Be Smart & Keep Your Cup

You might have seen on my Insta that I am a keep cup-er...
Becoming a Mum just somehow made me extra eco-conscious. Our little bub will inherit this world or what will be left of it, so I feel super responsible and trying to my best to model sustainable living.
Living by the water also shows me after every storm how much plastic and waste ends up in our ocean, which is pretty heartbreaking...
Australians throw away over 1 billion single use coffee cups every year which end up in our landfill, as we lack the infrastructure to recycle the polyethelene inner of the single use cup.
BOO!
Single-use plastic water bottles can take over 1,000 years to degrade, and we only recycle around one third of what we use. The rest ends up in landfill as waste, or in the ocean as marine debris, often killing wildlife.

But here are the good news:
It's easy to take small steps towards a #zerowaste lifestyle. Bringing tote bags to the supermarket, using cloth nappies, bringing keep cups for your daily coffee run... filter your water at home and bring your own water bottles & don't use plastic straws.

I bring my own cup to the coffee shop most of the time! It seems like such an easy but small step for the planet but it also has lots of other benefits. I am also always greeted with a big smile by my barista: "Did you bring your special cup?" Yep. My cup is pretty special.
Some cafes also give you a discount for bringing your own cup.

My Frank Green Cup is actually smart. It closes properly and doesn't spill which is a real plus when I am with baby Faye, doggie Dalston & several shopping bags :) Also amazing for car rides! It also keeps my drink warm for longer, which most Mum's will really appreciate. Did I mention already that it looks super cool too? It comes in great colours and stylish monochromes, won a design award and somehow they just worked out the flow perfectly too. Yes, it's made from plastic, but the toxin-free kind and it's also completely recyclable at the end of is life. Which I expect to be a long one, it's so well made. And if your brain doesn't really function in the morning and you forgot to bring your cash or card, don't worry you can even pay with this cup! Just tap & go!  I told you it's a smart cup.
Their matching eco water bottles are super good looking and lightweight
as well. They come with a smart hydration app too. For me personally not necessary as I am drinking water all day long and naturally keep well hydrated without keeping track of it. But this might come in handy for people who don't drink enough water.

I also have another set of coffee cups & water bottles by Earth Bottles. These babies are made from stainless steel, sturdy, lightweight and easy to clean. They also look great and earthy with their wood print designs. While these coffee cups don't close they are lovely to just wander around the park with. They keep the temperature very well. the same goes for the beautiful stainless steel water bottles.
I also use their reusable stainless steel straws for my smoothies. Plastic straws are another biggie to avoid and these reusable ones are pretty amazing. They come in different diameters too, so they even work for the thickest smoothies or shakes.

These are the ones I use, but I know there are many good brands of reusable cups & bottles out there, something for everyone. Now, be smart & keep your cup :)

Meet Tanja, The Radiant Beauty Behind Max&Me

Max&Me first came into my life when I was highly pregnant and I was given the "Circle Of Protection" Body oil. It was love at the first sniff. This oil made me feel safe and beautiful and was nourishing the skin of my very stretched belly and body. I am still using & loving it.

I was curious to learn more about this line of unique beauty products and have since fallen in love with many of them.

Enough of me for now:
I am excited that I had the chance to interview the glowing & inspiring co-founder, Tanja to talk about her magical formulations and all things natural beauty!
She lives in Vienna/Austria on the other end of the world, so we did a virtual interview.
Which makes me so grateful for technology and being able to connect, even if the internet connection wasn't always perfect, I learned so much about the power of plants are the story behind these special skincare products.

I hope you enjoy!

(All products are made from only the highest quality, organic or wild crafted ingredients. All products are cruelty-free, most are vegan. Some contain Honey/Propolis)

Multipurpose Makeup for busy Ladies

The latest addition to my pro kit has been this handy little Nude&Noir palette.
It has a highlight, contour/bronze & lip&cheek colour, but really, they are all multipurpose colours!
Cream colours are my personal favourite, as a busy Mum, I always seem to end up doing my own makeup in a matter of minutes using my fingers (rather than brushes)...
Cream makeup works so well for this.
If you don't have much time that is what I recommend:
Get yourself some multipurpose colour pots that you can use as blush, eye and lip colour and simply blend with fingers. No cleaning brushes, nice and compact to throw into your bag these products are just perfect! Using the same colour for lips&cheeks gives a very nice look.
Another bonus of creams is that they are dewier due to their texture, so they add a bit of glow, which helps when you feel/look a little tired.
Of course, if you have time you can use them really well with brushes too and you can layer powder products over the top for longevity if you have an occasion coming up.
Check out the palettes by Nude&Noir which are super compact and luxurious, while being highly pigmented, all vegan and toxin-free. They have a lovely ingredient list and are very well formulated. My fave is the “Bijou” Palette.
I am also a real fan of Ere Perez New Carrot Colour Pots. They are super creamy and VERY high in pigment. I have been wearing them lately to test out and happy to announce that the quality really impressed me, so they are part of my pro-kit now as well. Again these beauties are vegan & toxin-free.
Do you love cream colours? Do you have a favourite natural multi-use product?


 

Bounty Bliss Bowl

I have had a bit of a sweet tooth lately and really felt like chocolate!  As in Chocolate everything! 

Did you know that Cacao is really good for the skin? Researchers found cacao boosts skin health by increasing blood flow and improving skin density and hydration. But that's not all...
It’s packed with Antioxidants & boosts well-being and mood!
It can actually protect the nervous system. That's why it makes perfect sense that we are craving chocolate in times of increased stress!  And that’s why I called this a BLISS bowl. :)  

 IMPORTANT: Don’t confuse Cocoa with Cacao!!!
Raw cacao powder is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans. The process keeps the living enzymes in the cocoa and removes the fat (cacao butter). Cocoa looks the same but it’s not. Cocoa powder is raw cacao that’s been roasted at high temperatures. Sadly, roasting changes the molecular structure of the cocoa bean, reducing the enzyme content and lowering the overall nutritional value.

Good thing that there is is so much yummy & healthy-ish vegan chocolate out there...
And so it happened that most my smoothies, desserts and snacks involved adding some raw cacao & chunks of raw & sugar-free The Chocolate Yogi's creations. 

So instead of my usual Green Smoothie in the morning, I mixed things up, literally.
This works well as Special weekend brekkie! 

I won‘t recommend having a bar of chocolate every morning!
Yet, this is SO much better for you than regular sugar loaded cereal. 

Here is my recipe:
1 handful Red Kale
1 Frozen Banana
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tbsp Raw Cacao powder
1 tbsp raw vegan protein powder (optional)
Half a bar „Happy Thoughts“ Chocolate by The Chocolate Yogi
1 cup Rice Milk (or Almond or any Mylk of your choice)
Blend all the above on in a highspeed blender until smooth & creamy

Top with:
Dried Coconut
Berries in season
& the other half of your chocolate bar!  

Mindfully Wed- THE Eco Wedding Fair

Have you heard of Mindfully Wed? It's a boutique eco-wedding fair here in Sydney.
And it is happening THIS WEEKEND!
I was lucky to team up with a whole bunch of their select "green" & ethical vendors for a photo-shoot lately and let me tell you: This event is not to be missed!
Get your tickets and meet a lot of talented, passionate, like-minded people that can help you realise your green goddess bridal dream and create a wedding that doesn't cost the earth!

The event itself is going to be quite something, with live music, nibbles and some useful planning tools included in the tickets, this will make wedding planning as fun as it should be.

(I won't be able to be there in person (insert sad face) as I am still having all hands full with baby Faye and work right now, but you can find other great green vendors & I highly recommend that you will check it out!)

For some more ideas and inspo check out Eco-Stylists Faye De Lanty's green wedding ideas.

Happy Planning!