1 – Tea Time

This is the time to make the changes we’ve been meaning to make forever. To finally switch to eco-friendly products and habits.

I hope this post will inspire you to live a beautiful and eco-friendly lifestyle that feels good to you!

First things first: tea time!

High quality china makes for a beautiful and long-lasting tea set that can be used over and over again. Unfortunately many of these are not vegan, as they are made with animal bones (bone china).

However we live in amazing times, where vegan, high quality and beautifully designed china exists!

Let me introduce you to @cristinaredesign – an Australian company that’s an absolute favorite of mine for their quality vegan china (also known as new bone china), and feminine and elegant designs.

What set is your favorite? Mine is pictured.

2 – Elegant Work Accessories

I love the feel and long-lasting quality of leather. However I also love animals, so finding alternatives is always my goal.

Today there’s no shortage of vegan leather alternatives. You can find vegan leather being produced from recycled materials, apples, pineapples and cactus! These alternatives prove to be high quality and just as stylish as cow leather. What’s not lo love?

One of my favorite brands is @glassladder – they make stylish vegan leather purses, clutches and accessories; always sustainable and cruelty free.

Featured here is The Michelle work tote, perfect for your laptop, phone, and diary.

Which one is your favorite?

3 – Vegan Fine Dining

I want to highlight a topic that is close to my heart.

When I decided to go vegan almost 10 years ago, I had no idea of the benefits to the Earth. I did it for the animals and it was all I needed to know at the time.

However, I now understand the amazing benefits of going meatless, even if just once a week, to the environment, animals, and our own health.

Benefits include pollution reduction, less deforestation (forests are destroyed to grow crops to feed animals), less greenhouse gases released, water preservation, better ocean health (less animals being removed for human consumption and disrupting ecosystems), and of course, the benefits to the animals themselves.

There are increasingly more and more availability of vegan products in the market, and you can now find just about anything that used to have animal products, in a vegan form.

I’m highly excited about the upscale vegan dining you can now find across the world, featuring high quality and innovative cuisine, such as what you find at @ladureexmk – a vegan French pastry shop in Beverly Hills. They even have vegan macaroons!

To me, luxury and veganism go hand in hand. What is more elegant than a beautifully crafted, nourishing and cruelty-free plant based meal?

Long gone are the days of associating caviar, foie gras, lobster and steak with status. It’s time to make room for all beings on the planet, as we all need each other for a harmonious existence.

4 – Self-Care Practices

 Taking care of our well-being goes hand in hand with taking care of the Earth and fellow inhabitants, our communities, and families.

If we find ourselves lacking in nourishment of body or soul, it makes it hard to give the little we might have to others.

Creating a spiritual practice has been a goal of mine for sometime, as I felt this desire to connect to source. But it also had to be easy, and doable, and fit in my busy schedule.

I want to share with you one of my practices that not only feels very loving on my body, but it also elevates me to connect to the divine in a meaningful way.

I’m not a very big DIYer, but I created my own lotion by adding lavender essential oil to some organic coconut oil, and put them in a beautiful glass jar.

The coconut oil got infused with the lavender sent, and it makes for a nourishing lotion that smells absolutely divine!

So after my shower, I apply this lotion lovingly to my body, while saying affirmations that feel good to me (I have them written down).

I feel so nourished and aligned after this practice, and it only takes a few minutes to complete, which is perfect for my schedule!

If you try this out I’d love to know how it works for you!

5 – Create an at Home Retreat

As we retreat to our homes for an extended amount of time for quarantine, we are faced with new blessings and new challenges too.

Learning to navigate a new way of living, with homeschooling while working from home, or finally having time to tackle all those projects that were long forgotten.

If you are an introvert like me, you’ll understand when I say that being around others around the clock is extremely challenging for my energy levels.

By mid-afternoon I have nothing else to give, and there’s still lots to get done! So what’s a sensitive person to do?

What’s worked for me is taking lots of little breaks during the day by myself, working out alone for 20 minutes, and retreating to my room at the end of the day and spending a bit more time in it in the early morning hours.

I use this time to journal, meditate, read, or watch a favorite show, alone.

Create an oasis for yourself where you feel hugged every time you walk in! Check out these bed linens from @potterybarn – they’re not only luxurious, but also fair trade certified and made with 100% organic cotton, which is grown without synthetic fertilizers or toxic pesticides. Better for you and the planet!

How do you re-energize as an introvert during these times?

6 – Travel at Home

Are you itching for some adventure? Not being able to travel or even explore parks and beaches in our own backyards can be tough.

Personally I’ve been reading travel magazines, books that allow me to travel through them, and period shows and movies.

I also love wearing items that remind me of my favorite places to visit, as well as items around the house. It always makes me smile!

So why not wear, around the house, this beautiful scarf showing the landmarks of one of my favorite places on Earth? London!

It’s made out of modal, which is a plant-based textile. You can find this scarf at the @historicroyalpalaces online shop.

How are you getting your travel fix right now?

7 – Elegant & Green Home Organizing

There was a time when organizing was synonymous with plastic containers. Just put everything in a container and call it a day. Eek!

There’s definitely a lot more to organizing effectively than that, but I’d like to focus on what you use to organize instead.

If you already have plastic containers, sure, go ahead and use them. I do too! It’s best to always use what you already have than to purchase something new.

However, if you are on the market for storage containers, be sure to choose natural fiber ones.

Seagrass and bamboo are some of my favorites, as they bring texture and a touch of elegance to any room. They can come in the form of boxes, baskets, crates, etc.

Use them to contain toys, blankets, as a catch-all tray by the front door. The possibilities are endless!