For such small beings, babies sure do create a lot of waste! After emerging from the haze of having a newborn, I started looking at ways that I could reduce our environmental impact.

Here are 10 easy eco-friendly baby product swaps that you could try:

1. Cloth or biodegradable nappies. Since Miss K was about 3 months old until very recently, we’ve mainly been using cloth nappies. I have about 30 cloth nappies with boosters and bamboo liners. It was a bit daunting at first but it quickly became routine. If cloth nappies aren’t your thing, there are a growing number of biodegradable nappies now on the market.
2. Cloth or biodegradable wipes. After tackling cloth nappies, it made sense to start using cloth wipes. You can easily make your own but it was far quicker and easier for me to buy a bunch of baby facial cloths to use as wipes. Every 1-2 days, I’ll wet a bunch of cloths in a container to use. You can also purchase biodegradable wipes.
3. Glass milk bottles. Glass milk bottles are a great alternative to plastic bottles. Their also easier to clean and last longer. We bought a combination pack of glass bottles from Cherub Baby and plan to use them for baby #2.
4. Reusable milk pouches and containers. To maintain and increase my milk supply, I pumped a lot. Any excess was placed into reusable milk pouches and containers. The milk pouches were purchased from Cherub Baby and the containers from Avent. Both are great but I prefer the containers as they have accurate volume readings and are great little containers for food and other items later on.
5. Reusable food pouches. While at a baby expo, I bought a starter pack of food pouches from Zestio. Their a great alternative to store bought pouches as they usually can’t be recycled. While you can put any sort of liquid in there, I mainly use mine to prep and freeze large batches of soup – usually pumpkin soup! Zestio also provide heaps of great recipe ideas and they’d be great to bring out and about.
6. Bamboo dinnerware and utensils. Since Miss K has started eating I’ve tried so many different types of dinnerware and utensils – silicone, wooden and plastic. My favourite purchase to date has been her bamboo dinnerware set from Love Mae. Their all so beautifully designed and are also dishwasher safe and BPA free.
7. 100% Cotton or bamboo clothes. As Miss K is prone to eczema flare ups, I only purchase 100% cotton clothes for her sensitive skin. I’ve heard great things about bamboo clothes, but I haven’t found these readily available for purchase. The added benefits of 100% cotton or bamboo clothes is their reduced impact on the environment. Natural fibres are less likely to produce microplastics when washed compared to synthetic fibres.
8. Cloth swimming nappies. Although we haven’t had the chance to use it yet, Miss K has the cutest pair of pink flamingo swimming nappies from Bambino Mio to use when the weather warms up! Their a great alternative to disposable swimming nappies and can be tossed in the wash to be reused again and again!
9. Organic bubble bath. Miss K loves her bubble baths! Their a great sensory experience and puts her in a good mood before bedtime. Due to her sensitive eczema prone skin, we use Childs Farm Bubble Bath for Sensitive Skin. It has a lovely tangerine scent and leaves her skin feeling moisturised and rash free.
10. Purchase second hand items. I love op shopping and ever since having Miss K, I’m always on the lookout for second hand clothes, toys and books for her. It’s trickier finding suitable clothes but I’ve purchased some good quality toys, books and even a coffee table for her from our local op shop. While there are some baby items that should be bought brand new, there are some things that can be bought pre-loved!

While I try to be as eco-friendly as possible, I just wanted to say that there are days when I’m exhausted, frazzled, or haven’t done the mountain of laundry that comes with using cloth products – and I’ll use disposable nappies, wipes and feed Miss K a pre-made frozen meal from the store. And that’s totally okay!

As mum’s we’re all doing the best that we can and we’re all on our own journey. I hope this list inspires you to try a few things and I would love to hear any other ideas that you have!

Marie xo

In addition to the toys that I have at home for Miss K, we also borrow toys from our local toy library. I’d first heard of it from one of my mum friends who raved about it. For an annual fee and a volunteering session per school term, I can borrow various toys, games and puzzles!

The Albury Toy Library in particular is run by fellow parents and open during school term. There are over 500 toys, games and puzzles that are suitable for 0-8 year olds. There are various membership levels depending on how many toys and puzzles you would like to borrow.

Since joining at the beginning of the year, I’ve enjoyed borrowing a wide range of toys and puzzles for Miss K. She’s had fun playing with a lawnmower, ride on car, latch puzzle, various giant wooden puzzles, wooden instruments, megasketcher, and so much more!

It’s a great way to borrow age specific toys at minimal cost and not worry about cluttering up our small house. Miss K also loses interest very quickly, so the 3 week loan period is perfect for us. There’s also an option to renew for an additional 3 week period.

During the pandemic the toy library shut down for a few months but it’s now up and running with strict cleaning and hygiene procedures in place. To be on the safe side, we still wipe down the toys and we’re good to go!

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly, money-saving and storage friendly toy option, then I would definitely recommend checking out a toy library in your area!

Marie xo

Big changes don’t happen overnight and I’m always on the lookout for small changes that I can make towards having a more eco-friendly life. Here are 10 easy eco-friendly skincare and beauty swaps that you could try as well!

1. Plastic free shampoo, conditioner, body and face soap bars. My favourite brand to use for shampoo, conditioners and face is Ethique. They have such a wide range of products to suit all hair and skin types. On an unrelated note, they’ve also started stocking products for pets! For the body, I use Dove Original Beauty Cream Bar.
2. Bamboo or reusable electric toothbrush. I’ve tried using various bamboo toothbrushes but in the end I prefer using an electric toothbrush. The plastic head does have to be replaced but it’s a more eco-friendly option than a plain on plastic toothbrush.
3. Biodegradable dental floss. Dental floss has come a long way and there are now various biodegradable dental floss options on the market.
4. Reusable safety razor or permanent hair removal. Before getting IPL, I used to go through so many plastic shaving razors! I would definitely recommend getting IPL if you can or a gorgeous stainless steel reusable safety razor.
5. Choose glass or metal packaging. When buying products, I try to keep in mind the packaging it comes in. My preference is to choose glass or metal packaging over plastic packaging.
6. Reusable facial wipes. Since I’ve switched to an Ethique face cleanser bar, I haven’t found the need to use facial wipes to remove my makeup. However, it would be simple to switch to a reusable face cloth or reusable face wipes. There are some lovely options on Etsy.
7. Natural deodorant in a tin. I have to admit that natural deodorants have been a hit and miss for me. I first tried No Pong but it wasn’t strong enough for me. Since it’s currently Winter and I’m mainly at home, I started using a sample size of Ethique Lavendar and Vanilla deodorant and am pleasantly surprised that it’s working! The real test of its effectiveness will be during Summer while I’m out and about, however I’m happy to continue using this for now.
8. Menstrual cup and cloth pads. I’ve used a Diva Cup for several years now and haven’t looked back since. For those first few heavy days or days that I don’t want to use the cup, I use Hannah cloth pads. They have the cutest floral patterns and are made from organic cotton.
9. Biodegradable bamboo cotton buds. Cotton buds can be used for so many different things, yet their made of so much plastic! It was an easy switch to make. I use Go Bamboo Cotton Buds but there are so many different options to choose from online.
10. Compostable Konjac facial and body sponges. I have a small cloth that I use but another option is to use a Konjac sponge. Apparently their great for exfoliating problematic skin due to their charcoal and natural pH levels. Their also vegan and compostable!

If you are looking for some great online eco-friendly stores, I would recommend Little Eco Shop and Nourished Life. I personally shop from these stores and have found their customer service and range of products to be excellent!

Many of their products also have reviews, so you can read what others have to say before purchasing a product. Both stores are currently having sales as part of Plastic Free July, so a great chance to buy some products to try out!

Marie xo

For the past year I’ve been ordering our toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap and I love it. 50% of their profits go towards helping build toilets and improving sanitation conditions in developing countries. Better yet, their made without trees, their packaging is plastic free, and delivery is quick!

An order of 48 double length rolls of 100% recycled toilet paper lasted my husband and I just under 6 months. Our last order of 48 double length rolls of premium 100% bamboo toilet paper is still going strong and will probably last us around 6 months as well. Both options are good, however I do prefer the look and feel of the premium bamboo toilet paper better.

Who Gives a Crap also sell forest friendly tissue paper and paper towels, which I’ve tried out. Both are lovely and thick. I’m planning on ordering more paper towels, however my husband couldn’t stand how many of the tissue papers stayed connected together when pulling them out of the box so I’ll be giving those a miss.

If you’re in Australia, USA or UK and would like to give Who Gives a Crap a try, you can click on my referral link HERE to get $10 off your first order (minimum spend of $48). I hope you’ll give it a try!

Marie xo

This month is Plastic Free July!

Started by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz and a small team in Western Australia, it’s now a global environmental movement that millions of people take part in every year.

This year I’ll be participating for the first time and I’ve committed to targeting takeaway items for the entire month of July. The top 4 being: bags, bottles, straws, and coffee cups.

Others taking the challenge can also commit to avoid single-use plastic packaging or go completely plastic free. The plastic free July challenge can be done for 1 day, 1 week, the entire month, or from now on.

If you’re interested, you can register for the challenge here.

While I try to reduce my environmental footprint as much as possible, I know there are areas that I can improve. Over the next month I’ll be sharing my experience with Plastic Free July and various eco-friendly focused blog posts.

Marie xo

In the past few years, I’ve naturally changed my lifestyle to becoming more environmentally friendly. For me, it’s about living with intent and being kind to the world in which I live in. We only have 1 planet to live on after all and I hope that my children, their children and so on, can enjoy its natural beauty. Becoming more environmentally friendly didn’t happen overnight for me and there are still so many areas that I could improve on. But with every little change that I make, it’s a step towards living a more eco friendly life. If you’ve been thinking about making some small changes yourself, here are 10 simple eco friendly tips to get you started:

10 Simple Eco Friendly Tips

1. Use a reusable coffee cup. In one of my previous posts, I mentioned buying keep cups for me and my husband. Other than not contributing to landfill, their functionality is much better than disposable coffee cups and we no longer have to worry about coffee splashing everywhere while driving. We love our keep cups so much that we enjoy our morning coffee’s in bed with them as well!

2. Use bars of soap. For the past few years I’ve switched from using bottled body soap to bars of soap and I haven’t looked back since. Not only am I cutting down on the amount of plastic I’m bringing into our home but it’s also cheaper as we buy in bulk. I usually use Dove’s Beauty Cream Bar but every now and then, I like to try other brands with natural ingredients such as goat’s milk.

3. Buy in bulk. Where possible, I’ll buy in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging, as well as save money and time. Every few months, I’ll visit Kakulas Brothers in Northbridge to stock up on my spices, flours and grains, while exploring whatever else they have on offer.

4. Use reusable menstrual products. After a lot of research I finally took the plunge a few years ago and got myself a Diva Cup! It was a game changer for me and if you’re sitting on the fence, I would definitely recommend getting one! It was a bit tricky to use at first but I got the hang of it soon enough. I also use reusable organic cloth pads when my period is lighter or on those days that I can’t be bothered with the cup. Surprisingly, I didn’t find it as gross or difficult to clean as I originally thought and the most wonderful thing about using these reusable menstrual products is that there’s no smell!

5. Cook more at home. After a long day at work, I’ve often been guilty of ordering takeaway or zapping up a microwave meal. But takeaway and microwave meals often means lots of plastic containers and packaging that isn’t recyclable. So when I can, I try to plan and shop for at least 3-4 main meals for the upcoming week so that I have everything ready for me to cook when I get home from work. I’ve also recently discovered meal prepping and try to have a few frozen meals ready to go on those days that I can’t be bothered to cook.

6. Use environmentally friendly cleaning products. Over time, I’ve switched from using traditional cleaning products to those that are more environmentally friendly. My favourite brand is Earth Choice and I’m also experimenting with making my own cleaning products, so if you have any tried and tested recipes do please let me know!

7. Use a reusable stainless steel water bottle. Not buying disposable plastic water bottles was one of the first things I ever did but I’ve spent a long time looking for the right stainless steel water bottle. I recently bought 2 Decor Elements Stainless Steel Bottles and it has a convenient flipseal that I can flip open with one hand – perfect! I’ll probably keep one at home and the other in the car.

8. Use up your makeup stash. If you’ve followed me for a while now, then you would know that I gave myself a no new makeup challenge back in 2016 and that’s evolved to me focusing on using up my makeup stash. I have to admit to buying a few new makeup items in the past year, however I’ve mainly stuck to using up my stash and only replacing essential items such as foundation and concealer.

9. Bring your own reusable bags. For the past few years I’ve had canvas bags with the intention of bringing them along with me to my weekly shopping run but more often than not, I would forget them at home! The recent plastic bag ban has finally given me the push to remember to have them on hand and I like to keep them in my handbag and car. In the off chance that I do an impromptu shop, I’ll try and carry the items or pop them straight into the boot of my car.

10. Eat less meat. I’ve never been a big meat eater, so eating less meat was an easy switch to make. My husband however is a big meat eater, so since I’m the one usually doing the cooking, it’s about finding the right balance between meat and non-meat meals that works for the both of us.

I hope that you’ve found 1 or 2 things to get you started on your eco friendly journey. If you have any eco friendly tips yourself, do please let me know in the comments below!

Marie xo

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