Everything is available from our partners, so do call in to your local Health Store or Refill store for refills. For standard sizes, check and ask from your local SuperValu or Nourish store at Dunnes. All will have normal supply and they can order in your requests.
Thank you and apologies for the inconvenience.
All the best from Lilly's! We will be back soon.
]]>Get 30% off our Laundry Liquid 5 Litre Home Refill in The Back To School Sale!
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We are so proud of the quality of our laundry detergent. It is the only detergent so many of our customers reach for. If you haven't made the switch to Lilly's for your laundry, why not give it a try!
There are so many reasons why you should:
All of these reasons and more can help you make value for money, cost and energy savings while taking care of your clothes and loved ones.
Save big during our Back To School Sale! Get 30% off our Laundry Liquid 5 Litre Home Refill.
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The island is said to have once been home to Sinach Mac Dara, patron saint of the parish of Moyrus. He is also the patron saint of local fishermen and sailors and all on stormy seas and it is an old tradition to dip your sails three times when passing by the island. Macdara is also apparently the patron Saint of New Potatoes which are in Season in July.
There is a mass and blessing of boats. After the mass its a picnic followed by the Regatta for the Galway Hookers and Currach rowing races and then back to Carna for a Céilidh and music.
It is said that St. MacDara’s Island Monastery is one of the best examples of an early Christian Oratory in Ireland. It is likely the Monastery founded by Macdara in the 6th century was made of wood. The current stone church was built around the 10th century and modelled exactly on the previous wooden structure.
The Monastery was restored in 1975 and was featured on the Irish 28p postage stamp in the 1980's as part of the Irish Architecture Definitives series.
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The main ingredient in most plastic is a derivative from crude oil and natural gas.The fact is that the price of bottled products is going up as component prices are rising like crazy. Any of that does not concern our business as much. We are re-using our containers, and so avoid these price increases. Also, we started to refill with our own equipment again, avoiding additional deliveries and collections. Plastic is an extremely valuable material and should be reused rather than creating new plastic products from precious finite resources.
Flowers
Yellow flowers were particularly favoured and grow in abundance at this time of year. Flowers left at holy wells on May Day were also thought to be restorative. Gorse, buttercup, marigolds, primrose and hawthorn blossoms were laid on doorsteps, may trees and bushes to deter faeries who were known for their dislike of the colour yellow. They were also used to decorate beautiful flower crowns.
Fire
As with all the major festivals Fire was an extremely important part of the celebrations. The lighting of the Bealtaine fire is one of Irelands oldest traditions and marked the arrival of Summer. The flames, ashes and smoke were believed to have protective powers.
She is on a cycling journey of 8800 km of distance, using her battery assisted bike that she has upgraded with solar panels and while doing so, aims to meet likeminded people and initiatives for energy transition. She is also interested in working with schools in form of climate and energy workshops. Check out her progress and schedule on the link below:
https://www.thesuncyclingodyssey.com/en
Follow her instagram here:
instagram.com/thesuncyclingodyssey/
We had a great conversation about cleaning product industry, her cycling project and about life in general in relation to our projects. Life is a journey, and her current journey is a very inspiring one.
We hope that she has enjoyed her visit here in Connemara. We also hope to see her here again, maybe in relation to her chosen career in renewable energy engineering.
Bon Voyage Fiona,
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Our homes have been our havens for the last few years and there's no better time to show our homes some TLC than with the big spring clean.
Rather than seeing the big spring clean as a tiresome chore you can see it as an important step in your self care routine. When you care for your home you are caring for yourself and your loved ones.
Cleaning and organizing the space you spend most of your time in can keep your immune system strong, avoid illnesses, boost your mood and help you sleep better.
Your mental health can benefit greatly from keeping your space tidy.
A clutter free, clean space increases your creativity, focus and productivity and it lowers stress levels.
By embracing cleaning itself as a way to de-stress and making it part of your mindfulness routine you will feel a greater sense of control and well-being.
Decluttering and deep cleaning can be daunting and overwhelming. The greatest benefit of spending that time to clear things out will be that you will actually create more time to spend on the things that mean the most to you.
Physical clutter in your surroundings competes for your attention and distracts your focus. Having things clean and organised will in the long run save you a lot of wasted time searching for things and being stressed by clutter and mess.
Don't forget about the garden during Spring Cleaning. It's time to start tidying up, cleaning our tools and pots , composting, starting plants and pruning. If you put the work in now you can reap the rewards all summer long.
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Lilly's is a female run small business. We believe that the values dear to us, as women, are key to work on our goals to improve the health of everyone, achieve sustainable home life for everyone, and to help to heal our planet.
On this Women's Day 2022, when the world seem very broken, we wish to remember women and their strength, skills and caring of all women.
At Lilly's we take our inspiration largely from what we call 'granny wisdom'. A lot of the best practises in sustainable home care, comes from the times when there was not enough.
Now we have more than we need, the practises from the days of not enough, can be what we need to do to fix some of the mess we have created.
We encourage you to connect with the grannies and great grannies, mothers, sisters, friends, aunties and cousins. Ask about their skills and knowledge and share time and cups of tea learning it. We need them, we need their knowledge. We will share it to everyone, send your knowledge, granny tips for home care, for garden for crafts and cooking.
Introducing
Helka and Aune the two Finnish grannies of our founder and owner Titta
Helka:
Helka was a farmer, forager, crafter, gardener and carer of animals. Mother of three boys and grandmother of five. This image is taken in the early 70's (yes that is Titta 'helping out') processing what looks to be spinach for preserving for winter. She sparked the knowledge of nature and its never ending power to renew, nourish and be our best ally in life. We are passionately learning this knowledge again, to make sure we are the best ally for our planet.
The days of hard work were not suffered without pride and joy of growing flowers for beauty or baking delicious cakes and biscuits - all of 7 sorts to be had at hand for visitors at any time.
Aune was a professional cleaner, mother of 5 and a political activist for women's rights in post war Finland. Living in the city she campaigned with a local female politician who got elected to the dáil in Finland.
They succeeded to create a holiday location for mothers and children to take a break during summer. The children were minded while the mothers could have some time for hobbies and sleeps etc. At the time this was a great achievement for hard working women.
From the two grannies, and their knowledge, work and activism we draw power and inspiration to what we do here at Lilly's.
]]>The Celtic tradition of Imbolc goes back 5000 years. Imbolc marks the start of longer days, an increase of light and the beginning of spring, farming and lambing season. It was associated with the Celtic Goddess Bridget.
]]>From Feb 1st to February 2nd Imbolc, also celebrated as St. Brigid's day marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
The Celtic tradition of Imbolc goes back 5000 years. Imbolc marks the start of longer days, an increase of light, and the beginning of spring, farming, and lambing season. It was associated with the Celtic Goddess Bridget.
TWO LADIES
St Brigid lived during the early days of Irish Christianity’s golden age and was baptised by St Patrick. Legend says that St Brigid made a cross from rushes, blessing a man on his death bed, who then converted to Christianity.
While Celtic Bridget was in charge of fertility, St Brigid had a few more responsibilities including babies, chicken farmers, the poor, dairymaids, children in trouble, etc - the list is long.
The Saint Brigid's cross was thought to keep evil, fire, and hunger from the home in which it was displayed. The newly made Brigid's cross was displayed and the cross from the year before burned. Fire and purification were a very important part of the celebrations. A St. Brigid's cross is a lovely decoration for the spring, and if it does all the above, well that is a nice bonus.
To Celebrate Imbolc and St Brigid’s Day Mary, Riona, Katie, Ciara and Titta had an intergenerational get together after school and work one Friday with a craft project of making the crosses. After a couple of years of uncertainty, not being able to socialise normally, it was a relaxing afternoon for everyone. A welcome break from news, devices, busy work and school and just focusing on the crosses, cups of tea, and chats.
They even made a few crosses using locally gathered rushes to include in February's orders so if you have ordered this week you may be lucky enough to find one in your package as our gift to you. We hope that you have fun protecting your home and welcoming visitors with the cross.
Spring Cleaning Time
The additional light also shows the truth inside, and it is now a great time to give focus to the home. It is good to take a day for a project, whether it is a full kitchen clean-up, tidying the closets, cleaning windows. One project per day, there is no rush, but it is worth it. It feels like you are set up for the year organised and can achieve your goals and welcome the visitors you have wanted to welcome. Lilly’s home care products will ensure your cleaning is effective and toxic-free.
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After the hard work of the Christmas period it was a day off to relax from all housework and childcare for women, with traditional roles being reversed in the home.
While the women rested and gathered together at their friends' homes or reveled at the pub, the men prepared the meals and took over the housework. While the tradition was celebrated less and less by the 1950's Nollaig na mBan has undergone a revival in Ireland over the last few years with Events for Afternoon Tea, Brunches and spa days celebrating the day.
Twelfth Night is also traditionally known as the day to take down your Christmas tree and decorations. Leaving your Christmas decorations up after this date was thought to bring bad luck. Other traditions believed the Holly and Ivy used to decorate contained tree spirits which played tricks in the home or caused bad fortune if they were not released on the last day of Christmas.
We wish you all a very relaxing, peaceful Nollaig na mBan.
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The recent period may have reduced our social comfort zone, and breaking through them is not yet plain sailing.
I visited my mother in law last week while doing my regular delivery and circular economy collections on the east coast. So I called in, and thankfully, she was in great form, well and healthy. After the long drive, I decided to stay with her.
While there, I worried that her higher cupboards were full of items and, frankly, could have fallen over her when she was reaching for things.
I proposed that we take on the project to tidy the high cupboards the following morning. The plan was for me to do all the heavy lifting.
I faced some opposition to my proposal, but I ignored it. The high cupboard tidy was going to happen tomorrow.
I was excited to start this project the following day. I emptied all high shelves one by one and used Lilly's Degreaser and Descaler to thoroughly clean after a long time.
Her job was to put the items she liked, needed, and wanted to keep on one side and what she was ready to give to the other side of the table.
It only took just over an hour to organize and clean everything. My mother in law ended up with decluttered and clean cupboards with everything within easy reach, old foodstuffs removed, and the joy of only using her favourite dishes daily.
In addition, we gained a good amount of quality time together, talking and laughing, and I felt terrific having been able to help.
A win-win situation.
Do you have a friend or a family member who could do with some help? Has a cleaning or decluttering job to do that they might be too busy or overwhelmed or their health or safety related to age might prevent them from doing? Friends with a tiny baby too busy to keep up with some bigger house jobs. Is a friend or a family member finishing a significant study project or work deadline that could go smoother in a cleaner space? What about you? Could you do with some help with something?
Instead of some stuff, why not give or ask for a gift of time and a helping hand. Might it be an excellent way to start breaking through the reduced social comfort zone?
Titta Jones Dec. 2021
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]]>This Friday 26th 35% off everything while stock lasts.
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]]>The dead were honoured as they passed over into the spirit world. It was believed the barrier between the living and the spirit realm was thought to be at its thinnest on this eve and the dead could return.
The community would gather around huge bonfires dressed up in elaborate animal skins and heads to ward off any evil spirits.If the spirits happened to bump into one of the people in disguise they might think they were spirits too, and leave them be.
Long before pumpkins were used as lanterns, people carved ghoulish faces into turnips and left them in doorways to frighten away evil spirits.There are two versions of the story that this tradition originated from.
The first is an ancient Celtic tradition to carry home an ember from the communal bonfire. People hollowed out a turnip and walked home with the ember still burning. They could then light the fire at home with the embers for good luck.
The spookier version is that Jack-o-lanterns were named after an Irish blacksmith who was denied entry to Heaven for colluding with the Devil and was condemned to walk the earth for eternity. When Jack asked the Devil for some light. He was given a burning coal that he put into a hollowed out Turnip and this was his Lantern.
When the Irish emigrated to America there was not an abundance of turnips so pumpkins were used and were also much easier to carve.
Along with decorating with pumpkins, traditional spooky decorations often depict black cats (associated with witches) and bats and can also be traced back to Samhain.The large bonfires attracted insects and this attracted bats, which soon became associated with the festival. Bats also swarm and migrate at this time of year. Bram Stoker's Dracula depicted vampires shapeshifting into bats. Animals that are nocturnal were often associated with dark arts and death reinforcing the idea that our pollinating, pest controlling bat friends were spooky.
However you are celebrating, we wish you a blessed Samhain and a Happy Halloween.
Oíche Shamhna shona duit, bí cúramach faoin púca!
This gentle, but effective softener is perfect for hard water areas or for when extra softness is needed, like towels and baby clothes.
Are you taking part in Second Hand September and buying only pre-loved clothes? Our Fabric Softener will keep your fabrics in top condition and keep them super soft giving them a second lease of life. It also makes ironing easier.
It is suitable for school uniforms for Back to School Softness, with a clean light scent. Something the entire family will enjoy.
The plant based and biodegradable formula is made of Rapeseed oil & includes Organic Aloe Vera Leaf Juice. It contains no animal based ingredients contrary to typical fabric conditioners.
Our bottles are made of 100% recycled plastic, are fully recyclable and refillable at various locations around the country.
How to use:
When the bottle is firmly closed, you can give it a light shake.
35ml - Normal Wash
15 ml - Hand Wash
60ml - for Extra Softness
For perfect results:
Use with Lilly's Eco Clean Concentrated Laundry Liquid.
Do not use undiluted directly on your laundry.
Ingredients
> 30% Water, 5-15% Cationic Surfactants Derived from Rapeseed Oil, Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Natural Essential Oils of Orange Blossom and Chamomile (Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Geraniol) Preservative (Sodium Benzoate) (0.01%)
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Wonderfully fresh when cleaning your living areas and bedrooms. Amazingly effective for bathroom cleaning, use on taps, mirrors and shower screens.
The easy to use bottle with a microspray is made of 100% recycled materials and gives just the right amount of product. The bottle is refillable ensuring a circular system.
How to use: To open, turn the safety grip under the nozzle. Hold the bottle firmly like holding a drink can, and use the spray with one finger.
Ingredients: <5% anionic surfactants*, non-ionic surfactants*, amphoteric surfactants*, vinegar (acetic acid), Eucalyptus Globulus essential oil, Sodium Benzoate (preservative). *derived from coconut, wheat & sugar compounds.
For the month of July the 500ml Eucalyptus spray bottle is 30% off online:
Seachtain na Gaeilge is the biggest Irish language and culture celebration festival. St. Patrick's Day brings the celebrations to end, but we intend to continue in the spirit of the festival.
Over the past weeks as beginner learners and re-learners, we have been celebrating Seachtain na Gaeilge and reflecting on why we think it is important to use Irish language and how we can include Irish more in our business and daily life.
We relocated our HQ to Carna in Connemara over a year ago and we have been incredibly grateful to be surrounded by the Irish Language, landscape, history and culture here.
Carna is in a strong Gaeltacht region, with English being the second language spoken.
We added our first Irish language label to one of our products in 2020 and we look forward to adding more in the near future.
For St. Patrick's day please enjoy 50% discount off the Leacht Níocháin online.
https://www.lillysecoclean.com/collections/cleaning-products/products/leacht-niochain-500ml
The Irish language is a beautiful language that describes the history, and the fact that the people's lifestyle was very close to nature.
Learning Irish is a great opportunity to connect with the identity of the Irish people and to Irish culture.
Irish is unique to Ireland and is recorded to be one of the oldest and most historic written languages in the world.
The third oldest written literature in Western Europe was in the Irish language with records of Irish lyric poetry dating from 700 AD. That is thanks to St. Patrick who started the golden era of christianity in Ireland and Ireland became the centre of monasteries, scholars and scribers.
Irish is the fastest growing language on Duolingo in Ireland and the language is popular outside the island with more than 5.6 million users on the platform learning Irish around the globe. There is even now an official Gaeltacht in Ontario Canada!
Seachtain na Gaeilge has been a great time to use Irish whether you have a cúpla focal or are a complete beginner, there are a multitude of resources out there to get you learning and it has been really fun.
Why not say Thank you, or Merci or Grazie or Kiitos or Tack also in Irish - Go raibh maith agat - it's a great way to add Irish in to our daily life.
Did you know that the Irish word for spider ‘damhán alla’ translates to 'wall demon' and that there are 21 words in Irish for hole and 32 words for field. To find out more check Manchán Magan's book 32 words for field.
You can now even watch the Spongebob movie on Netflix as Gaeilge!
Tosaigh ag cothú na Gaeilge i do shaol…agus féach uirthi ag fás!
Plant the seed of Irish in your life and watch it grow!
Nikki Moans March 2021
]]>It feels as if it has been a very long cold winter but now we look forward to celebrating Imbolc to mark the arrival of spring. There is lot’s to look forward to including longer brighter evenings, warmer weather, new life in nature and getting out into the garden again.
Photo by Alena Koval on Pexels.com
From Feb 1st to February 2nd the traditional festival Imbolc, also celebrated as St.Brigids day, marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
The day is celebrated in many ways including:
St. Brigid's cross
The Saint Brigid's cross was thought to keep evil, fire and hunger from the home in which it was displayed. The newly made Brigid's cross was displayed and the cross from the year before burned.
St. Brigid's cross is a lovely decoration for the spring, and if it does all the above, well that is a nice bonus.
To make your own Crosóg Bhríde / Brigid's Cross, head over to Nine arrow on Instagram and watch her lovely video.
You can use rushes, drinking straws or colourful paper as seen in the video here Make a St.Brigids cross
Photo still from Ninearrow Youtube
Whether you are making a delicious traditional Colcannon or a Brigid’s cross this February 1st we wish you a Happy and Healthy Imbolc.
Nikki Moans January 2021
]]>Photo by Courtney Hedger on Unsplash
2020 has definitely been a strange and challenging year for everyone.
As we move forward into 2021 in hope for better times and despite the still ongoing interruption to what we would like as normal life, we would like to say a big thank you.
Thank you for continuing to support us throughout the year and for choosing healthy and sustainable products, supporting an Irish small business and shopping local.
There are so many important reasons to keep supporting many local businesses especially now. Here are some of them:
So it is worth it for all of us to keep on supporting local businesses and why not? Ireland is abundant with high quality food producers, makers and shops creating wonderful products for everyday use, personal care and of course to eat.
Why not try these other online suppliers as an example, and if you wish to add to the list please comment below:
Nikki Moans January 2021
]]>Indoor pollution sources and inadequate ventilation can cause poor indoor air quality.
Aerosol, plug-in and synthetic air fresheners, cigarette smoke and burning paraffin wax and synthetically fragranced candles can all contribute to toxic indoor environments.
Some of the cleaning products used daily, and lately in vast quantities, are one of the most common causes of indoor air pollution. The fat soluble molecules in them can enter directly into our lungs, and trigger asthma, allergies and weaken our immune system. Breathing in these chemicals can result in headaches and other symptoms even affecting our mental health. Occasionally it is ok to sterilise with these products, but continuous use can end up being more harm than benefit, even at this time.
Our mission has always been to offer alternative products that will have great effect but not circulate these toxic fumes. Your daily and healthy home hygiene is achieved and you can breathe freely.
6 steps to keep your home cosy and indoor air fresh:
So at this lockdown black friday cyber monday time, clean and tidy for the coming season and for more comfort.
We wish you all the best, and thank you all for continuing to wash hands, wear masks, and stay in.
Do you have any tips - comment and share your pictures with us on how you have made your home a healthier, cleaner haven at this time.
Tag us on social media or send us a message with your images!
Nikki Moans, November 2020Cleaning has surprisingly positive effects to any healthy living efforts. If you used to think that it is was a chore to be avoided - think again.
The truth is that a clean and orderly home is a huge part of Healthy Living and will contribute to achieving your goals.
Here are 5 very ideas on how to get started:
Think about it, if your training gear is chuffed with everything else in the wardrobe when you want to exercise, is that motivating? Or the area for doing a yoga is full of clutter and dust - will you achieve tranquility? How do you achieve your eating goals with a fridge full of temptation? Or you are still used to smoking or vaping in the house instead of breathing pure clean air?
What will be the level of success if you want to change some habits but not the environment?
Do a good declutter, get help from professional organisers or try the KonMari method (authors no1. recommendation for organising and decluttering, not affiliated, more information https://konmari.com/ ).
Create space for your new life, let go off the old and focus on your goals.
Dust is pollution. A lot of it can create a home for dust mites which love to munch on human skin cells (largely contributing to dust). Dust mites then can cause sensitivities. Airborne dust and other air pollutants on the other hand can enter our respiratory system. Compared to our digestive system, our respiratory system has limited protection against various small molecules.
Enough motivation to keep your home dust free? It is healthier to do so. Avoid using feathered dusters as they make it airborne. Use a good general dusting all purpose spray and wipe it off. Diluted washing up liquid and cloth are also effective.
You can literally feel the improvement.
As we discussed earlier about the airborne molecules entering in to our respiratory system and straight into our bodies - same goes with the chemicals we use.
So for once and for all, if you mostly use the typical industrial type chemicals with quite generous amount of perfumes, you might consider trialling alternative options. These are typically labelled eco friendly etc. and any of them is a better option for your health goals than the main stream chemicals.
We cannot address this enough.
No matter what your Health goals are otherwise the kitchen plays a big part of it and keeping it clean will help with your New Years Healthy goals.
Re organise your newly cleaned kitchen so that your health goal equipment (smoothie blenders, juicers, steamers) are at easy access and the not so healthy equipment are moved to 'rarely used' location or removed completely. These simple cleaning tasks and relocation will help you to achieve your goals.
Also pay attention to signs that may require attention due to potential health risk: brown slime growth in the sink or fridge indicating bacteria growth, greasy dust over the extractor hood, dirty oven.
You have probably done the first step of every New Years health resolutions - bought new gear. That's fair enough.
Cleaning them correctly will help to increase their lifespan so follow these principles:
Do not use fabric softener on any technical sports gear, especially lycra and such stretch materials will be destroyed with the use of fabric softener.
Use milder Non biological detergent on technical and outdoor gear. The enzymes and other stain removers, zeolites, brighteners, and possibly bleach of the stronger detergent are there to break down and remove various types of molecules, and so they will do for your specialist gear improvements.
Milder non biological detergent will clean, but not destroy the technical benefits of rain shield, odour removers etc.
We hope these steps will be helpful to you in creating a new cleaning routine - a healthier lifestyle routine.
Health - Home - Planet
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1. Use Refillable Products.
Only buy products you can refill and re use after. This also means that you will be changing your cleaning chemicals to better, less toxic and environmentally friendly chemicals.
2. Understand that every small step counts and adds up.
Whether you refill in store, use pouch refills or buy larger refills every now and then - it all adds up, there is no wrong way of doing this.
3. Keep your Plastic Equipment clean and re use them
If you still use plastic dish brushes etc. clean and disinfect them regularly, for example you can wash them in a dishwasher. Good quality plastic equipment will last forever in use so keep them hygienic.
4. Use fabric cloths and wash them in the washing machine
Avoid microfibres as they also pollute the oceans. Why not make cleaning cloths of old cotton towels and t-shirts and keep washing them in between.
5. Use compostable and biodegradable tools.
Such as wood and natural fibres. If using wipes, make sure they are 'flushable' i.e compostable, not plastic. Or make your own.
6. Try some Cooking Chemicals for Cleaning
Baking soda or Bread Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda, or Sodium Bicarbonate) is excellent for many cleaning tasks. Try vinegar to clean glass and mirrors. Use Natural Essential Oils for Fragrance.
7. De Clutter
Do it swiftly and only keep the items you love the most (try the Konmari Method if you find it hard). Keep everyday things with reusable purpose. Make a rule to Refuse unnecessary purchases, e.g repetitive bottle purchase. Generally buy things that have a specific purpose, project, place.
8. Love your Clean, Sustainable Home
Enjoy the cleaning effect of carefully selected, sustainable chemicals.
Enjoy the healthy benefits of a clean and detoxed home.
Feel proud of all the small waste reducing steps you can make.
Photo by Daiga Ellaby
https://unsplash.com/@daiga_ellaby
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It is amazing to receive this recognition as the main part was user testing - by the Mothers. We strongly believe that Lilly's is a brand for every family so this is very important to us and thank from the bottom of our green hearts.
At the event there were many awards that humbled us even more and the product awards just seemed so insignicant in comparison. The Child Hero, The Midwife of the Year, The Miracle Baby, The Mum of the Year, The Early Educator of the Year - all of the winners are amazing people working hard or who have conquered some very hard experiences. We wish to extend our Congratulations to all of the People Award Winners.
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My Granny Helka was the No 1. environmentalist I have known.
She was living the Zero Waste life out of necessity and common sense, it was more about saving money than getting rid of waste. I suppose packaging at the time would have been new and fancy, before it all got out of control. For saving money or saving planet here are some of the practical things I remember:
Plastic Bags: Helka cut them in strips and crochet or knitted them in to rugs for the hallway floor or utility room floors. Seriously.
Glass bottles: Helka washed the bottles and used them to store home made berry and fruit cordial for the winter months. The ones with screw tops were used to bring milk in for lunch.
Food packaging:
Helka’s Tips: Butter wrapping (foil, like Irish butter wrapping): Used as like aluminium foil to cover up cooked food in the fridge or when re heating.
Plastic containers with lid: always washed and re-used for food storage and freezing.
Yogurt pots were washed, stored and used for planting seeds in the spring.
Bread bags: used as sandwich wrappers for lunches.
She grew vegetables, foraged, fixed and mended old. She is not unique, I am sure your Granny and Grandad had similar tips. We can learn a lot from the previous generations for the benefit of the future generations, and for our own Zero Waste Efforts.
So anyone up for crochet rugs out of plastic bags? Maybe, maybe not, but we can make better choices tackling the waste problem without loosing our love of convenience either.
Here’s to our best efforts towards Zero Waste living, please comment and share here your Granny’s or Grandad’s tips that we could benefit in our daily life. Feel free to post images of your crochet plastic bag rugs too :)
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