Jess: Our Zero Waste Family

If you're not already following beautiful Jess and her family of 4's journey to a zero waste lifestyle, what are you doing?! You know you love a good DIY, you're being called to honour Mother Earth more, to clean up your consumerist lifestyle, look after yourself better, to ditch the plastics, toxins and chemicals and to find out more on sustainability.

And that's exactly what Jess is passionate about. I met Jess at one of my Women's Circles and she has taught me so much on all of these topics! I know you'll love her conscious and gentle approach too, so she's shared her tips with us below on how you can also start this journey.

My name is Jess. I'm 30...

and I am married to my high school sweet heart. We have been together for nearly 16 years. We have two beautiful children. Our son who is 4 and our daughter who is 2. My hubby is very supportive of our zerowaste journey which makes it easier.

One of my friends once told me that I'm a closet hippie and I think I agree.

I used to be very caught up in fast fashion and all the Kmart homewares. I still find myself wanting unnecessary things, but I've come a very long way. I'm going to be enrolling into a "herbalism" course this year. I would love my home to be a minimalist space that's still homely & represents who I am. So that's a little bit about me if you've ever wondered!

Jess has also been featured on urbanmeisters.com as a guest writer!

Let's learn more from Jess...

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Homemade Deodorant

* homemade deodorant! * So I normally use quite strong antiperspirant roll on deodorant & I hate that it's full of chemicals! So I decided that as soon as I got my Doterra oils that I would make myself some & see how I go! So today I made some! This one is just - 1/4 cup baking soda - 1/4 cup arrowroot - 3tbs coconut oil - 15 drops lemon - 2 drops on guard #zerowaste #zerowastejourney #ourzerowastefamily #diy #homemade #deodorant #naturaldeodorant #doterra #onguard #homeessentialskit #hippie #ourplanetourhome

77 Likes, 10 Comments - Zero Waste Journey (@ourzerowastefamily) on Instagram: "* homemade deodorant! * So I normally use quite strong antiperspirant roll on deodorant & I hate..."

* soooo I'm onto my second DIY deodorant paste (top jar). The first one I made (quite a few posts back) wasn't the best. It irritated my skin & I couldn't use it after I shaved or at night time. It seemed to cause chaffing which caused a rash. It did work though, in terms of helping me to not smell! So I used it & so did my husband. Who didn't have the same issues that I did. This time round I made some alterations. I added more coconut oil. Slightly more arrowroot & I used a different essential oil based on what's good for skin. This one seems perfect for me! 😋 - 1/4 cup baking soda - 1/4 cup + 1 Tbs arrowroot - 5 Tbs coconut oil - 10 drops doterra lavender oil - 5 drops doterra frankincense oil * The bottom jar is some DIY toothpaste. Which I surprisingly like & it makes my teeth feel really clean! This one is just - coconut oil - baking soda - doterra peppermint oil I can't remember the exact quantities though. #zerowaste #zerowastehome #zerowastejourney #ourplanetourhome #ourzerowastefamily #diydeodorant #diytoothpaste #diy #doterra #ecofriendly #eco #sustain

89 Likes, 18 Comments - Zero Waste Journey (@ourzerowastefamily) on Instagram: "* soooo I'm onto my second DIY deodorant paste (top jar). The first one I made (quite a few posts..."

* Homemade zero waste deodorant. - this is my third batch. My husband & I both use this. My first batch wasn't so great. It "burnt" my underarms. I got a rash, but I persevered. My second batch was better. I altered the recipe slightly. Used different essential oils. Only one underarm broke out in a rash, but half way through the second batch it all cleared up & the deodorant worked great! Now I'll never go back to commercial deodorant! I use to feel like I needed really strong deodorant, but now I know I don't & that using those deodorants made me need them. My underarms have been completely detoxed from those chemicals! Hubby never had any issues transitioning. I just need to remind him every now & then to actually wear deodorant! - this recipe is; - 1/4 cup baking soda - 1/3 cup tapioca (both from @thesourceclarkson)- 5 Tbs coconut oil - 15 drops essential oil (5 each of @doterraau juniper Berry, geranium & lavender) This fits perfectly in my @lush_ausnz square soap tin. * #zerowaste #zerowastehome #zerowastelife #zerowastedeodorant #deodorant #homemadedeodorant #diydeodorant #doterra #chemicalfree #ourplanetourhome #plasticfree #saynotoplastic

282 Likes, 23 Comments - Zero Waste Journey (@ourzerowastefamily) on Instagram: "* Homemade zero waste deodorant. - this is my third batch. My husband & I both use this. My first..."

Minimalist Wardrobe

* start of my Spring capsule wardrobe. I've swapped a few things out. Things I missed wearing. Things that were too cold for winter. This is such a learning curve for me & it was so good to see what I did wear & clothes that I didn't wear from my winter capsule. I actually really enjoyed doing this & I hope to eventually have one staple wardrobe with items that I love wearing all the time. This has shown me already that another cull can be done on my wardrobe when I didn't think there was anything more to get rid of. This spring capsule has currently got 36 pieces in it. I left some room so I can add some more things if I need! Also do you guys want me to continue posting my OOTD in my IG story? * #capsulewardrobe #minimalism #minimalistwardrobe #declutter #clothes #wardrobe #springfashion #saynotofastfashion #qualityoverquantity #lovetheclothesyourin #waronwaste

268 Likes, 10 Comments - Zero Waste Journey (@ourzerowastefamily) on Instagram: "* start of my Spring capsule wardrobe. I've swapped a few things out. Things I missed wearing...."

Laundry Tips

* LAUNDRY TIPS - so I've started buying my laundry powder from @thesourceclarkson. I get their lemon myrtle laundry powder. It smells quite nice. One load in my washing powder takes just less than one scoop. So I get quite a few loads of washing from 1 kilo of powder. I can't remember the price exactly but I'm quite happy. I wash in cold water. When I do my clothes I also add a drop of lemon @doterraau in with the powder. I find it adds a nice fresh smell to my clothes as I don't use fabric softener. When I wash my towels/tea towels I add a drop of the tea tree oil to the powder to help disinfect them. For stains I am still using a spray bottle of stain remover that I bought last year from Aldi. Once that bottle is empty I'm not sure what I will use. Any zero waste tips for stains?? * #zerowaste #zerowastehome #zerowastelaundry #laundry #doterra #ourplanetourhome #eco #ecofriendly #bethechange #rethinktrash #refuse #eco #earth #ecology #environment #zerowastecommunity #lifestyle #lessismore #inspiration #zerowsstelife #sustainability

134 Likes, 13 Comments - Zero Waste Journey (@ourzerowastefamily) on Instagram: "* LAUNDRY TIPS - so I've started buying my laundry powder from @thesourceclarkson. I get their..."

Homemade Kombucha

* my current fridge door situation - some kombucha that I flavoured using @doterraau oils during the second ferment & some yummy homemade almond milk - nice & simple. * #zerowaste #kombucha #almondmilk #nutmilk #homemade #yummy #healthy #zerowastehome #insidemyfridge #guthealth #simple #probiotics #dairyfree #doterra

351 Likes, 16 Comments - Zero Waste Journey (@ourzerowastefamily) on Instagram: "* my current fridge door situation - some kombucha that I flavoured using @doterraau oils during..."

Chemical Free Cosmetics

* made myself some "dry shampoo" - I used a recipe from @wellnessmama - equal parts tapioca & cacao with some doterra lavender essential oil. Mixed together & then it's ready to go. I have found that my scalp still gets a bit oily right before I wash my hair (done weekly) so using this is perfect to get that extra day before washing it & not looking gross! * #dryshampoo #nopoo #zerowaste #zerowastehome #zerowastejourney #ourzerowastefamily #chemicalfree #eco #smellsyummy #hair

102 Likes, 13 Comments - Zero Waste Journey (@ourzerowastefamily) on Instagram: "* made myself some "dry shampoo" - I used a recipe from @wellnessmama - equal parts tapioca & cacao..."

* I used to use a cleanser, toner, eye cream & moisturiser every day. Now this is all I basically use on my face morning & night. It's very refreshing once you realise that you don't need to buy into the hype of all the things we supposedly "NEED". I use a charcoal soap to wash my face in the shower at night. I apply the @doterraau "Salubelle" sparingly near my eye wrinkles & my forehead. Then I apply the jojoba oil all over including my neck. I've noticed that my skin is feeling & looking a lot more nicer. So I'm quite happy with this combo at the moment. In the mornings I still apply it under my makeup, (which I'm using until it runs out & will then be looking into better zero waste options) & my BB cream applies so much better! Now I just need to find a place in Perth who will refill my bottle of jojoba oil, so I can keep reusing this bottle. The "Salubelle" is a roller ball bottle, so I should be able to use it to make my own blends in once it's run out! #Zerowastebeauty #zerowastehome #ourzerowastefamily #jojobaoil #salubelle #doterra #skincare #keepitsimple

107 Likes, 10 Comments - Zero Waste Journey (@ourzerowastefamily) on Instagram: "* I used to use a cleanser, toner, eye cream & moisturiser every day. Now this is all I basically..."

Vegetable Storage

* Broccoli - so far the broccoli has been in this jar for a week. I've finally used some tonight & it was still as fresh as it was the day I bought it!! Storing it in an airtight container will prolong how long you can store it for * #fruitandveg #zerowaste #zerowastehome #zerowastefood #zerowastejourney #ourplanetourhome #ourzerowastefamily #eco #plasticfree #plasticsucks #plasticpollutes #plasticfreeliving #banthebag #banplastic #banproducestickers #waronwaste #plasticfreeproduce #allyummyfood #healthy #healthyfamily #noprocessedfoods #refinedsugarfree #broccoli #glassjars #foodstorage

183 Likes, 11 Comments - Zero Waste Journey (@ourzerowastefamily) on Instagram: "* Broccoli - so far the broccoli has been in this jar for a week. I've finally used some tonight &..."

And the most important of all when on a transformational journey; self care ladies!

Doterra - currently diffusing a "happy" blend. - frankincense - peppermint - lime - wild orange My little collection is coming along nicely!! #doterra #diffuser #diffuserblend #happy #essentialoils

72 Likes, 10 Comments - Zero Waste Journey (@ourzerowastefamily) on Instagram: "Doterra - currently diffusing a "happy" blend. - frankincense - peppermint - lime - wild orange My..."