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25.01.2022 Originally, we were pretty devastated that the persimmon tree we’d planted was the astringent variety, not the sweet one we’d expected. But then we had a bumper crop and had to research and decide whether they were only good for currawong food. And so we discovered hoshigaki. This week, the currawongs again got stuck into our amazing little tree, and so we ran outside before breakfast to bring in the harvest; our biggest crop yet. Sometime over the next week, we’ll be peeling... these beauties and stringing the little sunshine-filled orbs from the ceiling. It’s an amazing way to decorate the lounge room before the solstice. After a few weeks intermittently and gently massaging the persimmons, we’ll be left with delicious dried fruit snacks for the following year or so. But in the meantime, we’re marvelling at these baskets of golden sunshine and feeling grateful that the wrong tree was actually the right one after all. . . If you’re after a great rundown on making your own #hoshigaki I like the one in @grownandgathered’s beautiful first book. And if you’re looking for more ways to preserve and celebrate the seasons, and problem solve how to not make waste, while feeding your family, our book offers suggestions too. . . ‘A Family Guide to Waste-Free Living’ is published by @plumbooks and is in good bookshops all over, with signed copies available in our shop Spiral Garden See more

20.01.2022 Good old campfire day at co-op today, with buttermilk damper on sticks, and skateboarding before heading off to swimming. They’ll sleep well tonight, these owlets. . . #owlets #campfire #homeschool #schoolfree #wildandfreechildren #hobartnaturallearners #autumn #damper

19.01.2022 Of all the things I’d hoped I might one day be in a beautiful magazine for, my bin certainly wasn’t it But there it is! For us though, this jar of waste and the things we’re not doing anymore are not the focus. It’s the things we *are* doing and choices we’re lucky to have that make life so much more fun and fulfilling now. We’re so grateful to @peppermintmagazine for sharing our story and beautiful photos, including this rather lovely one of our bin and the gorgeous local ...and homegrown produce around it #Repost @peppermintmagazine with @get_repost "In 2015, Lauren and Oberon Carter and their three daughters, Audrey, Xanthe and Maisie, took part in a community-group challenge where they tried to live as sustainably as possible for two weeks. After week one, the couple were shocked by the amount of rubbish and recycling they’d created as a family, and made an ambitious on-the-spot commitment: to aim for zero waste and zero recycling from then on. We achieved that goal with ease and kept going because we found we actually enjoyed living this way, and we felt good about diverting all that waste from landfill and recycling, Lauren says. It’s easy to feel disheartened about the environment when the people in charge are making decisions you don’t necessarily agree with. We wanted to take personal responsibility where we could, to help reduce our environmental footprint. Since then, the family of five have produced barely any rubbish at all: Waste infiltrates every facet of living, and once you start seeing it you can’t unsee it, explains Lauren. We keep our waste in a jar on the kitchen bench to remind us what to avoid and to keep us accountable. We’ve been slowly adding to it for the past two-and-a-half years, and there’s still plenty of room! . The incredible story of the Carter family's zero-waste journey is in Issue 42 have you grabbed yours yet? . . . @ninahamiltonphotography #peppermintmagazine #zerowasteliving #nowaste #plasticfree #sustainableliving See more

19.01.2022 When I’m feeling a little anxious about what might happen next, you’ll usually find me in the garden or making something in the kitchen. There’s something soothing about making something from nothing. It’s always reassuring. So today, after voting, I cracked open the compost bin. Then I spread the beautiful lush compost made from our scraps and vacuum cleaner dust, and spread it across the straw bales that have been sitting around the garden since summer. It’s a little late i...n the season, but it’s been warmer than any May I can remember for a while. No matter what happens next, I’ll be planting into it tomorrow, making sure we have we have food for the future. Because all we can do is keep doing the best we can. . . #crossingfingers #voteclimate #gardening #compost #strawbalegarden #climatechange #somethingfromnothing #wastefreeliving See more

18.01.2022 I live with a baker now. In January, Huz set out on a mission to learn to make bread, using @alchemybread’s wonderful book, and he did! This has meant lots of yummy warm and fresh bread, and an abundance of sourdough starter in our house again. Also, unrelated to this, but since we started living waste-free, we haven’t bought crackers for almost 4 years. We haven’t really missed them too much, but they’re a nice snack to have on hand. Happily, our abundance of sourdough start...er means we have a regular cracker supply once more! And a very quick and delicious savoury treat to snack on. And no waste, while we’re making our food stretch further. Sourdough Starter Crackers 1 cup sourdough starter 1 cup plain flour 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tsp sea salt . Mix all the ingredients together into a ball of dough. Dust your table surface with a little flour and knead the dough until it’s fairly smooth. Roll the dough flat until it’s only a few millimeters thick (thinner = crunchier). I do this on the back of a baking tray, lined with parchment or greased and dusted. Cut the dough into squares with a knife or pizza cutter, then prick each square with a fork. Drizzle with olive oil and spread the oil gently with a pastry brush. Sprinkle whatever flavours you’d like on top - things like sea salt, sesame seeds, seaweed salt, herbs like rosemary are all great. Bake at 180 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool and eat with your favourite cheese or dip, or just as they are! See more

16.01.2022 We’ve long been admirers of Happen Films work, so we were really thrilled when they asked to spend a couple of days with us, a few months ago, for their latest film. https://happenfilms.com/film/life-with-less-waste . . . #wastefreeliving #wastefree #zerowaste #zerowasteliving #nowaste #wastefreeplanet #wastefreelife #sustainableliving #producenowaste #plasticfreejuly

16.01.2022 There’s only one week until Plastic Free July! Are you joining in this year? Is it your first time participating? If so, go you!! If you're undecided, we wholeheartedly urge you to take the leap. I blogged some thoughts on why taking a time-based challenge can be more effective than a slow, baby-steps approach. It can be a lot of fun! And super satisfying to see what you can achieve in a short time-frame. http://www.owlet.com.au//plastic-free-july-why-commitment- . . ... of our shopping basket by @natalie_mendham #plasticfree #plasticfreejuly #wastefreeliving #wastefree #zerowaste #zerowasteliving #positivechange #fortheplanet #nowaste #youcandothething #webelieveinyou See more

15.01.2022 There are a small handful of magazines that I love to read when time and budget allows. They all support people doing good things to create positive change in the world. They’re full of inspiration, ideas and instructions to bring practical knowledge to people in bite-sized chunks. And, especially when I’m a bit world-weary, I’m happy to read and share them. One of my faves is @peppermintmagazine so we were super chuffed to be featured in the winter issue. We talk about living waste-free and our little part of the world. We also finally got to meet the wonderful @ninahamiltonphotography after lots of years following her on instagram. And she did such an amazing job with the photos. Even the hills hoist made the cut! Thanks for having us @peppermintmagazine . . #wastefreeliving #sustainableliving #wastefree #zerowaste #peppermintmagazine

15.01.2022 Today’s adventures with experimental jam making. Spiced persimmon. Because the persimmons were well past their prime and I had a cinnamon stick and some tiny lemons that needed using up, and we accidentally bought a bit too much coconut sugar, so I used that for sweetener. It tastes exactly like Christmas . . #jam #homemade #wastefreeliving #nofoodwaste #wastefree #zerowaste #midwinter #christmasinjuly #zerowasteliving #zerowastefamily #wastefreekitchen #sundayafternoon

14.01.2022 A little catch up on life right now, because I’ve been quiet here. I’ve spent two weeks poolside watching owlets learn to swim, contemplating life without a car, catching the bus, hanging out at the library, sending lots of lovely parcels to customers, and trying (failing) to stay on top of the washing. I blinked and now Autumn is drawing to a close just as it seems to be getting started! I’m hoping there’s time for adventure and a little bit of gardening and preserving some of the bowls and baskets of apples covering every spare kitchen surface. And a few moments to slow things down. . . #familylife #wastefreeliving #wastefree #homeeducation #autumn #busyweek #cultivateslow #slowliving

13.01.2022 It’s been a funny old week. There’s something very exposing about sharing how you live your life, with the outside world. And then a discomfort when doing things in the best and most thoughtful way you know how, brings praise and criticism in equal measures, even though you were not looking for either. To get our #plasticfreejuly off to the right start this week, we packed ourselves up for an afternoon visit and play at one of our favourite places. Foraging for seaweed, and coming home with a bucket of water for making sea salt. Talking and breathing and dipping toes in the water on an unusually warm winter’s day. It was the perfect antidote, and a moment to remember the importance of kindness and warmth.

11.01.2022 When we’re talking to people about waste-free living, they’ll often ask how they can reduce their waste when geographically, they have limited access to package-free, bulk food shops. One solution might be a community food co-op. We went on a little adventure at the start of winter and visited the Bruny Island food co-op, which is bringing package-free food to a remote part of Tasmania. It’s thriving, and adding such value to the local community. It’s an inspiring story that we’ve been lucky to share on our blog. http://www.owlet.com.au//starting-community-food-co-op.html . . #wastefreeliving #foodcooperative #community #wastefree #zerowaste #zerowasteliving #brunyisland #tasmania

09.01.2022 Happy place! Foraging is the best. So are morning walks with Huz, where we’re the only ones on the beach. I’m going to save a little of this seaweed for eating and make a batch of seaweed fertiliser with the rest. . . . #morningwalk #localresources #foraging #tasmania #mondaymorning #permaculture #wastefreeliving #wastefree #zerowaste #seaweed #gardening

08.01.2022 Well then. I suppose the only thing for it is to keep on getting up in the morning to support the people and systems in our community who are doing good things, thoughtfully and with heart. Carrying on as we were before. Spending a morning in the ominously pleasant May weather at the market, commiserating with good folk, bringing home the week’s supplies, then planting the garlic and planning the week ahead. I’m sad and angry for our kids right now, but glad that one of them will vote next time. Now to make sure they have the skills and community built around them to to withstand what’s to come. . . #wastefreeliving #communityresilience #climatecrisis #permaculture #wastefree #zerowaste #community #farmersmarket

08.01.2022 The lovely folks at Happen Films made this short film about how we live with less waste, and have released it this month to celebrate #plasticfreejuly

07.01.2022 If ever I wondered if there are enough kind and caring people in the world, I needn’t look far. Our most excellent neighbour dropped by yesterday with this cheery bunch from her garden, along with some last enormous zucchinis and giant garlic bulbs. She was returning a box of jars and thanking me for that time where they were going through a rough trot and I harvested their tomatoes, preserved them and popped them on the doorstep with a big batch of zucchini soup. And so tha...t kindness keeps circling round and lifting us all up when we need it. There’s strength in these simple actions Thanks for your kind messages in the past couple of days lovely online friends. They’ve meant lots to us. . . #sharing #peoplecare #goodneighbours #kindness #jonquils #wintersunshine

07.01.2022 We were thrilled to be interviewed by the wonderful Jodi from @practisingsimplicity recently. She’s shared a review of our book and is also hosting a book giveaway! Find this post on Jodi’s profile to enter. Regardless of how you voted we’re all in this together. We ALL need to do the conscious, responsible work of being environmentally accountable. So, what next? I’ve been buoyed to make significant, permanent changes by stepping outside the safe bubble of convenience. ...If you feel like you need some guidance at this time, A Family Guide to Waste-Free Living may be just what you’re looking for. It’s a simple and inspiring handbook that educates and inspires. The ideas are delivered in a gentle and heartfelt manner yet overall it’s a powerful book that’s impossible to forget. There’s a full Q&A with the authors @owletmama @berondi @spiralgarden over on the blog ( link in profile) as well as my thoughts on change post-election. I also have a copy to give away! @plumbooks See more

05.01.2022 Recently, we were prompted to consider how we’re educating our kids, in response to the world and the future they’ll inherit. In light of climate emergency and the consumption crisis, and the current political climate, a standard approach to education is feeling less and less relevant to us. I’ve been a little quiet here while I pondered it all, and while we hatched a plan. I’ve blogged about it if you feel like reading more. http://www.owlet.com.au//educating-our-kids-f...or-future-the . . . #unschooling #lifeskills #lifelearning #homeeducation #wastefreeliving #sustainableliving #permaculture #wastefreekids #earthstewards See more

04.01.2022 I’m never short on enthusiastic assistants on pasta night. They’re getting the hang of it, which means I mostly try to clear out of their way while they put their learning to practice. . . #owlets #pastanight #homemadepasta #madefromscratch #unschooling #wastefreeliving #wastefree #budgetmeal #frugalliving #slowliving #wastefreefamily #zerowaste #plasticfreejuly #familytime

03.01.2022 A beautiful, mild winter’s day in the garden. We extended the chook run to the food forest, like we do most years at around this time. They all had the greatest day scratching around amongst the herbs, fallen fruit and mulch, and they didn’t want to go to bed! Then we humans ate soup, tidied up the garden, sorted seeds, gathered kindling and cooked dinner over the fire. . . . #permaculture #wastefreeliving #wastefree #foodforest #edibleforestgarden #backyardchooks #brahmachicken #australorp #gardeningaustralia #integrateratherthansegregate #slowliving #simpleliving

01.01.2022 It’s been a funny old uplifting sort of a week. We noticed a genuine sadness in our corner of the world, after last week’s election, was followed swiftly by talk of positive solutions and a grassroots approach to making change (since voting didn’t seem to help much). And for us, that’s been wonderful and reassuring to see. We were fortunate to be surrounded by change makers and role models through the week. Oberon interviewed Su Dennet and David Holmgren on Wednesday, which l...eft us feeling so inspired. And after a bit of a chat, we had renewed enthusiasm to make some changes of our own, like build that composting toilet, now we’re not using our wheelie bins. It took them approximately 5 minutes for David and Su to discover the gap in our Permaculture system and encourage us to get cracking on it! What legends! On Thursday we saw @2040film for more positive solutions and an inspiring chat with the filmmakers. It’s a beautiful film, so full of hope! We slipped both @damon.gameau and Su and David a copy of our book, and left each evening with our hearts feeling lighter. Then we spent a slow and gentle weekend catching up, taking time in nature, and with each other. Remembering we have all the knowledge and solutions we need right now. . . #positivesolutions #wastefreeliving #davidholmgren #permaculture #2040film #sustainableliving #community #wastefree #funnyoldweek @ Wellington Park See more