living lightly in ireland

Handmade Toys & Gifts

Halloween is over so I’m feeling kinda safe about writing a Christmas article now. It may seem weeks off (7 and a bit to be exact) but if you’re hoping to make a few gifts this year you’ll need to get your skates on. I don’t buy gifts for anyone outside of my immediate family and this frees up time to make at least one gift a year, so I’m always in search of some sustainable ideas. Here are some that I’ve bookmarked over the years, along with suggestions on where to source materials. If none of these float your boat check out my previous article on handmade gifts and Christmas Crafting.

Sustainable Ethical Interiors – Living Room 2026

I struggled with how to write articles on interiors. Whenever I write an aricle on where to buy things I worry that I’m just contributing to our epidemic of shopping pressure. Then my brain argues that by emulating mainstream ‘buy me’ websites. I will reach a wider audience and be more successful in enticing some of them to reconsider their participation in the our disposable goods culture.

In this article I’m trying to strike a balance between pretty pictures that make the article enjoyable to peruse and a useful directory for when you consciously choose to purchase a sustainable ethical replacement for something you actually need something, because after all that’s the only time we should actually be buying anything.

Sustainable Living is not an ‘Either Or’ Game

I’ve noticed a trend when it comes to movements. First a kernel of an idea germinates in the brain of a progressive thinker, it spreads within their sphere of influence, then crosses over to separate but like-minded groups, it starts to garner interest on social media, it gains traction and the explodes filling newspapers, airwaves and television screens. Then the backlash comes, and the media (and us) love it. A perfect example is the furore over plastic straws. Apparently some people are of the view that we shouldn’t bother avoiding plastic straws while fishing nets continue to be dumped in the ocean. I’ve long been perplexed by the human tendency to descend to ‘either or’ arguments. Of course, if you’re faced with the choice of picking a plastic straw or a fishing net out of the ocean the choice is clear but being a landlocked luddite this isn’t a choice I face regularly. I don’t understand why these two things are being pitched against one another, why can’t I avoid unnecessary plastic AND support the removal of fishing nets from the oceans?

Sustainable Ethical Maternity & Baby Gear 2026.

If you’re pregnant or have just had your first baby, congratulations. It is a very exciting time in the life of new parents and their families. It’s also a very confusing time and often there seems to be far too much advice and very little practical help. For this reason I decided only take advice from someone who offered to babysit, clean, or cook for us. If someone wasn’t willing to do this I turned a deaf ear.

Sustainable Accommodation – Asia 2026

I think daydreaming about a holiday is half the fun so to get the most bang for our book so to help make your dreams more sustainable I’ve published a series on sustainable accommodation, which I’ll update as I find new information. The other articles in this series include Ireland and the UK, Europe and the Americas.