Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?

Sometimes, when people talk about sustainable living, it sounds like such a radical overhaul — and a lot of work and brain power that I’d honestly prefer to use for other things — that I wonder how they ever find time to actually enjoy life.

I’m absolutely in favour of sustainability, and I’m trying to raise the WildOnes with an awareness of how our choices affect the planet, the future, and the lives of other species. But we still have heaps (and I mean heaps) of plastic tat and toys.

A lot of what we do as a family has evolved gradually. Our rubbish is collected every two weeks, and we’re now down to one and a half sacks from three or four. That’s partly thanks to ditching nappies and overnight pants, but I’ve also noticed our recycling bins are less full these days. It wasn’t a conscious decision, but clearly we’re using fewer tins and plastics — or maybe we’re just reusing more around the house and garden. (Plastic bottles for germination and pest protection, anyone?)

Oddly enough, Trump helped. (Yes, really.) His bully-boy antics with Canada, Mexico — and later the rest of the world — made me pause and take a closer look at where our weekly shop was coming from. I didn’t want to buy American goods unless I absolutely had to. Some old favourites still sneak into the trolley, but we’ve swapped plenty and barely noticed the difference.

The cost of living crisis has nudged us further. We just can’t afford the little extras anymore. And honestly? I haven’t missed most of them.

DaddyETW being put on a restrictive FODMAP diet (keep an eye on the blog for some new family-friendly recipes!) has pushed us even more toward cooking from scratch. Less ultra-processed, pre-packaged food. More home-cooked meals. It’s healthier, more affordable, and creates far less waste.

The season helps, too. The strawberries we’re picking straight from the front garden? No packaging, no pesticides, no chemicals. Soon we’ll be harvesting peas, beans, broccoli (yes, the leaves too), courgettes, carrots, garlic, and potatoes. I know we’re incredibly lucky to have the space to grow our own food. I even have currants in the freezer, waiting for me to remember to buy sugar and borrow GrandmaETW’s jam pot and thermometer. Another benefit of growing and harvesting our own veg? I can actually get the WildOnes (especially WildOne2) to try vegetables.

I want to get back into making our own bread and pizza dough — both standard and sourdough. Flapjacks and other homemade snacks are on the list too, to keep the WildOnes (and their dad) fuelled between meals. I’m also trying to buy more from local farmers’ markets and butchers rather than supermarkets. Less packaging, better quality, and we get to support local families too.

Eventually, I’d love to build up a freezer stash of homemade goodies: pancakes, waffles, bread, brioche, chicken nuggets, cake. Once I’m in the rhythm, I think it’ll save both time and money.

We’ve also dropped down to one car — more out of necessity than choice. It’s not ideal, but it’s manageable. We simply can’t do without a car where we live. There’s no bus route in the village, the boys’ schools and my work are a few miles away, and we need it for swimming lessons, shopping, church, family visits… the list goes on.

DaddyETW doesn’t know it yet, but I’m also planning to make better use of our compost heap and cut down on what we put in the council food waste bin. We’ve got four water butts (or is it butts??) around the house, and I’ve planted lots of cut-and-come-again flowers so we can have fresh blooms indoors — a small joy that feels all the sweeter for being homegrown.

While the good weather holds, the WildOnes are outdoors as much as possible — fewer screens, fewer lights on, and a little less electricity being used overall.

Sustainability in this season of life isn’t about being perfect — it’s about being practical.

It’s about choosing gently, doing what we can with what we’ve got, and reminding ourselves that small shifts matter. I want my children to grow up knowing that caring for the earth doesn’t mean giving up fun, comfort, or joy — it just means paying attention, making space, and doing things a little differently, one season at a time.