living lightly in ireland

Environmental Politics

Hello Living Lightlies

In Ireland we’ll be electing local councillors and European MEPs on the 24th of May. Most of the people I know don’t have a clue how best to use their vote from an environmental point of view. As someone who strongly believes in the power of politics to transform society I think we owe it to ourselves, our children and all life on the planet to educate ourselves enough to make an informed decision, but how do you go about doing that?

Here’s a suggested step by step guide to help you sort the wheat from the chaff.

Toxin-free Minimal Kitchenware 2026

I originally started this as a section in an article on kitchens as part of my series on Sustainable Ethical Interiors but it just grew legs and was in danger of taking of the post so I gave it a post all of its own. Also as you’ll find out I discovered that sustainable conflicts with toxin-free in this post and so the title Sustainable Ethical Kitchens wouldn’t really have been apt. Read on to find out the best choices in relation to toxin-free minimal kitchenware

Raising Zero Waste Kids 2026

I thought I lived a sustainable life until I started my Zero Waste journey, and this website, in 2016 but God was I clueless. I didn’t even realise single-use coffee cups weren’t recyclable or compostable and I had been heavily involved in an ‘environmental’ political party for 4 years at that stage! So needless to say there’s been quite a bit of adjusting over the past few years, both for me and my family.

Easy Low-Waste Easter Crafts

This post may seem frivolous given the state of the natural world, and it kinda is, but that’s my intention. Some of the sustainable living blogs I follow can be quite depressing, not through any fault of the author, just simply because if you’re concerned about the climate crisis the reality is quite scary. I don’t want to fall into that hole and so for this blog I had the great pleasure of researching impressively easy Easter crafts and have pinned my favourites on an Easter Pinterest Board.

Creating Unique Timeless Interiors on a Shoestring

This post may seem slightly left of field to what I normally write about here but it’s actually all about creating homes that support and nurture us in a way that doesn’t trash the planet. Interior architecture and design is something I’m very experienced in being a trained spatial designer with over 15 years working in the industry both as a designer and a design writer. I also had my own design practice for 5 years before the last recession and a ‘coming to my senses’ put a stop to it. It was great to get a chance to use this knowledge to further my goal to help everyone live more sustainably.