Seasonal Traditions & Apple Picking in Mini Mioche

September 11, 2015October 23, 20185 Comments

I love capturing our seasonal traditions though photography. Last weekend we went apple picking for the first time this year. It was lots of fun and hard work, which for a child are usually the same thing. Sen’s favourite part was using the ladder, which he moved and readjusted about a hundred times for pure enjoyment, meanwhile, Ro kept moving from tree to tree searching for the perfect apple with the perfect leaf. We completed our visit to the farm with some good old fashioned hay jumping and a game of tetherball. Sen figured he was pretty much a Junior Farmer by the end of the day.

I decided to outfit Ro and Sen in their mini mioche basics, so that I could capture their hard work in the closest thing I had to farmer’s attire: overalls and a shirt (the overalls sadly are getting small…so if you are wondering about sizing they are each wearing overalls two sizes too small). I don’t remember how I came across mini mioche, but it has been a few years now that Ro and Sen have been wearing their lovely line of organic basics, designed and made every step of the way here in Canada.

There can be a temptation, when budgets are tight, to spend our dollars on stand out pieces in our wardrobes, a special dress or a unique item, something that has impact. Basics typically don’t stand out in a wardrobe, and so it may be the place where we are tempted to cut costs and buy from discount stores, like Old Navy or Joe Fresh. And yet, basics are the backbone of any wardrobe, they are the ‘go tos’ to complete a look, they typically get the most wear, and are the heart of a reliable capsule wardrobe.

We love special pieces of clothing, but know that investing in quality basics is important. Supporting local shops and local production, and buying organic is important no matter whether the item stands out or not.

As many of you know, I love to learn from mothers who are also entrepreneurs and artists, hear about how they balance life and how they started their business. I think you’ll enjoy hearing from Alyssa, the woman behind mini mioche.

How would you describe Mini Mioche in 5 words?

Simple, cool, comfortable, sustainable and practical.

Tell me a little bit about yourself, the person behind Mini Mioche. What is your background?

I previously worked in wholesale fashion and owned a fashion sales agency in Toronto selling adult clothing brands to retailers for about 12 years (I sold it in December 2014). After I had my daughter 7 years ago, I took a little bit of time off (like a month or so) and during that time I came to the conclusion that as much as I loved fashion and my wholesale business, I wanted to do something that was a little more creative and that I could have more control over and so drawing upon my experience and contacts in the fashion industry, I set about designing and launching the first mini mioche infant basics collection.

You call yourself a serial entrepreneur, what do you think draws you to start something new?

I have always said that I have an addiction to newness. Part of it is that I definitely get bored easily and love to be challenged constantly. I have a lot of ideas and also have ‘focus issues’, that combined with the fact that I am really not risk-averse, means that I like to embark on new ideas and projects often. Part of the reason I sold my other business is that I recognized how important focus is when it comes to anything really – but especially growing a business. So that is my new goal – to try not to get distracted by other ideas and to just focus solely on growing this business and making it really amazing.

Why did you decide to get into designing children’s clothing?

I’ve always loved baby and kids clothing – even before I had children of my own. There is something about mini versions of adult clothing that just kills me. I am a total jeans and tees kind of girl and I wanted to dress my daughter in a similar aesthetic. After she was born, I was surprised at how hard it was to find nice, well-made, decently priced, soft infant and kids basics – especially in neutral colours like grey, white, black etc. I couldn’t stand all the stuff on the market at that time with cheesy sayings or graphic prints. As I mentioned before, I was also looking for something new and more creative to do at that time and so mini mioche was born.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I always wanted to do something involving fashion – I think I wanted to be a personal shopper, although I’m not sure that even existed back when I was a kid.

What does Mini Mioche mean? Why did you choose this name for your brand?

When I was pregnant with my daughter, my husband and I referred to her as ‘mini’ the entire time she was in utero. She was born full term and healthy but she was mini – weighing only 5 lbs 4 oz so the name stuck for a little while. She is 7 years old now and so not mini! My mom always shared my love of beautiful, well-made children’s clothing and when I was little she used to shop for me once in a while at a store in the Yorkville area of Toronto called Les Mioches. I really wanted to include the word ‘mini’ in the brand name since it was meaningful to me and I just liked how it sounded with the word ‘mioche’, which is sort of a slang word meaning tot or brat in Parisian french.

Organics, sustainability and local production are important to you. How do you translate these into your designs and your business model?

These things are all intrinsic to the mini mioche brand. From the beginning I wanted all of our clothing to be made locally and ethically by people who are paid a fair living wage and are treated well. We still do basically everything here in Toronto from knitting the fabric to dying it, to the cutting and sewing. We design our own graphics and have them printed locally. We partner with other local designers and companies on various collaborations and capsule collections (such as bookhou and Heart & Habit). All of our fabrics are knit from organic cotton yarns and we try not to use any plastic at all – we don’t receive product in plastic bags and we don’t ship it in plastic. We try to be as sustainable and environmentally conscious in every part of our process and we also believe strongly in supporting local business, including local manufacturing.

I have loved your collaborations with Toronto design-duo bookhou and blogger Brandy Mercredi. How did those collaborations come about?

Brandy, who is the blogger and designer behind Heart & Habit, and I met a while back now – to be honest I can’t remember exactly how – I think she wrote about mini mioche on her blog and we just started chatting from there. A little while ago she reached out to me because she had some ideas for a line of graphic tees that she thought would be right up our alley and as it turns out, it was! Our first collaboration launched in spring 2014 and we just launched our third collection together. For fall 2015 we have something really amazing lined up.

I have always loved and admired bookhou’s beautiful products and prints and one day a thought just popped into my head: ‘How amazing would those prints look on our clothes’? So I sent the owner, Arounna an email and the rest is history – we just launched our third bookhou for mini mioche collection for fall 2015.

Everywhere I go with my kids when they are wearing your clothing, I hear adults tell me they want them in their size. Do you plan to expand the line? What about Mama Mioche?

So this goes back to your second question – the one about being a serial entrepreneur. I do hear requests for adult versions of our clothing often and I never say never, but for now I am all about ‘focus’ and that means just sticking to baby and kids apparel – at least for now.

Do you have any new projects in the works?

We always have new projects in the works but our primary focus right now is on our online business and growing that, so most of what we are doing is geared towards making that a more functional aspect of our business and an amazing experience for our online customer.

What has made you the most proud of what you’re doing?

The reality is that starting a business and growing a business is really, really hard. I don’t have anyone telling me what to do or how to do it. I have had to figure it out on my own for the most part and along the way I have made some (very big) mistakes. There were many days where I questioned what I was doing and why I was doing it and if it was worth it. So I guess I would have to say the thing I am most proud of is just that I am still here, doing it and that it is growing and actually working pretty well.

When you are all caught up on work, what do you love to do?

I love to hang out with my hubs and two kids. I love to spend weekends skiing up north or relaxing at the cottage with good family and friends. I love to shop. I love binge watching really good tv. I also never turn down a good glass of wine.

You can find mini mioche online at www.minimioche.com, where they sell their in-house line of organic basics, but also all sorts of premium brands, shoes, and accessories. Think Herschel, Salt Water Sandals and Hunter Boots. You can also find them on Instagram @minimioche.

**With the Canadian dollar weak these days, it is a great time for American and international shoppers to take advantage of Canadian prices.

Brian Hester Less Means More Project with Townes Father Minimalist

Interview with a Minimalist: Brian

September 9, 2015September 10, 20166 Comments

Today, I am excited to share my interview with Brian Hetzer. This space needs more voices from fathers. Not because fathers necessarily have a distinctly different view, some do (and some mothers do too), but because I want this space to feel inclusive, to represent a variety of ways of being that are kind, open, respectful, creative and sustainable, and having only women and mothers speak feels a little exclusive. Having said this, I did not choose Brian for an interview because he is a father, I was drawn to his story, only afterward did I realize he would be the first father to appear on the blog.

Without giving you all the punchlines, let me say you will want to read this whole interview and share it. There are lots of fresh ideas and fresh spins on old ideas. I love Brian’s honesty and openness about the struggles he and his family have faced in living a minimalist lifestyle. First, as a matter of circumstance, then later as a matter of choice. Brian describes his ups and downs, the pull of consumerism, the challenges, real commitment and letting go that it took to realize what was important to him. I know you’ll enjoy!

Let’s start with a little bit about you. Who are you? What’s your background? And where are you headed?

I’m Brian, she’s Renae, and this is more than a little about us. Having both worked in and around the skateboard and snowboard industries, we met at Surf Expo in 2004. The day we met, we had bad pizza for lunch, ditched the rest of the afternoon at the tradeshow, and hung out until she dropped me off to catch a redeye back to the Midwest. I told her that night I’d marry her and she laughed at me. Renae had lived in LA [Los Angeles] and SF [San Francisco] prior to our meeting and shortly would be moving to NYC. I was traveling for work, more or less living out of my truck, and about to move to Chicago. We dated for a couple years, never living in the same state until we married. We had a wildly extravagant wedding in Palm Beach, Florida with an Alice in Wonderland theme.

Once married she joined me in Chicago and we settled into a routine of eating out, Renae lurked around the Marc Jacobs store, a lot, and basically excelling in the art of consumption. We look back at the Chicago years now with wonder, what if we’d made different decisions back then when money was fluid and life was fancy free? We were the least likely folks to become minimalists. Renae often joked that her idea of a perfect vacation would be Paris with a credit card, but times have changed and now she’s survived a good bit of hiking and camping in the wilderness, maybe even enjoys it…

Six months into Renae being pregnant our lives were hit by one of the many aftershocks of an industry in distress. The parent company of the shoe brand I was working for (and had in some capacity been working with for much of the past ten years) laid off a few hundred employees in 2009 and I was one of the many who woke up one day to a phone call and a severance package.

Renae would tell you that when life hands you the bare minimum, you become a minimalist. But we didn’t overnight transform into minimalists. It’s been a long journey, and we haven’t yet arrived at our final destination. We are constantly chipping away at what it looks like to live simply and intentionally. We are carving out the pieces as we go and creating a life that is not only simple but beautiful and full of experiences and adventure. We found shelter from the storm of job loss in Dayton, Ohio in my parents’ home. Townes was born there, we rested for eight months, then felt the strong pull of freedom, independence, and the prospect of getting back to work in skateboarding, the only business I’d known. The mecca of which is southern California, of course, and in short order we loaded up a UHaul with baby and cat in the cab and headed west to find what we had lost.

Our financial circumstances being what they were we couldn’t live anywhere near the coast. We found a small hundred year old hunting cabin in the San Bernardino Mountains and set up a quaint little life. I chopped wood to heat the place and we roughed it for almost two years. During that time we would learn to get by on less than twelve thousand dollars a year. Those were some of the best years of our lives. We learned first hand that less can mean more, all the while minimalism was creeping into our lives unsuspected.

Somewhere around the two year mark of mountain life I was offered a job with a decent salary in Oceanside, CA. Right away we were ecstatic, we charged ahead and grabbed on to this new lease on life which coincidentally meant a new lease on a home near the ocean. Which came with a much higher price tag. Our new Carlsbad bungalow was a dream. Walking distance to the beach, a beautiful ocean view from the kitchen table, fruit trees, and a Koi fish pond. Life was new and fresh. We thought the glitch in our road had come to an end and smooth sailing would finally be here to stay. That job fizzled out in only six months and reality began to crush down on us. I went back to work as an independent sales rep and we stuck it out for about eighteen months. That’s when the concept of real sustainable freedom started to enter our minds. A life without paying rent or a mortgage, no fear of job loss. A life of real faith.

Together we’re headed towards a more sustainable future for our family, consciously tipping the scale towards time together doing the things we love, and doing things for others that show we love them.

What are you passionate about? How do you like to spend your time?

First and foremost, family. Also adventuring, snowboarding, hiking, camping, finding a swimming hole, skateboarding, reading, creating, healthy living, geocaching, homeschooling. I cook, ferment things, write (slowly), fool with WordPress, and do the driving. Renae’s background is in graphic design, but she’s really an all around creative type. She loves to do art collaborations with Townes, concoct recipes for me to cook and decorate the space we inhabit. She spends countless hours researching and acquiring knowledge. She’s especially passionate about the Bible and health. I know she has a longing in her heart to get back to the sea and be on a surfboard again. I’m hoping that will become a reality in the next phase of our adventures.

How many children do you have and what are they like?

Our son Townes is half past five years old and his current life aspiration is to be The First Good Pirate to Sail the Seven Seas. He’s very thoughtful and deliberate, creative and free spirited but not much of a wild child. Although recently he convinced me to throw him off a ledge into a swimming hole in the Davidson River (Pisgah National Forest, NC), which was out of character and great fun. He soaks up and regurgitates all sorts of interesting knowledge, especially about animals. He has an uncanny natural tendency towards activism and a pioneer’s spirit.

Do you have a favourite quote or words that inspire you?

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” –Thoreau

“Less is more.” –Mies Van Der Rohe, 1886

“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.” –Leo Tolstoy, 1828

“We need the tonic of wildness…At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” –Thoreau

What is your story? How did you get started on a minimalist path? What drew you to minimalism or what motivated you to become a minimalist?

We weren’t consciously motivated towards minimalism, it stalked us for years. A wild beast in the brush just outside our sight, stopping to sharpen its claws each time we hit a bump in the road. Once we’d hit enough bumps to finally cause a total breakdown in our lifestyles it pounced and cut us all up. The lifestyle we had built for ourselves simply didn’t work financially and maybe more importantly, we couldn’t get what we wanted out of it. There is little joy in living within walking distance to the ocean when there’s not enough food in the cupboard in order to pack a lunch. Try as we might, we couldn’t make ends meet and had to come up with a new plan. We didn’t read a book on minimalism and start purging ourselves of our worldly goods in pursuit of a more noble way of life. Rather, as our handle states, we’re looking for more in our lives and minimalism is a means to that end, oddly. We hatched a long term plan and put it into action quickly. A little over a year ago we started with garage sales, craigslist, ebay, donations, and any other means necessary to minimize our possessions and lighten the load that would need to be moved out of our Carlsbad, CA bungalow. Although we still have some downsizing to do, we packed out of our home using two 336 cubic foot moving containers, well under half the space of the fully loaded truck we moved in with. Based now in southern Ohio, our income hasn’t changed much but with expenses drastically lower we’ve enjoyed more traveling in the past year than we’d managed to do in the prior three or four years combined.

I believe there are many ways to be a minimalist and many forms of minimalism. What does minimalism mean to you?

For us it means finding ways to live with less so that we can experience more. It means foregoing (as long as is feasible) a career path that keeps me from my family. Since the thought is bound to cross some readers’ minds, I’ll clarify that I didn’t just say that I’ve co-opted minimalism as justification for being broke and lazy. I am however certain that living minimally allows for the option to spend more time with the ones I love and less time working for the weekend. If we keep the overhead low, financial resources go further and I’m not trading as much time for paper. It must be different for everyone, but when we eliminate something we can live without, we rarely (if ever?) find ourselves in want of it down the road.

Why do you identify as a minimalist? In what ways are you a minimalist?

In the food we eat, the things we buy, how we spend our time, the choices we make, we look to trade quantity for quality. More isn’t better. Better is better.

Are there people you look to as role models?

The closest I can come to identifying role models would be the friends and family that have looked after and pushed us along. We have friends back in California that gave us gifts that we’ll never be able to repay, and family that has supported us whether they agreed with or understood our motives. There’s a verse in the Bible from the book of Luke that reads “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” We look forward to being able to give in the way these wonderful people have given to us. One day our choices will enable us to in some small way reflect the love and generosity we’ve felt from these folks.

Are there any books, websites or other resources that have inspired your minimalism?

A short list would have to include the likes of OurOpenRoad.com, Bumfuzzle.com, BenHewitt.net, Foster Huntington, Jedidiah Jenkins, BecomingMinimalist.com, Tolstoy, Thoreau, and Ed Abbey.

In what ways/areas do you struggle with maintaining your minimalist goals/values? What is your weakness?

Our kid and toys! We know better but it’s not easy always saying no to the kid. I do the cooking in our family and I need my kitchen gear. We’re not much for the “this one does it all!” type appliances so I tend to want to add nice, specific pieces from time to time.

Have there been any struggles with the other people you live with about living in a minimal way?

We honestly couldn’t be more thankful to our family and close friends who have been nothing short of a blessing to us throughout the transitions and struggles of the last few years.

Have you had any positive or constructive experiences with friends or family related to minimalism?

I feel as though we haven’t gotten there yet. Our journey towards minimalism is still ongoing, we have such grand plans for the next year or so. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to influence or impact others through the choices we make.

In what ways has minimalism improved your life?

Humility and simplicity. We’ve learned a lot about each.

What have been some unexpected experiences you’ve had with minimalism?

Community. Thanks to instagram and the like we’re in touch with, and get to peek into the lives of so many families, individuals, and friends that we’ve never met because of common threads like minimalism, travel, or health. One thing we’ve not minimized is our data plan…

What advice can you offer to people interested in living a minimalist lifestyle?

Minimalism doesn’t have to mean a kneejerk reaction and a firesale of all your worldly goods in an effort to somehow cleanse. It can be small steps that allow more time/ money/ resources for something you’re without. It’s not in the cards for everyone with a mortgage and the trappings of life to just pack it in and move into an RV or a treehouse. But for folks that find that a combination of things like career, bills, kids’ activities, social calendar, etc restrains from enjoying life, simplification can be eye and heart opening.

Do you have any goals for this year or the next few that you want to share?

Our ultimate goal at this point, the next step, is to fund, find and build out an over the road bus. That’s our Mount Everest. It’s our ideal version of a (not quite) Tiny House. We envision a forty foot WVO powered life on wheels, spreading the joy of how Less really can mean More. Volunteering, educating our child in the real world, seeing it all, together.

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Thank you Brian for sharing your story so honestly and openly. Readers, you can find Brian on Instagram @lessmeansmoreproject and on his website www.lessmeansmoreproject.com

Have you subscribed to the Global Guardian Project yet? These are monthly learning capsules for children and their families to learn about global stewardship. Each month features a different country’s wild life, landscape and challenges, and includes art projects, activities, meditation, recipes and more! Use my discount code: HIPPIEINDISGUISE for 10% off and read more about it here.

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Summer Berry Cream-of-Buckwheat

September 4, 2015July 2, 20161 Comment

Contributed by Jo of Nurturing Kitchen

I have been eating raw creamed buckwheat for breakfasts for a few years now and I never get bored of it. It tastes so delicious and has endless variations depending on how you garnish and spice it. Best of all it is easy to make and is made from whole foods. In my experience there is no pure science to the recipe, it is a forgiving dish, so play around and see what you like.

Jo, who I interviewed here, generously offered to share one of her buckwheat breakfast recipes on my blog. The original is posted here, and you might want to skip over to read her lovely introduction to the recipe. Jo writes a delicious food and parenting blog called Nurturing Kitchen. Her recipes are simple, delicious, plant and whole food-based. I recently made her flourless Chocolate-Orange Brownies and I can vouch for the deliciousness of her creations. And so can my toddler!

Recipe: Serves 2 — and packed with healthy goodness!

2 cups buckwheat groats, soaked in plenty of water overnight (I like these ones)
6 dates, soaked overnight in enough water to cover (or dried figs)
2 tbsp hemp seeds (I like these ones best)
1 tbsp chia seeds (these ones are great)
1 cup almond milk (or other plant-based milk)
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
2 handfuls summer berries, plus extra for serving

Toppings: Hemp/sesame/ poppy seeds, Summer berries, Matcha or barley-grass powder for sprinkling

Rinse the soaked buckwheat in a sieve under running water, then transfer all but 1/2 a cup to an upright blender (keeping a few back for serving). Add all other ingredients (except the toppings), including the date-soak water and blend until smooth. You’re looking for a consistency like thick yogurt. If it seems too thick, add a bit more milk or water.

Pour into bowls and scatter with the remaining buckwheat, whole berries, seeds and a pinch of green powder. Enjoy straight away or leave to firm up slightly in the fridge before serving.

If you would like to contribute a plant-based recipe to this blog please email me: hippieindisguise1@gmail.com.

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Slow Living Project: Explore

September 3, 2015November 12, 20187 Comments

slow living project hippie in disguise nico nico clothing

What an incredible first month for the Slow Living Project. Thank you to everyone who contributed photos to the #slowliving_explore hashtag. Melanie and I have been positively overwhelmed by your interest and excitement for the project and for living a slower, more intentional lifestyle, and hugely inspired by your photographs and the moments you captured.

At our last check, there were over 850 photos under the hashtag. We never expected this level of participation a few weeks ago when we first shared the idea with you. Needless to say, it was quite a task (with lots of enjoyment) to look through the photos. We reviewed each and everyone one, and came up with about 70 photos we absolutely loved. We eliminated a few based on the fact that some were too similar (family on the beach, person on a rock), because we wanted to share the greatest variety of moments. Please know that our selections are only a sample of the beauty and inspiration to be found when you explore the hashtag. We applaud everyone’s contributions!

Ultimately, I chose my favourites based on how well the image captured the theme of ‘explore’ but in a slow living way, where the subjects were living in the moment, connected to the earth in spirit or literally with their bare hands, feet and skin. Exploring in both a mental and physical sense. If you don’t see your photograph here, please continue to participate, we hope to find new and inspiring photos and photographers each month.

Amanda @mytinytribe

Rida @ridasj

Sharlene @warnjai

Keda @kedapricecousins

Naomi @lightlovers

Sabrina @familyftprints

Once again, thank you to everyone who participated and congratulations to those who were selected for my post and Melanie’s. Thank you to the friends, bloggers, shops and others who shared this project with their friends and family, we really appreciate the support and hope that this community will grow each month.

The theme for September is CREATE, using the hashtag #slowliving_create. We hope you will find interesting ways to capture creativity and creation in the everyday. Slow down and notice those moments, create them and share them. Please join us by adding the hashtag #slowliving_create to your photos that fit the theme. At the end of the month, Melanie and I will select our favourites to share on Instagram and on our blogs. We can’t wait to see what you create!

To find out more about the project see my post Slow Living Project and Melanie’s post Join In With Your Slow Living Moments.

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Inspiring Mother Jo

August 31, 20151 Comment

Today I’m excited to share an interview with Jo, who writes the most delicious recipes over on her blog Nurturing Kitchen. I very rarely share recipes or post food photos here or on my Instagram account, not because I don’t love to prepare meals, but because my food photos are terrible (I blame my iPhone and the dingy yellow lighting in our home and not my lack of skill…ahem).

Our food choices and what we eat are important. They speak to our values in terms of health, tradition and the environment. I have wanted to give food a bigger place on this blog, but my photography has been holding me back. However, in the interest of sharing healthy, plant-based recipes, I decided to approach Jo about contributing a recipe, since her food is delicious, healthy and beautiful. As we got to chatting over email, Jo shared bits and pieces of her parenting and her way of life and I loved everything I heard, I knew that I wanted to share more than just a recipe from this lovely inspiring mother, so I asked her a few more questions and pulled together this interview. I hope you’ll enjoy hearing from Jo and her approach to nurturing her girls through nature and wholesome food.

As a side note: If anyone is interested in contributing a recipe to the blog, I would be happy to hear from you, please send me an email. My only stipulation is that the recipe is vegan and that you have one photo (or more) to go with it. And all the credit goes to you! Email me at hippieindisguise1@gmail.com

What part of the world do you live in?

We live in the south-east of England, on the outskirts of the lovely city of Norwich in our little patch of Eden surrounded by woods and meadows. We are just a short drive away from the city, but it feels like we are tucked away in the countryside where our home lies. I’m proud to say I have lived in this sleepy village my whole life, having travelled a lot I always enjoy coming ‘home’ to this place of ours.

How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

I have two girls, Fern who is 2 and a half and Cerys who is 3 months. Fern is a nurturer through and through. She is always caring for things, from her ‘babies’ to bugs, flowers and nature treasures. She naturally holds, kisses and touches every living thing with such care and love. She likes to cook with me and loves her food! She’s always pretending to make something. ‘Pancakes mama?’ ‘Would you like tea?’. She loves being outdoors and getting her hands dirty too, always helping me in the garden and caring for her own patch of earth. Recently she has gotten more and more into drawing and painting. She is always creating and caring with her hands. She adores her little sister who is the most easy-going baby I’ve ever known. It is as if she has always been here with us, and she accepts all of the craziness of our busy household with the most charming of smiles.

What are your core family values?

Giving gratitude is something I practice daily and it has helped me through some darker times in my life. Ending each day with an appreciation for the seemingly insignificant things which have brightened our day brings me an inner peace which I like to share with others and is a practice I personally value greatly. We value nature-time as our greatest gift and teacher as a family, so showing our appreciation to mother nature is something we do as often as possible, through our daily actions and adventures we take. I would say that our outdoor surroundings define a lot about ourselves, from the way we socialise, the way we get our food and the way we storytell. Having respect for nature is something we show daily through caring for our plants, visiting our neighbouring woods and rivers and giving gratitude to our food, the sun and the rain. Over all things, though, is to love. To do all things with great love and have enough love for yourself that you can spread it out into the world. Self love is something I wish to show my girls, in the hope that they grow up with confidence and acceptance of themselves just as they are.

How do you spend most of your days?

We wake up naturally as a family. We are lucky in that both myself and my partner work for ourselves and don’t need to rush out of the door in the morning, so breakfast is always leisurely and eaten together. I like to get up early and practice some yoga before the others wake, if possible, then I make breakfast when Fern wakes up so she can help me make smoothies and porridge, or whip up some pancakes. After Geoff heads out to work, we usually head out into our garden to tend to the crops and take our play outside, from painting to den making or caring for our babies. We pick what crops we have ready to harvest to make up our lunch, which usually consists of a pot of cooked grains dressed with lots of fresh herbs and lemon, salad leaves, avocados and either eggs or cooked pulses. After lunch we often head out to see friends or go to our local library and park. After a hearty family supper when daddy is home I often catch up on cake commissions or simply relax with Geoff. If Geoff is off work, then we will spend the whole day exploring new places, at the beach or the river, picnicking and camping out during the summer. We have just bought an old caravan to make traveling even more accessible to us as a family of four, so are planning lots of UK adventures before the end of this year.

What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

Explore. And eat. So exploring new places and discovering new foods is our perfect day. Whenever we have the chance we will set off somewhere new, hike on an unbeaten path and lay out a picnic feast.We are drawn to beaches and Geoff loves to surf so we often head out in search of waves and I play with the girls in the sand while their daddy catches the waves. A day spent walking, foraging, picnicking and surfing would be perfect.

What are you passionate about?

Being a conscious consumer and knowing where our food comes from is something I am so passionate about. We live in a society where we have so much choice yet spend less and less time in the kitchen and connecting with where our food comes from. I am all about shopping locally, eating in season and as much organic as possible, choosing small-scale producers over factory farmed goods when funds allow. To make this more feasible on a tight budget, we passionately grow as much of our food as possible, from fruit trees we’ve planted, cut-and-come-again greens, foraging and sprouting pulses on our windowsill. We also trade a lot of food with like-minded neighbours and it’s amazing how much you can receive for free by growing simple plants! I am passionate about sharing my love for plant-based foods for the planet and for our health with others, as I believe that eating less animal-based foods and more plant-based is the key for healing the planet and our bodies.

What inspires you?

Cliche I know but nature truly inspires me everyday. It inspires me in the kitchen, in our play and in our daily rituals. As a plant-based foodie, I am always looking to what is abundant in nature around us to inspire our meals, like in the first days of spring when the wild-garlic first appears, I’m taking our morning walks down to the river, taking photos with the girls in the dewy woods and gathering leaves before making pesto and bread and soup when we get home. When we are out on family adventures I’m always on the look out for wild edibles. Cherry trees in summer, seaweeds at the beach, chestnuts in autumn and making rituals to induce warmth and nourishment in winter.

Nature inspires so much of what I do, but my biggest teacher has to be my children, They are my constant reminders to live in the moment, explore, examine everything and believe in magic. Living under the guidance of mother nature and my girls has brought me to the happiest and most content time of my life.

Thank you, Jo, for sharing a piece of your life. Friends, readers, you can find Jo on Instagram @nurturingkitchen and on her fabulous website www.nurturingkitchen.co.uk

***

Summer Trip Part 3: Philadelphia

August 27, 20155 Comments

After our day in New York City (photos here), we rode a bus to Philadelphia to visit the Sweet Luka Mo family. I had gotten to know Einav, the woman behind Sweet Luka Mo, over the last year, after I won a photo contest she had run for her brand. We quickly became friends and when the opportunity presented itself to make a short visit, we made it happen. We spent three days together exploring Philadelphia’s beautiful parks and water spots, eating delicious vegan tacos and the best coconut ice cream ever (here). Late nights chatting after the children fell asleep, which led to some over-tired eyes (mine, see below) but some great memories. Thanks for the amazing hospitality Einav, Luka and Mike.

…first morning, Sen and Luka were fast friends playing trains while parents sleep in. Thank you, boys!

Entrance to the park, so far, we are loving Philadelphia!

Making plans…they wouldn’t tell me about what.

A charming old water fountain proved very entertaining for the boys.

Freestyling with the water fountain.

I loved how the park was designed for mixed use, including a play structure and community garden.

Exhaustion after the park

Evening walk to see some of Philadelphia’s amazing murals and mosaics. This one by Isaiah Zagar, made entirely from recycled materials. To say this artist is prolific would be an understatement. The neighbourhood we walked through was covered in his work. Amazing stuff.

Excited for what our second day has in store for us.

We visited the downtown area around the government buildings, Sen looks unimpressed because he wanted to go straight to the water area.

Gorgeous little park with shade and water, rocks and coffee. Perfection.

She laid there as long as I would let her, which was probably an hour.

Sen always helping his sister relax.

Hashtag sibling love! I’m telling you, they do this on their own. Please make it always be so.

Day 3, our last day in Philadelphia, it was incredibly hot, so we hit the fountain for some fun.

Me and the kids (I have to include photos of myself for the kids memories, even if I’m squinty-eyed)

Having fun looking at American coins. “Treasure mama!”

Waiting for lunch at Reading Market. It was such a fun place to walk around. A mix of vendors, farmers, bakers, florists.

Terrible photo, but a great memory. Ro and Einav swinging Luka along the sidewalk, on our way to get ice cream.

The kids almost had more fun looking for tiny animals in the garden outside the ice cream shop than they did eating their ice cream. Almost.

A quick play at the park before bedtime. I had to get a photo of Sen in his made-in-Philadelphia clothing – Sweet Luka Mo – while he was in Philadelphia. Luckily he cooperated.

Friends forever.

Philadelphia, you were fun, can’t wait ’til we meet again. And now, back to New York City for a few days. Stay tuned for my next post.

***

Clothing details: Ro’s floral swimsuit by Christina Rohde; Sen’s swim bottom and feather shirt by Gardner and the Gang; Sen’s black harem’s by Baby Beast; Ro’s clothing by Kids on the Moon; Sen’s striped romper by Nico Nico from Little Heirloom; Sen’s narwal tank and striped leggings by Sweet Luka Mo; Sen’s denim shorts by boy+girl; All sandals by Salt Water Sandals from Mini Mioche; My day bag from Nena & Co.

Summer Trip Part 2: A Day in NYC

August 21, 2015April 13, 20184 Comments

We arrived in New York City around 6:30 pm on Sunday, after a 9 hour train ride that started in St. Albans, Vermont (photos of Part 1 are here). Tuckered out from our long day, we did a little walking around Times Square and then retired to the room we had rented on the border of Chinatown and Soho.

The next morning, with 10 hours until our bus ride to Philadelphia the kids woke up early, excited to explore the city. We kept true to our modus operandi in Ottawa, walk out the door and see what the city has to offer. But first a peek out the window…

…finding greenery wherever we go, Soho had a number of beautiful ivy covered walls.

…on our way to market for breakfast we stopped to play at Union Square Park, a nostalgic place for us, as the children played there three years ago when we visited.

…outside Union Square park there is a fantastic farmers market where we grabbed fresh fruit for breakfast, and, of course, enjoyed the flowers and colours inspiration.

…walking past the Flat Iron Building on our way to the flower district (is that’s what it’s called?)

…plants in the alleys of the flower district, Ro found a fallen hibiscus and put it in her hair.

…colour and texture inspiration sitting on the sidewalk.

…headed back to our room to pick up our bags for our bus trip, walking back slowly via the High Line.

…it was a hot day, popsicles for a late afternoon lunch. Ro had hibiscus and Sen had lemonade.

…getting wet in this fun water feature on the High Line, the kids also played here three years ago when we visited. Ahhh, memories.

…Sen trying to keep up with his summer list “Swim Every Day” commitment, laying down in a half inch of water. I’ll allow it!

…off the High Line, walking through Soho and inspired by the texture and pattern of this grate.

…quick stop in at Purl Soho, enjoying the colours, patterns, textures, and Ro in search of the perfect teal colour for her mood board for the dress she is designing with Mimolab.

Purl Soho NYC

…Sen fascinated by the winder.

…she found the perfect teal colour.

…and now to grab our bags, rush over to the bus terminal, on our way to Philadephia. Stay tuned for Part 3.

***

Clothing details: Sen’s honey bee organic underwear from Underables; Sen’s swim bottom from Gardner and the Gang; Sen’s striped romper from Little Heirloom; Ro’s top from American Apparel and skirt from Little Heirloom; we all wear Salt Water Sandals from Mini Mioche.

Love Your Mother in Luv Mother

August 17, 2015September 3, 201612 Comments

“We wanted a name to represent more than just the collections we put out, something that truly defined the spirit, integrity and intention behind the brand. The two words ‘love’ and ‘mother’ are packed with positive meaning and we tip our hats to all moms, mother earth, the mother of invention and the idea that with a little luv anything you put your mind to is possible.”

Kevin, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Luv Mother

We were fortunate to receive samples from a new Canadian brand, Luv Mother, just before our trip to the United States, where we travelled to big cities, small towns, a peninsula, an island and beaches. I know, from my husband’s experience that merino wool is a very versatile and a durable material for clothing, and that it also transitions well from cold to warm weather. So I was excited to test it out with the kids, especially for our beach days when the warm sun would give way to cool windy evenings on the beach, best enjoyed with a bonfire, s’mores and good friends.

Luv Mother makes merino clothing for children. My husband, Matt, has worn merino almost exclusively for his tops for the last decade. Having read about the durability of merino wool, and some of the amazing stories of people wearing a single piece for 40 or more days straight without washing (or 100 days in a wool dress shirt), he was sold on their light environmental touch (imagine how much water and energy are saved when you can wear something 10, 20, 100 times before washing it!), which was only made better by the durability of wool. Add to all this, that being a natural fiber, wool is biodegradable once there is no life left in clothing, it gives new life by nourishing the soil.

Luv Mother’s clothing is designed and sewn in Canada, and the merino is sourced from Australia and New Zealand. As many of you know, I am very particular about bringing animal products into our home. But I also consider the durability and environmental impacts of my purchases. This is why we opt to buy durable leather shoes over plastic or foam ones that may be kinder to some animals, but breakdown more quickly from use and yet ironically live on in landfill forever (plastics will eventually breakdown into plastic ‘dust’ but they don’t actually biodegrade), thereby harming many animals in the long run. Wool is another animal by-product that we include in our home, on occasion, when we can be assured that it is from an ethical source, where the sheep are free roaming, are treated well, are not mulesed, and are from farms that are monitored and certified to treat their animals according to animal welfare principles (RSPCA and the New Zealand Animal Welfare Act). Fortunately Luv Mother is a company that sources exclusively from ethical producers.

It makes sense, then, that Luv Mother’s tag line is “sourced in earnest.” For them this phrase is all about being conscious about every decision they make. And they really do follow through on this, every aspect of sourcing and producing their clothing is done sustainably and ethically. For example, Luv Mother: has carbon neutral shipping (they purchase carbon offsets/credits for the emissions resulting from shipping their clothing); all paper products and hangtags are printed on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper; working with their clothing factory to reuse and upcycle fabric scraps through creative partnerships.

In addition to the sustainability and great usability of the clothing, I love how “packable” their merino clothing is. The clothing is very lightweight and easily packed into my minimalist travel bag (an oversized purse from Nena & Co). What little wrinkling occurred while the clothing was in the bag fell out quickly as the children wore it. Great, because fussy clothing is banned while on travel! (Merino is machine washable and can tumble dry on low, but really it dries so fast it’s easy to air dry it and save some carbon emissions). Oh and did I mention the merino is soft? The kids didn’t complain of itching at all. Win-win-win-win.

The merino proved itself to be an exceptional fibre. But, then again, nature doesn’t often get this stuff wrong. Thousands of years of evolution has led to smart hairs growing on sheep. They are able to keep you warm when you need it, but keep you cool when the sun is out. We used the tops to transition from afternoon to evenings at the beaches, on windy ferry rides, and even an impromptu dip in the ocean — I forgot Sen’s swim suit on one occasion, so he went in with his merino top on. I would have let him swim naked, but he was too quick to run into the waves. I was delighted to find that his top had completely air dried within about 30 minutes, his cotton pants, on the other hand, were still soaked hours later. It was a good lesson for me: on those occasions when the kids might get sweaty or wet, dress them in wool! While I didn’t know it at the time, I’ve since learned that wool is also considered a firesafe fabric and is self-extinguishing, it won’t melt or stick to your skin. Winning!

All in all, we loved the clothing and found the brand name quite apt. The children played in the sand and sea, climbed rocks and dunes, enjoyed the wind on a blustery ferry ride, enjoying the elements mother earth offered them in this part of the world. While their spirited childhood hearts would have fueled the fun and enjoyment no matter what, I’m pretty sure comfortable clothing helped them extend their fun a little longer.

Clothing details: Ro wears top and skirt from Luv Mother; Sen wears top from Luv Mother and organic cotton leggings from Mabo; best, most durable and stylish sandals around Salt Waters from Mini Mioche.

Find Luv Mother on Instagram @luvmthr

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Slow Living Project

August 15, 2015July 4, 201621 Comments

Slow living.

If you know me from Instagram or in real life, it’s no surprise that I am drawn to slow living. It’s probably a combination of my natural disposition and a reaction to the pace of my day job, which is hustled and unpredictable.

I’m not sure if there’s a gold-stamped definition of the term, but I know what it means to me. Slow living is about being present in the moment. That’s about it. Sounds simple, right? It is. And yet, it isn’t. Our minds race forward and back through time to what we are doing later today, to our to do list, to a conversation we had last week, to an article we want to finish reading. In body, we are always here, but in mind and spirit, we are quite often busy time travellers.

For the past few years, I have been working to slow down and be present, especially when I am with my children and family, this means connecting with the moment, focusing my attention there, and enjoying exactly where I am. This has allowed me to put my whole heart and mind into what I’m living now. I think it has been a very good thing for my own sense of calm and for my connection with family and friends.

In the last few months I made an acquaintance with the lovely Melanie from Geoffrey & Grace. Melanie has a beautiful Instagram gallery of images featuring her young daughter, time in nature and at home. You can also find her writing about life over on her blog. I’m excited to be collaborating with Melanie on a year long hashtag project around the theme of slow living. The project officially launched last week, you can read Melanie’s post about it here. But since I was away on vacation I’m getting around to my post…slowly.

For the project, there will be a monthly hashtag focused on slow living. Over the course of the year we want to look at all the different ways we can bring a slow living approach to our lives, through the seasons and holidays, in the home and outdoors, with family and friends. For the month of August, we are focusing on the word ‘explore’ and what this might mean in terms of slow living.

What we are looking for is your participation in this hashtag by posting photographs to Instagram that fit this theme for you. We hope you will join us and share the project with friends too. At the end of each month we will choose our favourites moments to share. If you’d like to be considered for a selection please use the hashtag #slowliving_explore and tag Melanie @geoffreyandgrace and me @hippieindisguise. At the beginning of each month we will announce the next theme.

We hope this will help us all slow down a little more and enjoy the fleeting moments we live each day with a more open and full presence. If you’d like to see some of the photographs already posted you can click here. I’ve been blown away by all the beautiful moments shared already. This project is going to be pretty great!

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Interview with a Minimalist: The Devine Family

August 13, 2015October 30, 201817 Comments

Geraldine Devine Bee Eco Wraps Butterfly beeswax wraps australia off grid family

As I said in my first post in this series, I think there are many ways to be a minimalist and many ways to focus and apply minimalism in our lives. At the same time, one area of focus tends to radiate out over time and influence other aspects of our life.

For me, minimalism started with a strong urge to have much less stuff in our home. I am a mother working outside the home at least 50 hours a week. I am also an obsessive tidier, I like my spaces neat and sparse, because it is calming to me. After a day of hustling around at work, I want a serene, low stimulation home environment to welcome me, not a trail of toys, socks, odds and ends. However, being away from my children for so many hours a week, thousands of hours each year, I cherish my time with the children, and so I have a rule that I won’t tidy and clean while the children are awake. (Confession: I’ve broken this rule a few times). When I was off on maternity leave it was easy to sneak in some tidying while the children napped, but once I was back to work, my only opportunity to tidy was late in the evening after the kids were asleep. This wasn’t a healthy situation since I was robbing myself of downtime, time with my husband, and time to myself.

One evening when I was rushing around tidying up before I went to bed it hit me like a tonne of apples: the only solution was to have way, way, way less stuff. Because less stuff equals less tidying. It’s pure math. I also knew it wasn’t fair for me to push my own clean freak ways on my husband and children, it’s not their comfort zone, it’s mine. I shouldn’t nag them to tidy constantly and I shouldn’t waste my downtime on cleaning. So I decided to immediately start giving away things that we didn’t need. Things the kids hadn’t played with in a while. The extra muffin tin. The back-up rain boots. The spare cutlery. The college books gathering dust. As time went on, I felt lighter and more at ease, the children focused their play on a few toys rather than aimlessly going from one toy to another, and overall there was a greater sense of calm and focus in the home.

A few years later I started hearing about minimalism, not the minimalism I had studied in art history in university, but minimalism as a lifestyle. I was curious, so of course I went to trusty Google for answers. There I found that there was a small “movement” growing around living minimally. I also read about people who had taken a more broad approach to minimalism. For them, minimalism wasn’t just about less stuff. Minimalism could be applied to our lives as a mode of operation. For example, friendships and relationships, cultivating close, connected friendships with fewer people, rather than having dozens of friends that we see a few times a year, it’s just quantity, not quality. I also heard about how minimalism started in different ways for people, some it was financial loss and the requirement to part with most of their possessions, and the realization that they were fine, and even better, without the burden of things. For others, it was a reaction against the fast pace of life and constant communications, the now, the instant, the quickness, and wanting to return to slower, more meaningful ways of relating and communicating with people.

Since then I’ve been intrigued to hear from people about how they got started living minimally, what their initial focus was, and how it has evolved. When I came across the Devine Family, who live off-the-grid in Australia, and are focused, by matter of circumstance, on minimizing their waste and not producing any garbage, I was immediately fascinated. Their minimalism started from a very practical life circumstance: no garbage collection in their part of the world. With their zest for life and excitement about living simply, close to the earth, and renewing older ways of living, they took the challenge head on and haven’t looked back since. I hope you’ll be inspired by this amazing family and their commitment to live sustainably, simply, close to the earth, and in a very minimal way.

Geraldine Devine Bee Eco Wraps Butterfly beeswax wraps australia off grid family

*Please make sure to follow the Devine Family on Instagram @bee_eco_wraps and visit their webshop www.beeecowraps.com where they sell beautiful, handmade food wraps from organic fabrics and bees wax. This is not a sponsored post! I just love what they do and want to support their great efforts.

Let’s start with a little bit about you. Who are you? What are you passionate about? How do you like to spend your time?

Farm, markets, Steiner school, organic cafe, beach. Press repeat!

Nature, community, music & gatherings of like minded people. Craft, cooking, sewing, gardening, homesteading. We embrace Permaculture, Biodynamics, and Sustainability with a goal to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The Ocean is the medicine of our souls. Sun, Salt & Surf heals all for the Devine Family! Becoming parents brought us from being environmentally aware observers to active participators in making a difference. We are conscious of the current issues society faces and are serious about creating a sustainable future.

How many children do you have and what are they like?

Archi, 10, is the family comedian, acrobat, entertainer and the best big brother the girls could wish for. Arjuna, 8, is the sweetest soul, gentle, artistic and caring. Mirrah, 4, is an ethereal treasure, a pixie with the wildest of imaginations. Soma, 1, is our little Lion Cub. She is raised by the Clan, participates in every aspect of our lives and never misses a beat. She is pure love, humour and has emanated peace and tranquillity since birth.

Devine Family Children tree house zero garbage waste Geraldine Devine Bee Eco beeswax wraps australia off grid family

What part of the world do you live in?

Our Farm is on the subtropical Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia.

You live off the grid in a completely self-sufficient home. Can you tell me about your dwelling and your way of life?

Simple, natural, soulful. A treehouse with enormous character. It was a 1920’s Tea House with a rich local history. Put back together by craftspeople that came at just the right times! Every piece of timber is recycled. It rattles, shakes and evolves with us. We took out the walls other than one big gorgeous family sleeping space, a big other worldly bathroom & a big cellar/ pantry space. Our kitchen is the epicentre. Massive decks amongst the bamboo were constructed out of the old railway timbers. We have treehouses, forts and fairy gardens galore!

A Spiral Vegetable Garden fills our kitchen & Mama’s whimsical fantasies. Fruit trees provide an abundance of subtropical fare. Mangoes, lychees, avocados, guava, over 100 Tahitian Limes. A 3 acre spring fed dam full of silver perch and yabbies. We are very secluded and completely surrounded by State Forest, yet fortunate to be close to the amazing Noosa beaches and thriving Markets.

Your lifestyle is, in part, focused on waste, that is, not creating any. Can you tell me more about your journey to a zero waste lifestyle? How did you get started minimizing waste? And how far have you come?

Slow life, Zero Waste, terms often used for this lifestyle, yet we are so very busy and love waste and the fabulous compost it provides! Our goal is to minimise the impact of our choices. Plastic is very heavily woven into this society’s supply chain. Every day we open a new door to achieving a deeper level of disposable waste free living.

Our waste consciousness was accelerated due to our remote location. We do not receive a garbage disposal service and are subsequently responsible for all rubbish that we generate. With the consequences of waste to personally deal with an awareness of the absurdity of single use disposable items came to the forefront of our attention.

We get busy with baking bread, cucumbers to pickle, kefir to brew, pumpkin seeds to dry out, compost to turn. The very action of these humbling tasks brings about a consciousness & presence. Somewhere along the way, the concept of single use plastic becomes outdated. An appreciation for the beauty of a sturdy fermenting jar, a pair of shoes that feel like they will last a lifetime, a hand knit woollen jumper….. a beautifully smelling, aesthetically pleasing wrap for your food…. just became essential…. a daily reminder of a state of mind that values and respects what matters.

Garbage is a somewhat recent phenomenon, historically speaking. Have you had to find creative solutions to minimize your waste or do you find yourself turning to older methods that most of us have abandoned?

Yes! We get creative, plan ahead and study the masters of reusable. What we’re talking about doing here is not just part of a Green Revolution… It’s a Renaissance. People have been working with nature this way for eons. It seems that we’re just learning to do what society has unlearnt and forgotten. Historically, many cultures sealed jars with wax and our Outback Drovers traditionally used oiled cloths to protect their food. Homesteaders have been wrapping up food in waxed cloths for centuries. Bee Eco Wraps became our passion as we delved into the wisdom of yesteryear.

Any food we don’t grow is bought at market. Trade and commerce is a pinnacle of culture. Geraldine particularly loved this & studied Anthropology at University, exploring the daily lives & rituals of cultures worldwide. In our travels we have lived amongst market cultures and fell in love with this as a source of social interaction. We all thrive and feel nourished with our interaction with the stall holders. With baskets and jars in hand, market life has provided our waste free immersion into this bustling and enriching cultural family experience.

Devine Family Children tree house zero garbage waste Geraldine Devine Bee Eco beeswax wraps australia off grid family

I believe there are many ways to be a minimalist and many forms of minimalism. What does minimalism mean to you?

We don’t want to fear our future, nor put our head in the sand. We want to gain momentum, excitement, faith & confidence in paving a future that will work. And give ourselves the tools to live in beauty in the face of the adversity that will come our way in this current society. To minimalise it. What matters. For us, love, family, nature, health. To be bold, humble, conscious.

Minimalism for us has become our state of being. A daily choice to minimalise the chatter in our minds, our possessions, our interactions with anything that depletes us.

What is your story? How did you get started on a minimalist path? What motivated you to live a minimalist and sustainable life?

As we learnt to slow and pay attention to the details of daily life we expanded and moved into a deeper connection with ourselves others and our place in the world. To find a real sense of meaning and purpose.

Family is the pinnacle of it all. We have both lived quite exuberant, excessive, wild & opulent lives! Diverse existences. For Geraldine the highlight of childhood was my time spent on a farm. Pure, slow, beautiful. Defining my very being & influencing every part of my journey. A determination was etched to make this a reality for this family. For Matt the time spent in Japan infiltrated his soul & defined his minimalist existence. He focuses on the natural world. He accepts the impermanence of life and seeks to remain humble. He is actively involved deepening his knowledge. He retains simple practices that allow him to remain focused amongst the turmoil!

Devine Family Children tree house zero garbage waste Geraldine Devine Bee Eco beeswax wraps australia off grid family

In what ways do you struggle with maintaining your lifestyle? Have there been any struggles with the other people you live, friends or family with about living in the way you do?

When the children get lured into the trappings of consumerism, we have learnt to see it as an opportunity for growth & learning. To extend ourselves to offer a better natural option. To grow our imaginations as well as theirs.

The children are technology free. People often ask how how we have the time. Take away television, shopping centres, time opens up. Children are helpers, participatory in daily life. The children’s imagination is their greatest gift. We push through boredom barriers. Steer them away from quick fixes, immerse them in nature, saturate their souls with the raw & natural opulence & beauty of nature. Simplicity. Attainable goals. Gently allow them to witness the perils of plastic, sugar and the harsh realities in an age appropriate way. Make it an exciting mission to be on board the coolest train in town. The kids feel they have the magic golden ticket. The good cause.

As we said no to plastic, sugar and technology we took it as our responsibility to offer a better option. To be creative in enthralling and enticing them with delicious organic food that they took part in sourcing, growing, preparing, serving. Or by surrounding them with fodder for their imaginations. Tree houses, wooden toys, craft, animals, books. I have put boundless energy into creating self motivating tools for the kids. To nurture their minds to think for themselves and weave in and out of magical wonderlands in their imagination. To offer tasks that teach them the practical skills of cooking, weaving, building, cleaning. To minimise their lives, so it doesn’t feel overwhelming and so they don’t shut down through fear. Nature offers the best tools for learning.

It has been a journey! A minimalist point of view has been hard for well meaning friends and family! I give our family and friends enormous credit in supporting us in upholding our values and complex criteria for each purchase. To embrace our choice in stepping away from consumerism. We all have quite a laugh at our different choices and paths in life! Love and a great sense of humour conquers all!

What have been the benefits of your lifestyle?

As we tune in to and get excited about the rhythms of Nature’s bounty we feel grounded and a part of a whole. We delight in the company of local farmers and growers, market stall holders and local artisans. We feel inextricably connected to the cycles of the Seasons, the rhythms of Nature and from this comes a deep sense of purpose, simplifying our understanding and acceptance of life. The children also emanate peace and stability. It is a world that they can see, feel and understand.

We have slowed and channeled our energy toward specific tasks with intent and positivity. To impose order on our wandering minds through the acts of gardening, cooking, creating, singing.

Devine Family Children tree house zero garbage waste Geraldine Devine Bee Eco beeswax wraps australia off grid family

What advice can you offer to people interested in living a more minimal, sustainable lifestyle?

Get excited. For us it has been the best journey of our lives. We found as we were strengthened by the inherent benefits of the lifestyle we were able to face the challenges with greater confidence. The research and preparation is fun! The information out there is limitless! Learn from your elders. Visit the dairy with your own pail to make our own cheeses, butter, yoghurt. Many Farmers offer butchering to your specific requirements. We have found local butchers love the idea of wrapping meat plastic free and lament the loss of butchers paper. Buy in bulk with your own jars or baskets. A little preparation yes, but when you see the beauty of your produce in a wicker basket and jars, you will know and feel that this is the way it should be!

Allow yourself a gentle awakening to the perils of plastic! Create a list. Step by step challenge the disposable parts of your life. Sustainable toothbrushes, shampoo bars, henna, beauty products. As you get healthier through this lifestyle you need less! Equip yourself with the tools to reduce waste. A mason jar each, a favourite op shop spoon. Lots of wicker baskets. A great dishwashing cloth, scrubber, soap nuts for laundry, solar power, tank water.

Look at ways to trade goods, or delve into the magical world of vintage!
It doesn’t necessarily have to be land driven. We have lived on a standard block & embraced an enriching & sustainable life. So much to learn about fermenting, felting & sewing tapped into a local like minded community.

Are there people you look to as role models in terms of your lifestyle?

The market families, each other, our family, the other cultures we have come to know on our travels, the cultures that have retained a minimalist sustainable life with a reverence for nature.

Do you have any goals for this year or the next few that you want to share?

To remain simple, minimal and inspired as we traverse a sustainable life with four children a farm and growing business. To strengthen our goals and daily rhythms to encompass a broader gathering and flourish in the inspiration and energy of makers, growers, bakers, artisans, families and community. To maintain the serenity that comes from slowing down and paying attention to all we find meaningful. To connect with moving slowly and treating things, people and ourselves gently. To have gratitude and reverence for the beauty of life. To feel empowered to make a difference. To harness a consistent, grounded and authentic Eco business that is a subtle tool in a burgeoning change toward a minimal, conscious and sustainable way of life. Bee Eco is a simple product, a daily change of habits that might spill over to other areas of life as it becomes apparent just how easy and beautiful reusable items are! In turn a broader attitude change may envelope our collective habits!

An immense thank you to the Devine Family for sharing their life, words and images with my readers. Readers: you can find the Devine Family on Instagram @bee_eco_wraps and read more about their life as well as purchase their Eco Wraps on their website www.beeecowraps.com.

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Any Occasion, Sustainable Gift Guide for Children

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