Hi! My name is Tahsin
My aim is to help you organise your home and take steps toward a more sustainable life, so you can eliminate the feeling of overwhelm and live a life that is in line with your values.
I believe sustainable living is your path toward a simpler life. No matter who you are or your circumstances, there is something in this space that can help you.
A little bit about me...
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And I have discovered products and services that have lowered our carbon footprint, without changing the lifestyle we have become accustomed to
But I could see people struggling with clutter in their homes and falling into the trap of organising and re-organising.
And I could see the ideal of perfection preventing others from fully embracing sustainable living in their own lives.
I wanted to do something about that.
Reality check
I am nowhere near to being the poster child for minimalism and sustainability.
I cook vegetarian meals for my family but I still eat meat on occasion. I buy clothes second-hand but I also buy new. I’ll make my own cleaners but I’m not going to make my own bread. I’ll grow some herbs but I’m not growing everything needed to feed my family. I buy so much less but I still buy things new. A lot of plastic tends to enter our home.
I don’t say this as an apology because I don’t think apologies are needed. Perfection is an unachievable ideal. A construct that prevents real action.
I say this so you know. And in the hope that it helps to bring more people into this space.
If you think sustainable living is an all-or-nothing proposition, it’s not. It’s a movement that needs everyone to do what they can.
That’s what I realised when I started getting into it.
To the vegans who fly every week,
To the meat eaters who only shop local,
To the thrift shoppers sipping plastic coffee cups
To the DIY mums who use disposable nappies
To the electric car owners who don’t’ compost
To the zero wasters who eat fast food
To the gardeners who buy fast fashion
And to the recyclers who have long showers
To all of you out there; keep doing what you can.
You’re making a difference.
– Ethically Kate
Source: https://www.instagram.com/ethicallykate/
The full story
Pre 2015
I haven’t always lived with simplicity and sustainability in mind. Since I got my first paycheck and as the family grew, endless consumerism took over. The number of possessions I had grew and grew and so did my responsibilities. And the never-ending to-do list. And endless cleaning and re-organising. Which I never really got onto. And if I did, it was with a whole lot of resentment and stress. I just found it all too much 😭.
It was particularly hard when I became a mum in 2009 and again in 2012. My house just became engulfed with so much stuff!
And I made it worse. Because I’d spend my “me” time going shopping. I’d watch clothing hauls during my downtime and scroll endlessly online, often making snap purchasing decisions to grab a great deal. If I needed to get out of the house on a whim, I’d end up at the shopping centre and I rarely ever came home empty-handed.
That was until one of my YouTube rabbit holes led me to capsule wardrobes.
2015
Around 2014 a few YouTubers started talking about capsule wardrobes. No doubt they were spurred on by the devastating impact of the Raza Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, covered by the True Cost of Fashion documentary.
(I am embarrassed to say I didn’t get around to watching that myself until recently, which you can read about here: 5 facts you need to know from the true cost of fashion)
(I am embarrassed to say I didn’t get around to watching that myself until recently, which you can read about here: 5 facts you need to know from the true cost of fashion)
But it clearly made an impact on people when it was released in 2015.
I saw more and more people showing off their capsule wardrobes and it was so appealing – a minimal wardrobe with timeless pieces you love. It looked so effortless and easy 🧘
I wanted that. Less chaos in the one area of my home that I didn’t share with others.
So I got a capsule wardrobe going. I shopped my wardrobe and created four seasonal wardrobes full of pieces that I loved.
It was a bit of a struggle because I didn’t follow a guide – I just knew the end goal and I fussed around trying to get to it. But I figured it out eventually. The process I followed is summarised here: Capsule wardrobes – build one in 5 steps
It was a bit of a struggle because I didn’t follow a guide – I just knew the end goal and I fussed around trying to get to it. But I figured it out eventually. The process I followed is summarised here: Capsule wardrobes – build one in 5 steps
There was no more not knowing what to wear because I had culled things down to items that worked well together. No more endless shopping because I could see I had all that I needed in my pared-back wardrobe. And so many other benefits, which I get into here: Capsule wardrobes – 5 reasons why you should have one.
2016
It didn’t end there. In 2015 The Minimalist documentary was released and it caught my eye in 2016. And that got me going on a rampage. I went around the house decluttering like crazy. Home decor, kitchen, bathroom, the kid’s stuff, all the odds and ends around the home.
Mentally I was ready for it – I was aware of the benefits of having less stuff after I had reduced my wardrobe and knew only good things awaiting me at the end of my home declutter.
So inspired by Marie Kondo and a heap of home decluttering shows, I went through each section of my home deciding what I should keep, sell, donate and throw away.
I’m afraid a lot was donated or thrown away 😪
What remained was organised in a way that ensured we knew what we had and we knew where to find it. I’m a naturally organised person and I had no problems with setting up an organised home.
2017
But it didn’t end there. I was still restless and felt something wasn’t right.
Then I saw Bea Johnson’s Ted talk from 2016 on Zero Waste Living and it hit me. Decluttering and organising is one part of what it takes to simplify your life.
Sustainable living is the other part 🌍
For me, sustainable living was about reducing what I consumed and consuming only what I needed, mindfully and consciously. It was also about reducing my carbon footprint by consuming low waste and low impact products and services.
During this time I curbed my consumption. I also made common low waste swaps, advocated by those in the zero waste community. I realised by opting for “convenience” and using single-use items, I was still in a constant state of consumption. Sustainable living addressed that.
When I combined the principles of sustainable living with my natural organising skills, I was finally able to get on top of the mess and live a simpler life.
Where did that leave me?
The small changes I have made, have made all difference. I have saved money as I am spending less on clothing, food and things I already own. I have saved time as I am no longer wasting my life making simple decisions or shopping for things I don’t really need. I’ve reduced the feeling of stress and overwhelm as I am no longer consumed with organising and maintaining a whole lot of stuff.
And I am actually living a life more aligned with my values, slowly adopting practices that support sustainable living, helping to create a future I want my kids to live in.
When I went into this, I didn’t want to make my life more difficult – actually the opposite. I took on elements of sustainable living that made my life easy – reducing endless consumption, having reusable products on hand, spending more time locally and enjoying what I already had instead of constantly chasing new things.
Sustainable living does not require you to make sacrifices you can’t make, it just requires you to do the best you can.
And by doing what you can, you will find the path toward a simpler and more rewarding life.
And by doing what you can, you will find the path toward a simpler and more rewarding life.
and now...
I have found that the hardest part was not the change itself – the changes were so easy. It was figuring out what to do.
Making an informed purchasing decision.
Knowing where to reduce consumption.
Knowing how to best reuse an item or what options exist so others can reuse what you have.
Wading through the different recycling rules and knowing how to recycle those obscure items💩 Figuring out how composting works.
💰 Figuring out if we are unconsciously contributing to the destruction of our living conditions with our financial decisions.
🌍 Figuring out how to influence how governments and environmentally destructive companies operate.
There is a lot of information out there on what to do, but very little that shows how to do it.
Over 7 years I had achieved a lot and I wanted to share that with others.
Also, I realised when I initially decluttered I was careless in the way I donated and threw away items. I could see there was not enough information out there on how to declutter sustainably and I wanted to address that.
So in 2020, I started this website and in 2021 I started posting bits of my life on Instagram.
What you will find here
Through my Instagram account and this website, I will share what I have learned and will continue to learn about sustainable living.
The focus will be on ways to organise your home and declutter responsibly, as well as tips to reduce consumption, reduce waste, recycle better, make better consumer choices and stand up for what you believe in.
With my background in engineering and science, I am likely to go into more esoteric topics in the sustainability space – however I will make sure whatever I cover is brought back down to actions we can take in our everyday lives 😊
So if that interests you, explore this website. You can also connect with me on Instagram @sustainablesorted if you are interested in knowing more about me.
