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. 

It has been a long time since I completed a ReSew project. To find out what the ReSew2020 Project is all about have a look at this page - https://www.simpleslowstill.com.au/resew2020.html. I know it is no longer 2020 but I am going to keep that name in honour of the year that was.

I really loved this dress when I bought it from the second hand shop but it was just a bit too short. I was going to just make a top out of it and use the lovely frills for something else. But then my daughter suggested I make it into a skirt to make the most of the frills. Then I thought I could use the top part of the dress, extend it and turn that into a shirt. Two for the price of one!

With the skirt I was able to let some darts out to give me some more width.  Then I simply attached some bias binding around the top of the skirt and threaded some elastic through.  It doesn't look spectacular and I will always wear a shirt over the top but it works. 

It took me ages to decide what to do with the top.  With gathered dresses and tops back in fashion I thought I would give that a go. It looked ridiculous! I looked like a clown in the circus.  Also wasn't sure what colours to use.  I didn't want to just use blue so I thought I would do the strips of varying widths.  

I love the skirt and have worn it several times.  A number of people commented how much they liked it when I wore it.  I am not sold on the top yet. I think it works.  I may just have to give it some time to get used to it. 

Thankful Thursday: As we enter into this Lenten season, a period of 40 days before Easter starting yesterday with Ash Wednesday, it is traditionally a time of reflection and preparation as we follow the course of Jesus' journey to the cross.

I always enjoy my early morning walk. It is part of my morning routine. It helps me to get ready for the day but it is also a time to spend with God, just noticing little gifts he has for me. Usually I go the same way but sometimes I enjoy going a different path. This lent, as I walk, I am going to take a series of 40 photos to help me focus, pay attention and reflect on the gifts that God has for me in that moment.

​Today I am thankful to God for: words of inspiration, sharing stories, invitations for collaboration, picking beans and eating them fresh, a video of a gorgeous baby opening his eyes, photo updates, playing chasey, lychees and homegrown eggplant shared.

Each month, I would like to introduce you to someone who is living a simple life in one way or another.

These are ordinary people who have taken on the challenge to live counter culturally, to not buy into the need to consume more, have more, be more.

​They have learnt or are learning to be content with what they have, endeavouring to savour this moment, cherish our world and live joyfully. 

​So first of all, to get the ball rolling, I thought I would introduce... myself. 

Living simply looks different for different people. What does living simply look like for you?

To me living simply is trying to live well within our means: to live frugally, to enjoy simple pleasures, being content and making do with what we have, living life to the full and making the most of every opportunity, being grateful for the abundant blessings we have been given.

For me it is about making things instead of buying things, trying to fix things before replacing them, buying second hand in preference to buying new, cooking fresh, healthy food from scratch and looking after our planet by learning to live as sustainably as possible.

It is also about: learning to slow down; embracing silence, solitude and stillness; accepting the need to rest; creating space to contemplate, ponder, linger and wonder; and learning to let go of expectations, control and the need to achieve.


Do you have a specific interest that you like to focus on in the area of simple living?

I am interested in so many different areas but in particular I am interested in: contemplative Christian spirituality and exploring spiritual disciplines and practices such as lectio divina which is a gentle, reflective way of reading the bible, walking the labyrinth, Christian meditation and gratitude; recycling and upcycling; learning and practicing traditional craft skills and passing on this knowledge to other people; spending time in nature and learning to pay attention to the beauty all around.


​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 call myself a recovering achievement driven, perfectionist, workaholic. I would say I have always lived a frugal life and I have always enjoyed making things. 

But from the time I was little I had a perfectionist streak.  I always strived to get top marks, to be in every group and organisation, to be the best person I could be.

I was high school captain, graduated from my teaching degree with distinction and went on to do a masters and then a PhD in children’s literature, while working full time with two children and being heavily involved with church and other community organisations.

I was a mover and shaker, I won awards and was always, always busy and planning the next thing I was going to do. My mind was always in the future, thinking about new ideas and projects.  My husband used to get a twitch every time I said “I’ve been thinking…”

The catalyst for me was reading a book called “The Celebration of Discipline” by Richard Foster which is where I was introduced to spiritual disciplines and concepts such as silence, solitude, slowness and stillness. After reading that book, I longed for a sense of space, I yearned to live an unhurried life.

It has taken me over a decade of much practice, prayer and reading many books on the topic but I feel that I am learning to let go of the need to succeed and achieve.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t do things but that drive to always be productive, to achieve at a high level, to be in charge has definitely decreased.

I am learning to go with the flow, to accept what is and not hold tightly to my expectations and need for control.  I live a much slower, quieter life but it is always a journey, I am always learning.  


What do you find challenging about trying to live simply?

For me it is trying to stay in the moment, to slow down and not cram every minute with things to do and projects to complete.  Remembering to stop, pause and just breathe.


What are some of the benefits of this way of life for you?

There are so many benefits. Living a simple life there is definitely less stress.  I am less busy and less frazzled.

We decided several years ago that we didn’t need to work full time.  We had paid off our house and our children had finished school. We don’t earn a huge amount but what we have is enough. We don’t need heaps of money to buy more stuff or go to expensive places.

​So, we both have long weekends. We have more time to spend doing things that we value ie. spending time with family and friends, time to make and mend things, time to read, time to go for motorbike rides, camping and Sunday drives.  This leads to a happier, healthier, more joyful, peaceful and content life.

Through practicing spiritual disciplines, I feel I am developing a closer, deeper relationship with God. Simple living is not an easier life, but it is an intentional life.  It is creating the space for God to work and transform me from the inside out.

I am learning to be more patient and gentler with others and particularly with myself. I feel as if I can see the world with fresh eyes and a new perspective. 


What simple pleasures bring you joy and help you to slow down?

• Sipping a hot cup of tea in a lovely tea cup. 
• Reading books
• Going for a walk in the early morning
• Camping in our little old caravan on the banks of a river

• Making something by hand like knitting, sewing, crocheting or hand carving a wooden spoon. 
• Walking the labyrinth
• Christian meditation
• Watching a campfire

 

Are there any podcasts, books, documentaries or websites that you have found helpful?

I have read so many amazing books but here are just a few that have made a big impact:

• Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
• One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
• Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Barton
• Mindful Silence by Phileena Heuertz
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
• Sensible Shoes Fiction Series by Sharon Garlough Brown
• Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture by Shannon A Hayes
• Less is More: Embracing simplicity for a healthy planet, a caring economy and lasting happiness by Cecile Andrews & Wanda Urbanska
• Down to Earth: A guide to simple living by Rhonda Hetzel

 
Websites:

• Simplicity Voices - http://simplicityvoices.com/
• Zen Habits - https://zenhabits.net/
• Becoming Minimalist - https://www.becomingminimalist.com/
• A Network for Grateful Living - https://gratefulness.org/
• Sloww - https://www.sloww.co/

Podcasts

• The Next Right Thing - http://emilypfreeman.com/podcast/
• Slow Your Home - https://slowyourhome.com/

What is something new that you have done or learnt about in the last year?

I have learnt how to make baskets from plant material. I really enjoyed doing that and I am eager to make some more with different types of plants.  I made some really cute baby shoes from recycled material and have explored refashioning men’s shirts into dresses. I knitted my first pair of socks.


What would you like to learn about or do in the future?

I would like to learn how to make shoes.  I was booked in to do a shoe making workshop down near Uralla last Easter. However due to the Covid restrictions I was unable to do it. But that is definitely something I am super keen to do.


If money or time were no option what would you like to do?

I would love to run a retreat centre where people can come to slow down, rest and try different simple living skills like cooking from scratch, gardening, making and repairing things and exploring reflective practices like journaling, writing poetry, painting etc.

I would love to travel around Australia with my husband in a mobile home teaching workshops and running retreats in rural, regional and remote areas.

I would love to live as self-sufficiently as possible in a tiny home with a view.

What did I say about having too many ideas…


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 Simple Slow Still – http://simpleslowstill.com.au. 

I can also be found on Facebook – www.facebook.com/simpleslowstill. 

My email is simpleslowstill@gmail.com and my phone number is 0429361047.