If you are an eco warrior looking for great books to live by or you are looking for a book to gift, here are the ones we think hit the mark in 2017 - one each for fashion, food & body.Everyone has their own consciousness and start point when it comes to living more sustainably. Mine was originally food, because like many new mothers I only even began to think of what was in food when it came time to feed my baby. Many of us start with awareness - some simply buy better and others want to tackle things more head on. Making their own healthier food, making body & cleaning products from scratch, and even stitching clothing.I love these books because they are practical, easy and are beautifully made - just as all things sustainable should be. And it's very easy to take the ideas & recipes from each of these books, try them and decide if it's the way you want to live.
Slow Clothing: Finding Meaning in What we Wear has lived it's own truth and has been literally years in the making. Self published and launched by War on Waste crusader Craig Reucassel in Sydney in December 2017, it is everything you could ever want to know about fashion.The good, the bad and the possible.Jane Milburn isn't your everyday hippy upcycler. She has worked for many years with the ABC and according to colleague Kerry Lonergan, she has been the driving force behind the strength of the Rural Press Club so you know she's mixed it with the best of them. The book is an eclectic mix of thoughts and solutions for the slow fashion movement, befitting an experienced journalist with such a wide ranging background. From examining our motivations, through the insanity of fast fashion consumer marketing to how we might consider a more meaningful relationship with our wardrobes. Jane's slow clothing philosophy is about choosing and wearing clothes to ensure they bring meaning, value and joy to every day. To consider the ethics and sustainability of garments, values provenance and artisan skills while dressing in timeless style, comfort and connection, so that our clothes last.
Judy Davie has been a life time promotor of eating seasonal, for health, to support local and to drive down travel miles. The Greengocer's Diet was published a couple of years ago and has been relaunched in November to support Judy's broader work on community diet management. (Programs like Lighten up Wagga which are designed to make healthy food normal.)The book was originally motivated by a number of overweight wholesalers at the Sydney Fruit & Vegetable Markets who didn't eat their own produce. The group were her original literal test cases and now weigh somewhat less than they used to.Davie has managed to achieve a lot with this beautiful book by getting a lot of basics right. First, it is so simple that all you need do is to open the book at the beginning of the current season and follow the instructions. The recipes are practical, easy and delicious. You can also get eating plans in the book or join the Greengrocer Tribe for ongoing coaching. The Greengrocer's Diet shows you how to easily incorporate fresh seasonal vegetables into a balanced diet and give them the kind of flavour they deserve and make you want more of them. It is a truly glorious display of prepared food, smoothies and beautiful produce.
If you ever fancied you could make your own body or cleaning products, but didn't know quite who to trust for a recipe, then Krissy Ballinger's Inspired Little Books are your bible. The books themselves are beautiful, but Ballinger's generosity in publishing the recipes and her thoughfulness in creating a second book simply for gift ideas says a lot about her. Judy Davie once said that home made food always tastes better because it's made with love. And the love and care in Krissy Ballinger's recipes is exactly the same.The Inspired Little Book has 35 easy recipes, including Coconut and Lime Body Scrub - Brown Sugar Face Scrub - Spiced Coffee Scrub - Hair Wax/Beard Balm - Hand Sanitising Spray - Insect Repelling Spray - Sunscreen - Post Sun Cooling Mist - Regular Washing Powder - Liquid Laundry Detergent - Dishwasher Tablets - Window Spray along with many many others. (I can vouch for the Magnesium Spray, Lip Balm and Deodorant.) If you want a book of personal care recipes for yourself or to give to a friend, these books are must haves.