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thewholefooddiary

Making sustainable + conscious choices feel doable in real life!
Start small • Go step by step • Make it fun!
📍West Sussex 🇬🇧
Kezianeusch@gmail.com

CLAYTON’S PARTY! . This weekend we celebrated C

CLAYTON’S PARTY!
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This weekend we celebrated Clayton’s 6th birthday with a few friends! Parties can be big waste creators and can get really expensive so here are a few things we did to lower waste and cost!
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Firstly, we used real plates and cups - it’s a little less easy, but not too bad! Next, we didn’t have any balloons, saving both money and waste. 🎈 The only “decorations” we have are an old (and special) bunting string made from an @abelandcole box and string and a homemade 6️⃣ piñata (a @twofarmerscrisps box, plastic free glue and an old book!)
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Instead of lots of little snack bits (waste and money usually) I made three big macaroni cheeses 🧀 with bulk pasta from @goodclubco and a GF version.
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We played a few simple games with @tonyschocolonely_uk_ire chocolate prizes and an @ebay_uk second hand Lego ninja in a pass the parcel! 🎁
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We said on the invite that no gifts are needed at all but if people want to pass on something from their home, it will be well loved! I don’t ever want a party to have to be an expense for anyone else; but people love to gift sometimes too so that’s my best solution - Clayton gets so excited about passing on things or looking in charity shops for friends. He got the used Kai suit (second to last photo!) for his birthday and straight away said “when I’m too big for this I’m going to give it to ______ cos he’s a bit smaller than me and loves Kai too!” Kids really do value what we teach them to value!
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Instead of party bags we made some of @sallysbakeblog sugar cookies (with some subs whole spelt flour, raw cane sugar) and made little ninja cookies to take home. They also got @cocoalocochoc hot chocolate spoons to take with them.
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Remember: We all just get to do what we can, that’s all! It’s not a competition - it’s about us all being responsible with what we DO have and CAN do. The people with the most typically create the most waste - but also often have more options to reduce it and do good with the small every day choices. So in each thing, it’s just doing what we each can.
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And really kindly, @samanthaarmstrong224 offered to come and paint faces which was THE biggest treat! Thank you Sam!!
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We’re taking a little last minute trip this week

We’re taking a little last minute trip this week, and I’m going to use any screen time to catch up on DMs and emails. 😅
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It was never my intention to “grow a following” that meant I couldn’t respond to every message. 🙄 I used to respond to every one and that’s the way I prefer it. I don’t want to throw out content to the world and then ignore the conversation... but between different things, limited time and kids I’ve let a lot of messages go and I hate that! 😭 So whether I manage to catch up or whether I’m kidding myself on that one 😆 know that I always want this to be a conversation here. I never intentionally don’t answer a message and please check in and prod me if you need a response on something and I’ve missed it!
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I’ll be in my DMs and email this week but not in stories... have a good one!
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P.s. gift guides for the US and UK/europe are LIVE on the blog at thewholefooddiary.com/blog with lots of helpful ideas for a more ethical, lower footprint ways to shop this season! Enjoy!

The holiday (and always) buying conundrum. ⬇️

The holiday (and always) buying conundrum. ⬇️
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As I launch holiday gift guides tomorrow (which I’m so excited about - all the items feel like friends we love and are excited to share 🙌) but as we do, a reminder we’re all in different places and the journey forward is what we need, not perfection!
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Ultimately the earth needs us all to buy no new products. Probably not even the ethically made, sustainable ones. Few products are truly “zero waste” and when companies say they’re “carbon neutral” by just funding offsets - yes it’s better than not offsetting, but it’s still not what we truly need. .
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BUT. But yet if we are still buying things, which most of us are, then YES we want and seriously need to buy the best we can for the earth. It’s so important! Sometimes I’m so stuck between those two realities. Stuck between what the earth needs, and the reality we’re in. And in that I don’t want “best” and “ideal” to be the enemy of slow real life steps forward. But I’m always aware of the ultimate reality: We need to shop less, buy less, produce less.
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So as we gear up for for the holiday season, from Halloween and onwards in all the costumes, new outfits, things and gifts we buy... let’s take steps FORWARD. If we can not buy; then let’s celebrate not buying! - let’s make do with what have on outfits, let’s give experiences, or to charity in lieu of gifts, or give help and time. And if we want to give things and products let’s give what’s truly needed, ask for lists, and buy with the lowest footprint - human and environmental - that we can possibly manage with each of our own lives.
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Every step forward counts. We’re all in different places and whatever is a step forward for you is GREAT. And that’s why I’ve written guides, for the US and the UK (and beyond!) to try and remove some of the overwhelm. Cos I know this quest can be tough. Balancing expectation, family norms, money, love + time with these values... 😅. So the guides tomorrow are ideas to help, things we personally know + love with a lower, and more positive footprint to simplify the holidays!! I can’t wait for you to see them!
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What do you think? What are you goals and thoughts in gifting this year?

You know what used to be my most repetitive stress

You know what used to be my most repetitive stress moment of the week? ...this! 👆
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100% of shops I felt like I’d failed, and overspent. And now I love it. You know what changed? We actually made. a. budget. 👏 😆 SO MANY people think they’re chronically “overspending” on food, but they don’t actually have a thought through number to stay within! .
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To find your food budget, it needs to fit within wider income and spending. Don’t just guess a number think you ‘should’ spend! We take our average income, take out all the fixed numbers like rent and then play around with the rest until the numbers fit for the other expenses. Some areas might be less than you want, we’re there 🙋🏻‍♀️, but there’s so much peace in knowing we’re only spending what works for us! Saying no is much easier when you know what it’s doing for you! 💸
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Then, that number for food spending helps me make (and feel GOOD!) about my weekly choices. There are some things we just can’t have all the time. That’s ok!! But I feel good not choosing them because I know it’s getting us to a good place with spending. Each week we can then evaluate if we’d like more of something and know something else has to go to allow that, and we’re powerful to make the choices in the direction we want.
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We centre lots of our meals around bulk bought (cheaper) grains and pulses and the fruit and veggies we can get at a lower price per KG/LB or grow/forage ourselves. But if there’s one key to stretching a food budget it’s this: use ALL the food you buy! Buy everything with a purpose for it (hi meal plan!) and then do a fridge/pantry check every few days to make sure it’s all being used! Leave space for “leftovers” meals to eat up that last serving of pasta and the other random bits. And don’t be afraid to do “odd” things like eating the leftover oatmeal for lunch or serve it for kid dinner when you know it otherwise won’t go! 😆 If you do find yourself throwing any food away just ask yourself what you could do differently next time to use it up!
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What are your other questions, struggles or solutions for grocery budgeting? And tell me - do you have a thought through number or is that still on the to do list?! 📝

About two years ago when we moved to England, I be

About two years ago when we moved to England, I began to ask, “If I didn’t “work” in social media, what would I do?”

I’m not going anywhere, but I wrote more about the journey and some changes I’m making on the blog: www.thewholefooddiary.com/blog 👩‍💻

Over the years Instagram for me has gone from small passion project outlet to the cornerstone of a few full time jobs from (paleo 🍩baking to B Corp skincare affiliate 😆) and the truth is... I know we need some changes. I’m still (with joy) the breadwinner and I love working and so the conversation about the next season of motherhood is on the blog, including some thoughts on social media, and what I’m surprisingly finding myself not actually saying about it.
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👩‍💻 Read the whole thing at thewholefooddiary.com/blog
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Everything pictured: second hand down to her diaper 😆 apart from my jumper (Everlane - old), Roey’s dressed (gifted by family), and my earrings (@able - hammered hoops.)

Find someone who looks at you the way I look at...

Find someone who looks at you the way I look at... my food deliveries 😏😍But really, they’ve saved us in this season. And there’s a post on the blog breaking down the major U.K. ones, showing what we use and why, with thoughts on budget and who they’re options good for (and some discount links). I really hope it helps because they’ve saved us but also they’re all doing really GOOD things through their businesses and that’s where we want our money going.
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www.thewholefooddiary.com/blog/uk-veg-box-review/
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To me food and it’s growing and use and disposal is such a key factor in how we streward this planet. It’s an area that’s got so far from our homes that’s there’s now a lot of treatment of people, and of food, that needs traceability and real values. So, these services that help us are on the blog if you’re in the UK!

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