It is important that we consider the planet as we take care of ourselves and our families. Certain lifestyles and choices we make can harm the earth and even our bodies in the long run. We can all try to keep an eco-friendly lifestyle and inspire our children to do the same ♻
How? The tips below may hopefully be a starting point...
Tip one: look into growing your own food 🌽
You can never go wrong with starting a vegetable garden in your backyard. If you lack space, an indoor garden is also a good option – you can grow carrots, radishes, potatoes, hot peppers, and green onions as they do not take much space. Check out our awesome Bottle Farm kits. On the plus side, this will serve as a form of adventure for you and your family. It is a means to teach kids the value of growing their food. Meanwhile, if you are not so sound at gardening, alternatives exist, like finding a local farming or allotment community. We're currently looking at schools for our eldest and love how some of them encourage the concept of 'farm-to-table' - one school has the children grow vegetables that they then enjoy for lunch!
Tip two: turn off those light bulbs 💡
Always try to keep the lights turned off during the day, especially when they are not in use. Invest in solar products, though it may be pricey, in the long run, will save you money. We try to make sure we run our washing machine when it's most sunny, to reduce our electric bill! You should try to let in natural light as much as you can during the day. It reduces eye strain and migraines, wards off seasonal depression, supplies vitamin D and improves sleep.
Tip three: adopt plant-based meals 🌱
Plant-based meals are good for your health; they provide great forms of proteins and fibers. Choosing plant-based meals does not necessarily demand you go full vegan; you can mix your meal plans with greens and meat or simply have both. One of our fave cookbooks for great inspiration is The Green Roasting Tin by Rukmini Iyer 🍜
Tip four: create an earth jar 🌍
Don’t just adhere to an eco-friendly lifestyle without involving the young ones. Set up a jar with your family and drop rewards whenever your kids do something eco-friendly. For instance, turning off electronics when not in use or turning off the tap while they brush their teeth. Fill up the earth jar and have a fun outdoor activity as a family 🌳
Tip five: choose eco-friendly products 💚
During your usual grocery shopping, be on the lookout for eco-friendly products with minimal carbon footprints. Go for products with labels advertising well-being or recyclable or reusable packaging. You can choose to shop at a zero-waste grocery store and buy from small eco-business like us here at Cotswold Eco, where we’ve done the research on products that work, are eco and ethical as well as being affordable, so you don’t have to.
Tip six: get handy with recyclable items ♻
If you are crafty or have the time, this is a fun-filled way to show kids how to be zero-wasteful. Use items from your recycling bin to create craft ideas that you can do with your kids or one that they will enjoy watching you do. Some great ideas include:
- Making a bird feeder with a toilet roll/plastic bottle, peanut butter and bird seed
- Turning egg boxes into colorful dragonflies
- Painting and decorating recyclable tin cans into homemade wind chimes
- Transforming magazines or egg boxes into colourful flowers
Whatever craft you choose to do or whichever tip you decide to start with doesn’t matter; you do not have to go all-in at once; take your time and be patient with your family until it becomes a lifestyle.
We'd love to hear your ideas too! Please get in touch either by email or on Insta or Facebook 😊