It's been a HUGE start to the year & incredibly emotional for all of us. First the fires & floods, now the virus… it’s been a tough time for so many. I've been thinking of a fun way to help people return to a positive mind frame. A way to give back & talk about a subject close to my heart ... sustainable, eco friendly living. And what's more fun than giving people the chance to win some killer prizes!?

Three lucky ducks are in for a treat! So if you want to be spoilt with goodies from the brands I adore such as Aveda, Vital Greens, TOM Organic, Seed & Sprout, Byron Bay Cleaning Co & more ... then keep reading!

Thinking about the fires in particular, I don't think there is one single Australian who was not affected in some way by the recent fires, droughts, winds, storms or floods. And sadly the extent of the devastating aftermath will continue to unravel for years to come.

Our beautiful home country has been hit hard by the most brutal of conditions - it's almost too difficult to comprehend what’s happening around us … especially now with the circulating virus. It’s just heartbreaking. To everyone reading this & to your nearest and dearest - please know that I am thinking of you.

The fires opened peoples hearts which was, and still is so special to witness. Never before has the concept of community support shone so brightly. It should be obvious to us all by now that as a country & as a community - we all need to stick together. Have your neighbours back, and they'll have yours.

Watching our landscape cop such a beating has reminded me how precious & destructible it is. The natural environment cannot be taken for granted, especially now. Not only have we lost both people & beautiful wildlife - we've lost our land. We have lost an enormous amount of our natural Australian landscape ... & on so many recent days we have lost our ability to breathe in fresh air.

I think that now is an important time to reiterate the importance of living in an eco-conscious way, focusing our efforts on sustainability, reducing our plastic consumption & working extra hard towards lowering our carbon footprint. Each & every one of us owe it to our country & our communities, to live with care & a green heart.

I am a big believer in the saying, "knowledge is power!" I appreciate that there people out there who want to do the right thing & make changes but might not know how. That's ok!! I don't judge those people for a second, I simply want to help them by leading by good example and sharing some of the knowledge I've picked up over the past few years.

We all have amazing tips & tricks up our sleeves in terms of improving our daily eco-conscious habits. So let's SHARE these tips and tricks so that they become common knowledge!

By now, we should all be getting rid of plastic bags, bottles, single-use-plastics (this includes take away coffee cups as a lot of them are lined with plastic and/or come with a plastic lid). We should be using reusable tupperware, metal cutlery & cling wrap alternatives. We should be buying brands who package their goods in environmentally friendly ways & walking/riding where we can - instead of always driving. We should be using the correct bins for the correct waste & considering things like composting and visiting local farmers markets for fresh and organic produce.

But I know there must be more. There must be some big, creative, EPIC ideas out there to make our daily carbon footprint much LESS. And I want to hear about them!! So let's get sharing!

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If you can comment below & tell me about how you are making positive changes to your daily lives for the benefit of our environment, our oceans & air ... then I will share them with my platform! I'll even use them in my own day-to-day life. Absolutely!

To incentivise you all to get writing, I'd love to select 3 entrants who I think have come up with the 3 most exceptional, exciting, innovative & achievable ideas… & reward those 3 wonderful people with a killer prize pack! The prize pack on offer has been created by some of my dearest clients and friends who have all agreed to partner up on this occasion because they too believe that there is more to be done!

Improving the state of our country & our planet is not impossible. Don't put it in the "too hard basket". Put it in the "TO DO" basket! If you do, I'll reward you with some goodies to pop into your basket too!!

Be kind & use your hearts guys. Before acting, please think twice. Have a read below to find out more about a collection of the brands who kindly contributed the prize packs.

Elyse xx

Seed & Sprout - based out of my new hometown Byron Bay, S&S are on a mission to eliminate single use plastics. Not only do they create eco products, they create and promote a meaningful change in our world.

Vital - not only is the Vital All-In-One a part of my every day - these guys are moving their packaging over to 100% recycled plastics! Anyone who works towards closing the gap in terms of new plastics entering our world is a friend of mine!! I am so proud of my partner Vital for making this shift!!

TOM Organic - there is a lot to love about female founded brands who care for both the environment & the health and safety of their consumers. TOM is paving the way in terms of accessible, safe hygiene that aim to celebrate women and encourage us ALL to feel protected & beautifully natural.

Aveda - apart from their incredible range of haircare, Aveda is a global company who innovate in the most impressive of ways. From their retail products to their salons & staff, they believe in holistic beauty that poses no threat to the world we live in.

Byron Bay Cleaning Co - No nasties, no chemicals, no worries!! Cleaning your home and maintaining your day-to-day household tasks should be something you can easily do without worry of ingesting a range of harmful chemicals. BBCO are literally reviving the air you and your family breathe in. Your home should always be a place where you feel safe. Thanks to BBCO, it will be.