We want to continue to support you to live sustainably, learn new skills, and connect to each other and nature, while we’re increasingly at home due to COVID-19.
Winter is the perfect time to slow down, and try new home-based and self-sufficient skills for simple living.
We’ve been inspired by people trying new things and learning new skills – from baking bread to composting – and by the community resources being made available to help us do so.
We’ve compiled seven home-based living activities to try:
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Declutter your home
‘A cluttered house is a cluttered mind’, but even if you have ideals of living simply, tacking a mountain of stuff can be overwhelming. We like the idea of focusing on one area of the house at a time, or simply spending 5 minutes decluttering each day.
You may also like to check out our Downsizing to a Tiny Home blog post for inspiration. -
Mend your broken items
Not only does repairing things reduce waste from landfill, it’s an opportunity to learn important skills and a way of valuing our resources. You might like to start by darning a hole – perhaps in your favourite holey socks or jumper. Other great resources available include many repair manuals for different devices on ifixit.com. You may also like to join other menders via a weekly online Repair Café Experiment session, while face-to-face repair cafes are postponed due to the pandemic.
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Make your own cleaning products
DIY cleaning products can help you reduce your plastic-use, eliminate toxins form our home and reduce the environmental pollution from the commercial products. The best part, is that many of ingredients you need, are likely ones you already have in your home. Give some natural cleaning recipes a go.
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Try new recipes
You may have noticed the rise in bread posts on social media, with many now baking their own, particularly sour dough. You might like to give it a go yourself – make your own starter or get one from a friend and try out a simple sourdough recipe. Why not try other fermented drinks and food while you’re at it, such as delicious kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut or kimchi.
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Grow indoor plants from cuttings
Keeping indoor plants is an great way to make your living space more homely and purify the air indoors. With some basic materials and know-how you can grow your own plants for free – try these four ways to propagate from cuttings. And here’s some tips for being a good plant parent.
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Start a veggie garden
With stores selling out of seeds and other garden supplies recently, you may already be well on your way with a new veggie garden. This is a really great, free guide for beginners starting a garden in Adelaide, and this crisis gardening video series is also really useful!
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Join an online event
We’re so impressed by the community’s ability to adapt and stay connect during this tricky time. There are a wide range of online events available to participate in. We’ve been continuing our monthly film nights virtually, and collating other community sustainability-related events in our e-newsletter – you can subscribe via our website to stay updated.
