A few years back I went through a stage of being very green.  You know, chemical free cleaning products, natural shampoo and conditioners, I’d wash my windows with cold water and newspaper and the weed killer had to be organic!

However as life got busier and my priorities changed, my clean green attitude went down the plug whole and I began buying cleaning products that were advertised on TV.  My cleaning cupboard accumulated many unhealthy products and my Enjo cloths, which can clean your whole house with water, stayed in my hot-water cupboard accumulating dust!

As I look at what’s happening to our planet at the moment, I often think the problem is too big what could I do?  Imagine if everyone thought this way!

So my intention is, to look after the health of my family, the community, our beautiful planet and myself.

Below are a few ideas that will help our planet to blossom.  If you have ideas, recipes, organizations or resources that can help to make people and the planet healthier please do share…

Get Educated

The more you understand what is good for our planet, the easier it is to make informed choices.  Check out www.good.net.nz they have a load of resources and info that is insanely interesting and great for the planet and you!

Check out http://www.environmentalchoice.org.nz/  Their goal is to improve the quality of the environment by encouraging more sustainable processes through e.g. the design, production, marketing, & use of products, which have a reduced environmental impact during their entire life cycle.

Go Natural!

Our ancestors didn’t have Handy Andy Window cleaner or Easy Off Bam! They used natural ingredients like Baking Soda and Vinegar to clean their homes.  If you don’t have the time to make up your own concoctions, next Generation have a brilliant range of household cleaning products, that are friendly for the environment and will have your home shining in no time!

Recycle

Most of us have a recycle bin that is collected each week, however are you really recycling everything that you can?  How much paper do you throw in the bin?  What about food scrapes that could feed the birds or create a wonderful compost for your vegetables.

Keep your food-scrap container and your recycling bins where you can easily access them, so it’s not a hindrance to use them.

Switch it off

Do you really need all those lights on?  Create a beautiful ambience, by switching the telly off and using candles.  Before you head to bed, turn everything off on standby – I got that from the energy saving ad, which has really useful tips to reduce the amount of electricity we use.

Track your travelling

How often are you using your car each week?  Get organized and use your car less frequently.  It will be kind to your wallet and our world.  Ask friends, neighbours and work colleagues whether they’d like to travel together.

Walk when you can, you don’t have to have the parking spot closest to the supermarket.  You’ll save fuel and get more exercise.  If possible ride a bike this is becoming a huge trend.

Natural Remedies

You can find many books in your local library or bookstores that offer natural homemade remedies for everything from dandruff to travel sickness.  Self Sufficiency: Natural Remedies by Melissa Corkhill offers a wide range of holistic remedies for women, children and babies.  Bicarbonate of Soda Expert Advice by Diane Sutherland, Jon Sutherland, Liz Keevil & Kevin Eyres sounds fabulous, I’m just about to try this one out!

Get Involved!

Join Green Peace, Moving Planet or other organisations that are making a positive difference to our planet.  There are regular events that take place, where you can support causes and you’ll get to know other like-minded people.  Check out http://www.moving-planet.org/ they have an upcoming event this Saturday!

Check what you’re buying

Fairtrade is a global organization working to secure a better deal for farmers and workers.  Too many people work in unsatisfactory conditions throughout the world and without knowing it, we can be supporting this injustice by what we buy.  Check out www.fairtrade.net to learn where you can buy fairtrade products.

Good magazine has a fantastic article about Slow Style vs Fast Fashion and how cheap clothes are creating fashion victims of more than one kind.  It makes for an interesting read.

Keep it Clean

Every year New Zealand has a Clean Up NZ week; realistically it would be great to have Clean Up NZ everyday.  Make sure you pick up litter if you see it and teach our youngsters to look after our planet too.

Support the locals

One thing I remember as a child is eating huge watermelon from our family garden.  They were absolutely delicious!  Making your own veggie garden or buying fruit and vegies from the locals, is a great way to support the community and usually the food is spray free and much more nutritional.

If everyone made a few changes, the world would be a better place.

I feel like I’m a newbie at this, so if you have ways we can look after our planet better, please add these below.  The more we know, the more we can do.

 

 

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After speaking to a friend the other day, we both agreed one of our mutual friends has a sexy walk.  She has this flow to her body, her hips gently sway and she seems at ease.  Compared to the way I walk, which is focused, fast passed and quite restricted, (now that I’ve taken notice) I decided to find my own sexy walk.

So I’m at Orewa Beach on a beautiful sunny day and I become aware my head is down and I’m on a mission!  I make a decision that I’m not walking the entire beach without taking in my surroundings, so I break out my sexy walk! 1. I slow down, 2. I look up the view is amazing!  3. I sway my hips.  When I imagine this, I think of those people who walk REALLY fast and wobble their bum that is not what I looked like!  My pace was slower!

This is when I noticed I’m actually in the moment!  Taking in the view, the people I pass, the smell of salt air and the sun on my face, absolute bliss.  I’m feeling really great, OK sexy!  I’m actually in my body, aware of my movements and not thinking about what I have to do and how I didn’t get anything out for dinner.

My walk is a joy and I feel fantastic!

Since that day, I notice myself roaring around the supermarket or racing to get dinner cooked and I slow myself down, become aware of the sexy me and enjoy the moment.

I challenge you this week, to find your sexy walk and enjoy each moment of every day

I’m a big believer that there are no coincidences and that everything happens for a reason.  On Wednesday last week, I decided to check out how much flights and a ticket to the ‘I can do it’ conference in Melbourne was.  An hour and a half later, a client asked if she could pay me in advance and it was approximately the same amount.  At that point I knew I was supposed to be attending the conference.  I booked my flights on the Thursday without knowing where I was staying, trusting that everything was happening perfectly.  By Thursday afternoon my accommodation was sorted, I was able to stay with friends and on Friday I was flying out to Melbourne, feeling very grateful that everything had happened so easily.

As I waited to board the plane, I noticed a couple that looked like they had just stepped out of Woodstock.  Hippies from an era where people openly stepped into their authenticity and this is exactly what they were doing.  I watched with fascination while they gave each other healing, standing up in the departure lounge stretching and doing yoga techniques (in front of everyone!)  I noticed other people watching them too; some laughing quietly, other’s looked on interested in what they were doing.  I must admit I judged them at the time, thinking they were quite weird.  I was sure I would meet them at the conference and sure enough I did.  We had a small chat at the event and realized we were catching the same plane home.  While I was waiting to check my luggage in, we noticed each other and after some planning we were sitting together on the plane.

I found it funny that these two people whom I had judged, were now sitting beside me and we were having fantastic conversations.  They even took me through a wonderful meditation in the boarding lounge.  We spoke about all sorts of interesting topics and once again, I realized there are no coincidences, these two lovely people were here to remind me to be authentic, to not worry about what people think (they sure didn’t) and to be open and connect with people… even strangers.

I feel really grateful for this encounter and l am aware that I won’t be judging a book by it’s cover, because who knows what interesting experiences I might miss out on.

Look out for my next blog where I share some of the learning’s I received from Louise L. Hay, Marianne Williamson, Doreen Virtue and more at the ‘I can do it’ conference.