The evidence is clear that when we’re connected to nature, connected to our inner selves and connected to other people, we live healthier and happier lives. Today I would like to introduce you to Kathryn Walton. I met Kathryn in 2019 when we were both presenters at the Goondiwindi Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote Women's Network Conference and we hit it off straight away. I really enjoyed talking to Kathryn about her hiking trips and her passion for living a simple, intentional life. It is also her desire to encourage people to benefit from the healing properties of the great outdoors. Thanks Kathryn for being my guest today! 
Living simply looks different for different people. What does living simply look like for you? Living simply for me means:
Do you have a specific interest that you like to focus on in the area of simple living? My practice towards living simply focuses on using fresh, home-prepared foods as much as possible including home-grown herbs, vegetables, fruit (when the possums leave some for us and when there is water in the dam!) and eggs. I also love to reuse and re-purpose instead of buying new things such as clothing, packaging and craft items. Going on regular multi-day walks carrying everything I need on my back serves to keep things in perspective. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey toward living a simple life. Was there a catalyst that led you to follow this path? As a child my parents grew a lot of our own fruit, vegetables and eggs. We grew up on home baking, home-made clothes and hand-knitted jumpers. It was normal to re-use and re-purpose all sorts of things to make items for the house or for play such as little tables and pot plant holders. I loved reading Grass Roots magazines and became interested in permaculture and self-sufficient lifestyles when I left home and had a place of my own to care for. It’s been a blessing to live on a bush block for the past 25 years and watch my own children develop a love for nature and a passion for the sustainability of our world. Although I had this wonderful foundation in my life, I’ve also pursued a busy lifestyle with lots of projects, volunteering and activities on the go. I think I’ve tried to fit ‘all the things’ into my life and to do them perfectly. But in more recent years I’ve felt the effects of being constantly on the go and striving. Even when you love your busy life, your physiology gets stuck in a stress response which can contribute to chronic health conditions. Being intentional about slowing down, connecting with nature in meaningful ways and living more simply has made a huge difference to how I feel and keeps me inspired to continue my journey and share healthy lifestyle information with others. What do you find challenging about trying to live simply? When life gets busy, I find it more challenging to maintain a lifestyle that is calm and nurturing. Each year I choose a word as my guide and this year I have two words – ‘spaciousness’ and ‘lightness’. If something doesn’t actively contribute to my sense of spaciousness or lightness, then I’m working on letting it go and keeping things simple. It’s not always easy to manage the inner stories about what you ‘should’ be doing. A practical challenge I find tricky to navigate is the issue of packaging on purchased goods that can’t be re-used or recycled. What are some of the benefits of this way of life for you? The benefits keep showing up as I move towards greater simplicity in living:
What simple pleasures bring you joy and help you to slow down? I get so much joy in so many things that help me slow down!
Are there any podcasts, books, documentaries or websites that you have found helpful? I love podcasts! Here are some that have helped me on my journey towards simpler living:
Some books I love:
A documentary that is very informative and motivating:
What is something new that you have done or learnt about in the last year? Over the past year I’ve made some tweaks to my food shopping. I’ve been buying fruit and vegetables as often as I can from a store that resells local fresh farm produce rather than purchasing through the larger supermarkets. I also enjoy taking my own containers in to be filled with a wide range of consumable products at another local family-owned business which is also a drop-off point for several different recycling programs. I’m pretty excited to have just set off on my most recent learning adventures - soft cheese-making at home! What would you like to learn about or do in the future? I want to learn so many things but in the spirit of keeping things simple and living more richly I’d like to add value to what I already know rather than learning something completely new. I’d like to have the knowledge, skills and resources to continue to grow food plants through severe drought and very hot summers like we’ve had for the past few years. It would be wonderful if I could learn to improve my sourdough making too! And re-learn and practice playing the guitar. If money or time were no option what would you like to do? I’d spend way more time on multi-day walks and bike packing adventures with my husband, discovering and immersing ourselves in amazing natural landscapes, travelling to cooler places during the hot summers at home or visiting family and friends afar. I’d run the majority of my business online so I could continue to guide women towards improved mental health through connection with the outdoors. When I’m not travelling on adventures I’d love to be at home nurturing my permaculture garden, re-sewing old jeans and clothes into new useful garments and homeware, creating with wood, painting and sitting on my verandah in gratitude as I breathe deeply and watch my gorgeous free range chooks scratch around the yard. If people would like to learn more about you and what you do, how can people follow you online or get in contact with you? My website is: https://www.kathrynwalton.com.au/ where you can send me a message, follow my blog and subscribe to my Grounded Inspiration newsletter which comes out about twice a month delivering inspiration and information to help you get connected with nature, with your inner self and with useful resources that up-level your health and well-being. Outdoors is my Therapy Podcast: Listen via my website https://www.kathrynwalton.com.au/wp1/podcast/ or using your favourite podcast app or player. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathrynwaltonconsulting/ Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OutdoorsIsMyTherapy
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 Racheal has long been fascinated by homesteading, nutrition, supplementation and health.
Living simply looks different for different people. What does living simply look like for you? For me, living simply is about living within our means, living from home (as opposed to going out frequently) and being good stewards of the time, relationships and resources, we are blessed with. Do you have a specific interest that you like to focus on in the area of simple living? I love trying so many DIY skills, but the one I frequently gravitate to, is food preservation. Partly because I love it, and partly because we are organic market gardeners, so I usually have some form of beautiful produce in abundance, to experiment with! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey toward living a simple life. Was there a catalyst that led you to follow this path? I was blessed to grow up in a family where mum was a dedicated homemaker. All our main meals were made from scratch, a lot of our clothes were home sewn and she regularly baked fresh snacks for us. Once I got married and started my own family, I was often intrigued with how things were made. Cheese, bread, canned goods and the like. I would scour the local library for good books, and learn these skills from home. Over time, more interests were added, and I was greatly encouraged and mentored by an older friend who seemed to do everything from weaving to candle making! She taught me how to make soap, some time management skills and she also was a wonderful example of the peace that comes from living simply from home. We ended up even raising our own sheep and pigs for meat and trying things like sausage making from home. We presently keep bees and breed organic chickens and ducks. What do you find challenging about trying to live simply? Right now, living simply doesn’t feel like a challenge, but in the past the challenge has come when/if I feel like I need to do/make everything myself! Time just doesn’t always (or ever) permit, does it? Giving ourselves the grace to work with the seasons in our life, rather than against them, helps. For example, if you have a newborn baby, or sickness in the house or a family crisis...don’t feel bad about just buying what you need, instead of feeling guilt over not being able to make/do it all yourself. What are some of the benefits of this way of life for you? The health benefits of living simply are abundant. Our market gardening lifestyle means we eat a lot of fresh, chem-free produce, get adequate sunlight, plenty of fresh air and work from home, so we’re not always run off our feet driving places. As someone who’s experienced an autoimmune disease which generated a lot of brain-fog, I also appreciate how living simply and learning new skills can keep the mind active. And meeting new and inspiring people with similar interests is always a bonus. What simple pleasures bring you joy and help you to slow down? It’s a pleasure to have an afternoon or day where nothing is planned and my imagination bursts with creative ideas about what we can make/do. It’s also a pleasure to look at the pantry shelf and see nourishing home-preserved goodies, waiting there for us to eat. Are there any podcasts, books, documentaries or websites that you have found helpful? Oh, my goodness, there’s so much inspiring material out there! I think the sources of inspiration change over time. I used to love checking out blogs like www.theprairiehomestead.com or www.theelliotthomestead.com. Weed 'em and Reap - https://www.weedemandreap.com is also interesting if you like to see how a smaller space can be used to homestead. www.wellnessmama.com is helpful for dietary, health, cleaning and remedial recipes. Some excellent books we’ve found: Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn Hatching and Brooding Your Own Chicks by Gail Damerow Simple and Natural Soapmaking by Jan Berry The Market Gardener by Jean Martin Fortier What is something new that you have done or learnt about in the last year? Once covid restrictions hit, and poultry was in such high demand, I started learning more about refining our poultry breeding for higher hatch rates. The book I found most helpful is listed above. What would you like to learn about or do in the future? I’d love to know more about herbs and their uses. If money or time were no option what would you like to do? I’d love to do more classes or drop-in sessions from home where interested people could come and learn the skills that they’re interested in. I’m also interested in teaching children basic skills like cooking from scratch. If people would like to learn more about you and what you do, how can people follow you online or get in contact with you? We have a business website, www.birdsongmarketgarden.com.au where I occasionally blog, and that features a contact form where I can be emailed.
It all started with one shirt. One very unique, well designed, European sports shirt from the 70’s. 
Living simply looks different for different people. What does living simply look like for you? For me, I love the sound of my 150-year old Heinisch tailor’s shears as they cut through fabric like a hot knife through butter. Spending time with a piece of fabric to consider how the end product will look. Do you have a specific interest that you like to focus on in the area of simple living? I love to rummage through op shops and always have. I seem to have an eye for the unusual. Our holidays are planned around vintage and op shopping. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey toward living a simple life. Was there a catalyst that led you to follow this path? It all started with one shirt that I found in an op shop in 1995. I wore it until it practically fell of my back. I was so attached to the style I unpicked it and had a pattern drafted allowing me to make more. My initial plan was to manufacture clothes on a global scale which would have involved creating fabric overseas, manufacturing and distributing without doing any part of the work myself, other than overseeing operations. I attended a presentation by Jane Milburn, who introduced me to the concept of slow clothing, and pointed out the environmental and human cost of fast fashion. At that point I realised there was no way I could follow through with the original idea. I had a request to make a garment out of some of the original fabric I had printed in a small run. Not wanting to ruin the good fabric, I hit up a local op shop and grabbed a pile of linen. I figured I could do test garments before making the original one. I was pleasantly surprised with the finished look, giving me comfort in knowing I can create a range of original shirts with a clear conscience from recycled fabric, making them truly original. What do you find challenging about trying to live simply? Recognising when enough fabric is enough. What are some of the benefits of this way of life for you? The many road trips, spent with my life partner, in search of the best op shops in the country, and the stays we have in our camper. What simple pleasures bring you joy and help you to slow down? Road trips, camping, appreciating nature from sunrise to sunset. Are there any podcasts, books, documentaries or websites that you have found helpful? I have been enjoying a podcast called The Quick Unpick by Brittslist. It’s a collaboration between Britt’s List and Ethical Clothing Australia. Over a series of episodes Britanie Dreghorn talks to a number of ECA-accredited Australian businesses who are manufacturing locally. My go to book that keeps me grounded is Jane Milburn’s Slow Clothing. It’s a constant reminder of why I started on this journey and has a multitude of ideas for the reader to harness and lighten their footprint. What is something new that you have done or learnt about in the last year? The last year was an interesting one, with many valuable lessons. We travelled around Queensland and still have a lot more to see, spent a lot more time at home and were forced to slow down. Other than creating shirts my other passions are playing music and drawing. The extra time over the last year allowed me to dabble more in those areas. What would you like to learn about or do in the future? In the future, I’d like to experiment more with original fabrics, printing and using natural dyes. And more collaborations with other artist and designers If money or time were no option what would you like to do? I think it’s important to educate as many people as possible about what they can do individually to change from mass consumerism to being eco warriors, knowing that once something is learned it can’t be unlearned. Taking every opportunity to educate the simplicity of creating something new from something already used. If people would like to learn more about you and what you do, how can people follow you online or get in contact with you? https://papadrew.myshopify.com/ https://www.instagram.com/papadrew.au/ https://www.papadrew.com.au/  
 At Green Dandelion we are different. We firmly believe that planetary health and human wellbeing are inextricably connected. Our mission is to raise awareness and support others to change behaviour to reduce waste and use of materials that are potentially harmful to both ourselves and the environment. We are change makers, helping you to build the future you want for the world.
Living simply looks different for different people. What does living simply look like for you? I have always aspired to keeping things ‘simple’, both at home and in business. For me that has meant always using natural eco-friendly products (usually homemade), growing our own food (as much as possible!) and cooking whole foods from scratch; supporting local artisans and makers, farmers and small businesses; buying in bulk to reduce plastic waste; buying pre-loved over new, or just making do; only buying what I need; reusing, repairing and repurposing pretty much everything possible; “unconsuming” household items we no longer need; making household items using traditional crafts; and being involved in the community (eg volunteering). I am very much a home body and find the most contentment there engaged in these activities. Stillness though is something I have always struggled with, but I think is one of the most important elements of keeping things simple and slow. Consequently, I make a conscious effort to immerse myself in nature regularly. This may be just while walking the dog around the neighbourhood, or a planned Sunday bushwalk. I find being in the fresh air amongst the trees brings me the most quiet to either problem solve, or to just be. Do you have a specific interest that you like to focus on in the area of simple living? Plastic pollution!! I aspire to a zero waste lifestyle and have made it my life’s mission to encourage others to do the same through Green Dandelion. Mother Nature and her creatures, including us, are in dire straits right now, and the clock is ticking. I am by no means perfect, and I don’t expect anyone else to be either. I have always ensured that my business is tailored to meet people where they are at in reducing waste, especially plastic. While I recognise that the greatest impact can be made at the government and industry levels, I do believe that small changes can collectively make a big difference, most importantly helping us as individuals to feel empowered. For me, I follow the 6 R’s of Sustainability: Rethink, Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Repair, Recycle. This is pretty much the ethos behind Green Dandelion where I work to raise awareness and support others to change behaviour to reduce waste and use of materials that are potentially harmful to both ourselves and the environment. I am also a huge advocate of using traditional “craftism” to help achieve the “R’s”, eg beeswax wrap making. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey toward living a simple life. Was there a catalyst that led you to follow this path? As one of my friends said many moons ago, I have “always been a bit of a hippy.” And, I have. I was brought up frugally by a country woman who was all about practicality, subsistence and reuse. We grew up in handmade clothes and hand me downs, we reused everything, everything was mended or repaired until it could be no more, we did everything ourselves with little being outsourced, nothing was ever wasted. Also, growing up in the 70’s I basically lived through the plastic explosion and remember clearly our family’s transition from visiting a local farm for our fresh fruit and vegetables to buying it at the store; sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper to sandwiches wrapped in plastic wrap; milk from the milkman in glass bottles which we returned directly to him for recycling, to milk in plastic bottles from the supermarket which we threw out; also soft drink delivered by a local company in glass bottles which we again returned directly to them for recycling, to soft drink in plastic bottles from the supermarket which again, we threw out. This never sat well with me. Everything became so removed from the local community and its people and businesses. The personal touch was gone, and with it our knowledge of our food sources and supply, as well as our responsibility for our waste. I determined to always shop small and locally, and to remain as closely connected to the grower, maker, producer as I could. Also, to grow and make as much at home, my favourite place to be, as I could. What do you find challenging about trying to live simply? As I mentioned above, I find it hardest to be still. I am a perfectionist by nature and have an overactive mind. I use “busy-ness” as a distraction and often get caught up in the process rather than focussing on the “why” of my actions. I have learnt over the years that all this does is lead to stress, anxiety and burnout – none of which are fun! This is an ongoing challenge for me that I work on daily. Also, (confession time!), I am not perfect at sustainable living or being zero waste, but this is partly by choice. I find it can lead to unhealthy obsessive behaviour, a bit like dieting, so I allow myself to be human and get it wrong sometimes. As the saying goes, “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” What are some of the benefits of this way of life for you? Feeling like I can make a difference. By not overconsuming, making things myself from natural ingredients and materials, refusing plastic, reducing waste, reusing, repairing and repurposing as much as possible, all help me to feel like I am taking action and living a purposeful life. Feeling more connected to community. By connecting with local growers and makers at markets, choosing handmade and locally grown over mass produced, shopping small and locally, running a small eco-friendly business, “craftism” and volunteering all help me to feel like I am a part of something bigger than myself. Feeling more connected to self, family, home and hearth. Cooking, gardening, and creating earth me and leave me feeling content like nothing else can. I purposefully put time aside for these things each week. For me living a simple life is living a life that is true to my values. What simple pleasures bring you joy and help you to slow down?
Are there any podcasts, books, documentaries or websites that you have found helpful?
What is something new that you have done or learnt about in the last year? We are in the process of doing our first ever home renovation and we are trying to do it sustainably. This has had its challenges but we (and the builders!) are learning as we go. Again, it is not perfect but we are doing the best we can to create a home that has a small environmental foot print. What would you like to learn about or do in the future? Permaculture. Because we are renovating, gardening and growing our own food has had to be put on hold. We will have a blank canvas when we are finished and I am excited to start again using Permaculture principles. If money or time were no option what would you like to do? Maybe a sustainable living centre where like minded businesses operate as well raise awareness and educate through experiences and workshops. At home, I would start a community garden on the front foot path and set up a neighbourhood food swap. Otherwise, more of the things I love listed above. If people would like to learn more about you and what you do, how can people follow you online or get in contact with you? My website is Green Dandelion - https://www.greendandelion.com.au Facebook – Search greendandeliontwba - https://www.facebook.com/greendandeliontoowoomba Instagram – Search greendandeliontwba - https://www.instagram.com/greendandeliontwba/ Email – suanne@greendandelion.com.au I came to the realisation that every decision that I made, somehow impacted the environment. Now every time I make a decision, I think about the impact that decision will have and choose accordingly. When I asked some people if they would like to be guests on my blog, I had such a positive response that for the month of March I would like to introduce you to a guest a week. Today my guest is Alice Carwardine. Alice is a zero waste campaigner who is committed to guiding others on the path to ecological conversion and cultural change. Her story is closely linked to Lent so I think it is very fitting that we get to know Alice during this time. Thank you Alice for being my very first guest!  Living simply looks different for different people. What does living simply look like for you?
For me, living simply started out as being zero-waste. But now it has really blown up into every aspect of my life. My zero-waste journey began in 2018 when I chose to reduce my rubbish bin over 40 days. I’m Catholic, and my biggest motivation was my faith. It started as 40 things, 1 thing per day for each day of Lent. That quickly expanded into 100 things. And now, every choice I make, every action, every purchase has a meaning and has some thought behind it. To me, living simply is living and being aware of the complexities of how things are interconnected and interrelated. Do you have a specific interest that you like to focus on in the area of simple living? My focus is just to know where things have come from, what I am using them for, and where they are going… and doing something about it if I do not like those things. For example, my electricity used to come from coal, and was used sometimes excessively and therefore being waste. Now, my electricity comes from the sun, I reduce my consumption where possible and therefore have little waste. Or another example is chocolate. I make sure my chocolate is as sustainable as possible and has the least amount of packaging as possible, and then ensure that I do not have to put anything in the bin. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey toward living a simple life. Was there a catalyst that led you to follow this path? I had a few catalysts. The first was reading Laudato Si in 2015 when it came out. At that time though, still living under my parents’ roof, I felt as though I couldn’t change anything. Once I moved out, I did make small changes. But it was not till Lent 2018, that I really started to make a big change with going zero-waste. I had heard about it lots, but it was through prayer that I made the decision. What do you find challenging about trying to live simply? The temptation for convenience! Especially when I have had a long day, it is so tempting to just revert to how I used to live. I also find it difficult when I can see the potential for something to be one way, and it isn’t that way. For example, it should be a no-brainer that we shouldn’t be using single-use plastics anymore. We should have routines that stop the use of single-use plastic. And yet, so much of it still exists because our culture has not changed. Changing culture is the most difficult part for any person or any group trying to live simply because the normal is not simple, it is luxurious, convenient, and consumerist. It is hard to turn away from those things. What are some of the benefits of this way of life for you? Apart from the obvious like saving money, spending more time with family, being free of the need to ‘have more,’ I really like that I have learnt so much about the world. How much plastic impacts our health and lives, how important seaweed is, how to make jam, how great second-hand clothes can be, how great green lentils are for making mince! And most of all, how my choices can benefit others. What simple pleasures bring you joy and help you to slow down? I love spending time with my nan. She gives me so much joy. I love walking slowly beside her, taking her shopping or to the movies or for a walk. Because she has 7 factures in her spine, she walks slow, and you cannot help but walk slow with her. I really enjoy that because I can listen to her. Are there any podcasts, books, documentaries or websites that you have found helpful? So many! I am a big fan of project Drawdown, I think that is some excellent science. 2040 was also excellent. Plastic Ocean, Fight for planet A, War on Waste, Uninhabitable Earth, On Eating Meat, Blowout, Rotten, The Inconvenient Truth and The Inconvenient Sequel, Life on our Planet. As well as some great theology such as Creation in Crisis, Ask the Beasts, Creation and the Cross, and Green Deen. What is something new that you have done or learnt about in the last year? My husband and I purchased our first home! And I learnt about banks (although the fees are still way too confusing). We also put in lots of gardens and have more plans to add more. That really was our focus last year, to get our house and ensure that our bank was ethical and our gardens were full of plants. What would you like to learn about or do in the future? At the moment I am on the path to becoming a vegan. So I’m learning different vegan recipes. We also recently got a puppy, so I want to learn more about how to have a puppy sustainably. And in the distant future, my husband and I will hopefully have kids, so we will want to learn how to be as sustainable as possible with them. If money or time were no option what would you like to do? Oh! What a question! And where to begin! I would build design and build my own tiny house that suited my husband and my dog and I down to the ground. I would get lots of land, and plant natives and vegetables on it, and learn more about how to plant and eat bush tucker. I would then build a shed on there and run workshops for people and I would run a tool library from the space. And I’d write a book. And I’d have another tiny house with as an air bnb for visitors who wanted to stay. If people would like to learn more about you and what you do, how can people follow you online or get in contact with you? The easiest way is through my facebook page: Overturn the Tables, and my website: Overturnthetables.net. |
AuthorHello! My name is Margy. I enjoy living simply, I am trying to slow down and I am learning how to be still. I would love you to join me on this exciting adventure. Archives
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