to me for programming advice on Friday. While I’m hoping to connect to more people in real life, I’ve been posting a bit more on Reddit recently, especially in AskWomen and AskUK. I’m also doing the Secret Santa over there because I really enjoyed shopping for someone last year and they sent me a really sweet thank you message.

4. I’ve seen my old friends Robert and Ryan a few times since I last posted, at random events and hanging out in pubs. I’ve also voice-chatted with Daniel to talk about D&D. I’ve never played it before but we’re starting a campaign on Monday. I flaked for a while, but I’m so glad that Daniel was patient with me and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll be playing with Jamie, Felix and Ryan – Daniel is the DM. I’m playing a half-drow sorceress based on Daniel’s suggestions.

5. Haven’t done cooked for anyone but James and I yet, but I’d still really like to!

6. We went to the cat café in Manchester when we were visiting James’ brother, which was nice. The cats were a bit more active than the last time we went. We’re going back to James’ hometown next weekend, so we’ll probably visit the cat shelter. We both want to get a pet but we know that we need to make sure our flat is cat-proofed and that we get permission from the landlord before we get one, and make sure that we’ve got money saved up for any big vet bills.

7. It turns out that my payments for council tax weren’t going through properly, so this has been a rough month financially because I had to pay the whole bill for six months in one go. I’ve still got £1500 more in my bank account than I had at my lowest point in the summer, though, so I will be able to recover. I’ve also got my pension sorted through work, so some of my savings will be going into a retirement investment account that I can’t touch for about thirty-five years. I need to set something better up for my own personal savings, maybe getting a high-interest current account and passing money between my main and my secondary current account via a standing order to ensure that my money is liquid. I’ve not been able to pick up any shifts back at uni since five weeks ago so I can’t count on that income totally, but I did do a few hours of overtime at my day job. I’ve been filling out YouGov surveys so I should hit the payout threshold for that in a couple of months.

8. Our trip to Ireland is very soon now! Also his cousin is getting married in France next summer and his parents have invited me along for the week before. I’m excited to travel with James and hopefully see a lot of the world together. I’d like to go to America and Canada at some point, but I still want to go inter-railing – I’m not sure how much Brexit will ruin my chances of that, though.

9. I haven’t started a handmade recipe book yet, but I’ve been looking for the perfect book to do it in. I’d like something with removable recipe cards, so maybe a photo album or a file of index cards would be good. James’ mum gave me a recipe notebook but I’d like to be able to reorder things as I need to. I know that makes me sound bratty, but I’m quite particular about the way I do things (or maybe I’m just lazy and making excuses).

10. No new fun facts, but I’ll keep you posted!

11. I’m “ill ill” for the first time in a year or so at the moment – lots of phlegm and losing my voice. From a more long-term view, I went to see the GP about my mental health, and he seems to think that it’s something along the lines of OCD or anxiety, maybe both. He prescribed me some beta-blockers to take when I know I’m going to be anxious, and they make things a little bit easier – I’ve found that they’re really good for when worrying about something is stopping me from sleeping, but not so much on the social side of things. I’ve not been to speak about my physical health yet, but I’m not noticing symptoms as much lately. I’ve been overweight for most of my life, and ended up buying a scale sometime in October. Since then, I’ve lost 7 pounds (actually, I lost some of it and gained it back again, and then lost some more – but I’m 7 pounds lighter now than when I started). I’m hoping to reach a healthy weight in 2019.

12. I haven’t spoken to any of my siblings yet. I’ve been trying to sort some sort of family dinner or something out via my parents, but they’re not very cooperative. I’m spending Christmas with James’ family, and I’m excited for that.

13. I’m still watercolouring, and I can see improvements in my work from week to week. I need to practice more and I’m hoping to send my Reddit giftee something I’ve painted along with a commercial gift. I’d also like to make something for James, and something for his parents. I’m continuing learning HTML and CSS – I’ve used it to tweak an application at work and entered a little site I made in a hackathon. I’d like to get around to using the skills I’ve built to make my Tumblr a bit more personal.

14. I figured out most of it, and then James figured out how to get the radiator in the bedroom to work. We don’t have it on much – a couple of hours in the evening, if at all – but it’s nice to know that we’ve got it when we need it.

15. I haven’t done this yet, but I might try doing Veganuary or something. We’re still eating very little meat, except for when we go to restaurants.

16. We’re going to see Come From Away soon, watch this space…

17. Getting my five-a-day hasn’t always been successful – I think if I track it a bit more I’d become better at it. James and I eat a lot of vegetables compared to my parents, but we’re not always on track to five-a-day and I’d like to get better at this and become healthier.

18. I haven’t been to the market in a while because we’ve been pretty busy for a few weekends (and I was pretty ill yesterday). We need to get around to buying from that bakery soon still. I’ve picked some homewares and clothes up from the charity shops, so that’s something at least.

19. In an effort to reduce my plastic consumption, I have bought a mooncup, but couldn’t quite get the hang of putting it in comfortably on my last period. When the next one comes around, I’ll give it another go and hopefully have more success. I try to buy loose vegetables where I can and such.

20. I bought some chocolate hearts with sweet messages on to hide in his jacket pocket, but he ended up finding them before I did it and assumed they were just part of the regular chocolate supply for the week, and ate them... oh well, I guess they got to the intended recipient! Even though we live together, I want to post him a love letter or something to make him smile. I make his lunch when he’s rushing around some mornings and he’s always very appreciative.

21. The only step I’ve really made career-wise has been competing in a hackathon (with James, who’s never programmed before – we won a prize for being the best newcomer project!). We’d like to do more of them in the future. I got to interact with a lot of other computer geeks and do a little HTML side-project and complete a site under time pressure, so I’ve got a few more skills I can highlight on a CV. I taught James a bit of HTML, and it would be nice to do something more with that. I might get involved in some community GitHub projects or something to sharpen my skills. I think my medium-term plan is to find a job as a programmer in the transport industry, because they seem to have jobs for XSLT developers and have nice benefits like free travel for employees and their partners, which would definitely help with the seeing the world side of things.

22. I’m still badly organised, no real progress here. I know that my boss doesn’t really mind, but I think my goal for the next fortnight is being early for work every day without needing to get a taxi.

Some things have been successful so far, and some haven’t, but I want to motivate myself to get these things done. Let’s do this.

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floraexplorer · 5 years

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Ten Eco-Friendly Products for the Traveller in Your Life

“Single-use plastics are the devil!”

I stood in the pharmacy aisle and staring at the dental floss picks in disbelief. Twenty different brands, all with plastic handles wrapped in cellophane, all supposed to be used once then thrown out.

I’d just come from a visit to the dental hygienist who’d told me to I needed to floss. She’d even recommended these picks because they’re easier to use than regular floss – but I couldn’t bear the idea of wilfully buying something so environmentally wasteful.

Five minutes of deliberation later, I eventually had to turn around and walk out of the store, my vow to improve my dental hygiene melting away.

It got me thinking about the choices I make when it comes to eco-friendly products. A lot of factors in my regular life at home are chosen on the basis of their environmental impact: I shop in charity shops and thrift stores for clothes; I recycle plastics and organic waste — and clearly I’m growing increasingly conscious of how much plastic I buy.

But how do I manage to be eco-friendly when I travel?

Travelling is, in essence, an environmental problem – from a plane ride’s damaging carbon emissions to the excessive amount of waste generated by millions of tourists in countries ill-equipped to dispose of it.

Luckily, there are countries combatting the tourism crisis with bans on single-use plastic and aims to become entirely climate-neutral – but we still have a responsibility as individuals.

When travelling, we can be more eco-conscious by turning off the lights, picking up our rubbish, using public transport, and being conscious of the amount of water we use. In short, all the things we (hopefully!) already do at home. We can eat locally, travel more slowly, and buy from independent retailers.

But the biggest personal change we can make is to simply stop using so much. If single-use items grow less popular, eventually we’ll see a marked difference in our efforts to combat waste.

Over the years I’ve amassed a selection of products which make my travels a bit more eco-friendly. I know from personal experience that they’re all affordable, durable and worth the money you’ll spend – and each of them helps the environment in their own way.

Read more: Ethical mistakes I’ve made while travelling

Reusable bag

When I was younger, I used to watch my mum carrying multiple bags everywhere she went. I used to joke and call her ‘a bag lady’ – but now I remember that her newspapers, groceries and extra layers were always in tote bags, never plastic.

A brand she particularly loved was Onya. In an effort to challenge our disposable culture, Onya use yarn made from recycled plastic bottles to make reusable bags. Mum gave me a blue Onya bag over a decade ago, and despite it getting increasingly stained and worn out, that same bag is still going strong fifteen years later.

The silky material means it’s super light and folds up to barely anything: as a result, it’s been stuffed into my pack throughout long-term travels in Asia and South America, has visited dozens of other countries and is always in my bag even when I’m in London. There’s nothing like the ‘internal-high-five’ I feel when I successfully avoid using a plastic bag in a shop!

Onya now only sell their products in Australia, but there are plenty of other reusable bags out there – like Baggu bags and these foldable totes from Bee Green.

Price: from £8 on Amazon

TOMS slipon shoes

I first discovered TOMS shoes when living in San Francisco in 2009, when I put them on and immediately felt like I was walking on clouds.

I virtually wore out that first pair while traipsing the SF cement, the bright lights of Vegas, the Chicago cityscape and the muggy air of New Orleans – and when I brought them back to England, I continued wearing them around my university town until my toes got too cold (alas they’re only really suitable for warmer temperatures). Eventually TOMS were stocked in the UK and now I find myself buying a pair every summer.

The classic TOMS are lightweight which makes them easy to pack, they’re comfortable for a full day of walking around, and they look casual-smart enough to wear in a range of different scenarios. They’re made from natural hemp, organic cotton and recycled polyester, while their shoeboxes are made from recycled post-consumer waste.

But most importantly, TOMS operate under a ‘Buy One, Give One’ model: for every purchase you make, they donate a pair of shoes to a child in poverty. As of today, TOMS have given away 86 million pairs of shoes to children – and most recently the founder, Blake Mycoskie, has donated $5 million towards ending gun violence in the US.

NB: If you’re a US citizen, you can go to TOMS.com and send a physical postcard to your Congress representative urging them to pass universal background checks.

Get them from £13 on Amazon

LUSH solid shampoo and conditioner

Travel-sized toiletries, though somewhat adorable in stature, have always felt like a huge waste of plastic. Despite only washing my hair twice a week I still run out of travel sized shampoo on long trips – and if I travel with carry-on only, there’s no way I’m using up my liquid allowance with a full sized bottle of shampoo!

Enter: solid shampoo. This stuff can take some getting used to at first, but it’s an undeniably useful product to travel with. A single LUSH Solid Shampoo Bar can last for about 80 washes and is made from natural ingredients and essential oils.

I store mine in a silver tin which doubles as somewhere to place the bar when showering (if there’s a ledge available). Simply run the bar a few times over wet hair to create a lather. Make sure you don’t pack the bar away when still damp though, as it can melt away a bit. I’ve patted mine dry with toilet paper then had to pick tiny specks of paper off it again – so any tips aside from air-drying are welcome!

Available on the LUSH website from £7.50

Go-Toob squeeze bottles

If you’re like me and have really dry hair, sometimes you have to use a particular brand of liquid shampoo – which is where Go-Toob comes in handy.

Most refillable bottles are hard plastic, making it really difficult to shake out whatever substance you’ve got inside. Go-Toobs are soft, squeezable, reusable bottles made from silicone, with a wide lip for easy filling and a no-leak valve. They’re small enough for airline carry-on, easy to wash out before reusing, and there’s even a designated space on the cap to write what product is inside.

I first picked up a trio of Go-Toob’s reusable bottles when I was packing for South America, and now they’re a requisite element of my travel wash bag. One holds shampoo, another has body moisturiser, and the third is a spare for suncream or whatever else I might need.

Available from £16 for a set of three bottles on Amazon

Reusable water bottle

Reusable water bottles are one of the easiest eco-friendly switches to make: they’re cheaper than buying bottled water and they greatly reduce wasted plastic.

I have a few in my collection: two different sizes of Ion8 bottles made from BPA-free plastic, and two metal bottles from Klean Kanteen – one with a wide lip and one with a sports cap. I find the latter easiest for travel because although a wide-lipped bottle is aesthetically appealing, it has the ability to jolt against my teeth if I’m not standing perfectly still. After an accident in the school playground where I broke my front tooth, I’m now really cautious about possible teeth-related accidents!

A word of warning when travelling: always check whether the tap water is safe to drink. If you’re unsure, you can use water purification tablets or a LifeStraw.

Price: from £18.95 on Amazon

Mooncup

After years of worrying about developing Toxic Shock Syndrome from tampons, I started using a menstrual cup when I went to South America and I’ve never looked back.

For female travellers, menstrual cups are a no-brainer: gone are the days of using up precious backpack space with tampons, or running the risk of not being able to buy them in your destination. But they’re really eco-friendly too. The average person goes through approximately 11,000 pads and/or tampons in their lifetime, all of which end up in landfill: in comparison, you only need to replace your menstrual cup every few years.

A Mooncup is made of soft medical-grade silicone which you fold and put inside yourself, where it then pops into its original shape and creates a seal with your cervix. To remove, you simply pinch the base of the cup and pull on the stem, then empty it out and clean before using again (a tip: it’s handy to take a water bottle to public toilets for this part!).

It’s understandably a bit nerve-wracking to use a menstrual cup the first few times, but you get the hang of it pretty quickly. And again, Mooncups give you longer lasting protection than other sanitary products so when you’re travelling and don’t have constant access to a toilet, there’s no panic about changing it in time! If you’re someone like me, who often suffers from thrush (which once happened after using a tampon for too long on an 18 hour night bus ride from Poland to Lithuania with a locked on-board toilet and no stops…), the non-absorbency of a menstrual cup means no dryness, which is also a lifesaver.

There are two sizes of Mooncup: choose A if you’re aged 30 or older or have given birth vaginally at any age, and B if you’re under 30 and haven’t given birth.

Price: from £21.99 on Mooncup’s site

[Image: Mama Loup’s Den]

THINX underwear

The second element to my eco-friendly period game are THINX: period underwear which are made with various absorbent materials to prevent any leaks. I ordered two pairs of these babies all the way from the US. Shipping costs were a bit of an annoyance, but nonetheless they’re bloody fantastic. Pun intended.

THINX are only slightly thicker than normal underwear, and come in six different styles with various levels of absorbency, including bikinis, boy shorts and thongs. I wear them along with my Mooncup for maximum peace of mind on the first few days of my cycle, but they’re also great to use before your period arrives so you can avoid spotting in regular underwear.

Cleaning THINX is pretty easy: just soak them in cold water first and then either handwash or chuck them in a cold washing cycle without fabric softener (as it can affect the antimicrobial materials). They do take a while to air dry, so it’s worth having more than one pair.

As with menstrual cups, using period underwear saves you using non-recyclable one-use sanitary products which end up in landfill.

(NB: If you’d be interested in an honest review about my experiences with THINX, let me know in the comments!)

Prices start from £27 at THINX (get £8 off your first purchase!)

Ethnotek backpack

My favourite backpack brand is Ethnotek, an ethically responsible social enterprise which use handmade textiles from artisans all over the world, from Vietnam and Ghana to Indonesia, Guatemala and India.

I’d been following Ethnotek for a long time, but I was finally able to meet the two founders, Cori and Jake, in Bali earlier this year. We had brunch in an Ubud cafe and chatted about their passion for keeping traditional handcraft practices alive.

Sadly many local artisans are seeing less and less demand for their work, with handmade products being replaced by factories and machines which leads to loss of jobs and ultimately the disappearance of handicrafts. That’s why it’s so important to see Ethnotek creating new demand for these traditional practices by featuring tie-dye, batik, block printing, embroidery and handloom weaving on its bags.

Available from $89 at Ethnotek. Use the code ‘FLORA10’ at checkout for a 10% discount!

Reusable cotton rounds

Once I realised how wasteful it is to use disposable face wipes, cotton balls and cotton pads, I spent ages searching the internet high and low for reusable alternatives. It took a long time to find a stockist who wasn’t in the US and could deliver to England, but eventually Etsy came to my rescue.

A set of organic cotton rounds easily replace other single-use products: simply pop your cleanser or toner on the pad and use as normal, but then put them in the wash afterwards (courtesy of the thoughtfully included laundry bag!). Mine are made from two layers of cotton, along with a layer of antibacterial bamboo towelling on one side: as it’s slightly rougher, it removes more makeup!

My only issue with reusable cotton rounds is that some of them have stained slightly from over use, so I’d recommend handwashing them with some soap and warm water sooner rather than later.

Price: from £9 on Amazon

Bamboo toothbrush

You know there’s a global crisis when a company willingly gives away their product for free in the hopes of changing people’s minds for the better.

When I saw an advert from ‘Giving Brush’ on Facebook I didn’t believe them at first – but when my free bamboo rainbow toothbrush arrived in the mail a few weeks later, I suddenly realised how irresponsible it is to use plastic toothbrushes which need to be changed every few months.

The handle is made from bamboo, a natural plant-based material so it will eventually biodegrade, and the bristles are made from nylon – not super recyclable, although some companies use the biodegradable ‘nylon4’.

Available from £8.99 for a pack of four on Amazon

What eco-friendly products do you travel with? Is there any product you wish could become more environmentally conscious?

Disclaimer: this article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links I will earn a small commission at no cost to you.

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