Being SUSTAINABLE 1

Hi lovelies,

This is a continue of my previous post regarding the zero waste, so our goal is rather to reach a sustainable lifestyle. Firstly let me list you what we have already doing:

• Transportation: In the city I use my bike when I can, so it is mostly form April to November and in all the other months I do use the public transportation, while my husband goes by car as we is working so far from home, but we usually takes his 2 fellow colleagues to work too. Going to the countryside I do use train, if we go by car we do use the car share. Note: also on holiday to Italy or Coatia we did and will share our car with 2 more people. Also about the car we do have an Opel Astra with 1.4 gasoline engine, as it is 12 years old now we want to change it into a plug-in hybrid with gasoline in ca. the same, mid-size maybe next year.
• Recycle: since ever my parents rot and recycle at home, so it was so hard to find no recycle bin upon moving to Budapest, but thankfully we do have them now in the house, so we do have seperate bins for platic/metal and paper up in our flat too. So often I just leave the magazines, which I have bought to the neighbors. Yes this is one part, which we do want to improve! Also we do giveaway our clothes to a charity shop or take them to recycle.
• Useless: If you have read my blog we try to shop only what we need that is why we constantly declutter and check our items at home. There are items, which are already on a regret to buy list. And trying to be a bit more minimal in terms of my clothes.
• Drinking tap water: why should we drink mineral waters in a platic bottle if we have one of the best quality water in the world? I am always stare our guests how stupid is to take all the bottled waters up to their room or demand for complimentary bottles of water while drinking the free lemonade at the welcome desk, which made of tap water:). Yes we do buy syrup, which brand’s glass bottle is returnable.
• More vegetables: as I can not be totally vegan nor vegetarian, so I decided to have one day in each week: so Tuesdays are my veggie days. It is mostly comes from my parents garden or the vegetable grocery next door.
• Textile bag: I always carry one textile bag with me, however we have to update it more in the future.
• Dairy: as I am having skincare issue due to milk, we try to reduce to consume these as low as possible, sometimes I do eat some cheese or a yoghurt, but a way much less then before.
• Thermos: At work I already have a bottle for water and a tiny thermos mug for my coffee, so I am not wasting paper or pastic mugs everytime, like most of my colleagues do.

I think that is all what we do at the moment, but might missed out something, so coment your suggestions and I am going to continue with our steps to be sustainable.

Why we can not be zero waste?

Hi lovelies,

Plastics free July is such a nice initiative, however let me write the truth why you can not succeed-> YES the whole world is againts you. So we tried to reduce the platic: so did not buy any soft drinks, plastic bags nor anything with single use plastic packaging. But let me tell you why we failed:

I really like the conception of zero waste(read and watch videos too), specially the 5R, which I try to keep is the next time, but firstly it is my list which I just can not do. I really appricate the people, who live a zero waste lifestyle!

• Travel: I love to travel and can not live without it, I think it is a bit unsightly when zero waste gurus travels a lot (specially by plane or car) to give speech regarding their lifestyle.
• Washing: instead of using single use products, zero waste usually required to wash, specially hygenic items, to disinfect you do need to use a higher temperature, which increase electricity usage and also waste a lot of (in Hungary: drinking) water!
• Detergents: eco free detergents also packed in plastic… and costs a lot more than normal ones and usually not that effective. I have tried DM Nature, which is a prettygood eco products for us, but I have read a lots of reviews that is useless for stubborn spots- but we do not have a kid yet so… And also the fabric conditions alternatives are pretty low choices. Yes, you might say these washing nuts- but there are coming for India, form the other side of the World…
• Hygiene: I can not replace toilet papers or kleenex. From the kleenex it is better to take the paper box ones, but there are having smaller and lower quality. Diva cup is not something that I can imagine to use.
• Secondhand clothes: I used to shop second hand, but as most of the second hand are extremly over priced, also sells fast fashion and most of the clothes are coming from the UK, so I only go into real, local vintage store. So all those Hada or Cream English second hands sells H&M, Zara, Primark ect. so imagine: these clothes are produced in Asia or Morocco, than they shipped to UK, which they might sold (yes sometimes the stores took the unsold items into the bins) and used once or twice by a women, than they left it into a bin,which they select and sold the best ones (which are the rare used) for the price of 10-15 EUR/items in the Eastern European part. Other problem they cause, that you can not sell your used and locally purchased clothes at all or maybe by facebook market place, which takes a lot of time and energy. The zero waste way would be to shop local designer clothes, which is very expensive or sew it yourself- that is still not the cheapest and also need time and skills.
• Lack of selective bins!
• Lack of returnable packaging: milk, beer, wine ect. bottles used to be widely returnable a few years ago.
• Online shopping: I love to do my shopping online as you can buy much more things then in the shops, it is easier and do save some time. Yes it is comes in a lot of extra packaging, which is mainly plastic.
• Make-up: I am a make up lover, yes I have not rethink that part of my life;).

I hope you have enjoyed this little post, I am going to update on my steps for a sustainable lifestlye in a few days!

XOXO,

Our Kitchen to be

Hi lovelies,

We are a flat owners for a months now, so we have already most of the official papers and every construction start with a demolition, so now our flat will be reborn.

I share you some “before” pictures:

So financial planning is highly important, according to your money and time you can choose an interior designer or a brigade as well, but if you have a good imagination you can same money and search on your own experts like wrapper or mason ect. We have chosen the last, and decided to do most of the demolition on our own (especially my husband has really good skills and tools for his father, while I am better in project management). I have made a financial plan, which includes 15% extra money in the first term, which we can later spend on some extra furnitures.

Now we have removed a wall, some doors,the old AC, the wall paintings and replacement of doors- windows and the electricity are in process. So the walls are naked:):

Kitchen:

This is the most expensive part of the flat and also in our focus as we will spent most of our time at kitchen-living room. Yes, we have opened the wall between the kitchen and the bigger room to become an American style living room and we will have only a small bedroom separated by a window wall. Now I will only explain the kitchen part.

Covers: the walls are going to be just  plain white, while the floor will get a light wooden style gres (we have to decide till next week):

I have these trendy plastic wall covers so we have ordered this cute Chevron tiles from Equipe Ceramicas. Since I have been studied in Portugal, I am in love with those “azulejos” so that Lisbon fantasy named tile will be by the hob.

Furnitures: we will create the dream kitchen front of my husband: IKEA Bodbyn with some Tornviken elements. This will look so traditional with some modern elements and the off-white color will bring the lights in to the kitchen. I also love that it has glass door options as well. Honestly IKEA kitchen planner is so easy to use and much cheaper…

Our dinning table will be a mid-century one for my grandma in dark brown color, while will make a super contrast of new. We are still looking for the chairs, but still have some ideas.

Appliances: our dishwasher will be a Bosch built-in one for sure as we currently have one, which we love and also my parents has such one. Hob will work with gas as they are much better then ceramic- you can control the temperature more quickly and it is much cheaper then induction hobs, for which you have to select special equipments. Microwave and oven will stand high in a built-in cabinet, while Fridge should be free-standing, due to our magnet collection:)

Stay turned for the updates. Comment below if you have any tips.

Xoxo,

Insta

 

 

International women’s day

Hi everyone!

Today is 8th March, the day of international women’s day, so this blog post will be a bit deeper than my usual ones. Still in 2018, this day is about women receiving flowers, housewares tools, cooking equipment at work. These things considered to be women thing, come on men can also buy flowers for themselves initially they say it for flat decoration… cooking equipments are also just a really stereotype, I have friends who are women and hate to cook and men who love to cook. Yes of course we are happy about the flower. For one moment your boss or colleagues give the flower, but they

do not act or think more. They never ever think about if it is equal to have same salary of a women with 5 years experience with a men of 2 years, to give all the extra works to female colleagues without any additional income (men would not do that) or just to have more female manager. Even men colleagues let themselves to say sexually explicit jokes…

I am not the person who likes to share facts about my job, but I have decided this months I will like I did once. Generally, the Hotel Front Desk is a masculine work, even thought nowadays people do think ( maybe it is just here in Hungary) being a receptionist is a job for women. I think most of the people think it is the same as in a beauty salon or in an office. They are really wrong: it is a really masculine physically and emotionally hard job: no weekends, afternoon and evening shifts, you have to correct reservation, sales; organize, manage operation; dealing with complains; decide compensation; take out people while sometimes you do not have time to eat or just going to the toilet and in the meanwhile you have to smile.

When three and a half-year ago I have entered to my current work place no-one asked me whether I would like to be a cashier, receptionist(shift leader) or concierge even I had experience where I did all. I was automatically taken to be a cashier, while guess what men even with no experience was asked… (thankfully I did not start at full night shift like now the newbies) time passed these men (2 or 3) was fired, I have to prove and I became the very first Lady giving MOD Since 1985… after 31 years come on girls… it was a fight but I am really proud that only 3 men in the line before me, it is also a shame that most of my women colleagues just simply says I do not want with 15 or 10 years experience and they do not see If they are with a young man they are the ones who solve the problem…

Women we have to stand out for ourselves!

My other story is from my previous work place, where after our Front Office Manager was skipped,the management started to search for a new FOM, in the meanwhile I was asked to do most of the responsibilities what he did(6 weeks), then we got a man, who fired after 3 days three weeks pass again one, fire after two weeks… hotel manager and owners asked me again to replace the FOM, because I did it so well, so I asked regarding getting this position officially, they refused because they want a bit elder men…ok.

Every year at least once I read Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and in the reference of a new certain conversation with my boss while he was talking to me I have been realized he is really afraid of me and he wanted to demonstrate his position, while he was in the know that he is demonstrating his leadership force. Generally we say (according to my studies) it is wrong decision to make your leader, creative employee’s motivation down. I have realized there is nothing to be fear, what would be the consequences? Nothing

Women power and get strange together

Happy women’s day!

Xoxo,

P.s.: I love flowers too