Sustainable Dream: Buying a Self-Sufficient Farm in Iceland

Well if your dream is to live off your land fully, be completely self-sufficient and sustainable, ya might as well buy a farm right?

We came across Heydalur (heydalur.is) in the Westfjords of Iceland during our camper van trip around Iceland in May 2020. Blown away by the perfection of the space. The energy in the converted sheep shed which now is home to apple, cherry, grape trees is incredibly special.

Such a simple set up done, with constant running geothermal water being fed into the pool within the greenhouse. The water is readily available from the depths of the the Earth in Iceland - basically it's volcano heated water since Iceland is one giant volcano. Amazing right? But there is little maintenance done on this farm (#FarmLife) and a huge amount of food is produced every year. It's heaven on Earth.

And so funny enough when we ran into Heydalur, we had already been thinking of getting a farm (or at least land) to grow an abundance of food. But we really didn't know something like this would be possible. I mean...exotic fruit in Iceland?! YES!

Shortly after our Westfjords trip we found ourselves again in the North of Iceland on a farmland that we were ready to convert into a garden of Eden.

And so...how did our new dream unfold?

Watch to find out.

My New Icelandic Home Tour! Off-Grid, Sustainable House In-The-Making

Earlier this year, I bought my dream home in Iceland.

It’s kinda crazy thinking about it that I was able to achieve this at only 31, though the Universe can be magical and prosperous when you take action towards clear goals. And although I didn’t necessarily dream that I’d be buying my first house in Iceland, it’s definitely a welcome surprise!

Due to popular demand (well, a few people asked at least), I wanted to take you on a tour around the new home in Iceland.

In this video, I show you around the new house in the state it was in when it was purchased, and some minor renovations myself and Leon have done to it since it became ours. There’s a lot more to come in the near future, and I give you a few sneak peeks into some future additions in the video as well.

Mine and Leon’s goal is to make the house as sustainable as possible, with the end plan being it being as close to completely plastic-free as possible, and working in harmony with nature.

I want to also make sure I address that the world is in a bit of a unique state right now, as we are all aware of. This video isn’t meant to be a boast, but it’s my way of leading by example and creating the world I believe we all have the capability to live in. I may not be able to change the world on my own, but I can lead by example and influence my direct world, which will have ripple effects on the world around me.

There’s more to the home buying story, and if you’re interested in learning more, you can check out this video.

Lots of love,

Sorelle. x

P.S. — Please make sure you’re subscribed to me on YouTube!

P.P.S — This video is sponsored by Squarespace. Use the code “SORELLE” at checkout for 10% off a new domain or website.

Plastic-Free Bathroom Alternatives - How To Make Your Bathroom A Plastic-Free Sanctuary

Long, long time ago…actually roughly 60 years ago…in a land of confused humans, plastic became mainstream. This plastic thing was easily made out of a very accessible product - aka fossil fuel (aka liquefied fricking dinosaurs and plants that died millions of years ago)…which was drilled out of the depths of the earth to make it. Makes sense.

Clever humans.

Today plastic lives amongst us in peace and harmony.

Not.

It’s a huge problem, you all probs know that. Here is turtle with straw stuck in its nose as we all know, here is a diver amongst beautiful jellyfish, I mean plastic. Here is a beautiful bird chirping. I mean dead because it ate plastic. Here is a fish that you eat that is actually filled with microplasics…mmmmm…here is water that keeps you alive that is filled with micro plastics….mmm…and here is a human that is dying because he’s poisoned with plastic.

It’s actually stock footage of a person, but this is actually happening to all of us. All of us are getting poisoned. Yes, including your daughter, son, niece, little sister, bro, mum, dad, friends. Yaaay.

Ok now that the sarcastic tone is out of the way…hi, I’m Australian and sarcasm is our primary way of communication, let me share with you how you can make your bathroom 99% plastic free. 

One room at a time, we shall save the world.

Shampoo in a bottle. Nope. LUSH has bars of shampoo or you can go to websites such as plasticfreeshop.com and get bars of shampoo. It’s genius. They work better than any other shampoo I’ve ever had and they have a lot of different versions that will suit your hair.

Same with conditioner.

Same with soap.

They all live in these steel containers that you reuse again and again.

Alternatively, you can use other natural products as shampoo and conditioner which I didn’t have much luck with but some people adore. Baking soda with water for shampoo and apple cider vinegar for conditioner. Try it if the above is too hard to get or too expensive. 

Here is a toothbrush made out of bamboo with blah blah bristles. It will decompose fast, unlike a normal toothbrush that will take 500 years to decompose and probably end up in some animals anusz.

Here is toothpaste in a aluminium tin. You can also use these toothpaste tabs from LUSH that come in fully recyclable containers…however because recycling is just a business and it doesn’t really work, this isn’t the best way. But I haven’t yet found kick ass shampoo in a tin that works as well as these. So this shampoo is my weakness.

Also my tooth floss which is cotton but comes in a plastic container. They are still struggling to create tooth floss that is fully plastic free.

Here is my menstrual cup that is basically a gift from the gods. Yes, this lives in my hoochie during my period. I forget it’s in there. It collects all my blood, no leakage. It’s king. And it lasts for years. It saves the environment and saves you money. 

Here is a metal razor with crazy sharp individual barber razors.

Here are cotton buds that I found in a store wrapped in paper. Alternatively I’ve heard the face halo is ridiculously good as a replacement. I’m yet to get my hands on one but Ima try.

Here is deodorant from LUSH. It’s amazing. Otherwise again, plastic free shop or google deodorant bars. They work pretty good. Perhaps not AS good as the deodorants which have aluminium in them and block your pores, but honestly, if something is in my body, blocking the natural purging cycle of the largest organ of my body - skin, then thank you…next.

Here is my lip balm in an aluminium tin.

Here are plastic free hair ties.

Here is the best damn skin exfoliator made from bamboo - Baiden Mitten. This is what my skin looked like before and this is what it looks like now. I’ve been using it for 8 years.

Here is a serum from LUSH, package free. It’s very hydrating.

Wooden hair brushes and combs are a thing.

Toilet brush cleaners made of wood are a thing.

Here is toilet paper from 'Who Gives a Crap’.

They also have paper towels.

So yes…I rushed through your options, but you can probably see that anything can be substituted that you already use for a natural version.

If it isn’t comment down below and I’ll try to help you find what you need.

Or if you know any other great Plastic Free Bathroom products, do let me know!

If you want all the information I’ve already compiled on the plastic free life - makeup, toiletries, every day products, just head over to my website and I have a plastic free tab section. Explore that on my sexy Squarespace website…perfect segway…

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Spread this video far and wide my lovers. The more people that understand how easy it is to switch to the plastic free lifestyle, the more hope we have for a beautiful future for us and our kids.

Here is my instagram and twitter if you’d like to see more and until next time guys…peace.

@SorelleAmore

Introduction to PLASTIC FREE LIVING: How To Cut Out 80% of Your Plastic Use in a Few Easy Steps

Hello there humans!

Today we're talking about a topic that I'm super passionate about - you may remember I made a video 6 months ago saying that I was going to trial the plastic free lifestyle for 30 days.

I got hooked! I completely fell in love with that way of life. It's fun, it's responsible and it's an awesome way to give back.

You may feel like 1 person can't really make a difference, well take a listen to my sisters story:

“I actually convinced a restaurant owner to go plastic free after I had a conversation with him about plastic straws and the damage that they're doing to the ocean and the plastic straws that are ending up in Turtles noses.”

See! One person can make a very big impact :)

You’ll also find that when you're rocking your reusable bag and reusable utensils, your friends will start to notice. They will start catching on and thinking “hey, maybe I'll be a bit more careful about how I use plastic in my life”. Slowly but surely, their family and friends are affected by that as well and the ripple effect happens. It's really amazing to watch the transformation one person can create.

I really do think that it's super important that all of us jump onto the plastic free lifestyle right now, as we are in a bit of a crisis when it comes to plastic.

There is so much plastic around the world, that all of the untouched beaches you see in magazines and blogs, are now covered in rubbish.

If you have children, or if you're thinking about having children in the future, you really have to think about leading a plastic free life because there’s a chance that maybe they won't ever experience a plastic free Beach in their lifetime. If that's not scary, then I seriously don't know what is.

Without further ado, here are some tips that I've learned over the 6 months of plastic free living, that I would like to pass on to you!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1. A reusable cup for coffee, tea, or any drinks on the run.

2. A stainless steel cutlery set (but make sure you take out the knife whenever you are traveling as they might take it off you - I learned that the hard way)

3. I also have a little special pen that I absolutely adore and treasure. I carry it with me everywhere so I don’t have to use plastic pens.

4. Tupperware containers! They are optional, but they're really great for food on the go and snacks. The same goes for jars, they're great for food or drinks on the run.

5.  A reusable water bottle of course! This is the Grayl water bottle, it has the best water filter in the entire world. It is hardcore stuff, you can filter water anywhere in the world, which means you're replacing water bottles in the hardest places to get water. You don't have to be concerned about being sick - it's a life changer!

6. A reusable shopping bag.

7. A metal straw is always an option, but I just don't use straws at all anymore.

8. The beeswax wrap. This thing is so crazy cool, it replaces cling wrap! I highly recommend them to keep your food nice and fresh in your fridge.

9.  You'll probably need a little bit of an assertive attitude as well. If you are nervous to ask for no straws in your drinks for example, you might just have to push that aside (again, think of the children of the future! Think about the clean beaches and you will hopefully be okay to speak up).

In the beginning, I was a little bit nervous to talk to people about the plastic free lifestyle. I didn't want to look like I was intruding or being rude or pushy. We’re just trying to do a good thing here and help mother nature to survive, so I started becoming more assertive and polite about it.

Make people question plastic. You need to make people aware that plastic is not the best or only choice.

TRAVEL RELATED GOODS:

1. Headphones
I have my headphones with me all the time to avoid using the crappy plastic ones they offer you on planes and tours. If you are one of these people that tends to lose their headphones, I would suggest investing in a more expensive pair. You will not be losing these babies!

2. Prepared food
It is a bit of a pain in the butt to prepare your food for flights, but it's healthier for you and to be completely honest, airplane food isn't good for you and you’re also cutting down on plastic - which is the whole aim of the game!

This is where your Tupperware container comes in handy! It does require a little bit of preparation though, so if you don't have the time to prepare all your food in advance, you can still bring your cutlery set, your cup and your reusable water bottle on board.

You can hand the plastic option straight back to the staff when they're handing you food. If you hand it back at the end when you've eaten everything it doesn't look hygienic anymore so make sure you hand it straight back to them and say “hey I'm trying to live the plastic free lifestyle so I'm just gonna give this back to you, can you please reuse this?”. They actually really appreciate it these days! The world is becoming more conscious and it's making me so freakin happy!

3. Plastic Bags for Security
You can get a more sturdy plastic bag that allows you to reuse it over and over again, instead of just having a one-time-use plastic bag.

4. Shop Locally Grown Food
Some areas of the world (for example, Asia and Iceland) import a lot of plastic packaged food! They are usually imported foods, so unfortunately they kind of have to be wrapped, but the best thing you can do to combat this problem is a try to avoid those foods and shop for the locally grown goods.

Not only are you supporting the local people in the country, but they are usually cheaper and plastic free.

If you eat meat or fish, you can take your Tupperware containers and ask them to put the fish or meat in there because it is better for the environment - and you don't want to store your fish or meat in plastic anyway.

5. Straws
Wherever you go, you have to ask for no straws when you're ordering drinks. Sometimes they bring it with straws anyway unfortunately, but all you have to do is tell them they can take it back. Of course you can bring a metal straw or a bamboo straw if you need it for medical reasons.

6. Rubbish Bags
When it comes to plastic bags sometimes we really need them for rubbish and so forth, but did you know that you can literally just put your garbage into a trash can without plastic bags? I actually never thought of this before!

Then simply wash your garbage bin whenever they take the rubbish away. If you really need to use garbage bags, you can find awesome compostable ones. They decompose so quickly, I literally put anything in there and within a couple of days it's starting to fall apart. So when you're shopping look out for proper compostable bags not the ones that takes months or years to decompose.

ACCOMODATION:

I know it's fun to stay in accommodation where you have all these little goodies (tiny shampoo, conditioner etc), but if you leave them completely untouched the cleaners don't have to replace them and they can be used on different customers.

Don’t take the plastic water bottles from the room, just boil your water or use your trusty Grayl reusable bottle!

TOILETRIES:

I'm slowly replacing everything in my toiletries bag to be plastic free and figuring out more solutions. Of course I have my bamboo toothbrush and all my shampoo and soap conditioners are metal.

I had a little plastic bottle from a previous product, but I didn't want to throw it out without proper use, so I've been using it for the past 6 to 8 months to hold my coconut oil. This can be used as makeup remover, moisturizer for my face and moisturizer for my body (oh the wonders of coconut oil).

The Baiden Mitten is the best exfoliant on the market, You can literally see rolls of skin coming off you when you are using it. It has saved my skin from horrible crazy skin conditions and I highly recommend it! I have been selling this for 8 years or something so you know how much I love it.

MY BAG:

This might be my favorite part! I have a little carry bag that I carry with me all the time. I thought it was bit nerdy at first, but people always tell me how much they love this thing! It's just a simple bum bag (or as Americans call it - a fanny pack). I can clip on my water bottle and store all of my utensils inside. Comment down below and let me know what you think - cool or nerdy? :-P


Those are my tips for the plastic free life! It is actually a really fun lifestyle that you will grow to fall in love with. You do need a tiny little bit more preparation, but at the end of the day, you get to feel good about yourself and know that you're contributing to the world, which is super super important.

Small steps make a huge difference for the world that we are living in today. If you are reading this, you are one of the lucky ones that can make a difference. You are now aware so please take some action to live a plastic free life.

Make sure to comment below if this is something that you think you can do, which part is your favorite and which is the smallest and simplest change you can do right now to start living this lifestyle.

Until next time guys!

I TRIED LIVING PLASTIC FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

And what are the results?
Was it effective?
Will I continue living this way?
Is this even possible?

I actually think it's easier than you think.

Here are the essentials to succeeding in this lifestyle:
1. Reusable coffee cup
2. Reusable water bottle
3. Cotton bag for groceries
4. Bamboo toothbrush
5. Menstrual cup for ladies
6. Stainless steel razor blade
7. Bees Wax Wraps
8. Stainless Steel cutlery set

Small steps you can take to make a massive difference:
1. Say no to plastic straws
2. If you need to use a disposable coffee cup, say no to the lid
3. Say no to plastic bags
4. Learn to make your own toiletries which are cheaper and better for you anyway.

Just remember, any small way you can start cutting out this major pollutant right now is better than not doing anything at all!

So take baby steps wherever you can. The future generations deserve it :)

Natural beauty hacks videos: https://youtu.be/89r_kj3QuLE