Valentine’s day. Incredibly romantic, just like any old day or a big fat heart-shaped reminder that you are SINGLE?

To be married is totally practical. I have a date on valentines no matter if I believe in celebrating it or not (we most likely stay on the sofa watching Netflix like most other nights anyway). I have someone to wake up next to every morning and a kiss-account that never goes into overdraft.

We are conditioned by society to see marriage as the ultimate end-goal. You start off single, you do your best to meet someone and then you race to the finish line and boom you are married. 2.5 kids, a mortgage, a dog and you live happily ever after…

Single people are sad. They are very far away from the coveted end goal in life. They deserve our pity.

The poor single person who is all alone on Valentine’s, who goes to bed all on their own at night, who wakes up in an empty bed, that doesn’t have anyone that farts loud enough to wake them up at night, nobody’s socks to pick up from the kitchen floor for the millionth time and no one to answer to . Who can wake up when you feel like it on the weekends, have ice cream for dinner in bed and do whatever you bloody fancy.

To be single is not only really nice, but it’s also incredibly important.

It’s the only time in our lives when we are totally alone with our thoughts. When we have the opportunity to dig deep into what we want and even more importantly don’t want in life. It’s the time to experiment, explore and experience life. We only have the responsibility for ourselves and if we make a mistake, most likely it will affect only us.

It’s when we are single that we figure out what we don’t want in a partner. We meet loads of new people and realize pretty quickly that some personality traits are more compatible with ours than others.

It’s really easy to lose yourself in a relationship. So it’s incredibly important to have good self-knowledge from the start. To be a part of two people is a lot harder work than to be only one single person. Independence quickly becomes compromise and freedom is exchanged for responsibilities.

Of course, it’s amazing to be married and to have someone that loves you enough to want to spend all that time with only you. But it’s just as amazing to be single and care-free. And totally not sad in any way! If anything it’s the total opposite.

I’m so grateful for the times I was single in the past. It gave me the time and space to get to know myself, my likes and dislikes and I got to try on all different kinds of situations and people. In the end, it made me a better person and a much better wife to Garth.

So all you singles out there, celebrate that you love yourself enough not to settle before you are done getting to know yourself. 

Foto – Ida Zander for my #MINDFLUENCING campaign on Instagram. You can find my Whistles dress here  (adlink)

Another Mindful Monday on a Tuesday. But it’s my favorite post every week, so I rather post it late than not at all. 

The reason why I didn’t blog yesterday is that I had the great honor of joining Facebook and Instagram at the gorgeous Soho Farmhouse for a creator day. There were supercool influencers from all over the world present and we got all the latest information from the Facebook/Instagram team. I feel like I’m vibrating with positive energy.

The creativity and passion in the room (barn) was incredible. It was by far one of the most interesting and exciting things I have ever done. Soho farmhouse was buzzing with amazing energy and creativity.

I’m going to post a more in-depth post about the Facebook Creator day later in the week. I have so much to share and it deserves its own post.

What I want to mention today is that I after some time of searching think that I found what I have been looking for. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do with my voice on social media, but now it’s like the fog has lifted and I can see the right path. It’s an amazing feeling and I can’t wait to start creating.

Here is my dream, vision, goal, and affirmation this week.

My mantra this week  – “Positivity is needed for creativity and inspiration”. I want to harness the amazing energy I have been left with after these two days. The best way is to keep things really positive and feed my creativity. My goal is to stay in the flow and just get going.

My affirmation this week  – ” I’m on the right path”. I have no doubts, so now it’s time to gear up and get stuff done. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime feeling.

My goal this week  – I have a few things I want to get done whilst I’m feeling inspired. I want to write two scripts, film a bit, and do a shoot with Ida. I’m also going to put together a new plan for social media.

My dream of the week – I think I have found my Ikigai. A dream that’s becoming a goal! It’s a really cool feeling.

My vision this week  – In the future I want to look back at this time and say “that’s when it all happened when stuff just clicked into place and the journey of doing what I’m passionate about truly begun”.

My focus this week – I want to spend my time doing the right things. I need to let go of some old ideas and work on some new, tweak a concept or two and just listen to my own heart and gut feeling. It’s really important that I keep going and don’t get distracted before everything is in place.

The event of the week – I’m off to Sweden and Daisy Beauty Awards tomorrow. I was in the jury this year so I’m really excited to see who wins. Also, I’m going to have a meeting with my agent United Influencers and of course also see my family. It would feel like a waste to go there and not see them.

My lesson from last week – I’m amazed at how quickly change can happen and how efficient inspiration can be. I’m also very happy that I’m a social person who loves talking to people, it has really served me well this last week.

My everyday-luxury this week – To sleep another night without waking up. I’m staying over in Stockholm one night and I feel like re-charging on the sleep account need to be a priority. I have had months of broken up nights and my body needs to rest.

My inspiration this week  – The incredible Jay Shetty who I had the honor of getting to listen to at Soho farmhouse. And even better I actually managed to sneak in a couple on one-on-one chats. He is an incredibly positive and generous person who just brings out the energy in the room. I have always liked this message, but now I also really like him as a person.

Come on guys, get in on the Mindful Monday movement. Write down your dream, vision, goal, and affirmation this week. I promise it will be super motivating. 

Photo – Ida Zander. My blouse is sold out and is by Forever new. 

I have this on-going quest to figure out what really makes me happy in life. To find the equation for happiness.

Some people want to get rich, others want to get famous. I want to be happy.

I think people assume that if you are rich and famous, you must automatically end up happy. That you have to be the first two to end up with number three. But it’s really not a given. There are plenty of rich and famous people out there that are deeply unhappy.

I actually think fame is an antidote to happiness. A soon as people know a lot about you, they will have opinions. And often these opinions are not of the nice kind. So you have to grow a thick skin and be careful not to aggravate the people that are constantly scrutinizing you. It’s exhausting and won’t bring you any happiness.

Sure it’s nice that people know your name. You feel important and validated. But you pay the price with your privacy. So fame is not a part of the end-goal for me.

Also, fame doesn’t have to equal money. To have fame and no riches is the worst possible outcome of this equation. It’s expensive to be famous, you can’t move about like normal people. Everything you do have to be managed in a way or another.

Fame also doesn’t have to equal power. You can be famous for all kinds of reasons and not all of them will make people want to work with you or know your opinion.

So to have fame without money is probably the least likely part of the equation to end up in happiness.

So do I have to be rich to be happy?

I mean it would be nice to have loads of money, especially if no one knows who you are and won’t hassle you for it. You could buy whatever you want, but in the end, you can’t buy happiness.

Sure there are some pretty happy rich people out there. But they are probably not happy just because they are rich. Their happiness is more likely to come from their journey of self-realization, their passion, and purpose in life. They have most likely built their wealth from scratch and it’s the journey that has made them happy, not the end result.

If they would have won the same amount of money in the lottery, I doubt they would have felt the same way.

Because happiness isn’t at all an equation of wealth and fame. It’s about passion, love, self-realization, friends & family. About living a fulfilling life filled with laughter and love.

All I keep thinking is, why detour off to fame and wealth when we already have what we need from the start?

It’s really pretty simple. Work to feel fulfilled, spend time with people that make you feel loved, live a life you enjoy and that you yourself are proud of. That is the true equation for happiness. Money and fame have nothing to do with it.

It’s almost too easy, right?  

Photo – Ida Zander. Location – Metro Garden Clapham Common. Find my dress by Frock & Frill here (adlink). 

My beauty favorites.

There is a good reason to why I have never dared to put up a “shelfie” (ie a photo of my beauty shelf in the bathroom) up here on the blog.

I would have been way too ashamed of how many products I owned and how disorganized my shelves were.

When you get products sent, do collaborations with beauty brands and on top of this is a complete skincare geek that buys lots of new stuff to try out. It’s easy to end up with way more than you can ever use. I mean I only have one face!

So yesterday Ace got to be my little helper and we did a massive clear out. (Well, I cleared out and Ace tried to put it back again…). I only saved my absolute beauty favorites.

Anything past their use-by date got tossed. Things that were unopened and still usable ended up in my giveaway box. And the products that don’t suit the skin on my face got moved to my body-shelf instead. Why not use a lovely serum that isn’t completely right for the face, on the body instead? Re-purposing at it’s best.

I got rid of a massive bag of stuff.

I wish I could have given it all away, but any product that is opened and past their use-by date is not safe to use. I wouldn’t dare to use it myself and even less give it to anyone else.

I really should have given stuff away a lot earlier. I’m a bit mad at myself for wasting a lot of useful products. To my defense, I was pregnant for 10 months and then breastfeeding for another 8. So there were, unfortunately, a lot of products that expired during that time. I had to avoid anything that wasn’t super gentle since my hormones were all over the place.

But from now on it will change.

I’m only going to buy products I really like and I will make sure to finish it all. And anything I get sent that I know I won’t use will go straight into my give-away box without hesitation.

I love to look at my shelf now and only see products that I really love and use. Even though I had so many different bottles and tubs of all kinds, I only use very few of them. And most of my favorites were running out. Totally silly!

Maybe I will even post a shelfie at some point?

This week my plan is to have a good look at my skincare routine. See what I actually need and get those. I already bought a new eye cream from Dermalogica that I had recommended and a facewash from REN that I already love.

My next step is to find a good retinol product, a new primer with SPF and a really good face oil (preferably with a face roller since mine broke recently).

In the picture above you can see all the products I have bought recently. I have used all except the eye cream for a really long time and they work amazingly well for my skin.

These are my every-day beauty favorites (adlinks)

Shiseido Vaso – A facewash that I use when I need to remove makeup. 
 Dermalogica Stress positive eyelift  – A new eye cream I’m looking forward to trying out. 
Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil – My evening serum (it makes you a bit orange) 
REN Rosa Centifola cleansing balm – A facewash I use in the morning or the days I don’t wear makeup. (It smells amazing!)
REN Vitamineral Emollient rescue creme – I use this as a super-moisturizing day cream. 
REN vitamineral Omega oil – My favorite serum hands down. I have been using it for years and years. I tend to apply it mainly in the morning. 
Vichy slow age night cream – I found this product when I did a collaboration with them a few months ago. This also leaves you a bit orange-tinted, but it’s lovely for the skin. 

Do you have any all-time beauty favorites to recommend?

February… finally! January felt like a year of its own, how can a month be that long?

It probably feels that way since it’s undeniably one of the most boring months of the year. We remove all the fun and festive Christmas decorations, pay the bills, make promises to go to the gym more often and try to get back into routines again. And if you are self-employed like me then you also have to do your accounts. Oh, joy!

Then February comes with its 28 days and feels like a breeze.

I have lots of fun stuff planned. Girls dinners, United Influencers influencers evening on Wednesday, Daisy Beauty awards gala next Wednesday and in-between I’m off on a little trip with Facebook and Instagram. All kind of work related, but also terribly fun and interesting.

Even though it’s kind of grey outside, I can almost hear spring coming in the distance. Little buds slowly forming, getting ready to crack open and bloom into cherry blossom and magnolia. Hurry, please!

My lesson, mantra, goal, and focus this week is;

My mantra this week   – ”Does it spark joy?” Haha, I’m a bit brainwashed by Marie Kondo at the moment. You who follow me on Instagram know that I did my own KonMari clear out of my closet this weekend. It was epic! I can’t believe I even had that much stuff that didn’t spark joy. I promise to write a proper post about the whole experience later this week.

No matter what, I love the concept of sparking joy and I think you can apply it to most things in life. Friends, work, routines, goals, and dreams. If you are hanging out with people that make you feel joy, then you are in the right crowd. You also have to make sure your goals and dreams spark joy too, otherwise, what’s the point? The big end goal is happiness, isn’t it?

My affirmation this week – ”Take a deep breath and let go”. I’m not just a hoarder when it comes to clothes. I also hold on to old parts of my life that actually doesn’t serve me anymore. I have to allow myself to cut things out and to evolve or I will be too weighed down to be able to go anywhere. The constant question is – what do I really want?

My goal this week – Is to have fun. I’m having dinner with my bestie Josefina tomorrow night and then I’m off to Sweden for the influencers evening. I get two nights in a row of inspiration and motivation, lucky me! A small goal is to finish at least one book since I for once will be able to sit down for a few hours during my flights and not be in Mamma-mode. It’s the perfect time for me to get some me-time.

My dream of the week –  Is actually a dream I’m dropping since it doesn’t spark joy anymore. See, it’s working!

I always dreamt of having a family and raising them in the states á la Desperate Housewives (minus the drama). A beautiful wisteria lane where all the ladies are my friends and our kids can play together outside without us having to worry. But I have realized that I would probably be disappointed once I got there. It’s a very idealistic dream and not really anchored in reality at all. Honestly, I rather move somewhere warm where I can surf every morning and do yoga outside at night.

My vision this week  – Me in our car, behind the wheels. I still don’t have a driver’s license and even though I have really enjoyed being this environmentally friendly and taking trains, buses and tubes everywhere I think it’s time. I want to be able to pack the car with baby and dog and just head out to the countryside for a day in the woods if I fancy. We have a lovely car and I really should be able to use it a lot more. So one of my goals for 2019 is to get that bloody license!

My focus this week – Recovery and sleep. Ace is in leap 10 and Olive has been chasing foxes in the garden every night lately. So sleep is a rare commodity in our house at the moment. When I took the photos for this post, I had slept 2 hours divided into 10-minute chunks the night before. So this week I’m keeping my tempo low and focusing on recovering.

The event of the week – The United Influencers influencers evening in Stockholm on Wednesday. I’m flying “home” to hang out with my team (they are my agent) and the other profiles over 24 hours. I haven’t seen them since the Instagram event in fall, so I’m super excited to see all of them. We honestly feel like we are a part of a big family at UI.

My lesson from last week – I really thought I would struggle to let old clothes that I had memories attached to go. But I’m very surprised at how easy it was. It really taught me something about myself and of how important it is to not have too much baggage in life.

My everyday-luxury this week – To get a night of sleep all on my own between Wednesday and Thursday. I’m not going to even set an alarm or plan anything for the morning on Thursday. So I can get a solid 8-9 hours of sleep and wake up by myself. I can’t remember when that happened last.

My inspiration this week – As you know by now, I’m very interested in the subject of happiness. This TED-talk by psychiatrist Robert Waldinger on the subject how important it is to have good people around us is fascinating. It really made me think about who I want to spend my time with and why.

Ok, your turn. What’s your lesson, mantra, goal, and focus this week?

Photo – Ida Zander. My dress is by Max & Co (adlink).

 I know I really should be cooler than this, but I just HAVE to show you what I got as my February-item in my one-item-a-month challenge.

I realized I will not be the kind of person that will be able to wait to buy anything.  I will most likely have decided on the item to buy mid-way through the month before and possibly already have pressed “check out”. But I’m sticking with only one item a month, that is the rule.

So since it’s the 1st of February I don’t feel bad ( but slightly un-cool) to show you my new blouse by Y.A.S. (adlink)

Not only was it the cheapest one of the items I looked at. I also fell head over heels in love with it as soon as I tried it on. I love a collarless blouse or shirt and when it comes with dreamy balloon sleeves, it’s pretty much a no-brainer.

It’s in their “tall” collection, but to be honest I didn’t really notice. I’m quite petite, and it’s slightly oversized in the length, but I will most likely wear it tucked in. If anything it just made the sleeves even a bit more balloon-ey.

I think you know by now that I’m super excited about this challenge. it’s really working for me, I’m so much more careful of what I buy and how it will work with the rest of my wardrobe. It’s also more sustainable for the environment so I really have nothing to lose.

I’m actually trying to be more sustainable with most things in my life.

I have switched paper cups for a keep-cup, plastic water bottles for a lovely metal one with Liberty print (I will show you in a later post). I even use a whole lot of less cling film since I got these amazing waxy sheets that mold around plates and bowls from my sister Steffi for Christmas. They are brilliant!

When it comes to food I try to buy what’s in season, to make sure my food hasn’t traveled far. I also always get organic and fair trade produce. Our meat is from local organic farms and we try in general to be mindful not to waste.

I know there are still plenty of things I can do and I will keep on exploring.

We do have to remember that it’s not sustainable to expect anyone to do everything. But if we all do a bit then we can actually make a change.

Sooo, I’m dying to know. What is your February-item? (share with a link please, so we can all get inspired). 

Photo – Ida Zander

I’m already really enjoying my “one-item-a-month challenge” a lot more than I thought I would.

It’s almost becoming a sport to pick the best, most suitable and reasonable piece of clothing I can find. I can only pick one, so it has to be something I really love.

Of course, I have already started canvassing the shops for my February treat. After having a good look at my wardrobe I realized I am indeed in need of another statement blouse. I have this one shirt by Levi’s that tend to be my go-to whenever I want to look nice, but fancy wearing jeans. And I feel like I have worn it a bit too often lately. So it would be lovely to have another one that I love just as much to switch my look up a bit.

A statement blouse is a great item to have since it can be worn from day to night with just a little swap of accessories. I can wear it buttoned up in the day and a bit looser at night. Add a dash of red lipstick and a couple of heels and I’m on my way to a girly dinner.

At the moment I’m leaning slightly towards the red polka-dot Michael Kors blouse (it’s on sale…), the gorgeous geo-print blouse by Y.A.S or maybe the white Anna Mason blouse in Victoriana style (this one is on sale too!)

I’m going to do my best to vary my 12 items this year. In January I picked a maxi dress by Swedish designer Filippa K (adlink). In February I’m going for a statement blouse and I will continue like this until I have a great little versatile capsule wardrobe that fits perfectly in with the rest of the items I already own. What do you think? Does it sound like a good idea?

You can find all my statement blouse options here (adlinks);

Red – Michael Kors Collection
Black and sliver – RIXO London 
White  – Anna Mason 
Black and white – Ganni
Blue geo-print – Y.A.S
Silver – Galvan

I’m so excited that a few of you have decided to join in on my challenge. Is anyone else going for a statement blouse in February?

If you are anything like me, then you probably have about a hundred different thoughts in your head at any point wrestling to become the primary one. You also know the feeling of the pang of adrenalin when we remember something we have to do/have forgotten to do/are worried to forget to do. 

I’m constantly worrying about remembering everything I might have forgotten. It’s very time and energy-consuming.

My solution has always been lists. Long lists, color-coordinated lists, subject-specific lists, lists in my bullet journal, list on notepads and list-apps in my phone.

It does work and lists do give me a bit of structure, so I don’t have to feel like I’m constantly juggling too many balls mentally. But I still do have to remember to look at all my lists and actually do the stuff I put on them.

Lists are good, but they still leave me with a brain filled with imaginary post-it notes.

Then a very successful friend loaned me a book that gave me a new method and clarity to my thinking. Actually, it wasn’t the actual book that changed me, even though it was a great read. But in the margin, somewhere in the middle, my friend had written “closing circles”. The book was about efficiency, so it kind of fits the subject. And it made me think.

One of the reasons why it feels overwhelming to remember all these things constantly is because we are a bit like computers with too many windows open. Our whole to-do list is always there, open to us, stealing our energy in the background.

When we add our tasks to a list we might close the window for a while. But we still have to come back to open it up and finish it later.

So lately I have changed my way of structuring what I need to do and how I do it.

I stopped addressing my lists in order. Instead, I start every day by skimming what I need to do and what circles I can close with the least possible effort. So that they won’t be hanging around in the back of my head stealing my precious brainpower.

Small tasks like calling someone, do the last step of a bigger job or send a message or an email is quick and easy. These circles can be closed with minimal effort.

And then I can focus my mind on the bigger things that really need my undivided attention after.

The brain will see one task as equal to another. No matter if it’s a big task like doing our taxes or a smaller one like sending a happy birthday message to a friend. If I start my day by quickly running through all the smaller tasks. Then my brain will be a lot more peaceful and able to focus on the big stuff later.

I personally also feel that if I get a few small bits done and dusted early in my day. Then it makes me feel more efficient and the rest of the tasks seems easier somehow. I’m already in the flow of things when I get to them.

This method of closing circles has made me a lot more focused and efficient. It really seems to be compatible with my kind of brain. I also think it’s one of the main reasons why my stomach ulcer is feeling a lot better these days. I just don’t have the same kind of mental stress and pressure anymore.

So if you feel like you have a bit too much on your mind and don’t really know where to start – try to think “closing circles” and see if it helps.

Photo – Ida Zander. Location – Maitre choux Kings Road

Hello you guys, it’s Monday! Are you ready for a new week?

I had an interesting start to this Monday.

I couldn’t find my keys this morning, so I was frantically running around looking in any little hole or drawer Ace might have put them in. (Turns out Garth accidentally took them…) After a while, I realized it was very quiet in the house, a bit too quiet. Like when a child is up to something naughty kind of quiet.

…and then I spent the next 40 minutes wiping lipstick off the boy, the dog, the sofa, the buggy and about every other surface of the house. I hope Ace likes pink because he will be slightly piggy-tinted for the next week or so. Good staying power in the lipstick though.

I do kind of enjoy little moments like this. It really made me giggle and of course, I had to take a photo or two before the oil came out (olive oil works a treat on the skin and hard surfaces!)

It’s really fun that Ace now has his own will and even though it’s not as funny when I find the remote control swimming in the loo, I do really enjoy him getting older and naughtier.

Here is my Mindful Monday list with my event, vision, lesson, and mantra of the week;

My mantra this week – ” I decide my own worth”. I have definitely been stuck in the trap of people-pleasing during many years of my life. I actually think it’s a bi-product of schooling. It’s such an authoritative place where your value only seems based on your achievements and what other people think of you. It’s terrible for children since it couldn’t be more opposite in the real world. Our value is determined by ourselves and what other people think of us and our achievements are secondary. If we are not happy with who we are and what we do, then we can never actually feel true happiness. Not everyone is going to like everything we do and if we cared about it then we would never feel like we can do anything right.

My affirmation this week – ” Onwards and upwards”. I’m really positive about the future at the moment. I feel like I have an idea of what choices I have in front of me and now it’s just up to me to figure out what direction to go. One part of me would love to have baby no 2 soon to be able to dedicate this part of my life in large to my family. But another side of me feels like I have just landed in this whole Mom-thing and I’m not sure if I’m ready to rock the boat this soon.

My goal this week – In January I was focused on trying to get my taxes done on time. I finally finished yesterday and it feels amazing to have it done and dusted. In February my goal is to Marie Kondo my life. So this week is a bit of an in-between time. I will use it to tie up loose ends and get all those small everyday tasks done.

My dream of the week– To be completely mortgage-free by the time we retire. Garth and I have been watching this show on Netflix about people who have managed to own their homes without a mortgage. Either by buying outright with cash, building cleverly, re-purposing buildings or other clever ways. It really resonated with us and I could see it being a good fun challenge for us. Now we just need to figure out the how…

My vision this week – ”Best friends, aromatherapy, water, and treatments” My vision is in the future to have a set spa-date with my closest friends every month. We used to meet up over drinks, but it doesn’t feel as appealing anymore. A spa date with fluffy towels, hot bath, saunas and lots of calm-time is a much better fit. And way healthier too!

My focus this week – Is to remove pink lipstick from all our furniture at home…? Actually, my focus is to get well. I haven’t been sleeping nearly enough recently, and that’s probably why I still struggle with this crappy cold. So this week I will make sure to go to bed on time, eat healthy food and take my vitamins.

The event of the week – Date night on Friday! Garth and I really need time to just get to hang out as adults work and baby free to be able to talk about things and plan for the future. So we have a set date every month now. I can’t wait.

My lesson from last week – Do not leave taxes until the last minute! Then I end up having to stay up at night and that completely clashes with Aces bad nights. The night before yesterday I had about 1 hour of sleep divided up into 10-minute chunks. Not ideal… #Momlife

My everyday-luxury this week –I’m fancying treating myself to some new makeup. Maybe something by Charlotte Tilbury or Tom Ford? I want to clear out and get new stuff that I really love.

My inspiration this week  – The account @thegoodquote   on Instagram always seem to brighten up my day. I find that those little motivational mini-moments are really beneficial to my inspiration.

Ok, what about you, what is your event, vision, lesson, and mantra of the week?

So I would like to show you my Christmas gift I got from my beloved hubby.

It’s a Van Cleef & Arpels “Sweet Alhambra” necklace. Something I have been looking at for a very long time and are super blessed to now wear daily around my neck.

I say Christmas gift from Garth but it’s also a Christmas gift from Ace, an anniversary gift, a valentines gift and a bit of a push present. It’s a 5-in-1 gift!

I love this, let me explain why.

Yes, a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace is an expensive thing to receive. And it’s quite the indulgence. However if I would have got separate gifts for all of these occasions and added up the value of all of them, it would probably have been pretty close.

So instead of getting 5 things that probably would have been lovely, I got something that I absolutely adore, have been wanting for a VERY long time and will use every day for many many years to come.

It really ties in well with my one-item-a-month philosophy. Instead of 5 new items, I now have one. It’s a lot more sustainable to get someone one amazing thing, than several nice things.

I would love to take this idea further and will do my best to try to get a few friends together to buy one bigger gift than separate ones for birthdays. It takes away a lot of the guessing when buying gifts, and only one of us will have to go out to get it. win-win-win!

I could also wish for the bigger things myself and ask my family to pool together. Sure it’s not the most surprising way of receiving gifts. But if I truly would want to be surprised I could always ask them to get me something pre-loved or from their own home that they don’t use anymore. That would be another sustainable way of gift-giving.

What do you think of the 5-in-1 gift idea and do you have any other suggestions of sustainable gifting?

You can find the yellow gold version of my necklace pre-loved here. (adlink)