bellacaibowl - Tumblr blog

bellacaibowl · 4 years

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affordable, ethical fashion (+tips): minimalism journey

shopping sustainably and ethically can come off as an expensive alternative. Though these brands tend to cost more than most commercial brands, having a mindful wardrobe doesn’t have to break the bank.

why is it expensive?

sustainable materials cost more: natural materials, generally grown on farms in a certified organic way, farmed in a way that pays workers fairly and ethically

tips to build a conscious wardrobe:

shop second-hand (thrift shopping): not only is it affordable and sustainable, but it can be fun creating your own style and doing more with less // you’ re preventing items from ending up in landfills // look into local and online “swapping/trading events” // shop at stores that sell ethical brands, but second-hand // shop less at malls

have a minimalist or capsule wardrobe: not spending so much on every new “trendy”, fast-fashion pieces of clothing, allows you to save up and afford the more expensive brands and products that are sustainable // with a small clothing budget, you’re allowed to be more mindful as to what you add to your wardrobe (even if it’s one piece) // new shopping habits: quality or quantity // due to the concept of “year-round-clothing” with minimalism, you’ll be able to buy pieces that actually last

find a balance between conscious brands and second-hand clothing that works with your budget: this depends on your situation (age and location), budget/finances, needs, and lifestyle // the impact your wardrobe has, also is affected by how you care for your clothes // don’t always wash your clothes in hot water and dry in hot dryers, in order to not waste energy and allow your clothes to last longer/not replace items continuously

research your brands: check their websites, google about them (reputation), and read their “about us”/”what they stand for”/ “their mission” // allows you to make a more mindful investment in your clothing // look for certifications (e.g. GOTS or FairTrade) // research by country, brand or production criteria (e.g. Eco Fashion World) // read about blogs and websites about sustainable fashion

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bellacaibowl · 4 years

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what sustainability means to me + my goals

I’ve been racking my brains this past week on what would be the best flow for this blog. I initially wanted to dive into narrower topics of personal progress tracking (i.e. sustainable fitness habits/eating habits/fashion) but decided that starting broad would be the way to go

today, I’ve decided to tackle what ‘sustainability’ means to me and what are some goals I have in mind towards achieving a sustainable lifestyle. realistically, it would take me years to reach these targets but I think that’s precisely what life is for right? for continual growth and learning! and so I will try my best to list my long term goals and smaller ‘check-points’ that would enable me to transit from my current lifestyle to my desired way of living (:

sustainability means...

the most broad and basic of sustainability, as taken from cambridge dictionary, goes

“the quality of being able to continue over a period of time”

in terms of including the idea of environment, the definition extends to:

“the quality of causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time”

while doing a brief search on other more environment-centric websites, I cam across this excerpt by environmentalscience.org

“In short, sustainability looks to protect our natural environment, human and ecological health, while driving innovation and not compromising our way of life.”

and decided that it sums up my ideals and goals pretty well and as such, I shall attempt to mould my goals following this definition as a framework of sorts! additionally, I want to factor in an element of financial sustainability as well. as a student who has no active income, money is an issue that can’t be ignored when it comes to shaping my lifestyle choices. yet I strongly believe that a sustainable lifestyle (in terms of eco-friendliness) should not be limited to those belonging to higher income groups and that it should not deter me from trying to pursue these hopes of protecting the planet to the best of my ability! so I’m really going to try my best to be honest yet realistic on my journey and I hope it’s an encouragement to you too (:

my goals

1. physical wellbeing - diet

past (up until mid-2019) - ate and snacked on whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted

present - cut down on sugared beverages, beer (since mid-2019) - started intermittent fasting (since june 2020)

long-term goal - eat largely plant based (or if eating insects as a sustainable food source becomes a thing then that’ll be included HAHAHA) - three meals a day - enjoying snacking/desserts once a week/no snacking or desserts at all

check-points - slowly dedicating meat-free meals/days to adjust to more plant-based dishes - designating a cut off timing for eating everyday (9/10pm) - meal prepping in advance for certain meals

2. physical wellbeing - exercise

past (up until mid-2019) - legit just no exercise at all HAHAHA

present - start going for hikes more regularly (since early-2020 but I kinda stopped during circuit breaker...) - exercise for at least 30 min, 5 times a week (since may 2020) - stretch for at least 15 min, 3 times a week (since june 2020)

future - exercise for at least 30 min, 3-4 times a week - stretch for at least 15 min, 3 times a week

3. consumer habits

past - just buy whatever I wanted and whenever I wanted

present - more conscious in deciding whether something is a want or need - more conscious in thinking about the longevity of product (whether I would use it regularly/for as many years as possible) - more conscious in buying products made ethically/with eco-conscious materials/promote eco sustainability

future - cut down purchasing first-hand wearables (except undergarments lol) and look into buying more products second-hand - pick up sewing so I can alter my own clothes that no longer fit/second-hand clothing - when purchasing first-hand goods, look to investing in eco-conscious, higher quality products so that they can last longer leading to less waste

check-ponts - refrain from impulsive buying - continue to educate myself on stores which offer sustainable products/local businesses to support - look through currently owned goods to determine what are necessities and wants and thus what I can live without

4. other zero waste habits - waste: compost food waste and other biodegradable goods / cut down completely on single-use goods when possible (I’m not too sure on how that’ll work with toilet/tissue paper...any ideas?) - transport: take public transport as much as possible - aircon: learn to sleep without aircon at least half the time

why sustainability

I think a lot of these goals listed above demand further elaboration so yes, it will come in time in the form of separate blog posts! as mentioned before, I want to be more intentional in pursuing these new habits so I think proper research is key! while the process may take many years...I’ve decided not to put it off any longer. I have always felt this love for the earth and desire to do better in terms of environmentalism. there isn’t an excuse as to why I haven’t done it sooner (although if I had to pinpoint a reason, I think I’ve been swept up in the consumerist culture and have grown to rely on the path of greatest convenience) but something that has propelled me to start this during this time has been my weekly viewings of seven worlds one planet by BBC.

narrated by the most venerable david attenborough, each episode features a continent and several species of animal that inhabit that geographical area. it is a BEAUTIFUL show! the cinematography is amazing. I assure you, you’d spend half the time going “how did they even film that?!” anyway, besides the amazing new animals you’ll meet, another common theme that runs through each ep is of how these animals’ lives have been drastically altered due to climate change. in some situations, the damage is beyond repair. in others, attenborough shares that a glimmer of hope still exists BUT we have to put our foot down and start actively making change now. additionally, about a month back, my prof had assigned us a final assignment in place of the exam. we were given 5 articles centred around climate change and had to critically examine this issue through the perspectives of marx, durkheim and weber. it was an extremely enlightening assignment and at the same time, it left my heart feeling very heavy. is there anything I can do that will make a difference? is my seemingly singular effort enough? is this all in vain? but I’ve decided...I must still do my best, and so the journey continues! going to focus on finding useful resources to repost here too! for myself, and whoever else may come across this little journal hehe

until next time!

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bellacaibowl · 4 years

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bellacaibowl · 4 years

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welcome to my phase 1 passion project

in the event that this tumblr lasts way beyond its expected life expectancy and I forgot how this all started, here’s a recap of recent events that have spurred the creation of this new page:

1. covid-19 happened

2. covid-19 became a global pandemic

3. sg announced its implementation of circuit breaker measures. these were originally meant to last for a month between april and may. it was later announced that these measures would remain in place for an additional four weeks, lasting til june 1

4. it is june 1 today and circuit breaker ends tomorrow but it also marks the start of phase 1. according to the guidelines, nothing much changes for me as a jobless-holidaying student. I can’t dine-in at f&b outlets outside, I can’t meet individuals outside my household (except my grandma)

5. my faculty announced that it would be conducting all classes online for the next semester (starting august)

okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way

beyond what seems as simply ‘me being bored’, this decision to journal more frequently online can also be attributed to my many moments of desperate hopelessness experienced during time cooped up at home. as somebody who thrives on busyness and relies heavily on to-dos to find purpose, the inability to find and procure an internship/job/volunteering stint this summer has left me feeling rather unmotivated and lost. I deeply desired to do something beyond bumming around. I wanted to do something useful and productive. the longing remains but for now, it shall be satisfied through the running of this blog

what this blog hopes to achieve:

I hesitate to dedicate this platform to a sole focus right from its inception but I do hope to focus on the idea of sustainability

initially, I was set on using this blog as a means of tracking and detailing my journey towards living more eco-friendly/green but as I look back on how my time at home has been for the past eight weeks, I realise that I’ve been striving towards a sustainable lifestyle in many other ways! sustainable meaning: creating and following habits that are sustainable for myself in the long-term that simultaneously will allow me to attain my goals of helping the environment around me, including the people in it! most pertinently, I’ve been trying to find this balance in the aspect of my personal health and fitness. although everyday, I am inspired to grow in other aspects of my life too - surprisingly or not, these sources of inspiration are often found on my ig feeds hehe

for some reason, I feel the need to include a caveat: this is by no means your typical sustainability/lifestyle and wellness blog. I’m sorry to all the purist influencers of these genres out there but that’s not my goal. I just hope for this platform to be an honest log of my personal growth (including as many ups as there are downs) in various aspects of my life; something for me to look back on and be proud of, something that will bring me joy

as for you who are reading this, hello (: thank you for taking the time to indulge in my journalistic attempts!! if you’re here then I’m guessing we should know each other pretty well so do talk to me about anything you encounter here gets you excited/riled up/you just want to talk more about it with me and our other friends! I am excited for the possibilities and opportunities that this platform may bring

I’m not ready to commit a number of posts/week but I shall set it at a minimum of one per week for now. it seems like a real measly number but I am hoping to do proper ‘research’ (as needed) for the topics I’m going to cover and I don’t want to do a slipshod job for the sake of it. also, I am a terribly slow writer (maybe because I am somewhat of a perfectionist?? I am not sure) - really not the best quality for a soci student oops

take care and I hope to be back here again soon

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