Appletree & Avalon

In the modern world, awareness is helpful, but when social media rules our lives now & not all information is factual or honest, how can we know what to do for the best as consumers?

I thought I’d start by sharing some of the things that we’ve done, both personally myself (& as a family) to reduce our carbon footprint, work our way towards a simpler life and help the planet.

This is by no means me telling you how to live your life, and I’m sure that there are people also doing more than us, but I hope that it can inspire you to also see what you can challenge yourselves to change over time, at whatever stage you are of becoming more eco-friendly

I’ve always been aware of how I see the world. I have felt at times as though I see it differently from most. A true believer that there really is beauty in everything. The good, the bad & the ugly!

Never one for gadgets or gizmos, I get joy from the little things. Nature is wonderful & can not only help you mentally & emotionally but getting out & having a simple walk is proven to help you physically too!

What’s not to like?

Sometimes I think were all guilty of getting bogged down with things. Home, work, family & life takes its toll. If I feel like I’m getting in a bad place, as well as reaching out to those closest to me, I really find that spending time outdoors is helpful.

I love exploring new places where for a moment we can get away from the hustle & bustle and enjoy a moment of silence or the musical murmurs of nature

Of course, this is easier in the summer, but whilst others are rushing to their cars in the cold, I often take my time to take in & enjoy the sparkling frost of a clear night. Stars overhead and glitter on every surface

I’ve found it difficult over the years to accept that some people just don’t think the same as me. Is it that we’re all ‘wired’ differently, or is it that some simply do not notice or appreciate the simplicity & beauty surrounding them?

Whatever it is, I hope that for whatever the reason, the awareness of climate change is helping to highlight some of the wonders at our finger tips, and maybe if some haven’t been aware, they will find new solace in helping to protect what we have so that these fantastic freebies from our planet aren’t lost forever

Here are a few of my brief thoughts on living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle

They say, Christmas is the time for giving. It’s also the time to reflect & enjoy the little things. It’s the one time of year, you can try to truly relax, put your feet up and enjoy your loved ones (for 5 minutes, at least!)

Well we agree. The best things in life are free!

You can give your time, your advice, your love or your support to all around you.

We’d like to hope that no one goes without this Christmas & that everyone can be kind & thoughtful to remember the true meaning of Christmas by thinking of others and respecting our planet. .

If you’re thinking of buying gifts this year, we have rounded up our top tips on being more eco-friendly this festive season. This is just a small snippet of what we offer, but we hope this can help inspire your choices this year to become a little bit more plastic free!

The world has declared a climate emergency! At least, we know that everyone has recognised that there’s a problem, right?

Now, don’t get us wrong, no one is cringing more than us with what we’re about to say & we’re certainly not suggesting that we head back to the ‘dark ages’, but we have come to the conclusion that some of the ways in which we were taught to do things growing up, may just be helpful in the future.

Technology has come a long way over the last 100 years and its helped us develop phenomenally. However, we don’t seem to have grasped that it’s also made us slightly lazier and introvert at the same time.

When we think back to those eye rolling moments, where we were told to sit up straight, watch how many times we said the word ‘like’ in my sentence or told to make sure we ate properly, it’s hard to admit & digest that as an adult when you find yourselves reflecting on those moments, those points may not only have been helpful for our future, but that they were pieces of guidance that were probably right!

Maybe its common sense, but we definitely know that revisiting these memories, we have realised just how influenced we’ve become by ‘modern life’. We all feel that pressure is worse than it was in the past (for different reasons maybe), and now that more stereotypical families have both parents out working, convenience wins every time!

We’ve therefore come up with a few quick & simple ways to effectively meet the demands of everyday life, but provide solutions that would be better for the environment, your bank balance & to make our Grandparents happy!

Well, it’s our view at least, that the fact that we’re even talking about it, is a great first step!!

We boldly believe that it is about informed choice.

However, a lot of focus in the media seems to be fixated on debating whether climate change is real or not and not tackling the true issues. This can mean that some people are nervous to commit to change without hearing hard facts or seeing it for themselves.

It can feel very overwhelming and confusing and for some, once the initial panic sets in after learning some of those facts and figures you can begin to feel like you’re not doing enough.

The truth of the matter is that if you are considering changing ‘something’, you are doing ‘something’ worthwhile!

The bigger picture facts are that we should all try hard not to waste water, be more resourceful, shop locally and turn off lights when you’re not using them. Even think about the food that we’re eating and be a bit thriftier!

We get it though, to some of us, you roll your eyes because it’s the sort of things your parents would nag you to do when growing up and it can feel a bit like a telling off and a hard pill to swallow that they may have actually been right!

Seriously though, what sort of world do we want in the future? Take a moment away from the hustle and bustle of life and really think about things. There is actually a huge cash benefit to how much money you could also save by cutting back a little! We are all guilty of taking things for granted and being a little wasteful at times.

Appletree and Avalon are not here to add pressure to anyone but wherever you sit on that fence, we want to try to help everyone to see that even if you are unsure about the impact on the climate that there are some simple, cost-effective ways of becoming more environmentally friendly without really ever thinking about it or making much effort!

It also seems clear to us that a lot of posts across social media seem to start with the same questions:

‘HOW DO I ACTUALLY START MY ZERO-WASTE JOURNEY AND BECOME MORE ECO-FRIENDLY?’

 Here are some of our easy helpful hints and tips on how to effectively ‘do your bit’ if you are not wanting to jump in feet first and commit to a complete lifestyle overhaul!

There’s a bit in here for everyone no matter where you are on your journey.