11/01/2018

THINGS YOU THOUGHT WERE RECYCLABLE, BUT AREN’T

A friend of mine recently went on a tour to a recycling plant and learnt some interesting things. Most of which upset me, because I always try and recycle as much as I possibly can but turns out a lot of what we put in our recycling bins doesn’t actually get recycled.

1. Paper towels - these cannot be recycled, whether used or unused, however the cardboard core can. 

2. Shredded paper - this can be recycled, however only if it’s put in a box before you put it in your recycle bin. Shredded paper, if recycled free, clogs the recycle machines so will be pulled out before it gets a chance to be recycled. 

3. Take away coffee cups - the bottoms of take away coffee cups cannot be recycled as they are coated with a plastic film to stop leakage. You can however, recycle the plastic lids.

4. Aluminium foil - while many people think they can recycle aluminium foil (because we can recycle cans), it’s another thing that will actually get pulled out of your recycling.

5. Glass homewares - if a glass or picture frame breaks in your house, don’t recycle the broken glass. It will get sorted out of your recycling and also causes a hazard for recycling workers.

Let me know if you’d like a follow up post on things you didn’t know you could recycle :) I hope this has enlightened you a bit, I always enjoy sharing little things I learn along the way.

FYI - all Bear Lake Finds packaging is reused. When we receive our shipments from the US, that same packaging/padding gets sent to you. We don’t offer paper receipts or records, you’ll always receive an e-receipt.

Sunlight By Eberhard Grossgasteiger

new direction - intentional living

I’m trying to live more intentionally and align my actions to my values. I feel like this could be a really long-winded post but neither you nor I have the energy for that, so let’s break it down:

1. I’m atheist - I don’t believe in an afterlife, what we have is now.  2. Humans are ruining this planet - I believe that with population density and waste, the earth will be uninhabitable as a result of human selfishness before it has a chance to naturally extinguish. Therefore, I have strong beliefs in minimalism, reducing waste, eating a vegetarian/pescatarian diet, recycling; essentially anything that has a negative impact on the environment, I want to work hard to change.

The reason I’m laying these out here so bluntly is because I want to actively live my beliefs and help improve myself and the world as much as I can with my tiny, one-person input.

I am very aware of the fact that many people live to work, I want to work to live. I want to make the most of my time on this earth. I don’t want to spend my time in a job that doesn’t contribute to my happiness or the benefit of others/the planet. I want to work to make a difference.

With my free time, I want to spend more quality time with the people I love, giving my full attention and love to those around me. I also want to give myself love and embrace the whole ‘my body is a temple’ thing. I spent all last year working out and eating right and I loved the relationship I developed with my body and the positive impact it had on my anxiety. This year I have been not so great in keeping up those good habits.

I feel like I sound like a wanker, but I essentially am trying to prepare myself (and you, if you actually read this bad boy of a blog) to work hard in cultivating my passions and living for myself and others in a way that contributes to the betterment of everyone.

According to more than a dozen studies conducted around the world, Knight's camp - an oasis of natural quiet - may have been the ideal setting to encourage maximal brain function. These studies, examining the difference between living in a calm place and existing amid commotion, all arrived at the same conclusion: noise and distraction are toxic. The chief problem with environmental noise one can't control is that it's impossible to ignore. The human body is designed to react to it. Sound waves vibrate a tiny chain of bones - the hammer, anvil, and stirrup, the old-time hardware store of the middle ear - and these physical vibrations are converted to electrical signals that are fired directly into the auditory cortex of the brain. The body responds immediately, even during sleep. People who live in cities experience chronically elevated levels of stress hormones. These hormones, especially cortisol, increase one's blood pressure, contributing to heart disease and cellular damage. Noise harms your body and boils your brain. The word "noise" is derived from the Latin word "nausea". You don't need that much quiet to change things, or even have to be alone. But you do have to seek out a soothing environment, and you must do it often. Japanese researchers at Chiba University found that a daily fifteen-minute walk in the woods caused significant decreases in cortisol, along with a modest drop in blood pressure and heart rate. Physiologists believe our bodies relax in hushed natural surroundings because we evolved there; our senses matured in grasslands and woods, and remain calibrated to them. A Duke regenerative biologist, Imke Kirste, working with mice, found that two hours of complete silence per day prompted cell development in the hippocampus, the brain region related to the formation of memory. Studies of humans in the United States, Great Britain, Holland, and Canada have shown that after passing time in quiet, rural settings, subjects were calmer and more perceptive, less depressed and anxious, with improved cognition and stronger memory. Time amid the silence of nature, in other words, makes you smarter.

The Stranger in the Woods - Michael Finkel

IT’S ALWAYS THERE

It’s always there. The productivity system that will keep my life in order. The K-beauty routine that will keep my skin looking like a teenager's. The workout regimen guaranteeing results, but only for a man who is decades younger than me. The diet program that will stave off weight gain, wrinkles, dementia, or death. The news that doesn't inform. The stories that don’t bring meaning. The socialization that leaves me feeling lonely. Then I close my laptop. I see the world. I move my body. I enjoy the silence. I walk to work. I write with pen and paper. I sip a cup of tea. I hand wash my dishes. I call my sister.  And I live. 

- Kristen Sparks

(by jessicatabarelli)

Keep reading

Thank you River Cottage 😍

Audrey Fitzjohn

WISH YOU WERE NORTHWEST - expressions-of-nature: Untitled by Morgan…

​https://www.pinterest.com/FOLK/

Aesthetic.

BEST OF DECEMBER

Coming into summer I have been changing up my routine a bit & trying out some new products. I’m hugely into self-care and have been loving these for a bit of a treat for myself...

Alternatively, you could grab some last minute gifts for your friends :)

1. Magnesium Oil

The Base Collective has been one of my new favourite finds. They stock a  selection of body care, baby care & pet care products all made with natural ingredients. The magnesium spray is one of my staples at the moment after restarting my exercise regime trying to get thin for summer (lol). Absorbed via the skin, magnesium eases muscle fatigue especially after your workout & helps with sleeplessness. 

2. Matcha Powder

Matcha powder is essentially supercharged green tea. It’s green tea leaves that have been ground with stone to form a potent powder with over 10 times the antioxidants of normal green tea. It’s vegan friendly, organic, gluten free & dairy free, so it’s easy on my tummy. I am still experimenting with recipes, but my favourite so far is the following:

1/2 cup lite milk 1/2 frozen banana 1 tsp vanilla protein powder 1 tsp honey 1-2 tsp matcha powder

3. Joshua Tree face mist

This has been in my handbag for the last month and I am always so grateful for it. The perfect blend of essential oils to soothe & refresh your skin without leaving a residue or ruining your make up. My friends at work steal this from me all the time :D

4. Miron glass water bottle

This bottle has been a lifesaver for me. I’m finding I drink about 2-3 litres of water a day when I have this baby handy. Made from Miron glass, which supposedly filters your water if you leave it in the sun, it’s eco-friendly (which I love) and maintains the freshness of your water.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this quickie. If there’s anything you’ve been loving this month, please let me know, I’d love to get your opinion and am always up for some self-love shopping ;) x