Our regular yoga contributor Ruth from Yogaru writes a wonderful post once a month over on her blog about her favourite new things she’s enjoying.
Ruth has very kindly allowed us to re-post these here on Happy Magazine and we’re very grateful.
Ruth strives to live a yoga lifestyle both on and off the yoga mat – and her favourite things every month are always interesting and inspiring for those of us who are also looking to live better and feel better.
Here’s what Ruth’s been enjoying this month…
Sustainable Christmas
This month’s favourite finds is very topical, covers many of my growing interests in environmental issues, and has the added seasonal bonus of giving plenty of Christmas stocking ideas too.
I recently encountered a gem of a little shop called The Sustainable Store in the heart of Blackrock Market, Dublin. It’s mission is ‘to bring plastic-free and chemical-free products to the local folk’, and with the eminent launch of their website, to the national folks too. It’s a little space that packs a punch for a sustainable future. One of those ‘I’ll have one of everything please’ shops!
Each product is carefully researched and has to pass a rigorous test for environmental and ethical manufacturing before it qualifies to become a member of the family. They have done all the research for you to make it that bit easier for you to make a difference this Christmas.
The Jerry Bottle
Eliminating the plastic water bottle is the perfect place to start for anyone who is trying to reduce their single-use plastics, and the Jerry Bottle is a classic. Cutting out plastic water bottles from you life and refilling your Jerry Bottle can be one of your New Year’s resolutions. 100% of Jerry Bottle profits go to supplying clean water projects in Tanzania and India with the Waterfall Charity and other organisations striving to provide clean water to those without. Jerry Bottle is passionate about the importance of water – after all, without it, there is no life on Earth.
A Slice of Green
As we become more health conscious as a nation, we’re more inclined to bring wholesome, home-prepared lunches into school and work, unaware that we are undoing some of our good intentions by storing the food in plastic lunch boxes. Plastic is not only bad for the environment, storing food in plastic boxes can leek toxins into the food, particularly hot food. Stainless steel is clean, safe, durable and made to last. The stainless steel lunch boxes from A Slice of Green come in lots of different shapes and sizes. Many of them are also leak resistant which is definitely a perk when it comes to school lunch boxes.
Bambu
One of my favourite items is the Bambu Spork – for the combination of it’s handy inventiveness and the word ‘spork’! A complete must-have and a fantastic stocking filler for anyone who eats food. In case it’s not obvious, it’s a spoon and a fork rolled into one compact little item. Made of bamboo it comes in a cork sleeve making it pocket ready for your weekend market brunching and munching, so you can proudly announce to the vendor that you won’t be needing plastic single use cutlery, if you’re so inclined. Bamboo is the fastest growing species of grass, it can grow a meter a day and doesn’t need to be replanted after harvesting because of its sturdy root system, it requires no fertilisers or pesticides and it guzzles up carbon dioxide. So many reasons to start a spork revolution!
Georganics
Plastic toothbrushes are in the limelight at the moment for their incredible ability to end up on our beaches and in our seas. Each toothbrush takes up to a thousand years to decompose and 3.6 billion plastic toothbrushes are used worldwide every year. A Georganics eco-friendly toothbrush is made from 100% biodegradable bamboo with soft and effective charcoal-infused bristles. The Georganics toothpastes are a completely natural and fluoride-free formula, made with vegan and organic ingredients. Their packaging is designed to be plastic-free, biodegradable and recyclable. They also have a range of oil pulling mouthwashes – following the ancient ayurvedic practice of oil pulling. It is said to reduce harmful bacteria in the mouth and offers a natural alternative to conventional mouthwash. These oils combine coconut oil, which is known for its antimicrobial properties, and other essential oils, to boost its properties and add a fresh after-taste.
We generate a huge amount of waste over the Christmas period with our binmen adding extra lifts to keep up with all the extra packaging. This Christmas why not add a theme of sustainability to your gift-giving to counteract the extra load? New good habits are easier to make at the start of a new year. Your new habits can make a big difference for the future.
All of these products, and many more, can be found in The Sustainable Store, Blackrock Market, Dublin. The best way to keep in touch with them is to follow them on Instagram to keep up to date on new products and the launch of their website in December.
