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24.01.2022 A pineapple upside-down cake for a topsy-turvy sort of a week. Made by our middle kid, using some pineapple that was well past its prime, but just right for this. The rest was saved for a smoothie and skins for making vinegar and later, compost. Because we don’t like waste. . We ate most of this while watching a certain debate that went a bit pear-shaped. Perhaps we should try it with pears next time! It made for a more pleasant time at any rate. There’s been so much talk o...f politics and world events in our days lately, it’s a lot to take in, especially for the kids. Cake helps with the conversation. . . Recipe is from a kids cookbook (not sure which, sorry!), using pineapple instead of apple. #upsidedowncake #everythingsupsidedownthesedays #kidswhobake #wastefree #wastefreeliving #wastefreefamily #zerowaste #zerowastefamily #zerowasteliving #frugalliving #climateconscious See more

23.01.2022 Spring equinox blessings, friends! We’re very much looking forward to a time when everyone can dance around outdoors, holding hands again! It’s been the longest winter. For now, we’re taking solace in longer days, blossoms, bees, rain, rainbows and sunshine. And spending time each day caring for this beautiful planet, in any way we can. . . This gorgeous print is by @phoebewahl and available in our shop for Australian customers. #springequinox #spring #spiralgarden

17.01.2022 One of the things this kid asked for help to learn this week, was how to use the record player. We have a generous, mostly second-hand collection of vinyl, much of which we inherited from our parents. There are a bunch of newer faves we’ve collected in more recent years, and a few that belonged to Lauren’s grandparents, too. It’s a pretty solid introduction to the music of the last 70 years, with all the artwork and atmosphere that playing an album brings. Maisie is enjoying ...slowly puddling through and choosing an album, then seeing if it’s familiar to her and whether she likes it. Savouring the crackle of the needle, and taking in the album covers. Thinking about her parents, grandparents or great grandparents listening to each record for the first time. Feeling her way through a musical education. This first little listening session sat nicely alongside learning more chords on her guitar and learning how to play the ukulele, which she did on Monday, right after breakfast, with her Dad and her puppy by her side. . . #52climatesolutions #choosesecondhand #secondhandseptember #secondhand #familyheirlooms #vinylcollection #vinylrecords #homeeducation #unschooling #lifelearning #homeschooling #freetolearn #schoolfree #wastefree #wastefreeliving See more

15.01.2022 What a big year this kid is having! Here’s @earthtoauds with the oil painting of her beautiful best friend, which she created back in February. Today, we can share with you that she’s a finalist in the Art Gallery of New South Wales Young Archie competition. If you’re in Sydney, you can go and visit the painting, hanging alongside the work of other finalists and, very soon, the #archibaldprize. Let us know if you see it because we’re not sure yet if we’ll be able to! We’re so very impressed and proud of all she’s achieved so far, just following her passions, and we’re super excited for what’s to come. . . #youngarchie #youngarchie2020 #bigowlet #unschooling @witchyblossom

14.01.2022 Overgrown garden, and lemon and mint cordial on the kitchen table. Yep, spring is definitely here! The grass grows faster than we can keep up with, and it always seems to rain when we have free moments to get on top of it. But today we weeded, planted a tree, dined on some of the lush, leafy greens (gotta get on top of things somehow), and made lemon and mint cordial. We shared the super-easy process in our stories, and we’ll save the recipe highlight so you can refer to it later. You’ll also find it in our book! . . #wastefreeliving #spring #lemonandmint #obtainayield #cordial #wastefree #homegrown #homemade #zerowaste #zerowasteliving #familylife #urbanpermaculture

14.01.2022 A perfect day out in the wilds of north-west Tasmania, filled with natural, geological and cultural wonders. We were on the search for various threatened plant species (for work), which I found, but I’d love to revisit this place without any kind of work-related objectives, and just sit and soak in the landscape and the endless combinations of colour, shape and pattern. (Oberon)

14.01.2022 We love a good book. Books that educate and inspire, or help us see the world and how we care for it, differently. Or pre-loved books full of stories that take us to other worlds. We love a good bookshop rummage, as our bookshelves can confirm. Bookshops (and libraries) keep us thinking and talking and finding out for ourselves, without an algorithm. Give your local some love on this Love Your Bookshop Day. Our #52climatesolutions for this week was Buy Nothing, but we reckon ...if you get your hands on one of these gems, it’s an investment in a better world. If your bookshop doesn’t stock these, ask them to order them for you! Your local will love to help you find the book you need, which is good reason to love them. . We have a few copies of these books in our little bookshop too (signed copies of our book!), and a decent range of quality pre-loved books in our ‘Other World Books’ section. #LYBD2020 #loveyourbookshopday #booksforclimate #retrosuburbia #frugalhedonism #wastefreeliving See more

13.01.2022 The book we gave Maisie for her birthday on Sunday. It’s beautiful Just the sort of story we love. Full of little stories of children living in a suburb just like ours, through generations. We’ve loved following the comings and goings and comparing it to our very own street, reimagining it and finding hope that other suburbs might reimagine themselves in the same way. The team that brought us @retrosuburbiaofficial have done such a great job with ‘Our Street’, and @brenna_q...uinlan’s illustrations are so beautiful, with little details we all related to in our own family’s stories. It’s going to be loved for quite some time and might just have inspired our kids to write the story of our street, what has been and what might be. We have some copies in our shop now if you’re keen to get reading, or pop one under the Christmas tree. There’s also an online book launch coming up at the end of the month at @retrosuburbiaofficial #ourstreet #permaculture #urbanpermaculture #retrosuburbia

13.01.2022 Bin night. Our first in two years, with a landfill bin full of waste from our shop and a tiny bit of legacy waste from our days before living waste-free (broken glasses which we can’t recycle and won’t replace). What does a bin full of our shop waste look like? Packing tape. Removed from boxes before we use them to sheet mulch our garden. Everything else is reused, composted or (as a very last resort), recycled. But plastic packing tape is only good for the bin. One day we’d ...like to be completely bin-free, but we need support from our broader community to do that. So, we try to reduce what comes our way by talking to our suppliers and asking them to reduce their use of plastic packaging (including tape), or consider compostable options where they can. We also work with local suppliers where possible, so we can reduce the need for sealed packages altogether, and reduce transport emissions. So far we’ve halved our business waste, which is great, but there’s more to be done. We can do better. . As for household waste... well, that’s something we don’t consider much these days. We don’t really encounter much of it in our day-to-day life anymore. More on that in the next few weeks as we approach our waste-free anniversary. See more

09.01.2022 I’ve liked this tree for many years. It sits alone at this part of the coast, arching towards the morning sun - a lovely architectural display of nature. But I was thinking, for this lone remnant (and many others), it is more difficult to appreciate what is lost than what is left - the neighbouring trees, native shrubs, herbs, grasses, fungi and insects that used to live beneath the canopy. In the 13 years I’ve walked this track, I’ve seen the amount of foliage on the canopy,... decline - slowly, but it’s on the way out. . Elsewhere, in my work as a conservation ecologist, I've seen native grasslands turn into highways and lush forests go under water for irrigation dams. Each time nature is incrementally lost (or catastrophically lost, as may be the case with some bushfires), the perceptions of nature for the next generation, will change. We are constantly lowering the bar on what nature we want to conserve or retain, because that which is lost, is often gone forever. Climate change is going to shift the goalposts around perceptions of nature. We need to remember the amazing nature that was, and share stories about it, so that society can aim for better. We may not get everything back, but we have the collective know-how to conserve and restore so much! (Oberon)

08.01.2022 A new favourite tool which we didn’t know we needed, just as porridge season slows. Try as we might to avoid it, the porridge pot burns, nine times out of ten on busy mornings when we’re getting ready for the day. We’ve tried a few solutions for burnt pots and sticky spots over the last five waste-free years. Steel wool is handy and, surprisingly, compostable, but tends to disintegrate into a clogged and slimy, spindly mess after a few uses. Coconut scrubbers work well, but n...ot always on the tougher stuff. Enter our new knight in shining armour, the chain mail scrubber! It’s stainless steel, so will last a lifetime, and be easy to repair should any of the loops happen to break (we don’t expect they will). It holds its shape and cleans up easily in the sink or the dishwasher, with a handy loop to hang it from. Once you’ve figured out how to comfortably hold it, the porridge pot is no match. Long live porridge season! . We’ve popped some chain mail scrubbers in our shop, along with some other new favourites and restocked old faves. You’ll find them in the ‘Cleaning’ category in the ‘Live’ section. #wastefreeliving #madetolast #stainlesssteel #wastefree #zerowaste #zerowasteliving #zerowastecleaning #wastefreecleaning #reusable #porridge See more

07.01.2022 To sufficiently tackle climate change, we are going to need to act cooperatively. Unfortunately, social restrictions associated with coronavirus have forced us to physically isolate from others. As it is, the design of many populated areas is often not conducive to sharing space and/or time with others. Many of us share similar ethics and aspirations for the planet but may only act on these in individualistic ways. While we remain physically siloed, our ability to enact posit...ive change, especially in our local communities, will be limited. . Collective action on climate change has the potential to be greater than the sum of its parts, especially where our individual strengths and interests complement our neighbours’ in ways that can create enormous positive change. Besides, as isolated individuals, we miss out on stuff - especially the sharing of practical know-how that can be gained (and shared) with others. . For this weeks’ #52climatesolutions, we ask you to join a community group. Working with your community can be motivating and instil a sense of shared purpose. It can help you do more with the time and energy you have. Taking a leap to join an environmental- or social-cause-oriented community group might involve stepping outside your comfort zone, but it can be highly rewarding. Acting towards a common purpose with people from different backgrounds or viewpoints can impart interpersonal skills that can translate to other areas of your life. Groups improve social cohesion and increase collective empathy for ‘us’ and nature prompting ongoing actions on climate. . Community groups are less about what you can ‘get’ from joining, and more about the collective benefits of shared efforts. Not every community group will have a climate change angle, but many fit well within the spectrum of positive actions on climate, including activism, gardening and permaculture-based groups. You could start with @permacultureaustraliaofficial and find a group local to you. . by @earthtoauds

06.01.2022 Mates (although Twinkle is not convinced). #urbanpermaculture #backyardfarmer #backyardfarmkid #gardening #wastefreeliving #wastefreepets

02.01.2022 An attitude of many global leaders is that a bigger economy is always better. And many people seem to go along with that approach. But on a finite planet, the economy can’t grow for ever. We would need at least one and a half Earths to sustain the existing economy to the future. And yet, every year this ecological overshoot continues, undermining our existence. The wealthiest countries (in particular) must rein in consumption and energy demands a LOT, given much of the Global... South still needs to be able to develop their economies and allow the poorest billions a dignified level of existence. . It is possible to thrive without buying lots of ‘new stuff’ by supporting an alternative economy that is not based on growth, but on frugal abundance. This might mean ‘choosing secondhand’ (as we suggested a few weeks ago) or it may include buying less stuff all together. Such actions would complement a degrowth-based economy. ‘Degrowth’ means self-limiting our consumption, to reconnect with our local community, make stronger links with nature and the land around us, learn more about our food, the seasons and each other. One way to do this can be by reducing paid-working hours (easier to do if we’re buying less!) and dedicating more time to voluntary, community-led activities that allow us to thrive without consuming so much. . For this weeks’ #52climatesolutions, we ask you to ‘buy nothing’. October is Buy Nothing New Month, which is about collective, conscientious consumption. The challenge is to buy nothing new (except for essentials like food and medicines). It's about thinking where our stuff comes from (finite resources) and where it goes when we're done (often landfill), and what are the fantastic alternatives out there to extend the life of our stuff. There is also the Buy Nothing Project, which encourages local groups to develop a gift economy that complements cash economies. Look for a Buy Nothing group in your area. These initiatives help us move from consumption-driven to community-driven societies. It's good for us, our wallets and the earth. . by @earthtoauds

01.01.2022 It’s possible we’ve bitten off a bit more than we can chew here, constructing 40 complete board game sets with the beautiful remaining pieces that their original maker sent to us. It’s a bit of a labour of love. We’re keeping them as true to the original game sets as possible, hand glueing using homemade glue on 100% post consumer recycled board. Each wooden piece counted and housed in the original organic cotton bags, printed years ago. We’re getting there and they’re lookin...g lovely, and soon 40 lucky households will be playing Gaia’s Garden and learning about companion planting, too. While we wait for the glue to dry, we’re playing Wildcraft, of course, another old favourite. You’ll find a small number of each game in the shop right now, alongside Australian Animal Menagerie and Living Landscapes, in the games and puzzles section under ‘Play’ in our shop. #playnaturesway #spiralgarden #boardgames #tabletopgames #familygames #cooperativegames #permaculture #companionplanting #herbs #foraging

01.01.2022 It’s that time of year again. We’re making our second batch of elderflower cordial. The last supported us through a sniffle, and (with a little salt) made a wonderful, refreshing electrolyte drink for Oberon’s fieldwork days last week. What we love about elderflower is how it reminds us of warmer days and summer. Of abundant harvests in unnoticed or overgrown clumps of suburban trees and shrubs. And remembering to only take what we need, so there’s more for the next forager, or for picking elderberries at summer’s end. * our recipe is in our book, alongside our lemon and mint cordial recipe * #elderflower #elderflowercordial #foraging #urbanharvest #wastefreeliving #packagefree #frugalliving #roadsidefood #almostsummer

01.01.2022 One of our favourite connections in our garden is between the chickens and this little patch of food forest. We extend the chook run over this space each winter, and the chickens clear out the weeds (mostly grass), and have an absolute ball scratching everything up. They get stuck into bugs and grubs and feed the small fruit trees as they go. Then in spring, we move the temporary fence to a different patch of garden and guide the chooks in there. We sheet mulch (using boxes f...rom the shop), where the chickens have been, covering all the weeds just as they’re starting to grow, and helping us avoid the hard work and time so weeding. Any weeds we do pull out in the rest of the garden are also fed to the chickens (along with food scraps), and we receive beautiful eggs as a bonus. . . #urbanpermaculture #wastefreeliving #permaculture #foodgarden #edibleforestgarden #foodforest #integrateratherthansegregate #backyardchickens #lazygardening See more

01.01.2022 In Australia, the party that wins a majority-won election should be accountable to the wills and needs of ALL people, but this may not always be the case. In Australia, we live under a representative democracy, where Federal government reps in both houses of parliament are democratically elected, based on principles of ‘fairness’. In practice, the biases of political parties mean certain groups of society (e.g. the poor, disabled, underprivileged etc.) are less catered for, s...o political activism is an ongoing need. In many countries around the world, the Government’s stance on climate might not reflect in the (growing) wills of the people ('gas-led recovery', anyone?). This must change. . Many view politics as something that happens far away in fancy buildings by people who don’t really know the ‘real’ world or whose priorities are only power and money. And sometimes, this is the case! However, everyone, including you, is a part of the political system (like it or not). And part of our responsibility as people committed to positive change, is to engage with the political systems in the most effective ways possible. . That’s why, for this weeks’ #52climatesolutions, we ask you to get political. One very important way to get political is to vote and for those friends in the US, we are really hoping you do! Voting matters! You may not be voting for the perfect candidate, but you can certainly help prevent the worst candidate from winning. . There are many ways to get political. You can email, write-to, phone, or arrange a meeting with your local representative and talk about issues that matter. You might want to join a political group or advocacy group that resonates with you. Learn more about political systems, such as how decisions are made in your country or local area. Sit in on a council meeting to find out what issues are hot. Who are the decision makers and how are they motivated? What drives political priorities and how can you influence them? Your voice matters. With more of us getting engaged and involved in the political process, we may have a better chance of, as the saying goes, keeping the bastards honest. . by @earthtoauds