Project Pan 17 Update #12

So this is my last post for 2017.  I had hoped that as my traineeship was over and I was waiting for a job in the field I would have a lot more opportunity to wear makeup regularly, using up much more product than before.   Unfortunately I got ill and was in now mood for putting time into applying the makeup or touching my already soar  and red nose.  I did make some progress, just not as much as I had  hoped.

Let's start with the Urban Decay original Naked palette.  I had hoped that there would be more obvious change in these shadows.  However, apart from more of a dip in a number of them there isn't any obvious changes here.  I'm doing something different with my palettes next year so this won't be part of my next project pan as such.

There's more of a dent in the Barbara Day eye primer but this is still not complete yet, so I'm rolling it into next year's project pan to use up.  It works pretty well, though not great, but as I can't find out if Barbara Day is cruelty free or not I want to use it up and I won't buy it again.

As the never ending story of this year the MUA powder foundation in Shade 4 and Bourjois blusher in Ceidre still look like they haven't been used, despite using them every time that I wear makeup.  These products are both quite old and I'll now be getting rid of them.  Both MUA and Bourjois are cruelty free (though I will be checking Bourjois' status again in 2018 as I've heard mixed things).

Now for the products I've added in for this last month.  The Pacifica perfume in Tuscan Blood is now finished.  I liked the smell a lot better than I thought I would, but it doesn't linger for very long and I prefer more simple scents.  Pacifica is cruelty free though.

I've managed to get through a lot more of the Zoya Pixie Dust nail varnish in Dahlia then I thought I would this month.  There's still a bit to go so I'll be rolling this into next year's project pan to finish off all my nail varnishes and then my nails can breathe.  Zoya is a cruelty free company.

I've managed to make some more progress in the Neal's Yard lipstick in Persimmon despite not wearing it regularly.  Lipstick is the one bit of makeup I definitely don't wear when I have a cold.  This product is also being rolled over into next year's project pan as one of the four lipsticks I want to get through.  I do quite like the colour and texture of this lipstick (and Neal's Yard is cruelty free), but I don't think I will buy this product again as I'm thinking of only having one lipstick in my makeup bag in the long run.

The Living Nature eye pencil in Midnight may be a very soft pencil which is easy to use, but it's still taking a long time to get anywhere.  In fact, it doesn't seem to have gone down at all.  I'm glad that I've started this early as I think I'll be lucky to even finish this by the end of 2018.  Living Nature is a cruelty free company, but this product isn't the longest wearing eye liner I've ever used, even when it is set with an eyeshadow.

So that's the end of my project pan for this year.  I didn't use up as many products as 2016 and I decluttered quite a few (something I haven't done before).  I will be doing another project pan next year as an incentive to reduce all my beauty products to the bare minimum. 

Thank you for coming along for the ride and I hope you have a great New Year!

To see my progress so far:

• Introduction
• Project Pan Update #1
• Project Pan Update #2
• Project Pan Update #3
• Project Pan Update #4
• Project Pan Update #5
• Project Pan Update #6
• Project Pan Update #7
• Project Pan Update #8
• Project Pan Update #9
• Project Pan Update #10
• Project Pan Update #11

Living Out of One Bag

My six month traineeship is now over and I'm looking for work in the field of path construction.  Right now I'm homeless and if I do manage to get the work I'm applying for I could be travelling all over Scotland staying in work cottages and hostels.  Due to this I want to be able to fit my life in a bag I can carry on my back.

As a quick disclaimer I'll also be taking my Eurohike wellies carrier in which I keep my work boots, work waterproofs, and work PPE (all of which get very dirty and which I like to keep separate). 

At the moment I have way more stuff then I could possibly carry on my own and after having to move it all down to my parents I am now keenly aware that I have too much stuff.  Firstly I need to go through everything and have a major declutter of everything I don't use and really don't need.  I think I got used to having space in my homes and so kept items I didn't really need.  I also have a tendency to get emotionally attached to things and keep them for that reason only.

Then I need to go through the items I have felt and work out what I need to take with me for work and any additional items for the day's I'm off work.  It's going to be a balancing act between what I want to take with me and what I can actually fit into the bag (which is 65l in size) and carry. 

I'm lucky that my parents have said that I can keep some items at theirs over the next year, but I don't want this to be a long term solution or an excuse to hold onto more then I had originally intended.  So I'm going to be to be very strict with myself and to keep myself on track (and accountable) I'm going to document what I'm doing on this blog.  Even if my life changes I still want to keep what I own to a minimum so this process will still be important.

Mini Film Review: Earthlings

Just like Food Inc I've been putting off watching this documentary (probably more so) as I knew it was going to be a really difficult watch. And it was.

Released in 2005, it was made by filmmaker Shaun Monson, narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, and using footage predominantly shoot using hidden cameras it looks at the suffering animals go through in factory farms, puppy mills, the entertainment industry, research labs, and more.  It even draws parallels between the issues of racism, sexism, and what they have called speciesism.

Separated into sections which first looks at how we treat animals we see as pets, and then looks at animals for food, animals in entertainment, and animals for research purposes.  The documentary didn't show me anything I wasn't already aware of, but there's something about actually seeing it that really brings the reality home.  Perhaps the most disturbing part wasn't just that a person could be so indifferent to the pain of the animals under their care, but that they were actively enjoying inflicting even more pain on them.  Knowing what psychologists say about this type of behaviour and its connection to how these individuals actually treat other humans, it doesn't bode well for the human race.

They do also make some valid points about the connections between factory farming and the spreading of some very deadly disease, as well as the fact that positive results in animal testing doesn't necessarily mean positive results in humans (in these cases they start the tests on 'lower' mammals and work their way up which is meant to make them certain of the medicines safety).  

Whether you believe that all animals deserve to be treated with respect and dignity for their own right or that it's all about the health implications it has for humans, the one thing this documentary does make obvious is how absolutely dependent we are on the animals we show such little respect to.  It has definitely given me more impetuous to carry on becoming more cruelty free in my lifestyle.

Ethical Christmas Gifts

Christmas seems to be a time of year when all my attempts to live more sustainably goes out the window.  I have all the excuses: that it gets very busy; I don't have a lot of money; I'm buying presents for other people......  But I want this year to be different.  My budget may be even lower then it has been in the past but, I think with a little planning I should be able to do everything I want to.  Even if I don't, the experience will help me improve what I do next year.

This year I want to focus on the gift giving side of things.  Depending on what my family wants I may still have to buy some items less 'ethically', but this is how I'm intending on purchasing sustainably this Christmas.

Buying from Christmas Fairs

The number of craft fairs increases around Christmas time and it's usually a good place to find locally made, hand crafted products.  Don't get me wrong they can be a bit hit or miss, but they are also an opportunity to support local crafters and I'll definitely be looking at any I can find so see if I can pick up a gift or two.

Shopping Online
Unfortunately where I live doesn't have a whole lot of shops which sell products with an ethical and/or sustainable back story, so it looks like I'm going to have to hunt online.  I'll be looking at the usual websites, like Etsy and Not On the High Street, but I have also found other online stores like Ethical Superstore, Ethical Shop, and Be Good Shop to try out.  The questions I'll be asking when doing the shopping (other then would they like it - obviously) is:

• Is the item made from sustainable and ethically sourced materials?
• Is it Fair Trade and does it support local communities?
• Is the item made in the UK?

This is all the questions I'll be asking this year, but if it goes well I'll add some more for next.

Wrapping the Presents

Every year I buy rolls of wrapping paper which only get thrown away at the end of Christmas (the way Christmas paper is made means a lot of it can't be recycled).  So this year I want to do something which produces a lot less waste and have been thinking about furoshiki (a type of traditional Japanese wrapping).  I've decided to buy some scarves and fabric from some charity shops to wrap the presents in.  That way they will also get a scarf to wear if they like it or they can donate them back to a charity shop.  That way the charity shops get an income from the first sale (and possibly a second if they are donated again) and no additional paper needs to go to the landfill.

Christmas Cards

This is the one item I have already brought.  I don't send out too many any more thanks to social media.  But of the ones I do send  out I always make sure that the cards are recyclable and I always buy cards that help support a charity.  This year I've brought from the RSPB, but a pick a different charity each year.  I'm also looking into making some of them myself, and this might be a more sustainable option in the long run.

Christmas can be a really stressful time of year and it can be difficult to remember some of the ethos you have been trying to live by the rest of the year.  I am still learning, and always will be, but I think if I can give it a good go at this time of year then the rest of the year should feel like a breeze.

Project Pan Update #11 and Other Products

I knew this month was going to be quite a slow month when it came to using up products, especially as I've added products in.  So it's not surprising I haven't really got a lot to talk about.

Let's start with the eyeshadow.  I've been using the Urban Decay Naked original palette every time I wear makeup (about three times a week now).  There's more of a pan on Toasted and some very small dips in the other eyeshadows, but nothing obvious.  I'll carry on working on this palette alone until the end of the year and then I'm going to make a few small changes.

The Barbara Day eye primer isn't really showing any further improvements, but at least I now know it's going down.  Always a good thing.

As usual the MUA powder foundation in Shade 4 and Bourjois blusher in Ceidre are not showing any signs of change.  I'm going to keep using these until 2018 and then they'll be going in the bin, so I'll do my best to use as much as possible.

Now for the items I've added in for this last two months.  The Pacifica perfume in Tuscan Blood is going down pretty quickly and I should be finished with it in the beginning of December.  Always nice when one of the products is easy to use.  I'm actually enjoying the smell much more than I thought I would, but I probably won't buy it again.

The Zoya Pixie Dust nail varnish in Dahlia has also gone down quite quickly (probably because I need to put on three coats everyone I use it), but I don't think it'll be finished by the end of the year.  Still, it's my last mail varnish so that's not too bad.

I had hoped the Neal's Yard lipstick in Persimmon would have been a little shorter by now, but it seems to be taking its time.  It's a nice colour for the season though, so I don't mind wearing it on a regular basis.  It's the only lipstick I'm going to concentrate on right now, but I will be adding more onto next year's project.

Lastly the Living Nature eye pencil in Midnight.  I knew this product would take a very long time to use up, but I just wanted to start it now in preparation for next year's project.  It's a very soft pencil and pretty easy to use, but it doesn't have the best staying power ever.

The last product I'm going to write about here is the Jāsön's Sun Facial Sunscreen.  This is a great product, is easy to use, protects my skin well, and I have no reactions (both in the allergy or spot department) to it.  I have a few other SPFs I want to use up first, but once they are gone I'll be buying this again.

To see my progress so far:

• Introduction
• Project Pan Update #1
• Project Pan Update #2
• Project Pan Update #3
• Project Pan Update #4
• Project Pan Update #5
• Project Pan Update #6
• Project Pan Update #7
• Project Pan Update #8
• Project Pan Update #9
• Project Pan Update #10

The Perks of Working in an Outdoors Job

 

I've always wanted to do a job that involved working outside and which used my body as well as my mind.  For the last few years I have been carrying out office and retail jobs, and there's nothing worse then being stuck in doors scratching at the window wanting to get out.  So, I was very happy to get a traineeship which will hopefully be followed by a permanent role outside.  Having a chance to work outside has been great, but I've also noticed some other positives that have come from it (and possibly one negative).

The one negative was that I had hoped that spending this amount of time would alleviate my allergies (especially as my main issue is dust mites), but unfortunately this hasn't been the case.  In fact, it's almost been worse and was particularly bad when the heather flowered (something I've never been allergic to before).  Hopefully I'll get used to whatever it is that I've reacted to in the long run and I should be able to stop taking antihistamines.

On a positive, I'm far more fitter now than I've ever been before (not surprisingly).  I walked and ran before starting this job, but this is nothing compared to the none stop exercise I'm doing at the moment.  I wasn't entirely sure if my body would be able to take it, but so far I've been pleasantly surprised and I'm much stronger and faster then I was at the start.  I'm hoping this will carry on and it's a little strange to be fitter in your 30s then you were in your 20s.

It's been a lot easier to eat healthier.  Partly because I spend most of my day miles away from any shops, which means I can only eat what I bring with me.  As long as I make sure that I only bring healthy food then that's all I get to eat.  And partly because my craving for 'bad' food seems to have reduced quite a lot. I can get away with eating less healthy food now then I did before, but even when I go to the shops I end up picking the healthier options.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm healthier in general or because my body is getting used to not having sugar all the time, but it definitely doesn't crave it as much as it used to.

I've lost fat a lot faster in the last 5 months then I've done in the last few years.  I have been trying to loss weight for health reasons for a while and had managed to loss a fair amount, but it has been a very slow process and had begun to plateau.  This time, probably due to the healthy eating and sheer amount of exercise, it seems to be dropping off again and at a faster speed.  It does seem to be plateauing again, but I'm at a healthy size now so I'm happy with that.

Dry skin has always been an issue for me and I have had some bad eczema from time to time, especially on my elbows and on the backs of my knees.  It mainly flares up during times of stress, but the dryness is also caused by things like central heating.  Since starting my role the problems I've been having with my skin has practically gone away.  I have been having some drying now that the weather has cooled, but it's been nice not having to moisturizer my skin throughout the summer.

Sleep has also gotten a lot better since May.  Insomnia was always something I've struggled with and, even on nights when I seem to have slept the whole night, I used to feel tired almost every morning.  This hasn't been an issue for the last four months and I've literally gone out like a light when my side light goes out.  The reason has probably been all the exercise and buckets of fresh air, and there's nothing more enjoyable then drifting off to sleep instead of lying in bed for hours as my mind whizzes through thought after thought.

The biggest positive this job has had has been the effect it has had on my mood.  There are obviously still the natural rise and falls that come with life, but the bad does seem to be quite to awful when your getting to be surrounded by wildlife all day long.  Even on miserable days weather wise I still come off the hill feeling calm and happy.  There have been some pretty unpleasant and stressful moments in my personal life over the last few months, but no matter how unhappy I've been as I walked up the hill I've always felt better by the time I'd come back down.  For some reason I always feel much more capable of dealing with whatever life throws after a day of physical labour and green surroundings.  I would definitely recommend trying it.

Obviously working outside isn't for everyone, and there have been days when it has been very difficult with miserable weather.  But overall, it's has been a great change for me.  Best of all, as I'm spending all my day outside using my own energy to do the work my carbon footprint is less then it was when I was doing an office job.  Making this work also more sustainable then those I've done previously.

Mini Film Review: A Wage You Can Live On - Textile workers in Cambodia

I found out about this film when watching one of My Green Closet's favourites video.  It was produced by the Clean Clothes Campaign Denmark in 2012 for the 'No More Excuses' campaign and looks at the workers in the textile factories in Cambodia.

Predominantly made up of young women who have travelled in from rural communities.  They play a big role in bringing in an income for the Cambodian Government (calculated at around 4 billion US$), but earn a wage so small that after they've paid for rent and other necessities (including sending money to their families still in the country) they are left with only 1$ per day for food.  This leads to the workers not getting enough calories during the day and there have been mass faintings occurring in these factories due to low blood sugar levels.  If there are additional expenses they have to cover, such a doctor's charges, medicine or funerals, the workers are then forced to take out loans with very high interest rates.

The fashion industry makes a large profit every year, but this profit does not find its way to the factory workers, or even to the factory owners.  The workers' wage only makes up 1.5% of the price we pay for an item of clothing, and the fashion industry relies on the fact that the Cambodian Government needs investments to ensure they get the lowest cost possible.  With such a low percentage of the cost we pay they could easily double the workers wage without having a large impact on the price we pay or the profit brands make.

The film also covers the Cambodia Living Wage Tribunal that takes place in 2012 and the assessment the judges made that the worker could not live on the wage they were receiving and that to get a wage you can live on is a human right.

For anyone who has been looking at the fashion industry this short film will come as no surprise, but it's always good to be reminded of why it's so important to make ethical choices when buying clothes.

If you want to learn more about the work being carried out by the Clean Clothes Campaign or join the cause you can go to cleanclothes.org.

Reduced Waste Period - the Mooncup

Okay, so I get that this might be a sensitive subject for some people, but as a woman I have to accept that every month I will receive that little gift we are so lucky to have.  These have rarely been easy rides for me but the thing that bothered me the most was the amount of waste I was producing each time my period appeared.  I had made the transition to organic cotton pads and tampons a while ago (my favourite brand is Natracare organic), but while that reduced the amount of pesticide going into the environment it hasn't actually reduce the amount of waste my period sends to landfill or end up in the sea.  So I started looking at alternative reusable products and, after researching a few including reusable material pads, I decided to give Mooncup a go.

The cup is made up of a medical grade silicone, is latex free and contains no dyes or bleach.  It is also cruelty free and vegan.  It does normally have a long neck (which you can see in the first picture), but I've cut it down for comfort.  It does take a little while to get used to using it, they recommend around 3 months, but once you get used to inserting and removing it properly, it's very comfortable and reliable.  Mooncup recommends that you empty your cup every 4 to 8 hours, but I've found that it can last longer then that with out any trouble.  Which is useful as it can be almost 10 hours between being able to get to a proper toilet.

This half fold seems to be the method most people use and the one advised on the website, but even though I've tried it multiple times it just doesn't seem to work for me.

So I go for the push in the middle technique.  I've worn the Mooncup for a few years now, but did have a break for a few years (I'm not entirely sure why).  When I decided to start wearing it again I decided I should go for the larger size A, as recommended on the Mooncup website for someone over 30.  This is the first time I've ever had any real problem with the cup.  It was uncomfortable to wear and I was very aware of exactly where it was in my body.  It also leaked regularly, especially when I was volunteering outside.  As I knew I was going to be getting a manual job I decided to contact the company to see if I could get any advice from them.  I have to say Mooncup has amazing customer service.  They recommended some techniques to help with the comfort and leaking, but when these didn't work they then sent me the smaller size B.  They also gave me a follow up email to check that everything was okay.  

Since getting this smaller size I've had no problems at all and have gone back to having a relatively comfortable period, despite digging ditches and rolling stones.  

It comes with a little bag to store when not in use and a couple of leaflets to let you know about the cup and how to use it, but no other packaging other then the recyclable cardboard box it comes in.  To top it all, the cup is pretty easy to look after and store.  I know for some people using the cup might seem a bit unpleasant, but it's good to remember that it is only your blood and your not bothered about changing a plaster.  You will also get used to it, along with inserting and removing the cup quickly.  Best of all, the waste I produce during my period is practically zero.

If you're looking for a more sustainable alternative to pads and tampons I would definitely recommend looking at the Mooncup.

Project Pan 17 Update #10 and Other Products

It turns out that October has been a good month for finishing off products. I was beginning to finish that I would never see the end of some of these, so it's been feeling good.  I've also decided to add in some products to see if I can get them completed by the end of this year.  The products are a little bit ambitious, but I thought I would give it a go.

The first product I finished first was the Natural Collection eyeshadow is Sable.  This is a lovely colour and it really like the texture of this shadow, but I don't need any more eyeshadows at the moment so I won't be buying it at any point in the near future.  However, if I ever get to the point where I'm completely out of eyeshadow I will think about repurchasing the duo this comes from.  The research I've done shows Natural Collection is cruelty free.

The second item is the Barry M Nail Paint in Bright Red.  Unlike the other nail varnishes which got too thick to use at the end, this one lasted right until the very end.  I really loved this colour and I think if I do decide to have one nail varnish once everything else is finished, this is the type of colour I would like.  Barry M is cruelty free.

There are some very small dents in a few of the shadows in my Urban Decay Naked original and there is actually a very small pan in Toasted.  It's probably because I use this everyone I wear makeup underneath my lower lash line.  Now that I don't have Sable I've started using Virgin and Naked as my all over lid shadow.  That should hopefully make them go down quicker.  Urban Decay is cruelty free.

The Barbara Day eye primer has finally started to show real progress with product visibly moving away from the side tube.  It's very satisfying to finally see this going and, though I know it won't be finished by the end of the year, it'll definitely be finished next year.  Then I'll either look into having no eye primer or finding a more natural alternative.

The MUA powder foundation in Shade 4, and Bourjois blusher in Ceidre are still going strong and not really showing obvious signs of the amount of use they're getting, though the blusher is now looking a little flatter then before.

So, the products I have decided to add into this project are the Zoya Pixie Dust nail varnish in Dahlia, the Neal's Yard lipstick in Persimmon, Living Nature eye pencil in Midnight, and the Pacifica roll on perfume in Tuscan Blood Orange.  I'm being a bit optimistic with these, but I think I will get at least the perfume finished by January.  All these brands are cruelty free.

There are two additional products I have finished this month.  The Lavera Intensive Care hand cream.  I brought this when my hands were getting dried out by some soap at work and it worked pretty well.  It's not the richest moisturizer, but it was good to use before typing on a computer (tacky keys are never good) and has been pretty effective with the drying I now get with my work gloves.  Lavera is cruelty free and I company that I really trust.  I've also finished the Organic Glam base coat.  This is a very good base coat for a more natural alternative and I do think that its claims of preventing yellowing of the nails is true, but not sure about the protection from nail breakage.  Organic Glam nail varnishes are three free and cruelty free.

To see my progress so far:

• Introduction
• Project Pan Update #1
• Project Pan Update #2
• Project Pan Update #3
• Project Pan Update #4
• Project Pan Update #5
• Project Pan Update #6
• Project Pan Update #7
• Project Pan Update #8
• Project Pan Update #9

Beating PCOS: still living with PCOS

Unfortunately PCOS is something that you can cure or get rid off.  It's something that remains with you your whole life, though symptoms do sometimes change with menopause.  However, there are changes that can be made to your lifestyle (some I have already spoken about in my previous blog) which help combat some of the effects of PCOS and help you feel better in the long run.  The good news about these changes is that they really are things everyone should be doing, we just have to be a little stricter about them.  

So these are the habitats I do on a regular basis.

Diet
These is one of the key areas to help with the effects of PCOS and I have already written a blog post on what diet has been recommended.  Now don't get me wrong, I do have a treat now and then and I have fallen off the bandwagon a few times, but for the most part I have a pretty healthy diet with almost no dairy.  The plus is that I've been following it for so long now it feels pretty normal and I actually quite like it.  I am a fan of vegetables so that always helps and I haven't missed taking out dairy as much as I thought. It probably helps that reducing dairy has greatly reduced the number of colds I've had.

Exercise
I'm lucky in this department because the work I do means I'm pretty much exercising all day long, and quite intensively.  Along with the commute I do on my bike I am basically on my feet and moving from 7.30am until 6.30pm.  I have increased my diet to fit the additional work, but I haven't needed tondo so by much.  When I'm not at work it's important to keep the exercise level up and if I'm having a few days off in. Row then I tend to run quite regularly.  It's not at the same intensity but it's something that has definitely helped in the past and something that seems to work well with my body.  It's important to find a type of exercise that suits you and your body, and that you enjoy.  But it can't be too easy otherwise it won't have the desired affect.

Both of these have helped me with weight loss (and hopefully helped reduce the chance of me getting Type II diabetes) and I am now around 9 stone 7.  This is a big difference to the 13 stone 5 I was at my heaviest.  It also seems to have helped reduce the amount of hair that has been growing back after removal and helped level about my period, making it much more consistent.

Hair removal
Whilst it may not be as bad as it used to be (I could have literally placed a werewolf and not needed any cosmetics or fancy dress), it is still and issue I need to deal with regularly.  Waxing is still my main point of call and ideally I would get it done at a beauticians, but as I would need to go on a monthly basis the expense means that I usually choose to make this an at home affair.  Definitely worth learning how to do that.

Depression
I would say that this is the most unpleasant part of having PCOS.  The little hand in the dark pulling you under and making everything awful.  There will be times when things are fine and great, but there will be many times when fighting it becomes a daily chores.  I try not to take medication unless I really have to, but the one thing that I have found has really helped is cognitive behavioural therapy.  It feels a bit weird doing it at first, almost like you don't deserve it, but I have seen improvements in my feelings and I'm hoping it will just keep getting better.  Definitely worth a shot of your suffering from the same.

Don't get me wrong, having PCOS makes you feel like you've been handed a bag of crap you didn't ask for and it can make things really unbearable sometimes.  But there are things that can be done to help deal with the effects it has.  In an ideal world you wouldn't have to deal with this, but on the plus once you've learnt how to be healthy and fit this will remain with you for the rest of your life.  Then you can just watch those people who have never had to deal with get fat as they get older.

Buying Less

Last month saw a bit of a change to my life which meant that I had to move most of my possessions into storage (the rest is with my parents at the moment).  While this wasn't a particular pleasant time the one thing it really showed me was just how much stuff I actually had.  I've never been a big spenders and have been good at getting rid of things over the last few years.  And yet, I have still managed to accumulate more things than one person needs and which I don't want to have to lug around with me.

Obviously I'll be going through and doing quite an intensive decluttering, but on the other side I don't want to be bringing anything else in.  So, I'm going to be going on a no buy for the next few months to help not increase the problem.  The only real exception to this will be the things I need to buy for work, the the emphasis is on the word 'need'.

Though there may be a few items I need to buy now and then, there are a few categories I really do not need anything in.  They are:

• Makeup - I most definitely have enough products in this category and the only exception to the no buy rule will be mascara.  My no buy for makeup will continue past the end of the year and I will only buy an item if I have completely used up every product in each makeup category.  Which will probably be never when it comes to eyeshadow and blush.
• Jewelry - this is another category I have a stupidly large number of.  And I say stupidly as I only tend to wear the same pieces over and over again.  I think the problem for me is that I usually buy the items during my travels and they end up having a special meaning to me.  On the plus side, I don't expect to be doing much travelling in the future so I won't be as tempted, but there's also the shinny things I see in the shops that are so cheap and I just want.  Time to start saying no, there is no way I need more.
• Scarves, hats, and gloves - now this is a category where work might mean I need to buy some, but for non work purposes I really don't need anymore.  This is another category which I tend to buy when traveling to keep with me as a wearable memory, but I have way more then anyone needs (especially when it comes to scarves).  I actually wear all of my hats, gloves, and scarves so it's unlikely I'll be decluttering any of them soon, but I can stop buying them.  This is another category which will carry on after the year ends and I will only buy new ones once all the anothers have either fallen apart or been lost (I tend to leave hats on the bus for some bizarre reason).
• Leisure clothing - I don't have the biggest wardrobe when it comes to cloth.  It's just never been my thing, probably because it's difficult to find anything that fits my body type, but I decided a while ago that I should only have 5 items in each clothing category.  I probably don't even need that number and already have less in some of the categories, but I'm going on a no buy until all the categories are down to five.  Then I'll just replace like for like after that.
• Books - a few years ago my Dad gave me a large number of his books and so I now have all the fictions I could possibly need, probably for the rest of my life.  The only books I'll allow myself to buy are reference books or non-fiction on a category I'm researching at the time.  However, this will only be if I can't find it at the library and I will try and buy the digital version instead of a hardcopy.

And so begins my no buy (or maybe low buy would be better as I will still buy things I actually need - like waterproof trousers).  An added bonus will be that I should also get a little help with my finances as well.

Transitioning to Veganism

If you've been kind enough to be ready my blog over the last few months you'll know that I'm meant to be removing dairey products from my diet because of the problems milk can cause when you have PCOS.  You'll also know that I've been watching documentaries like Cowspiracy and Food Inc as well as educating myself on the food industry and the negative impact animal agriculture has on the environment.  And with the most recent information on fighting climate change and habitat loss indicating that making changes to your diet, especially removing animal products from it, is one of the leading ways in which we can do our bit it seems logical to me to start transitioning my diet from a vegetarian one to a vegan.  I've been thinking about this for a while, but for some reason the momentum to do it has really begun now.

I've already been taking steps, without necessarily noticing it, in that direction, but these have all been the easy ones.  One of these has been increasing the amount a fresh vegetables I get over buying processed food which is likely to contain an animal product.  This has been very easy as vegetable are yummy so why wouldn't you want to eat as many as is humanly possible.  I've also been swapping products to vegan alternatives such as plant based milks and the cheeky Quorn vegan products which I add to my suppers.  I've also added some ingredients that are important for everyone to have in a healthy diet, but are especially important when it comes to vegans.  I already love marmite, but nutrional yeast has been a great addition to ensure that I'm getting all my needed B vitamins.  It doesn't taste of cheese (I don't know why people say that), but it is pretty yummy and good to add to a range of things.

There have been some things I have found suprisingly easy to start removing from my diet.  Firstly milk.  Milk used to play a big part in my diet, in fact I craved it when I got home at night and would down a big glass of it.  But since removing it I haven't missed it at all.  It's not just that I've found an alternative that I really like, it's that the cravings have completely gone.  I'm not even particularly keen on the taste anymore and happy reach for water instead.  Then there's cheese, another item I thought I loved dearly.  I still have this in my diet now and then, but this has usually been when someone else has been picking the meal or when there is no other option on the menu (I'm going to find better ways of getting round this).  It was something that I enjoyed selecting at the supermarket and eating on a weekly basis, but now that I don't eat it weeks at a time I find I don't miss it at all.  Lastly there are eggs.  Who doesn't love a boiled or fried egg, or even eggy bread (oh eggy bread).  It used to be my weekend treat but I realised the other day that I hvedn't had any of those for a few months now and didn't even noticed.  I was like I just stopped choicing it as an options.  I know eggs are little power houses of goodness, but they obviously weren't as important to my body as I thought they were and I haven't even noticed not having them.

So where am I struggling? The answer to this is going to be boringly obvious.  To begin with there's chocolate.  I don't eat this anywhere nearly as regularly as I used to, but I still eat this enough. I don't even really enjoy it when I eat it, I think it's just the sugar rush I get over anything else.  On the good side I have found alternatives I can eat when I want something chocolately and I really just been to get off my arse and let go of the milky goo.  Then, of course, there's ice cream.  Now this is really my addition and I just can't seem to say no.  It's my end of the week treat and I find myself eating an entire tub of this, but it's full of the dairy I'm supposed to be giving up, is highly processed, and high in that additive sugar.  As far as I can see there is no non-dairy alternatives that have the same creamy texture, but that's fine as I'm supposed to be removing sugar from my diet anyway.  It's time to stop making excuses and just give the stuff up.

One habitat that I do keep forgetting is to check the labels of the products I'm buying.  It's usually when I'm hungry and doing the random grab anything you can find from the shelf, but there are other times where I've been guilty of assuming something won't contain any animal products and then finding that it does once I've got it home. I need to make a mental note that when I pick up any food items I check the ingredients first before I buy, even if my stomach is shouting at me.

One extra added motivator for me is that on weeks when I have managed to have a complete vegan diet I've had far more energy and felt much more alert.  It might not be the case for everyone but I believe that a vegan diet might be the right diet for my body.  It helps that when I am completely vegan I tend to eat much more fresh vegetables and less processed foods and I don't think it's going to be too difficult to make the final steps I need. I just need to give up those sugary additions I shouldn't be eating any way, so that'll be 'hello' to the little sugar monster running around in my brain for a few weeks.

Do you have any tips on being vegan?  Are there any products that you would really recommend to people wanting to take this diet?  Please let me know, it would be very helpful.