This week I’ve joined a couple of groups which I’m finding not just inspiring but encouraging and thought provoking.

My efforts with reducing plastic usage and generally looking at changing our diet to a more plant based one generated lots of positive comments and messages (and fabulous ideas too!) but in all honesty I feel not just disheartened but that I could, should and indeed MUST do better.  I’m finding it actually really hard and frustrating to sustain the effort – mostly because shops generally are not reducing selling products encased in plastic and driving a 30 odd mile round trip to the nearest shop that will refill rather than replace seems equally environmentally unfriendly.  I have maintained everything I started:

• Growing some of my own vegetables/salad stuff
• Making my own bread
• Using washable and 100% compostable make-up removed pads I made from bamboo and cotton materials
• Buying clothes from charity shops (have always done this as much as possible anyway)
• Cutting down on meat eating considerably
• Using shampoo bars
• Using toothpaste from a tin – not plastic tubes
• Buying toilet rolls from ‘Who Gives A Crap’
• Milk now delivered in glass bottles 3 times a week
• Making my own yogurt

I’m also about to switch to washing powder once the last of the soap tabs I already have are used up.

But I feel I have sort of stalled which is not what I want to do.

Meanwhile I have been steadily rekindling my creative activity which I’m absolutely loving and the two groups I have joined this week this have done much to dig me out of my disappointment and back on the trail.

They rather interestingly have connected these two passions together and now I’m raring to go again!

The first group I joined is one called ‘Plastic Free Christmas’ – all about creating things, recycling things, thinking out of the box – lots of ideas and comments that really do make you think.

The second is a group set up by an artist friend who will issue a list of words every month to interpret creatively in whatever medium you wish to use – visual, written, sound – anything! I’m working on ideas to create work totally out of recycled materials, very much inspired by my concern for the environment and the future of our beautiful plant!

So I’m back and writing this blog is getting that ball rolling! I really would love to hear your ideas and thoughts – please do let me know!

#savetheplanet #plasticfreechristmas #creativity #eatlessmeat #plasticfreeideas #saynotoplastic