A longer history of The Whole Home family

If I’m honest (which I am here!) the internet and social media aren’t my favourite things – I took a long sabbatical in 2022. But I absolutely adore the incredible community and support it offers for this journey we’re on together, and its power for change! So it’s been my world the last decade. It’s hard to capture the nuances and complexities of a journey that thrives on embracing the “grey” areas online. But that’s what I’m here to do—bring nuance, conversation, and a real life journey to this space. I aim to balance advocating for consuming less and championing the journey of buying better, more ethical and sustainable products. You’ll see both.

Our world needs change, and we want to make better choices in our homes but I know— the journey can feel like a whirlwind of contradictions, judgment, and overwhelming choices. I massively believe in the power of progress, no matter how small. Just using what we have, from cash to information to take the next best step. Whether it’s switching to fair-trade chocolate, exploring second-hand things instead of new, or supporting ethical clothing brands, it all makes a difference. And I’m here to cheer you on EVERY step of the way!

This started for me when I was 11 and went to the farm where we got our meat. I realised there was a journey to our food before it got to us that had an impact on things beyond just me. I now eat meat again but through my teens I was vegetarian and vegan down to my shoes (yes, they were hideous!) as I sorted through what it looked like to eat well not just for me but for nature. At 15 and discovered Fairtrade chocolate… which left the question of what non Fairtrade chocolate was. Then learning about the horrors of the cocoa industry I committed along with my dad, to only consume ethically made chocolate. For life. I realised that I didn’t want my luxuries to cost someone else. That realisation extended beyond food later in life as I began questioning the products we put on our skin, our clothes, and everything that comes into our home.

Then in California in my 20s (where I met that “non Texan” Texan husband) I also met many other people with food intolerances. I grew up with meal times being the centre of life and family and friendship, so I became determined to create allergy-friendly recipes that could be enjoyed by everyone – and this blog was born. We sold speciality baked good in local coffee shops and shared the recipes through ebooks too (which was a steep learning curve for me a very not tech-y person!)

After having my first child, my perspective shifted even more. I started looking at baby clothes and saw “organic” cotton and dived into understanding the clothing industry from growing to selling and marketing and discovered there was a similar story of exploitation and environmental damage like I’d seen in chocolate. But also a potential impact on our bodies too from what we wear. With that I slowly began rethinking the way we brought anything into our home. It became important to me that our choices across the board have a positive impact on people with traceable supply chains and ethics, on the environment, and on our personal health. It’s a step-by-step journey, and I am HERE for the journey. It’s one that requires peace and grace and personal growth, and my mission from our home, is to make it feel a bit easier for you.

For me, it’s a journey rooted loving our neighbour. When I think of our “neighbours,” I mean not just the person next door, but the people we affect with our choices, who in the world we live in, are often far away. We need to care for them too. This journey is about kindness—to others and to ourselves. I’ve learned that communication is everything—asking questions, explaining, and not being afraid to be different.

This is a journey for the whole family, and in our home that hasn’t always been easy but it’s always been meaningful and rewarding. My son didn’t have socks for months as a bay cos I couldn’t find ethical ones and didn’t want any others! (Don’t worry, we were in warm California.) It’s required conversations, explanations, and finding win-win solutions together and it still does. It’s amazing to witness our children embracing values of caring for others and the planet, even if it’s not the first response always. They’re values I love seeing grow. And as we’ve raised kids on the journey you know what I’ve learned? They can understand, learn, and be involved much earlier than we think. It’s incredibly rewarding to bring them along on this journey. My eldest recently presented an idea to his school about reducing food waste he saw coming from his school’s hot lunch system — I was so proud and he really cared!

One of my biggest passions here is to change the way we look at clothing. To move away from fast fashion norms and instead, celebrate second-hand and ethical brands doing things right. Second-hand is normal and celebrated in our home – we all love a charity shop trip! It’s a way we can use a smaller budget, but stay sustainable and ethical. I’m also a firm believer in food budgeting for sustainable choices like shopping local, supporting small, ethically grown produce, and opting for sustainable food options. You’ll see a lot of content here about changing the ways we eat and shop to feel powerful with the budget we have!

Cos I know making these choices budget can feel like a challenge. I can also tell you it doesn’t always have to be as much as we think. Making sustainable choices doesn’t mean breaking the bank. In fact, the core of a lower impact lifestyle is buying less. Often the people with the least to spend have the lowest impact. It’s not the flashy social media or marketing version of sustainability, but the real gritty kind that matters and isn’t so judgy.

But the other side of that is that there are also places where sustainable or ethical choices cost more and yes, if we’re the people who have the room for it, we can (and I believe should) use the privilege of having money to do better in the ways that do cost more.

I’m really happy to have you here on this journey in whatever way you are. I hope you feel like you’re not alone, and that you find inspiration, encouragement, and a friendly voice as we all navigate this incredible journey toward low impact family living.

Welcome to a world of sustainable living made simpler!