Your sustainable life issue #5

YOUR SUSTAINABLE LIFE WWW.YOURSUSTAINABLELIFE.COM.AU THE ECO FRIENDLY MAGAZINE ONLINE ONLY

MAR 16 ISSUE #5

Earth Hour

Get involved on Saturday March 19th 8.30pm CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

INTERVIEWS LUSH Australia with Peta Granger

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PLUS Our Top Pinterest Picks!

Cover Image ­ NASA

Issue 5

Feature

YOUR SUSTAINABLE LIFE

Earth Hour pg 5-6

Environment From Little Things Big Things Grow - PART THREE pg 7-8

Do It Yourself DIY Pallet Planters pg 13 War on Weeds pg 14

Leadership The unique gifts you bring to the world pg 11-12

Wellness Do You Even Know What You Stand For? pg 21-22 BONUS FREEBIE Complimentary Stress Management Consultation pg 23

Interviews LUSH Australia - with Peta Granger pg 15-16

STAPLES 03 Editor's Note 17 Pinterest Picks 15 Sustainable Brands 19 Did You Know?

Photo's by ­ Francesco Gallarotti

EDITOR'S NOTE

Kelly Petering EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Welcome to the fifth edition of Your Sustainable Life ­ The Eco­Friendly Magazine. We trust you enjoyed our last issue and that you continue to find inspiration and motivation to lead a more sustainable life here in these pages.

The feedback we have received so far is fantastic, and would love those suggestions to keep rolling in! If you have something you feel would add value to this magazine please feel free to email us at info@yoursustainablelife.com.au.

One thing I would like to mention ­ we are about raising awareness and opening the door for every day people to gain insight into how they can live more sustainably in all areas of life.

We are NOT here to judge or make people feel guilty ­ it’s about doing what you can, when you can, with the resources you have available to you.

We are a starting point ­ and acknowledge that there are organisations out there who focus more specifically on certain aspects of sustainability ­ we LOVE that there are others out there with passion for our environment.

We are NOT experts ­ and certainly do not claim to know everything ­ we believe there is always more to learn…

We invite experts to write for us and encourage those who are learning to contribute too…

We want to create a movement of people who are on the same page ­ maybe you’re not at the stage of political activism or would ever consider living off the land out in the bush ­ maybe you are ready to make a few small changes in your life… and we want to acknowledge you for that!

Please share the subscription link to your friends and family and send us your feedback!

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EARTH HOUR

Photo by ­ NASA

Saturday March 19th 8.30pm - 9.30pm Click here to visit the website Get involved to save the #PLACESWE LOVE

From Little Things, Big Things Grow...

PART THREE So you’re reading this magazine because you are likely already a sustainability master or interested and dipping you toe in the water! But what murky water it may appear! There are so many ideas and so much information out there that it can be quite overwhelming knowing where to begin.

Me, I’m a city girl born and raised in Melbourne. When it came to family holidays it was all about escaping to a beach side town on the Victorian coast or the mighty Murray River. Here is where I developed an interest in the environment and went on to study Ecology and Marine Biology. I then took my studies further, completing a Master of Environment in environmental policy.

One of the many things I took away from my studies was this ‘all or nothing’ mentality of humans in which it is so easy to feel that environmental problems (particularly Climate Change) are so big and so out of our control that how can I as one individual help? How could my small actions make any impact? Well, many small actions add up. As more people undertake these actions then they become a social norm and more people pick them up and start, making it easier and easier for others to take up.

Here is Part 3 ­ a continuation of my last article in the previous issue of Your Sustainable Life...

Image by Annie Spratt

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Foods and environmental impact Lets talk meat.

Many will throw the statement out to just stop eating meat!

That is a lot easier said than done! Also, for some it is not healthy to stop eating meat and others it is medically dangerous. So you want to reduce those greenhouse gas emissions but you aren’t ready to go vegetarian or vegan?

Never fear, some simple food changes significantly reduce your greenhouse gas emissions!

Be picky with the type of meats you eat ­ reduce your beef intake. When it comes to environmental impact, not all meats are equal. Beef production emits the most greenhouse gasses when compared with other meats and animal products. In fact, studies quoted by the United Nations Environment Programme found beef to produce almost 9 times more greenhouse gases than pork and 17 times that of milk.

Aim for grass fed, free­range meat. Okay, this can add some cost at the till. But according the United Nations Environment Programme the feed provided under modern day industrial style farming is often cultivated en masse in monocultures.

These monocultures require clearing of previously vegetated land and significant herbicide and insecticide use. Also, en masse industrial feeding produces a large amount of manure that can leach into the environment and releases greenhouse gases.

Here is my basic recipe to get you started: Coffee – bought in bulk. If you can, from a bulk supply shop. Either pre­ground or if you have a coffee grinder then you can do this at home.

Epsom salts – I use a 1:1 ratio of ground coffee to epsom salts.

Olive oil and/or coconut oil to your liking! I use just enough to make the dry ingredients wet, others may want more oil factor.

Essential oils. I add tea tree oil and lavender as these are great for my skin type and I love the smell!

Store in one of those glass jars you saved to avoid plastic up above!

There are now a growing number of organic and natural beauty brands aimed at reducing your interaction with chemicals and the amount of chemicals going down our drains. For me, this was a scary step as I have skin that tends to break out easy. But I’ve now tried a few brands (not at the cheaper end of the market I must confess) and have been pleasantly surprised – in fact my skin has been better than ever.

By Kathleen Simpson, Environmental Enthusiast

Reduce your meat intake by throwing in a few vegetation style meals! Its okay, you’ll survive – just try it! Mexican beans anyone?

(Source: http://www.unep.org/pdf/unep­geas_oct_2012.pdf) Clean up your beauty regime Okay, so I’m just getting started on doing this myself. But one great way to begin reducing impact is by creating your own exfoliating scrub. Its fun and easy – actually only takes me about 5 minutes. You reduce having to buy the packaging (saving on plastic use) and you avoid wondering if there are plastic micro beads (now shown to be terrible for the marine environment and countries are beginning to ban their use).

For the cost of one tub of exfoliating scrub from the shops I’ve bought the ingredients for almost a year’s worth and I know exactly what is going into my scrub.

How you ask?

Image by Mark Daynes

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Image ­ Dan Stark WWW.YOURSUSTAINABLELIFE.COM.AU

Image ­ Eric Froehling WWW.YOURSUSTAINABLELIFE.COM.AU

The unique gifts you bring to the world

By Angela Kambouris "Who are you? What do you stand for? What role do you play? More like how many roles do you deliver or fulfil all at the same time? When we explore the different roles we play whether it be father, mother, child, daughter, teacher, manager, director, these are an aspect of you.

They don’t define who you are or fundamentally what is inside of you – your inner self.

Purpose, values, vision, motivation, goals, beliefs make up the components of our inner self. Knowing what they internally represent, how we think, what is important to us, and what state we want to experience everyday consistently. What drives us and what are the roadblocks that we create, all require introspection and self­ awareness.

Be clear what you stand for, what inspires you, what rocks your world and what is the “shit” we tell ourselves every day that stagnates us moving towards our goals.

When you define your own life for you, you connect with who you really are. You consciously choose the life you wish to live, the path you choose to create and the vision you want to bring to life. Life is a learning journey in self­ discovery. Embrace wholeheartedly what you stand for and live this in a conscious and purposeful manner.

How to discover your inner self: Grab a pen and paper. There are a list of questions that you need to ask yourself. Write the first thing that comes to the forefront of your mind and connect with your gut instinct. There is no wrong or right answer. Trust you.

What am l great at?

What am l passionate about?

What do l value?

What is my vision for me?

What motivates me in my life?

What gets me going day after day?

What will l fight for?

What are the qualities important to me?

What are my beliefs of the world?

What am l afraid of?

What are you inspired by?

Who do l admire?

How do you want to be remembered?

Ange is super passionate about redefining leadership across the world, bringing back human connection and compassion. Her philosophy is simple – you matter, everyone matters and together we can make a difference.

As a global consultant, trainer and mentor, Ange shows people how to unlock their human potential, connect people back to their internal power and maximise results by leveraging their strengths. Self­leadership is the master key for aligning success in business, career and life.

AK Consultancy embraces you have unlimited potential and the ability to transform your life. When you transform your life, you transform the world.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT ANGELA KAMBOURIS ON FACEBOOK

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This exploration triggers a part in your brain to look introspectively as you stir the depth of your soul. You become more aware of your thoughts and actions as what you focus on is where you energy will flow. You start to carve an impression of who you are on the inside.

When we start this exploration, conflicts can arise between who you are, who you are expected to be and who you are becoming. It creates an opportunity to begin living in alignment with your inner self. The choice is always yours. Take a step every day toward your inner self, toward your vision. Make a conscious effort to be congruent with who you are and embrace the life you are supposed to live.

By Angela Kambouris Click here to visit Angela at http://angelakambouris.com/

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DIY PALLET PLANTER

BY CLAIR MORRISON Hi peeps, this is our first tutorial! Today we are going to teach you how to make a Pallet Planter. This was one of our first DIY creations and most definitely our favourite!

What you will need: 1 x old pallet (we got our from a verge collection however most building sites will dispose of them once used too) 1 x large sheet of tarp large enough to cover the base of the pallet 1 x staple gun 6 x bags of potting mix or enough homemade soil to fill the pallet 15 x small plants (or however many section holes there are in your pallet) When starting out my business I was so dedicated to operating and maintaining a sustainable business I set out to make everything myself, so far ­ I have stuck to this goal. Although sometimes it seems a lot more time consuming and sometimes even more expensive than ordering online or hiring someone ­ it is far more satisfying !

By no means am I tech savvy but I can whole heartedly say that I have built my website from scratch, designed my logo and branding, made by own business cards and logo tags ­ hell I even mix cement!

I actually ended up making my own business cards out of frustration as I was finding it so difficult to source companies that use recycled brown Kraft card ­ and the ones I did find were either terribly expensive or overseas companies (I will only buy Australian made).

Instead of printing my logo on these cards and our tags I had a laser cut rubber stamp made with our logo ­ we use green stamp (to team with our theme hehe) and hand make every single one ­ I really need to invest in a guillotine as I had blisters on my hands from scissors! Although they may not all be even and perfect ­ they are 100% handmade with my own blood sweat and tears ­ I will pull all nighters, I will be working on weekends and promoting my cause until my voice is hoarse....because this is my passion and dream and I want to do my part in making a greener future for our children, their children and so on.

CLICK HERE TO VISIST WWW.LOVEGROWSPERTH.COM

Instructions: 1.First you will need to attach the tarp to the back of the pallet, we used a staple gun to do this. Make sure you pull the tarp so there is some tension to ensure the back of the planter is taut and strong enough to provide a flat base to hold the soil.

2. Once the tarp is securely attached to the back of the planter you can then start to fill the pallet with soil, we found the easiest and quickest way was to empty all the soil on top and then distribute evenly to each section of the pallet.

3. Once the sections are full with soil you can then start planting, place one plant in each section and ensure it is secure by patting soil flat around it.

4. Water the pallet and keep horizontal for 1 week until the soil hardens around the plants, you can then stand the pallet up to make a vertical wall planter :) We hope you love this cute addition to your home!

War on Weeds - Home remedies to protect your garden

BY CLAIR MORRISON

Are you fighting a losing battle against bugs, disease and weeds in your garden? It seems like an inevitable battle these days so I thought I would share a couple of my home remedies I use to help protect my plants.

Ingredients 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 1 tablespoon powdered cayenne pepper 1 litre warm water

Bicarbonate of Soda Solution This is used to control fungal diseases, the vegetable oil in this recipe helps the solution cling to foliage. You can spray it on infected foliage to discourage the spread of fungal diseases but because this remedy is most effective as a preventative, apply it once a week to susceptible plants before disease symptoms appear. Spray each plant completely, covering all leaf surfaces.

Directions Place the prepared garlic and the pepper into a 2 litre container Add the water to the container Stir the mixture vigorously for about a minute. Cover the container, set in a place without direct sunlight and let stand for two days.

Strain into a clean spray container and use.

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup and an additional 4.5 litres warm water

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Directions: Mix bicarbonate of soda and oil in 1 cup of warm water. Stir until the soda dissolves completely.

Add the solution to 4.5 litres of warm water and mix thoroughly.

Pour solution into a clean spray container and use.

Citrus spray The rinds of lemons and other citrus fruits contain citrus oil, a sweet smelling substance that is harmless to people and pets but repels many insects. Because some plants are sensitive to citrus oil be sure to test first by spraying a leaf with this solution then wait to see if damage occurs.

Ingredients: 2 lemons 1 litre water Directions Grate the lemon rind and put aside Bring the water to a full boil Add the rind to the water and remove pan from heat Cover and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours Strain into a clean spray container and use Hot Pepper and Garlic Spray Insects find these popular seasonings distasteful. They can be used to make a spray, which can be applied as often as needed to repel pests. Always handle hot­pepper spray carefully and never use it to repel animals, because capsaicin the active ingredient in pepper is a powerful eye and skin irritant.

We are a home studio based in Perth delivering homegrown plants packaged in recycled, handmade and reused materials. We are committed to maintaining a sustainable business and believe that through education and encouragement everyone can make conscious decisions to help live a greener life.

Each day we feature a different #plantoftheday available to order for $20 until 1pm for same day delivery, unless sold out. Each plant comes with a care guide for the new owner.

Custom and Corporate orders, event styling and collaborations are also available. Email us to enquire.

Keep an eye out for us at Pop­up Venues, Local Farmers Markets and Trade Fairs, details on our events page.

Price includes delivery in Perth, orders after 1pm or on weekends will be delivered the next business day unless otherwise requested.

CLICK HERE TO VISIST WWW.LOVEGROWSPERTH.COM

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If you live in a major city anywhere in the world, you have most likely stumbled across the sensational aromas of a LUSH store ­ you can smell their deliciously fresh cosmetics from a mile away! If you have not yet experienced the buzzing vibe of a LUSH store, it’s now time… you will find beautiful handmade, environmentally friendly, ‘naked’ products as well as staff that are both knowledgeable and passionate about making a difference in the world.

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing the LUSH Director of AUS and NZ, Peta Granger. Personally I have always been a fan of the LUSH brand (I’m a long time ‘butter ball’ addict) and I must say that after speaking with Peta about the company’s background, mission and values I am now an even bigger supporter.

After joining LUSH over in Dublin, Ireland in 2001 as a Sales Assistant, Peta has travelled the globe helping build LUSH businesses in over 35 countries and now heads the Australia/New Zealand team as their Director where she works to develop a strong community and culture within their team. She has worked closely with the founders of the brand who, as animal and environmental activists, started the company 20 years ago to create cosmetic products that adhered to their own high standards, values and ethics.

Today, LUSH have 9 kitchens where the products are produced and have stores in 52 countries around the globe ­ all full of proud, passionate and committed employees who are encouraged to support and share causes they believe in.

The founders still run all major parts of the business and they continue to innovate more sustainable and environmentally friendly products, like their solid shampoo bar (which has won a packaging award) and ‘naked’ products which are completely free from packaging, helping to eliminate unnecessary landfill.

Not only are LUSH working towards creating eco­friendly and sustainable products, they are going one step further; supporting projects and developing partnerships with communities that produce ingredients used to create their products. Through their ‘SLUSH fund’ (Sustainable LUSH fund) they support practices that work towards regenerating the land and creating sustainable alternatives to traditional agriculture.

How does it work? 2% of the amount the company spends on packaging and raw materials is donated to the SLUSH fund to start sustainable farms and community projects around the world.

With projects like the Ghana Permaculture Institute, they have supported locals to transform 24 acres of degraded land into both a training centre and organic farm which produces Moringa Oil which is used in the LUSH product ‘Charity Pot’. Other SLUSH fund project are featured in the images on the right; from top to bottom ­ Colombian Peace Community, Kenya Laikipia Aloe Project and Rosewood Oil ­ Peru..

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Just another brilliant reason to support brands that are walking their talk and truly making a difference!

Peta believes that as LUSH became better at communicating their values, they started to attract passionate and loyal customers who are also committed to making a difference in the world ­ it’s those strong values and ethics that are the driving force behind the products, practices and people that make LUSH what it is today. They are proving that you can make a difference and make a profit as a company at the same time… Something that many other businesses could learn from!

LUSH Australia and New Zealand are headed into a large expansion phase where they will continue to innovate sustainable ultra fresh products, challenge and disrupt the industry status quo as well as actively campaign for causes such as fighting animal testing. They aim to encourage others to take more action and make braver choices in what they stand up for.

Peta says ‘Ultimately we get to choose…’ becoming mindful about the true impact of what we spend our money on is one way we can live more sustainably and create the changes we want to see in the future. When choosing cosmetic products based on how they are sourced, created and sold, LUSH is the standout brand!

LUSH are always looking for like minded individuals or groups to collaborate with on certain issues and causes ­ if you have something you are passionate about you can contact the LUSH team via their website at https://www.lush.com.au/ Interview with Peta Granger (below), article written by Kelly Petering

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EARTH HOUR 2016 #PLACESWELOVE

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Do You Even Know What You Stand For?

By Sabrina Muller - The Body Love Coach People talk about standing in your truth, use words like being in alignment and being guided by your intuition!

But do you even know what that means and what in particular it means for you?

So often I see women not rise to the occasion, to truly step out of the ordinary, at times momentarily before she fall back into old habits, because she lets fear get in the way which is the opposite of following your intuition!

Women are looking to create huge successes in life, whether in biz, getting their bodies in tip top shape yet they approach it all the wrong way, because they’re being guided by what society tells us or worse do what everyone else is doing, well, because “that’s just the way it is”!

That’s the opposite of standing in your truth!

Women are sometimes their worse enemy, always comparing and saying things like, “why not me” or “I wish it would be easier” amongst other things which will make them continue to behave in ways that are not true to their heart!

In other words, when you know that you’re letting your head do the talking and aren’t coming from a place of love aka your heart, you know you’re not being in alignment!

I am a Body Love Advocate specialising in Mind Body Nutrition & Body Image Issues through healing the relationship to food & yourself. With a background in health and fitness as a Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor and Transformational Coach, I have always been passionate about the mind­body­connection and creating change from the inside out.

Studying Human Behaviour and having dealt with my very own share of weight, food & body image issues, including dabbling in eating disorders, I truly believe that we all have our own unique story that unfortunately doesn’t always serve us to be the best & healthiest version of ourselves.

Sure there are times you should use your head but when it comes to creating success whether in relationships, business, health and fitness and even money, should you be guided by your head or your heart?

Instead of eating our emotions, I provide the strategic tools to “Revisit, Reframe & Recreate” your own story. In other words, how to get back in the driver seat of your emotional mind wellness by “re­writing your own food story”!

Whilst there are lots of things that deserve “logical” thinking more often we tend to shut down our inner gut feelings because they bring up all sorts of emotions!

Sabrina’s programs offer a very unique take on educating women on the psychology of weight loss and has a strong holistic focus on creating lasting changes in their clients transformation: physically, mentally, emotionally & spiritually. The message is simple “Eat to Live & Live to Love’.

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When was the last time you grabbed some sort of a “naughty food” because you were feeling stressed, anxious, overwhelmed or just bored?

In your heart you knew it’s not the right thing to do but you sure as hell can talk your way into eating it… even if it means feeling guilty later on!

How often do we really stand still and allow ourselves to feel what we feel, say how we feel and act out of intuition, even if it means perhaps upsetting someone else?

How often do you say something just to not get into trouble or because you can’t be bothered telling the truth as it just causes “more hassle”?

You see, not being in alignment can have its advantages too, as it surely makes things easier or so it seems on the outside! After all, not even I like confrontation all!

But truth be told, if you’re constantly hiding your true emotions then you most definitely are not living in your truth!

What are your values?

How do you know you’re living your values?

What are you views and beliefs about things such as money, success, health, body love, relationships, freedom etc?

Most importantly what is your attitude towards life?

And how do you deal with challenging times?

What happens when life throws you curveballs?

These questions are a good starting point and will give you a really good inside as to how you view the world and consequently might give you an insight as to why you’ve not achieved your goals yet!

It’s one thing knowing what you want from life, have your goals mapped out on a piece of paper! The more important journey is the one you take yourself, in the form of figuring out who you need to be(come) in order to be worthy of all the things you deeply desire!

Grab a piece of paper and get journaling!

I dare you to be a badass! Fiercely authentic...

You have to know what you stand for!

If you want success of any shape or form, you first have to start with not only knowing exactly what it is you want, but you also have to know yourself well enough to know what you stand for, what your boundaries are and where you can take some responsibility leading you to more personal growth!

So first things first, before you continue along in your daily hustle take the time to figure yourself out!

Sabrina The Authenticity Coach Ps. If you’re looking to fine tune your “inner work” skills and become really clear on who you need to be(come) in order to have it all on your terms, the health and body love, the money and success, the relationships and the freedom to live your 1st class life, then come over and join our #​ ​ CrazySexyConfidenceRevolution​ here: http://www.sabrinamuller.com.au/the­crazy­sexy­ confidence­revolution/

FREE Stress Management Consultation! >BOOK YOURS HERE< We all experience those moments of pure craziness, freak out and total disaster…

You are NOT alone!

You might think that hiding under the blankets and wishing it all away is viable strategy for dealing with these situations…

However, we have a MUCH more sustainable solution…

Our Stress Management Consultant works with individuals to completely turn around their current un­ resourceful Stress Strategies and transform their lives from total chaos into stress free, sustainable bliss ­ and for a short time only you can experience a complimentary session!

Whether it’s work or health related, relationship based, or family stress – we have the path forward…

STOP settling for less than you deserve…

Let us take your hand and show you, step by simple step, how to turn your life around today!

Don’t let another day go by where you tolerate those stress filled days.

Give yourself a break for ONCE! You are not doing anyone any favours punishing yourself for needing a little help – it’s like the air hostess’ say on the airplane – make sure you put your life mask on before helping others around you…

You are in no position to do what needs to be done for you family and friends if you are not coping as well as you could be.

So take a stand and DO THIS FOR YOURSELF! You really have nothing to lose…

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