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16 July 2020

Plastic Free July easy swaps you can make to reduce plastic in your home
(not sponsored, internal & external links)

350 million tonnes of plastic are being produced each year so Plastic Free July feels like a good campaign to get behind. According to facts available on Plastic Oceans "8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year. If waste management practices don't improve, scientists predict this amount could increase tenfold by 2025." If you can't commit to changing your entire lifestyle then lets encourage each other to make a few swaps. When choosing products look for packaging that is made from glass, metal, bamboo, compostable or biodegradable cardboard, silicone and recycled plastic.

28 January 2020

Net Zero Co Petite Munchie Box and folding spork
(featuring PR gifted items)

Once you leave school you think your lunch box days are over but here I am in my forties madly googling for packed lunch ideas. I'm faced with several issues when it comes to getting myself organised. I live a plant based diet with allergies  and it sometimes feels like I'm stuck in a rut because my food becomes very repetitive. I'm reliant on products I deem to be safe for me and stepping out to try something new can be a little daunting (lots of label reading & research). I really am quite lazy and I watch hours of meal prep videos but on a weekend or evening the last thing I want to do is spend more time cooking. I don't work in a big city so purchasing my lunch out has allergy hurdles since there are lack of available establishments and it can become expensive.

6 August 2019

Tincture London Eco Friendly Cleaning Products for around the home
I've been using eco friendly products around my home for years and I have some firm favourites on repeat purchase. I shall place links to my reviews at the end of this article. For me, one of the most common causes of allergic reactions has been household cleaning products. My allergy diagnosis to MI (Methylisothiazolinone) came much later in life but it certainly helped shed light on past situations. I'd reached the point where I had to ban the office cleaner from using their products on my desk due to experiencing itchy skin on my arms.

9 October 2018

Sundeala Notice Boards recycled & recyclable
Sponsored Content/AD

I think the current press about our oceans drowning in single use plastic has us all looking towards better options for our planet. Our attention is turning to recycled and reusable products in our daily activities and around the work place or home. With this in mind let me introduce you to Sundeala Notice Boards made from 100% recycled fibre and 100% recyclable.

16 February 2014

Ikea Hack Expedit Bedside Table
Bit of a random post but I wanted to share a DIY project. For a very long time, I've been searching for bedside tables but what I've found are either not to my taste or very expensive. I am a Pinterest addict and can loose hours of my life to the Home Decor section. I love Ikea Hacks and discovered Sugar & Cloth's pin for a side table. With a little help from my Dad, we now have two matching bedside units which I'm really pleased with. 

There are several different ways to personalise this project. In Sugar & Cloth's version (pictured above), they leave the 'cube' open but I decided I wanted a box to hide my junk. If this was not to your taste, you could opt for the Expedit drawer or door inserts. 

The parts I used - Ikea Expedit Shelving (Birch effect £12), Ikea Lekman Box (dark grey £8), Ikea Capita leg (4 pack £9). You need to use a drill to attach the legs. The screws holding the shelf together are visible when assembled. Make sure you flip the unit, that way they are on the sides and not seen from the top. I am sure you can do the maths, it cost me a bargain £58 to create two tables.

Sarah x

10 November 2013

Eco Friendly Christmas Gift Guide 2013
I've searched the interwebs and selected some eco friendly gifts for around the home. When creating these lists I always go for items I would be happy to receive so I hope you feel the same about my choices.

Below are the links, working left to right, top to bottom through the pictures above, none of which are sponsored or affiliated links. 

I spotted Fi's Made By Me shop over on Folksy. I loved the idea of upcycling old cutlery and I feel as if any gardener would like these plant labels

Sticking with the theme of gardening Kabloom Seedbom caught my eye. According to the blurb you can fling these into the garden and let nature do the rest.

I came across a number of sites selling recycled glassware with serving dishes from old wine bottles and tumblers made from beer bottles.

A favourite website of mine is Not On The High Street. On this site I discovered a tableware collection by Mocha made from sustainable bamboo , some gorgeous organic cotton shopping bags printed using non toxic dyes and a cute notebook made with 100% recycled paper and vegetable oil based inks.

My next pick was one for the kiddies with these fair trade jute storage bags. I also thought they could double up as Santa's gift bag under the tree. ethicalsuperstore.com

Lastly, I selected a vintage inspired print which has been upcycled from books. I've seen these on several websites and there are lots of different designs. "You're My Cup of Tea" was the one that caught my attention on protecttheplanet.co.uk

Sarah x

6 November 2012

greenscents natural organic vegan cleaning products for around the home
(Gifted PR samples)


I have mentioned before that I prefer buying household cleaners that are cruelty free, vegan, environmentally conscious and free from strong synthetic ingredients (e.g bleach or SLS) and artificial fragrances. I have previously used around my home products from Method, Astonish and Ecover but I recently discovered Greenscents, a family business based in Somerset.


Christina established Greenscents because her family has allergies, sensitivities and food intolerances. Products are formulated using organic ingredients with essential oil fragrances (fragrance free options are also available). They are certified by the Soil Association, Allergy UK (for nonscents range), Vegan Society and BUAV. Bottles are recyclable and sustainable.

The Greenscents range includes multi-surface spray, washing up liquid, floor soap, loo cleaner, liquid laundry and conditioner. Depending on the product you select the fragrance options are Citrus, Herbal, Lavender, Minty or unfragranced (nonscent). My parcel included the citrus washing up liquid, minty multi surface spray and lavender laundry conditioner. I opted to test fragranced products because I always wear rubber gloves when cleaning so I'm not concerned about skin reactions. When it comes to the laundry conditioner I'm selective about how and for what I use it on. 

I abandoned mainstream washing up liquids such as Fairy a long time ago because I was plagued with allergic reactions and wanted to be cruelty free and eco-friendly. I've tried a number of brands but first thing I noticed about the Greenscents washing up liquid was the lovely citrus aroma. Even though this is formulated without SLS and SLES you can expect a good amount of soap suds.  Of course suds don't clean dishes but I think people find a level of comfort in a product that foams. Pictured above you can see the soap suds it creates in our washing up bowl. My partner and I are very happy with how clean we can get the dishes and oven tray. You still require elbow grease on tough stains but Greenscents compares well to leading brands.

As sad as it sounds I do enjoy using the minty surface cleaner in our kitchen. It has a fantastic punchy mint aroma which lingers. The fragrance definitely evokes the feeling of cleanliness and freshness. It cleans away spills easily without the need for effort even if it's sticky fruit juice or grease splatters. I've been very impressed by this product and I can see myself re-purchasing (2020 Update - still buying this product & it continues to be a part of my household cleaning routine)

Lavender is one of my favourite scents so the laundry conditioner was always going to be a winner on aroma. I'm impressed that I can still notice a hint of fragrance after clothing has been tumble dried. The ultimate test for me is on bedding and towels and this leaves them as soft as other brands. I do struggle a little on measuring out the correct quantity. The dosage suggestion per load is 30mls and what initially threw me was not having measuring markers on the cap which is generally standard with supermarket brands (for comparison I pictured above the Greenscents cap (on right) against Ecover (yellow on left). Christina has informed me that two full caps is roughly the amount you require.

How do these products compare on price? You are going to pay a little more than in the supermarket however if you are concerned about supporting British business, the environment, allergies and cruelty to animals then I think you are probably the type of consumer who is willing to spend a little extra.

Sarah x

Note: I'm aware that Method & Ecover are controversial brands regarding their cruelty free status and since writing the reviews linked in this article they were acquired by SC Johnson

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