It is really great to have you as a guest on Bamboodu, can you please introduce yourself in case some of my readers don’t know you?
Thank you for having me. My name is Georgina Caro. I run a website called Gypsy Soul which is there to help you live a more sustainable & simple life. Since 2013 I have been on a mission to drastically change mine and my families life with the ultimate aim of simplifying, minimizing and making life about experiences rather than stuff. My website is there to help others make these changes too.
You can read more about our journey on my about page.
When did you start to take an interest in sustainability issues?
I’ve always been interested in environmental issue which lead me to study for my Masters in Environmental & Energy Studies in Wales. Not long after that, we had children and I lost my way for a while as family life took priority. With 2 children under 2, I opted for convenience over sustainability every time. However, it didn’t take me long to get back on track as I wanted to be setting a good example for my children. I started my blog as a way of documenting my sustainable lifestyle journey and it grew from there into the website it is today.
What are the secrets to running a successful and well informed blog?
Time and patience. Creating content takes time. Building a following takes time. Creating a thriving online community takes time. When I first started my blog I spent 6 months working on it without receiving any money. It was really hard work, lots of late nights and hours at my computer screen, all voluntary. After that though it really took off which was an amazing feeling and made all of the hard work worth it.
What do you do, personally, in order to live sustainably?
I’m not sure where to start with that one! I do quite a lot of different things now but that has taken years of trial and error. Trying to live more sustainably is definitely a journey, not a destination and like blogging it takes time and patience.
- I hardly ever use my car anymore and walk any journeys that take me 30 minutes or less.
- I don’t fly.
- I follow a plant-based wholefoods diet.
- We have cavity wall insulation in our home.
- All of our light bulbs are low-energy bulbs.
- I use refillable shampoo, conditioner and washing up liquid which I get from our local health food store.
- We no longer use cling film in our home, instead, we use reusable wraps, reusable food bags and glass containers.
- I haven’t used deodorant since 2017 instead I use an alum stone.
- Our home energy is from 100% renewable sources.
- I stopped using makeup wipes and switched them for reusable ones.
- I no longer use single-use plastic disposable razors. I have a safety razor.
- I always carry my reusable bags, reusable coffee cup and reusable water bottle with me when I’m out and about.
- We use bamboo toothbrushes.
- I try to buy as much of our food ‘package free’ as I can.
- I use compostable dishcloths and plastic-free washing up tools.
- I buy plastic-free unwrapped dishwasher tablets.
- We take part in community litter picks.
- I’m the Plastic Free Community Leader in my town, with the aim of becoming an approved Plastic Free Town very soon.
I could go on but please do bear in mind that I’ve been on this journey for over 7 years now. It has taken a lot of time to find things that work for us.
What advice would you give someone just starting their sustainable & simple life?
Take it slow and enjoy the process. Focus on one thing at a time or you will get overwhelmed.
To start with I focused on our bathroom as we generated quite a lot of waste from there. I’d start with one product like plastic razors and look into sustainable alternatives. Once I was happy with the swap I’d then move onto something else. It took a year of making changes before I could remove the bin from our bathroom as we no longer needed it.
It’s also important to remember that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to sustainable living. We live in an area where it was possible for me to use my car less. I also work from home. This might not work for other people as we all live very different lives. I recommend doing your research, trying things out and see what works for you.
Who inspires you? What about them impressed you?
If we’re talking about other sustainability bloggers then I’d have to say Kathryn from Going Zero Waste. Her whole ethos is on positive sustainable changes and her blog is light-hearted and fun to read.
If we were talking about women in business it would be Zoe Sugg. I have loved watching her over the years and how she has grown her blog and YouTube into a thriving company where she now has an office and lots of staff. It just goes to show what can be achieved with determination.
What’s next for Gypsysoul?
Good question. It’s been running for over 8 years now. There are talks of a book and also some courses but I can’t really say any more than that at this point.
What I do know though is that I love what I do and every time I receive a message from a reader telling me about a sustainable change they have made after reading something on my site I do a little happy dance.
You can follow Georgina’s journey here…
