365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

99 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  This is a fascinating house. It is a zero-energy house, which means that all the required energy is taken from the solar panels. And as you can see, they are not only placed on the roof, but also on the facade to that enough solar energy is available.

I am switching off my Bluetooth and WIFI as much as possible. When having them on, these services try to connect to other devices which of course uses energy. So by switching them off, I have to recharge less often and therefore save energy.  

98 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Since 2016, German customers have to pay for plastic bags, which caused the number of bags to go down by 2 billion in a year! From 2022, plastic bags are not allowed in supermarkets anymore, so I'm glad that the number will go down further. 

It is good to see that there are more and more products that are multi-use, such as kitchen paper. As I seldom use it, I bought it for someone else who is using it frequently.  

97 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Today, I gave my brain a break by coloring the coloring page I drew last week. Drawing (and coloring) makes me go into a flow and relaxes me. If your children also like to color this coloring page, you can download it here: https://shutr.bz/3o8Hd4T

Looking back: 233 days into my 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge:  One of my professors gave me the advice to use my brain and follow my heart. To remind myself, I made this frame. It took me years and I went through my "never fail cycle" (Day 225) many times, but now I know and feel that I am on the right track with my Challenge.

When starting a short car trip, the car was hot from the sun during the day. The first thing I wanted to do was turn on the air conditioning. But that wouldn’t have made sense, because there was enough fresh air outside that would flow in through an open window. It worked very well and it made me realize how beautiful that place is.

96 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Although I'm only self-employed for five weeks now, I sometimes feel fearful, e.g. that savings run out one day. Two weeks ago, Feline Beuming asked me what fear means to me. In this video , you can hear my answer. (Visit http://bit.ly/3lletVT  for the whole interview) Video: https://twitter.com/ErlijnG/status/1332376138883035137

This was such an easy one. Instead of throwing the cooking utensil (I use it when eating pizza) away, I just glued the parts together. And it took a lot less time than buying a new one.

95 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  On Sunday, I promised to let you know how you can support me. I'd be very grateful when you buy the 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge (e)book ( https://amzn.to/377KRa5 ),  share the book with others and leave a review on Amazon.  Happy Thanksgiving Day!

I have a very cozy, warm pullover. When it gets cold, I wear it all the time. And as it is a bit too big, I can wear it over another pullover. It works really well to keep the heating down.  

94 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Yesterday, I forgot to bring my laptop to my drawing course. Oops. So instead, I used the materials that were available, which triggered completely new ideas. That's why I believe: the more we acknowledge climate issues, to more we will come up with ideas to improve.

Looking back: 232 days into my 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge:  I believe what Henry Ford said is true: I think I can complete my Challenge successfully, and so far, I'm well on the way to make this come true. And I believe it also applies to anyone of us: when you believe you can make a difference in the climate crisis, you can.

When I’m crafting, I often have waste that should go in different types of bins. To be able to separate my waste during crafting as well, I marked some old pizza glasses with wool leftovers. Blue is for paper, yellow for plastic and black for residual waste.

93 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Statistics show that 90% of all startups fail. There are probably many reasons causing this, but one thing I now see clearly: as with living more sustainable, it can only work with a shift in mindset. I'm now working on my entrepreneur as opposed to employee mindset.

Without thinking, I sometimes pull 3 or more paper towels from the dispenser after having washed my hands. Now I became conscious of this habit of using two or more towels, I tried with only one. It worked well, so from now on, I will now only use one.  

92 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Some moments, my confidence that my self-employment will work is low. The reason: the more I know, the more I realize what I don't know and the more I can do, the more I realize what I can't do. But most importantly, I add "yet": I might not be able yet, but I'll learn.

Looking back: 231 days into my 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge: What did you see first in the picture: that they are almost identical or that the color of the land differs? I tend to look for commonalities and found out that many who think climate change is a hoax, still want to contribute to a healthy planet e.g. by recycling.

On parties, I often see a lot of food that is used as decoration and not eaten. As I don’t like food to be thrown away, I decided to eat the decoration too.

91 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Is there anything I can do to support you?  Yes, there are actually many things you could do to support. I'll gather ideas on Twitter using the hashtag #supportErlijnG, so that you can see whether there is something that you like to do. To make a start: sign up for email notifications in the menu on the left.

I am using a manual lawnmower to mow the grass. I have to admit that the grass area in my garden is not extremely large, but still ... And the good thing too is that I don’t risk mowing an electric cable.  

90 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Today, I was lucky! I accidentally selected a drawing tool that will make it easier for me to draw four leaf clovers (I used it for today's drawing). As with living more sustainable, by trying and practicing, I'm more likely to bump into something that works for me.

This time of the year is the time of pumpkins. I've been eating it several times over the last few weeks, as eating fruits and vegetables in the season they are harvested is more sustainable than later in the year, for example because it requires less energy for storage (e.g. refrigerators). But also, this pumpkin for example didn’t have to be processed or supplemented with preservatives.

89 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  I already knew this, but today learned it again: expectation management is important for me. When I would have all kinds of expectations, I would often be disappointed. By not having expectations instead, I'm open for what comes, whatever it is. Without disappointment.

When finishing my tube of toothpaste, I always make an effort to squeeze as much out of it as possible. But I used to throw the tube away when nothing comes out anymore. This time, I cut off part of the tube and see here, there is some toothpaste left! (This also works for tubes with paint.)  

88 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Since I started my Challenge, many things happened. I've already shared bits and pieces here and am gathering more stories with Yvonne Roth in a book. If you like to be informed when this behind the scene book is finished, please let me know: bit.ly/331G0nU

Looking back: 228 days into my 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge:  When I do a jigsaw puzzle, I love finishing it. But what I love even more is putting each piece in place. That's why I'm also passionate about my Challenge: each tweet feels like a part of the puzzle that becomes more complete every single day.

To be able to store yesterday’s memory game (#411), I decided to use an empty pill container. It fits perfectly.  

87 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Where I live, it's common that deposit/returnable bottles are left on top of the bin instead of inside it. This way, they can be picked up by someone who's willing to bring them back to the shop. A great habit, as it reduces waste and allows more recycling.

In the past, I usually bought grated cheese. I used to have a very blunt rasp, so it was a pain to scrape the cheese. Now I have a very good one, so scraping is very easy. As a block of cheese comes in a lot less plastic, or none at all, this saves a lot of waste.  

86 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Today, I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the super-exiting things that are happening and all the things I'm currently learning in the context of my sustainability work here. To allow myself some time to take it all in, I enjoyed making this piece of art for you.

In #322, I used milk carton cups as a coaster. I’ve been wondering for what else I can use carton caps. As they all look identical, I decided to make a memory game from them. And it works well, because it is very easy to grab them and turn them around. The only thing I had to be careful about is that the form and colors aren’t visible when the cap is upside down.  

85 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  A while ago, I heard the term "plastic era", which future archaeologists may use for the time we live in now. Today, I saw an example of what this means: this soil has been turned upside down, uncovering plastic that has been buried. Buried for ages and still there.

Looking back: 227 days into my 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge:  Sometimes I want to go somewhere, but don't know the way. It then helps when someone shows me how or offers me a new perspective. So I'm happy to share with you my ways to live more sustainable and hope it helps you to find yours! 

I‘ve once read that it‘s possible to swallow a spider at night. As I don‘t like the idea, I bring them outside when I find one instead of killing it.  

84 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  On 🌱Day 128, I shared that I made a compost bin. I've been using it ever since. Today, I discovered a plant that feels so well in there that it has grown rapidly. I'm curious what it is and how amazing would it be when it brings forth a home-grown fruit or vegetable!❤️

Thanks Adriaan Hofstra for your feedback on the "From Fear to Inner Freedom" event ( http://bit.ly/3lletVT ): "We learned a lot from young Erlijn with ambition, dreams and inspirations and your road with ups and downs to sustainable present. So a very open chat that's worth watching."

As I wrote in (#409), I’m looking for vegan alternatives. One thing I love drinking is milk. I’ve tried soy milk, which I didn’t like, but I know I can also try cocos and rice milk. I can try that instead.  

83 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  A Dutch university (Wageningen University and Research) has found out that duckweed contains a lot of proteins, grows fast and tastes good. So, hopefully in the near future, we eat from the picture not the animal, but the duckweed around it. I'm ready to give it a try!

Someone who visited me used a tea bag to brew one cup of tea. This made me notice that one thing I’ve been doing for a long time is brewing a whole pot with one bag instead of only one cup. This save many bags and saves energy because the kettle only needs to heat up once.  

Wow, I just had a wonderful event with Feline Beuming "From Fear to Inner Freedom". If you missed it, subscribe here for instructions on how to see the recording: https://bit.ly/3lletVT

82 days into my 365 Clover Challenge: Yesterday, I got feedback that I seem to have boundless energy. I don't always have high energy, but mostly I do. That's because I'm eager to develop my self (notice the space after my). E.g. when I overcome fear, I have more energy. This adds up over the years.

As I’m trying to eat vegan more often, I’m looking for alternatives. One thing I found was vegan pate, based on truffle. It tasted really well so it’s a great alternative for pate based on meat.  

81 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  In my drawing class, I picked nail polish as object for my exercise. During drawing, I realized that I never use these products. That's very #sustainable too, as I don't need the polish, nor the remover.

Looking back: 226 days into my 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge:  Are you a long distance runner or a sprinter? I'm a long distance runner, meaning that it works better to change my habits one by one and to keep going, than many within e.g. a week. And even though progress is hardly noticeable on a daily basis, it is looking back.

During a walk through the fields, I saw some waste lying around. As I didn’t have a bag with me to gather litter, I only took a few things that were easy to carry. It feels good to know that this rubbish is now not flying around for ages. Next time, I’ll be prepared.  

80 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  It's a first! Today, I invite you to my first ever online live event on Fri Nov 13th at 7.30 pm CET. Feline Beuming will interview me on the topic "From Fear to Inner Freedom". Subscribe here for instructions on how to get to the event: https://bit.ly/3lletVT

After having finished eating my peaches, I decided to put the pits in the ground. I hope I chose a good spot and that they will bring forth a tree one day.  

79 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  Yesterday, I went to the dentist. I noticed that they're using plastic cups. I asked whether it's possible for them to replace the plastic cups by glass cups. She said they'll do so next year as these plastic cups will be forbidden by then. Better late than never 🙂

A wasp decided that the “Aperol Spritz” in the drink of my friend is very tasty. But because he was a bit too greedy, the wasp almost drowned. With the straw that was in the drink (I’ll come back to that), I managed to get him out and put him on the ground. He needed some time to get the sticky drink of his wings, but he made it.  

78 days into my 365 Clover Challenge:  I recently walked through a street and wondered whether I was going crazy, as I thought to perceive that the streetlights became brighter. The next time I went there, I paid attention and it happened again. So I'm not going crazy, this is called saving energy.