Welcome to Madeleine Olivia! Explore my blog for:
Plant based recipes, minimalism & sustainability, slow living & home
Find me on my socials.
Welcome to Madeleine Olivia! Explore my blog for:
Plant based recipes, minimalism & sustainability, slow living & home
Find me on my socials.
All in lifestyle
After 5 months of renovating, our kitchen is finally finished! We are so excited that we get to enjoy our dream kitchen, create many recipes and share them with friends, family and all of you online.When we moved in we fell in love with this kitchen, and knew this was the place to start. It is the heart of the home and so integral for my work.
You may not realise it but choosing antiques to furnish your home is actually a really sustainable choice. Every year the UK throws away around 300,000 tonnes of furniture and of the furniture that is sent to landfill 3 million pieces could actually be reused without needing any repairs.
Creating, shipping and buying new furniture uses a a lot of energy; research commissioned by the International Antiques and Collectors Fairs showed that a new chest of drawers made in China has a carbon footprint 16 times higher than an antique equivalent per year.
Changing trends and a culture of disposable living has seen a shift towards cheaper flat packed furniture and décor lasting one year rather than ten. These days many of the mainstream homeware brands are making homeware using toxic chemicals, unsustainable materials or without robust ethical policies.
Feng Shui, the 5000 year old Chinese discipline, is one of the design principles that aim at creating habitable and sustainable spaces in harmony with nature. Knowing that your furniture and its route to being was a happy and sustainable one is important to good home design and it doesn’t have to mean swapping style for a drab, unhappy interior.
As many of you know, I recently moved house! It was a long time coming, with over 6 months since the time we made our offer, and completion. We went through so many ups and downs during the process and it was stressful to say the least! I am so happy we are on the other side and finally moved into our new beautiful home in the countryside.
For most single-use plastics first came into the spotlight through David Attenborough’s documentary Blue Planet ll. Often heralded as the moment the war on plastics really began. After seeing an albatross feed plastic to its chicks its hard not to be affected, and new research actually shows that a whopping 86% of people who saw the episode drastically changed their lifestyle as a result.
At the same time, the disturbing statistics that there will be more plastic in the sea by 2050 than fish was doing the rounds. If you’re new to sustainability and want to know where to start for information you can trust I’ve collated a selection of books which aim to educate and inspire plastic-free living and a sustainable lifestyle in all areas of our lives.
There’s nothing more overwhelming than looking in your closet to be faced with piles of clothing, half of which you don’t wear or didn’t know you even owned. You want your wardrobe to be streamlined, clean and full of clothing you love wearing. In order to have the wardrobe of your dreams, take a look at my tips for how to organise and declutter for a minimal wardrobe. Getting ready in the morning will become so much easier, and you’ll actually enjoy picking out an outfit.
As many of you know, I recently moved house! It was a long time coming, with over 6 months since the time we made our offer, and completion. We went through so many ups and downs during the process and it was stressful to say the least! I am so happy we are on the other side and finally moved into our new beautiful home in the countryside.
The days are getting longer which only means one thing. Spring is almost here and its time to give your home a little TLC and cleanse any trace of winter with a spring clean. It’s actually a super old concept, traditionally taking place during the first week of Lent
I’ve put together some tips and tricks on how to give your house a natural spring clean from from top to bottom along with a free printable spring clean checklist.
There is 150 million tonnes of plastic in the world’s oceans and it’s not a figure that’s decreasing. By 2025 that figure is set to treble. No wonder more and more brands are paying attention and providing plastic-free alternatives to consumers. Whether you’re transitioning into a zero waste lifestyle or trying to lower your impact on the planet there are now plenty of low waste and plastic-free alternatives to make your home more sustainable. You might think that going plastic free might require a substantial investment but long term you can actually save a ton of money. A few swaps can make a big difference on the waste you’re producing at home, so I wanted to share some of my favourite zero waste products to make the switch far easier. Of course, you don’t need to buy anything in order to live a zero waste lifestyle, in fact I encourage you to start with what you already have at home! But over time many of these items will be a good alternative to things you regularly purchase.
During 2020, I felt a lot of pressure to improve myself - to read a book every week, to learn a new language, to create dozens of new recipes. The reality was very different and lots of my resolutions went out of the window. For some people that can be inspiring, for others it can be overwhelming. So, I’ve made this list with a view to it being as accessible to everyone as possible. It’s not meant to be an exhaustive list, and it’s not something that you should put pressure on yourself to accomplish every single day. Take what works for you, and approach it calmly - it’s better to focus on one thing well, than to struggle to accomplish many at the same time and fail. New resolutions take time and patience to become a habit, so don’t worry if it doesn’t click straight away. After such a difficult year, we owe it to ourselves to be kind and gentle with how we approach this new one.
There has been a growing trend in fast fashion, a sustainable buzz word I’m sure you’re familiar with, and the rapid manufacture and marketing of low quality clothing trends. The impact? Over consumption, unethical labour practices and 92 million tonnes of waste each year, making fashion the largest worldwide polluter after the oil industry (the fashion industry releases more C02 into the environment than international flights and shipping combined).
I’ll start by stating the obvious, the most sustainable choice is to ask the age old question; do I need this or do I want this? Check right at the back of your closet, is there anything you can repurpose? What about a clothing swap with your friends? Or can you simply resist the temptation? Easier said than done right…? There will inevitably be times you need a new pair of jeans or a new jacket and shopping is the only choice. But there are ways to shop sustainable fashion and clothing in a way that can have a low-impact and be ethical.
Self love has become a bit of a buzzword of late. We’re told to go on a run, have a bubble bath, drink a green smoothie and say our affirmations all in an act of self care. While these practices can be powerful for our physical or mental health, how far do they go to teaching us about real self love?
I believe self love goes beyond simple self care acts. Instead it is a mindset and a routine. Giving ourselves a break, changing our view of the world and ourselves, letting go.Self love has become a bit of a buzzword of late. We’re told to go on a run, have a bubble bath, drink a green smoothie and say our affirmations all in an act of self care. While these practices can be powerful for our physical or mental health, how far do they go to teaching us about real self love?
It’s Veganuary so what better time to share my list of vegan staples and pantry essentials to help you stock your cupboards to start cooking delicious plant based meals.
This list features the staples that I always have stocked in my cupboard, and that I always reach for in the supermarket. Of course I will regularly buy fruit and vegetables seasonally that are not included, or I will pick up a specific ingredient for a recipe I want to try out. But these are the things I will grab if I don’t have a list, and that I know I will regularly be using in the kitchen.
It’s a great starting point for new vegans, or even those new to cooking. Slowly build up your spice collection and stock your cupboards with the staples you enjoy to make it easier to cook from scratch every day!
During 2020, I felt a lot of pressure to improve myself - to read a book every week, to learn a new language, to create dozens of new recipes. The reality was very different and lots of my resolutions went out of the window. For some people that can be inspiring, for others it can be overwhelming. So, I’ve made this list with a view to it being as accessible to everyone as possible. It’s not meant to be an exhaustive list, and it’s not something that you should put pressure on yourself to accomplish every single day. Take what works for you, and approach it calmly - it’s better to focus on one thing well, than to struggle to accomplish many at the same time and fail. New resolutions take time and patience to become a habit, so don’t worry if it doesn’t click straight away. After such a difficult year, we owe it to ourselves to be kind and gentle with how we approach this new one.
