How to Cope with Stress

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April is Stress Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the impact of stress on our lives and to promote strategies for coping with stress. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of stress awareness and provide some helpful tips for managing stress.

The Importance of Stress Awareness Month

Stress is a common experience for many people, and its impact can be significant. Stress can lead to physical and mental health problems, as well as difficulties in our personal and professional lives. Stress Awareness Month is an opportunity to educate people about the effects of stress and to provide resources for coping with stress.

Tips for Managing Stress

Here are some helpful tips for managing stress:

Practice relaxation techniques: Deep breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga can help you relax and reduce stress.

Exercise regularly: Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and improve your overall health. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.

Get enough sleep: Getting enough sleep is important for both physical and mental health. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

Manage your time: Learning how to manage your time effectively can help reduce stress. Make a to-do list and prioritise tasks.

Connect with others: Social support can help you cope with stress. Reach out to friends or family members for support.

Seek professional help: If you are feeling overwhelmed, consider seeking the help of a mental health professional.

By utilising these tips, you can raise awareness about stress and connect with others who are interested in managing stress in their lives. Remember to prioritise self-care and seek help when needed to maintain your mental and physical health.

 

How to Dress for Spring

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We have put together some simple quick ideas on how to dress for spring.

With the ever changing unpredictable weather, it’s good to have some style tips to get you through March, April and May.

Layers
Layers are basically your best friend for spring and transitioning through the seasons.

Try choosing lighter layers in different fabric textures to give depth to the outfit.
You can layer chunkier knits over lightweight dresses and skirts. Wear jumpers on top of shirts and dresses. Layer up cardigans under a lightweight coat, jacket, or raincoat and style with the belt tied around the front, style slightly open so you can see the underneath layers of clothing.

Think about your base clothing, chose light thermal layers like a thermal long sleeved top. A strappy top is a good option for when the days get warmer.  

For that extra bit of warmth, you can wear a pair of tights under jeans or trousers and don’t forget thermal socks for under boots as well.

Dresses
Dresses that are easy to wear and versatile are a great choice. Paired with knitwear,  jumpers or cardigans worn on top of the dress and a lightweight coat on top. Why not team these with tights and either knee high boots or ankle boots, or when it gets warmer trainers flat shoes then sandals coming up to summer.

You can get all sorts of different dresses to style.
Maxi or mid length dresses with long sleeve are great for the colder days. Strappy dresses are perfect for for those slightly warmer days. You can wear them with long sleeved tops or T-shirts underneath.

Opt for dresses that can be worn open like a wrap dress or a dress with volume that looks great on its own and that can be styled with a belt to totally change the look of the outfit.

Colour pallets
As the days are getting a bit longer and brighter, choose clothing colour pallets that are lighter. Paler colours like warm pastels or neutrals work well. You can add pops of colour with bright handbags, belts and scarfs. Go for boots and shoes with darker deeper colours like greys, browns and mahoganies for the seasonal transition.

Fun floral prints are great for getting you into that spring mindset.
Try mixing these with less bulky textiles, knitwear, soft light layers.

Bold prints look good layered with some neutral items. As an example: if you choose a bold dress with a bright print, pick out a couple of more basic colours from the print for the other garments in your outfit. Try a natural colour jacket, neutral or black tights and boots paired with a coloured scarf and bag.

Accessories
Hats are a brilliant accessory for this time of year. Try swapping beanie hats for fedoras or wide brim hats. These are great if there’s some light rain and they elevate your outfit.

Swap out gloves for arm warmers or thin gloves instead of knitted ones.

Scarves are another great accessory for this time of year.  Try to pick  large light weight ones as these are great for wrapping around your neck whilst it’s chilly but you can also wear it open and long on top of jackets and coats.

Big oversized bags or tote bags are best to carry layers you take off; sunglasses, hat and umbrellas for the unpredictable weather.

Knee high boots and tights are perfect for day and night looks. Ankle and mid high boots with skin colour tights and dresses work well together for the warmer days.

Keep jewellery light and pick items that you can carry through to the summer.  Layer up light weight minimal necklaces and bracelets. 

Pairing oversized sunglasses with hats is a good plan for those tricky bright days that might turn into drizzle later on.

Hopefully these styling tips will help you dress for the season and get through for the next couple of months.  Have fun with it and experiment with things you haven’t tried before.

 

How to Mend Clothing

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Mending clothing is a great sustainable option. It extends the lifetime of the item and saves you money.

You need to learn a couple of basic hand sewing techniques and grab a couple of sewing tools like needle and thread to get started.

The best thing about mending clothing instead of throwing the item out is that you are repairing and reusing it and saving the clothing from going to landfill.

Types of Mending

Fixing holes or tears
To fix holes and tears, attach fabric behind the hole to strengthen the item. You can use a special fabric called interfacing for a subtle mend or you can make the mend a feature by using a scrap of contrasting fabric underneath the tear.

Read more about what stitches and techniques to use here:

https://sewguide.com/clothing-repair-mending-tears/

How to repair stains
Removing a stain is another way to revive your garments and save them from landfill.

Firstly act quickly so it’s easier to remove.

1. For a large stain soak the stained item in a solution of 50% vinegar and 50% water

2. Rinse the item in cold water

3. Wash the item in cold water with laundry liquid and water

4. Don’t dry the item until the stain has fully come out.

  1. For a small stain use a mix of vinegar, washing up liquid or lemon with water

  2. Gently rub on the stain until removed

  3. Rinse with cold water before putting it in the wash

Baking soda can also lift tough stains from garments

  1. Make a paste with six tablespoons of baking soda and 1/3 cup of warm water

  2. Rub it in the stain and leave it until the stain has lifted

  3. Wash as normal

Try these methods and your item will be like brand new. It’s you wanted to be creative you could paint a design over the stained area with fabric dye or iron on designs.

Need advice on specific stains check out this link for eco friendly stain removal:

https://www.savemoneycutcarbon.com/learn-save/how-to-remove-stains-in-an-eco-friendly-way/

Visible mending  
This is a fun and practical idea. Rather then fixing clothing so you can’t see the damage, visible mending makes a point of showing that the item was damaged and repaired.

Check out more viable mending on this link:

https://blog.shopmartingale.com/quilting-sewing/mending-is-trending-give-new-life-to-old-favorites-with-visible-mending/

It’s an opportunity to get creative and add something unique to the item. Why not try stitching with a contrast colour to make the item pop.

You can also add embroidery designs onto the garment by fixing an embroidery hoop around the damaged area and stitching your design on-top.

Patchwork
Make clothing more stylish and unique by adding your own stamp to the item. Try stitching on coloured or patterned patches or different fabrics to add texture. Go for a random pattern or create a design. You can buy already designed patches to sew on.

Japanese techniques
Wabi Sabi
‘’A Japanese aesthetic concept that finds beauty and serenity in objects, landscapes, designs, etc that are simple, Imperfect and impermanent; it’s the philosophy of wabi-sabi, which delights in the tarnish on an ancient silver bowl and the old uneven cobblestone.’ Dictionary.com

Boro Stitch
‘Boro is essentially the practice of using a simple running stitch (a sashiko stitch ) to reinforce a textile item using spare or would-be-discarded scraps of fabric. It is a practice that grew out of necessity in medieval Japan, and has evolved, four centuries later, into a distinctively gorgeous textile artform’
https://indigoniche.com/2018/08/30/boro-stitching-introduction-history/

Sashisko
‘Sashiko is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching (or functional embroidery) from Japan. Traditional sashiko was used to reinforce points of wear or to repair worn places or tears with patches.’
https://craftatlas.co/crafts/sashiko
These all embody a more historical circular movement using these techniques today can help the fashion industry move away from waste - fashion been turned into landfill.

History
Make do and mend
From June 1941 - 1949 buying new clothing in Britain was rationed. Make do and mend was born as part of a government campaign urging people in the Second World War to repair and reuse their existing clothing.

Here some make do and mend top 10 tips:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-top-tips-for-winning-at-make-do-and-mend

Getting Started
First ask yourself whether the item is worth repairing. Do you still like it? Is the rest of the item in good condition? Is it an heirloom? Is it worth the time and effort to repair ? If the answer is yes, then carry on!

Choose what mending techniques to use

Here are a few tips to help you decide which techniques to use for your mend  

What effect do you want?

Do you want an invisible repair or to make a feature of it? For smart or work clothing you may want to go for less obvious repairs. For casual clothes, you might want to get creative. 

What Type of fabric are you repairing

Wool – darning technique

Woven fabric – patches/ interfacing/ reinforcement stitches

Delicate fabric - use lightweight fusible interfacing under the tear and iron on, you can also do invisible stitching by using a thin small needle and the right colour and size of thread

Lace - stitched across the ripped area with a needle thread making sure it resembles the lace pattern make sure the stitches are loose if the weave is loose or tight if it’s a tight weave

 
 

Type of Damage

Damaged seam – invisible repair to seam

Small tear – interfacing, patch or japanese visible technique

Small hole -stitch together with a motif design on top or a contrast thread or thread of the same colour

Large hole – patch

thinning fabric – patch on the inside or outside of the garment

Where is the damage?

If it’s in a place that gets a lot of wear, you probably need to reinforce the area with interfacing or a fabric patch, try the Boro stitching technique.

Things you may need

You can buy most of the basic items you need in a supermarket or grocery store. For things like interfacing, and embroidery hoops, visit a haberdashery store or online shop.


- Needle
- Pins, pincushion
- Sewing scissors
- Scraps of fabric
- interfacing
- Embroidery hoop
- Thimble
- Darning mushroom
- Thread


Learn a few basic stitches
Here is a great link with 10 basic hand stitches you need to know to get you started
https://theinspiredsewist.com/10-basic-stitches-you-should-know/

Get inspiration
Look for mending ideas online, like on Pinterest or in magazines. See what other people have done and how you can adapt it to your style


Get some exciting tools & haberdashery
Why not get some exciting colour thread to play with. Get creative and choose a colour that contrasts with the garment to show visible mending

Shown below with darning a sock, click on the link to find out how

http://www.customwoolenmills.com/blog/how-to-darn-a-sock-using-a-woven-repair/

You could also try appliqué - add scraps or fabrics on top of the clothing making it into a design, like a small flower or motif that changes the garment into something more stylish and interesting.

Start stitching
Now you can start mending your clothing, don’t worry if there are mistakes. Just plan what your going to do and take your time. Be proud that you’re being creating and sustainable and saving your clothing from landfill.

 

How to do Veganuary

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It is January! A new start to a new year and an opportunity to do something amazing for your health, for animals and for the planet! Of course, we are talking about Veganuary, the challenge to try a plant-based diet for a whole month.

 

In 2022, the Veganuary movement inspired and supported 620000 people across the world to try vegan eating. A massive 98% of people who did Veganuary last year would recommend it!

 

Making such a big change to the way you eat can seem daunting so we’ve put together our tips for doing Veganuary.

1. “Veganise” your favourite recipes  

There are thousands of vegan recipes to explore (more about those later), but substituting vegan products for meat and dairy ingredients in your favourite recipes is a great way to get started and can make the switch to vegan easier.

 

There are now loads of excellent plant-based protein sources available from supermarkets and health-food shops. We like switching out beef for plant-based mince in spaghetti bolognaise, chilli con carne and tacos. Add dairy free cheese on top. Switch the chicken for fake chicken in curries or fajitas. Try vegan kebab ‘meat’. Or be even healthier and choose vegetables, lentils, jackfruit, banana blossom or tofu.

2. Fake meats, cheese and vegan milk substitutes 

There is now a vast choice of vegan substitutes in supermarkets, restaurants and cafes. Some are new but don’t forget lentils and beans!

 

Why not try some of these:

Soy Protein

Tempeh

Tofu

Jackfruit

Pea protein

Mycoprotein like Quorn

Lentils

Seitan

Beans

 

Visit https://cleangreensimple.com/article/best-vegan-meat-substitutes/ for more info about them.

You can get a variety of cheeses like; mozzarella, cheddar, feta, great style, hallumoi. Flavoured cheeses like:; smoked, cranberry, onion, chives or spicy. There is also spreadable cheese, squeezy cheese, cheese sauce and cheese flakes which are called engevita.

There is a variety of milk like oat, almond, rice, soya, coconut, hemp, pea, potato, and cashew milk.

You can also get squirty cream, double cream, condensed milk, yoghurts, ice cream even honey substitutes like agave nectar.

 

 3. Discover vegan recipes

It has never been easier to find vegan recipes. There are some great books on vegan eating and a vast number of vegan recipes online. Searching the internet for recipes is a quick and easy way to find ideas and get inspired.

 

If you like to watch cooking videos, try YouTube, follow people making vegan food on Instagram, or tic tok, and save the recipes for free.

 

Add recipes you find online to your online bookmark to help you find and organise your favourite recipes.

 Here are some links to get you started;

 

Sign up to Veganuary you get recipes emailed to you:

 

https://veganuary.com/

 

BBC food have got 87 easy vegan recipes on their blog:

 

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/easy-vegan-recipes/amp

 

Love and lemons 85 vegan recipes:

 

https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-recipes/

 

70 vegan recipes from good house keeping:

 

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/g807/vegan-recipes/

4. Make your own substitutes

If you’re feeling adventurous and want to save some money, you can make your own meat substitutes. Have fun and adapt the flavours to suit your own tastes!

 

For vegan meat recipes:

https://chooseveg.com/blog/10-badass-recipes-for-making-your-own-vegan/

For vegan milks like oat milk, rice or coconut milk:

https://simpleveganblog.com/9-easy-plant-milk-recipes/ 

To make homemade flavoured cheeses from cashews and cheese sauces:

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/vegan-recipes/23-best-ever-vegan-cheese-recipes/ 

5. Shopping for Vegan Food

Now you have checked out your favourite recipes you can write a list of essentials you need to cook. 

 Starting out vegan shopping can be confusing but the supermarkets make it very simple to purchase vegan products and there is a great range during veganuary. There are usually sections in supermarkets for vegan food in the chilled fridges, dry cupboard essentials and frozen aisles of the supermarket. Most vegan food is clearly marked as ‘plant-based’ or ‘vegan’. 

It is possible to get caught out if the product you’re buying doesn’t clearly say it’s plant-based or vegan so do make sure you check the ingredients on the labels when shopping. Check the list of ingredients to make sure there aren’t any allergens in bold that say “Milk” or “Egg”. 

 

Here is a list of foods and ingredients to avoid on a vegan diet:

 

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/features/food-ingredients-avoid-vegan-diet/ 

 6. Tips for eating out

Do your research. Checking the menu out online relieves the anxiety of not knowing if you can eat there and can save you a wasted trip (and hanger!). Most restaurants state clearly on their menus what items are vegan or what can be made vegan. If they don’t you can always ring the restaurant to ask and see if they can amend some dishes for you. 

 You can now order Vegan milk substitutes in cafes, with vegan cakes. There are Vegan options in fast food and restaurants. Vegan wines and beers in bars and restaurants are usually labelled vegan on menus. So there are lots of places for a vegan to eat out and be social!

7. Food supplements 

It’s a good idea to take a range of supplements in general to support your health. Vitamins like b12, omega 3, multivitamins are great to take all the time and in Britain and other northern areas, we also need vitamin D. These supplements help keep a balanced diet and help you get the nutrients you need. 

 

Here is a great link for information on vegan nutrition:

 

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/6-vitamins-vegans-supplements-whole-foods-plant-based-diet/

 

Get healthy bacteria in your diet by taking acidophilus probiotics or live vegan yoghurt and fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, and tofu.

8. Protein and healthy fats 

Make sure you are eating enough protein. Most grains and legumes are full  of protein &fake meats are a good source. Make sure with every meal you get some healthy fats and protein like nuts or nut spread or tofu or tempeh on a salad or Buddha bowl.

 

Below is a link to healthy vegan fats and proteins, also some high protein recipes:

 

https://veganuary.com/protein-fat-vegan-diet/

 8. Enjoy and share your journey 

 

Don’t take Veganuary too seriously and don’t get disheartened if you make any mistakes; it’s totally normal! Just have fun experimenting and trying new things.

 

Take some images of your favourite vegan dishes, ingredients and baked goods or the meals you have when you’re out at restaurants and share on social media tagging #veganuary. This will help others know where they can eat as well. 

 Share recipes between friends and your tips and hacks for certain dishes. 

 

It’s a great idea to note whether you’re seeing any health improvements such as improved weight, energy and sleep. This can help spur you on to continue.

 

Good luck on trying out Veganuary and we hope it inspires you to keep being vegan, or cut down on your meat and dairy consumption. 

 

By adopting a vegan lifestyle, you’re saving animals, preventing animal suffering, protecting the environment and lowering your carbon footprint by 73%.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/veganism-environmental-impact-planet-reduced-plant-based-diet-humans-study-a8378631.html

 

How to be Present

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How to be Present at Christmas

The greatest gift you can give is to be truly present!

 

Yes, the tree and the lights and the food and the presents are all lovely. But most people agree that being together is the most important thing.

 

And if you’re stressing in the kitchen, or glued to your phone, in your VR headset, or just in your own head all the time, it’s hard to be present with the people you care about.

 

This is our guide to being present and beating the stress of the season. 

Make time to just be

If you’re involved in Christmas preparations, it can seem like there is so much to do. Think through how you can prioritise time with your friends and family.

 

• Maybe scale back the cooking and choose easy dishes or ready-made meals

• Shop online

• Delegate present-wrapping, cleaning and decoration

• Encourage others to join in and let them be creative

• Make preparations fun - put on Christmas music and silly hats (if that’s your thing)

• Involve children if you have them in your life

• Make new traditions that involve Christmas preparations 

 Take time for yourself

Grabbing a few peaceful moments in the midst of Christmas busyness can give you a much-needed rest especially if you’re an introvert or get over-stimulated. Don’t be afraid to escape for a quick breather in a quiet room or walk round the block. Take some deep breaths and know that you’ll be in a better frame of mind afterwards. You can also try our mindfulness tips below.

 Be in the moment

• Once you are settled at the table or on the sofa together, enjoy the moment.

• Try to let any perfectionist tendencies go.

• Be thankful for what you have

• Agree your headphones and phone policy in advance to avoid arguments on the day

• We know it’s hard, but put your phone away – even just for a few hours.

 Relieve relationship tensions

We know it can happen. Family (and friend) arguments can spring up at Christmas when people are a bit too tired/drunk/over-stimulated. Here are a few ideas for relieving the pressure

• Play a game. Playing is a really great way to relax, bond and have fun. Choose games that everyone present can join in with. Best to avoid Monopoly though!

• Go for a walk together. A change of scene and a bit more space are great for releasing stress. People can go at their own pace and burn off some energy.

• Watch a movie. Put on a feel-good film and distract them from their tiff.

•  Be mindful that not everyone loves Christmas. It can be a very difficult time for some. Try to listen well to understand different points of view and don’t insist everyone joins in with everything. 

 Mindfulness Tips

Mindfulness can help us be present. Here are a few tips and activities

  •  Try meditation. Google to find a guided meditation. Or get comfy and concentrate on your breathing or listen to relaxing music.

  • Box breathing exercise (breathe in counting to 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4 and repeat 1-3 times)

  • Try Yoga, or even just some stretching or gentle exercise to relive tension

  • Use grounding techniques (Identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste)

  • Be with your pets, stroke them, play with them take them for a walk

  • Why no try 12 days wild to help nature - and yourself. This great Wildlife Trust activity challenges us to do something involving nature everyday throughout the christmas period. Get the whole family involved.

https://ethicalhour.com/charities-ngos/12-days-wild-help-nature-this-christmas/

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/12dayswild

 

How to Approach Sustainable Gift Giving

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We all know that sometimes we give and receive unwanted gifts. There is a huge amount of waste produced, and it comes at an expense to our pockets and the planet.

Here are some tips on sustainable gift giving!

Regift! 

We’ve all been there. The giver is well-meaning but the gift misses the mark!  Here are some ideas for what you can do to stop them ending up in landfill.

In the past it has been frowned-upon to re-gift an unwanted present, but now that people are more aware of the huge problem of waste, it is becoming more acceptable.

 We think it’s a great way to reduce waste. If you know the other person would really like the gift, then it’s a win for everyone and the planet too.

 If you can’t think who would like it, you can always send your gift to a charity or give it away to friends and family. Much better than letting it gather dust or binning it.

Know the receiver

Giving good gifts often involves research especially if you’re not close to the person you’re buying for. If you can’t remember how old your niece or nephew is or what they’re in to, find out from their parents. Children’s interests often change quickly as they grow. If in doubt, ask for a suggestion.

 If you can’t know the receiver because you’re doing Secret Santa, choose something that most people will appreciate or use, like chocolates, a mug, fancy tea/coffee, socks, a voucher, or a small charity donation.

 Give money or gift cards!

Many think giving money or gift cards is unthoughtful but actually it’s less wasteful and the receiver can get something they really want. This works especially well for teenagers and children whose tastes change quickly. Many kids will appreciate having the choice.

Quality not quantity

Do they really need 5 or 15 or 25 parcels to unwrap?  Do they really want that crazy Christmas scarf/t-shirt/hat/mug that will be hilarious for 10 minutes then end up with all the others in the loft or in the bin?

 Choosing quality over quantity is a great way to avoid waste. Hold back and be thoughtful.

Sustainable gifting ideas 

Experience gifts 

Experience gifts are usually very low waste! There is a huge choice available from gifting companies or you can organise something special yourself. Book something you will both enjoy. A restaurant, a photo shoot, gig or theatre performance.   

Experience gifts don’t need to be expensive. You could give a voucher for a massage, babysitting, a home-cooked meal or even car cleaning!

Eco gifts 

Give plants, bulbs herbs, anything people can use for their garden.

Handmade gifts can be really special.

Make simple things like jars of ingredients with recipes, homemade candles, knitted items... there a lots of ideas on Pinterest, something for all skill levels.

 Edible gifts are great and usually won’t go to waste! 

Think about what it’s made of

Whilst shopping, always thing about the materials involved in the gift. Try to avoid plastics as these are harder to dispose off. Find organic, natural materials which. Search for organic food and drink or ones with certifications. Use recycled paper and FSC material. 

Clothing made with recycled fabrics is a great option.

Shop Sustainable Brands

 There are more and more sustainable retail brands to choose from. Include “sustainable” in your internet search and you’ll get plenty of hits. You can check their credentials by looking on their websites for certification as ethical, organic or zero waste. 

Clothing from sustainable brands makes great gifts. An investment piece can last a lifetime, be beautiful and useful. Many brands have seasonal discounts or sample sales where you can get great bargains.

Shop Vintage

Charity shops can be full of giftable treasure. And there are more and more vintage shops appearing. Shopping second hand is a great way to be sustainable and gift unique and thoughtful gifts.

You can pick up fantastic clothing bargains if you take your time and look for good labels.  

Vintage and charity shops are a great source of unusual and affordable homeware gifts.

Shop Local

Online shopping is easy but we think local Christmas shopping can be a lot more fun and festive! Buy from local, small businesses or get really Christmassy with a trip to a Christmas Craft Market in your town centre, school or place of worship.

 Donation and adoption gifts 

Give a gift of a donation to a charity that is important to the receiver. Send it on behalf of the person you’re giving the gift to and include a card explaining what you’ve done.

Adopt an animal. You could choose a local small charity that looks after animals or an international or world wide organisation. 

Many charities offer lovely gifts that support the organisation. These can be really good for kids. The Worldwide Wildlife Fund is just one example.

Clever Sustainable Online Shopping

Plant trees as you shop! Well, let someone else do it for you! It’s always great to use websites like Ecosia to do your shopping online as they plant trees whilst you browse, off-setting your carbon footprint. 

Sustainable gift wrapping 

Furoshiki is the Japanese art of gift wrapping with fabric.

This is such a beautiful, sustainable form of gift wrap and the fabric itself can be part of the gift. You can buy a variety of patterns, prints and sizes of ready-made furoshiki wraps or make your own. There are online tutorials for easy ways to wrap specific shapes like books or wine bottles. 

Reuse wrapping paper, keep wrapping paper or gift bags from previous gifts. 

 Print on brown paper or add dried leaves, twigs and dried fruits with rope or ribbon. 

Use old books, newspapers, music sheets magazines as wrapping paper.

Ditch plastic sticky tape and use eco Japanese paper washi tape, biodegradable brown paper tape or use ribbons to wrap and fasten. 

We hope this gives you some ideas on how to do sustainable gift giving!

 

Sustainable Gift Giving Checklists

 

Gift Ideas

  • Find things to re-gift

  • Give experiences including paid-for and free things you can do

  • Money and gift cards

  • Plants, bulbs, herbs, other garden stuff

  • Make gifts (check Pinterest)

  • Edible gifts like chocolates, alcohol, fancy soft drinks, sweets, cheese, nuts

  • Vintage clothing

  • Vintage homeware or books.

  • Adopt an animal

  • Give a charity gift

 

 Choosing Gifts Checklists

  • Know the receiver

  • Choose something edible or useful for Secret Santa gifts

  • Go for quality not quantity

  • Think about what it’s made of

  • Shop sustainable brands

  • Shop vintage

  • Shop local

  • Shop Christmas Markets

  • Use websites like Ecosia to help the planet while you browse

  • Use sustainable wrapping

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe

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How to build a capsule wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe is a range of basic garments that go well together, are interchangeable and seasonless. They are mainly neutral shades with accents of colour, prints and patterns. These items are versatile and can be styled to look different. A capsule wardrobe is a very sustainable option compared to fast fashion. It’s great for the environment as you’re not contributing to landfill and it’s usually better from an ethical point of view.

How to get started!


Work with what you have
You don’t need to start buying all new garments; have a look and see what you already have that works.


Invest in pieces that last
Clothing that’s durable and well made is worth investing in. You don’t need to break the bank: shop vintage; second hand or ethical. These options are better quality and will last longer.


The base
You need a few basic effortless garments that are simple but can fit in many outfits. Choose colours and small prints that can be carried through the seasons and fit with your personality. Whether you’re bold and bright or are more into neutral colours, it will still work.


Key pieces
Key pieces are interchangeable garments that can be worn in different outfits. For example, choose a stylish top that can be styled with a high waisted skirt and heels or trousers, jacket and shoes for a more casual look. Choose some key pieces that you really like.

Be trendless
Don’t follow trends as these fashion pieces easily come and go and won’t carry you through many seasons.  Most trends are fast fashion copies of the higher-end designer brands and won’t last long.

Styling
Style your garments in different ways.  Wear clothing tucked in or out, maybe even backwards. Accessorise with a belt or bag, and jewellery pieces are a fab way to freshen up your look.

How to compile capsule and wardrobe and add colour!

It’s best to choose a base colour like black, brown or navy.

Basic Essentials
Then add some basic essentials your core closet and essentials like a T-shirt , tops or leggings in white, ivory, tan, beige, camel or grey.


Select accent colours

Pick 1, 2 or 3 accent colours. Add a few clothes with these colours. Make sure these colours work well together in a colour pallet, you can always use lighter and darker shades of the same colour as well.

Add patterns and layers

Add a couple of patterned garments like stripes, florals, spots, geometric, abstract

Make sure you have layering items, jackets, blazers, cardigans, coats.

Add shoes and accessories

Add a few neutral shoes: heels, flats and trainers. Add coloured footwear if they are the same as your accent colours.


Find more information on adding colours and patterns here:

https://classyyettrendy.com/how-to-start-a-capsule-wardrobe-with-colors-patterns-5-step-visual-guide/#/


Our Top Tips:


- Shop vintage
- Go to clothing swap events

- Shop second hand charity shop for durable pieces
- Find great pieces online from eBay and depop

- Shop sustainable designer sample sales
- Rent garments and accessories for special events
- Borrow garments from friends and family
- Keep positive

Why not challenge yourself to build a sustainable wardrobe? You can try it out by going through your own wardrobe and picking a minimum amount of interchangeable garments.

Don’t worry if you get it wrong or find garments that don’t work. You can always sell your pieces and put your money towards other garments that will fit in better with your capsule wardrobe.


Having a capsule wardrobe gives you more time, less stress and saves you money, plus your helping the environment!

 

How to be Organic

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Organic September is raising awareness of the incredible benefits of organic farming. It is extremely beneficial for the climate nature and our health. It encourages people to produce and consume organic products.

Organic farming promotes ecological balance of the natural resources and prevents consumption of harmful chemicals and protects the wildlife and environment.

Here are some tips for being more organic:


- Join an organic community

This will help with research and finding out information on where to buy products and be supported by like minded people. There are many Facebook groups and local community groups you can join. You can sign up to organisations that send out emails on sustainable living. Some places do community vegetable boxes that are grown by locally


- Grown your own vegetables

The best way to be organic and to know there are no chemicals and pesticides on your produce, is to start growing your own. Start off small with something easy to grow. You can use peat free compost and pollinator plants. It’s also a great idea to start a compost bin to add nutrients to your soil, and also install a water butt bin to capture rain water to water your garden. This saves on water using the hosepipe.


- Organic beauty
Try look out for the soil association symbol on beauty and wellbeing products to make sure you’re supporting small businesses that don’t test on animals and don’t use controversial chemicals parabens and phthalates, synthetic dyes or fragrance. Natural organic products are always better for your health and the environment.

There are also cleaning products and household products that have cruelty free logos and less chemicals.


- Your choices count
We have the power to change the food system by what we purchase and what we grow and cook. We can all make positive choices that help make a difference.


- Support local
Supporting your local community is a great way to help local small businesses grow and get organic home grown produce without the carbon footprint.


- Organic on a budget
There are great food waste places that save food from going to landfill. These outlets offer some great organic produce and as it’s usually available in bulk, plastic packaging is kept to a minimum. Growing food from seed is also a cheaper option. You can always regrow food ends like celery in water to make them go further.  Look out for cheap wonky fruit and veg or produce that is past or close to it’s best before date.  


- Eat with the seasons
These is a great way of getting the tastiest produce at the right time of year. It also reduces food miles from the field to your plate.


- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The best way to be zero waste with shopping is to bring your own grocery bags.
There are also many zero waste refill shops where you can take your own containers to fill up with produce and save money too.


- Find joy in nature
Go walking outside, go forest bathing, be at one with nature this is great for your body and mind.


- Start eating less meat or become vegan
This is the single greatest thing you can do to dramatically lower your carbon footprint and live a healthier lifestyle packed with fruit and vegetables.

- Organic fashion

Buying clothing with organic fibres is beneficial for you, the people who harvested the materials, and the workers that made your clothes, as it is not grown with pesticides and chemicals, which can have a harmful effect on the skin, environment and local wildlife.

Choose natural organic fibres from sustainable designers or second hand shops.


Joining in with Organic September is a great introduction to living a more organic lifestyle. We hope this inspires you to develop and keep these habits.

 

How to have a Plastic Free Lifestyle

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Plastic free July is an initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation that allows us to work towards a vision of seeing a world free of plastic.

Have you taken the plastic free challenge?

Here are some tips got help guide you to be plastics free:

Simple everyday swaps can make a big difference!

Instead of using plastic takeaway coffee cups try bringing reusable coffee cups to shops the shops with you.

The impact

- Coffee cups are not recyclable in most locations. Even ‘compostable’ cups are rarely composted as they require very specific facilities and conditions

- Bringing your own cup shows others how easy it is to reduce their waste and encourages them to do the same

Instead of buying plastic-wrapped fruit and vegetables on them choose produce without plastic wrap.

If you need to put your fruit and vegetables in something bring a spare reusable bag with you.


The impact

- Avoiding plastic-wrapped fruit and vegetables reduces the pressure on recycling systems.

- It also reduces unnecessary waste and saves precious resources.

- You can help save plastic bags from entering our oceans and landfill where they break up into tiny micro plastics and remain forever.

- Plastic is also fatal for animals who mistake it for food or become entangled in it.

Instead of using plastic shopping bags bring reusable shopping bags with you.

Keep them handy in your bag or car.

You can choose bags made out of natural fibres like organic cotton, jute, hemp or use recycled plastic bags.


The impact

- Plastic is fatal for animals who mistake it for food or become entangled in it

- Plastic bags break up into tiny micro plastics and remain indefinitely in the environment

- By choosing to refuse plastic bags, you can save around 500 plastic bags per year from entering our oceans and landfill

Instead of using plastic straws, refuse them when you’re in bars/restaurants and bring your own reusable straws.

These can be made out of stainless steel, bamboo, glass or even foldable straws.

The impact

- Single-use straws are used for a few minutes then discarded, where they’ll remain in the environment indefinitely

- They are lightweight and easily blown down drains and into waterways, rivers and oceans

- Straws can become stuck in the airways of animals, or if mistaken for food and ingested can be fatal

- Together, we can get straws out of the top 10 list of items collected in beach cleanups


Instead of using plastic water bottles buy and take a reusable water bottle with you when you are out.

There are various water points to fill your bottle up when you are out.

You can buy water bottles made out of stainless steal glass or safe aluminium.

The impact

- Reduce the pollution produced by plastic water bottles, which end up in landfills and impact millions of animals and habitats

Instead of buying pre-packed plastic breads and baked goods, try to shop at local bakeries and bring your own reusable bags.


The impact

- By reducing the use of single use plastics you help save precious resources.

- You save plastic bags from entering the oceans and landfill where they break up into micro plastics and remain forever.

- Plastic is also fatal for animals who mistake it for food and become entangled in it

Reduce what you buy, avoid plastic-wrapped produce and seek more sustained alternatives.

Reuse plastic items as much as possible or take to second hand store where possible so they don’t end up in landfill.

Recycle correctly and choose to buy recycled products to close the loop.

The impact

- All the oil, water and other resources used to make products is wasted if these products aren’t recycled.

- By reducing, reusing and recycling you can help minimise landfill.

All information taken from Plastic Free July please visit their website for more details on how to be plastic free.

https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/

We hope you enjoyed the plastic free July challenge and keep up the habits of having a plastic free lifestyle.

You’re contributing to a more sustainable future!

 

ZARAMIA AVA VIDEO | SUSTAINABILITY IN OUR FASHION BUSINESS

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At ZARAMIA AVA, we are extremely proud of the sustainability of our business. You can now learn more about how we ensure that our business doesn’t damage the environment by watching our video.


In the first section, our Founder and Creative Director Zara-Mia provides an introduction to the business and the story behind, it revealing that ZARAMIA AVA had sustainability at its roots right from the beginning.

Watch on to discover:

• ZARAMIA AVA’s core value and why it is so important that all businesses connect with the rise of ethical consumerism. 

• ZARAMIA AVA’s operationalisation of sustainability, how we put these into practice and the initiatives we are part of that help refine our targets. 

• ZARAMIA AVA’s sustainability journey including our sustainable business model 

• ZARAMIAAVA’s challenges in sourcing and where our business would like to be in the future.

• ZARAMIA AVA’s final reflections on the extent to which we see our sustainable business model going mainstream. 

www.ZaraMiaAva.com

Info@ZaraMiaAva.com

@ZARAMIAAVA

Transcript

0.10 - VIDEO CONTENT

 0.21 - A BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF ZARAMIA AVA’S BUSINESS & WHAT INSPIRED US

Hi, I’m Zara-Mia. I am the founder and Creative Director of ZARAMIA AVA. I am really pleased to be talking to you about sustainability in my business.

 

ZARAMIA AVA is an exclusive independent fashion label based in Leeds we create contemporary fashion by contrasting structured shapes together with draping to construct a unique style.

 

Sustainability is one of our core values and has been for about 7 years. There are a number of different things we do to ensure that our business is sustainable. I’ll talk more about some of these later. But first, I’ll tell you a bit about how I got started in business.



I set up the business in 2013 after I graduated from Leeds Arts University. From a young age I always loved Art and anything creative. As part of the course, we studied fashion and I knew from there that this is what I wanted to do. I went onto do a National Diploma in Fashion then a BA in Fashion design. Whilst I was at University, I was making a lot of my own clothes and altering clothes that I bought from shops.

 

I often wore my designs to events and found that people liked my clothes. They frequently enquired about buying them. This was something else that encouraged me to keep designing. I learned a lot about the fashion industry at University. My time there also helped me to decide, that I wanted to run my own business and do things differently.

 

I started ZARAMIA AVA and began to develop our distinctive style, which features structure and draping. Even back then, my roots were in sustainability. I was using dead stock fabrics and hand-making all the garments in my home studio.

  

Then after watching a fashion documentary called The True Cost, I became more aware of the damage that the fashion industry causes and decided that I didn’t want to contribute to it. I do believe that as designers we can make a difference.

 

I questioned everything from fabrics to printing and all the branding. I research everything in the sourcing process. I didn’t want to produce clothing that would harm animals, as I am vegan and cruelty free.

 

From 2015, we introduced sustainable fabrics that are ethically made.  Using fabrics that are fairly traded and grown free from chemicals and pesticides, they benefit the farmers, workers, consumers and eco systems.

 

Around the same time, we also began using organic cotton and high performance bamboo fabrics, which have great properties such as being antibacterial, providing thermal control and UV protection.

 

The bamboo is a viscose, which is made in a closed loop system, and the yarn is Oeko-tex certified as being free from harmful substances.

SHOWING BAMBOO GARMENTS These garments from our collection are made out of bamboo fabric.

 3.06 - ZARAMIA AVA’S core value and why it is so important that all

Our Core Value is producing sustainable luxury with zero waste, made for the fashion conscious with a conscience. We aspire to be a well-known pioneering brand in sustainable fashion, to motivate other brands to replicate our business model. 

The rise of Ethical Consumerism is very encouraging and a definite step forward. Consumers have a huge amount of power to drive change. For it to be effective though, it is essential that brands make sure that accurate information about materials and production methods is easily accessible to customers.

It also relies on companies showing transparency in their supply chains. Green washing is not ok and unfortunately, that is something we know happens.

 

There are organisations that encourage companies to work towards greater sustainability by running opportunities such as the Common Objective Leadership Awards.

 

Common Objective is a platform for people to network with sustainable suppliers. ZARAMIA AVA has a profile on the Common Objective website which provides detailed information on our sustainability. We recently won a leadership award for our work on communicating sustainability through reports and policies.

 

This year, we are planning to increase the visibility of our sustainability credentials on Social Media. One of our goals for the year is to ensure that 80% of our social media posts have sustainability content. This ticks our boxes for promoting sustainable shopping as well as attracting more customers who are wanting to shop ethically.

4.51 - ZARAMIA AVA’s operationalisation of sustainability, how we put these into practice and the initiatives we are part of that help refine our targets

 

Now, I’ll talk some more about how we have embedded our values into the way we work. First, we developed a manifesto and ethos that is published on our website. Everything we do has to align with these, so we are true to our values. Our manifesto and ethos incorporate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. More on them later.

 

We signed the 2020 Circular fashion pledge to help us stick to our circularity goals. We’ve responded to the aims of the Circularity Fashion Pledge in several ways. We use a manufacturer that runs a scheme to encourage people to recycle their products at the end of its life.

 

For instance, if you have bought one of our circular fashion t-shirts, and have worn it out or finished with it, you can scan the QR code on the label and access information about how to send it back to the manufacturer for free, for them to remake it into new fabric.

 

We use recycled fabrics, for instance this lace. SHOWING LACE FABRIC. And end of roll fabric to save them from landfill. We also upcycle off-cuts to make accessories.

 

All of our garments are designed for durability to encourage people to wear and keep them for longer. The majority of our garments are lined to provide extra strength and we use high quality materials.

- 6.24 - ZARAMIA AVA’s sustainability journey including our sustainable business model

 

Every year, we report against the UN Sustainable Development Goals and our environmental policy. Our Sustainability report sets out what we have currently achieved, what we are working on our main sustainability goals and targets.

 

Targets are really important as they help us to keep on track and measure what we have achieved. We make sure our objectives are SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timed. 

 

Reviewing the report gives us a chance to reflect update or modify any goals that are no longer relevant. We’ve been working on the report recently. SHOWING SUSTAINABILITY REPORT This is part of our sustainability report

 

There are a large number of UN goals that we have incorporated, so I’ll just talk about a couple of them in more detail. Sustainable Development Goal 12 is about having responsible business goals and production. The actions we’re committed to come under the categories of Design, Sourcing and Marketing.

 

So, for instance, one of our Design goals was to be zero waste by 2021. To achieve this, we committed to do three things:

 

We said we would design with zero waste pattern cutting, using the whole piece of fabric, minimising seams and waste

- We committed to upcycle our samples and remake them into new pieces.

- We planned to reuse and recycle all stationery, pattern paper and supplies

- We committed to compost all our natural, organic material remnants.

When we reviewed progress on these objectives this year, we were able to say that we achieved them. We are transparent on our supply chain and list where our fabrics and come from and where they are made. 

 

When we source sustainable fabrics, we only work with companies and products that have certifications like GOTS standard. OEKO-TEX certified, organic cotton and fair trade.

 

We try to work with local freelancers and collaborate with the local community, so we can have a close working relationship with our partners and minimise our carbon footprint. We recently collaborated with a Leeds-based jeweller to produce a new range for us.

 

We plant a tree for every item sold through our partners at One Tree Planted to offset our carbon footprint. 

 

Recently we have won awards for most Ethical Fashion a designer in the Global green Business awards, Best Vegan fashion brand in the global vegan awards for Lux Life magazine & the Leadership award for Common Objective 

 

SHOWING GARMET These are garments form my Limited edition range.

9.07 - ZARAMIAAVA’s challenges in sourcing and where our business would like to be in the future

 

It hasn’t always been easy to make progress with sustainability. At the beginning the challenges were that ethical fabrics and trimmings were more costly.

 

We researched every single supply we purchased to make sure it was all suitable and carried the appropriate certifications. We found that all sorts of supplies used animal bi-products or were bad for the environment.

 

It is still difficult to find fabrics that work from a design point of view as well as being sustainable. We still do all this now but we know where to look and what to look out for. There are more sustainable suppliers now and it’s easier to get hold of ethical fabrics as the demand for them has increased.

 

In terms of where I’d like the business to be in the future, we would like to be known as an sustainable vegan brand leading the way in fashion, raising awareness about sustainability and helping others to do the same.

 

From a business point of view, we have feedback and understanding that our customers want a wide range of sustainable options such: as natural fabrics, zero waste, circular fashion, vegan or cruelty free. We have identified from market research that people are keen on at least one of these sustainable options. Rather then having just one it is best to have a variety to cater for more people. 

 

We stay up to date with developments in fashion technology and sustainable manufacturing by connecting with the sustainable networks via expos, webinars, sustainability platforms, groups and newsletters.

  - 10.49 - ZARAMIA AVA’s final reflections on the extent to which we see our sustainable business model going mainstream

 

To sum up, I definitely think the sustainability business model will become more mainstream.  We are seeing it now with companies adding organic ranges. I hope it will become a law for all companies to have transparency in their supply chain, so everyone knows where the garments have come from, how and where the fabrics where made and whether the workers were paid a fair wage.

 

Big businesses will always be looking to increase or protect their profit margins and compete in the marketplace on price, but, hopefully as more consumers choose to shop ethically and sustainably, they will respond to the pressure and up their sustainability game.

 

We do this to make a difference. I hope this has given you an insight in to how I have developed a sustainable fashion label and why it is so important to me.

 

You can keep up with our latest news and developments by visiting our website: www.ZaraMiaAva.com and by following us on Social Media @ZARAMIAAVA