Reflections on Volunteering in Calais
Overview Last weekend, I travelled to Calais, in France, to volunteer on the ground with refugees with Care4Calais and Calais Light. This was a short voluntary trip slotting in as extra support for long-term charitable work with Care4Calais. Practically helping refugees on the ground in Calais is something that has been on my heart for… Continue reading Reflections on Volunteering in Calais
Sponsor our Convoy to Calais
This Friday (19/09/25), I’ll be travelling to Calais, in France, to volunteer on the ground with refugees with Care4Calais and Calais Light. This is a short voluntary trip slotting in as extra support for long-term charitable work with Care for Calais. It’s going to be lots of warehouse work and distributing aid, with long hours.… Continue reading Sponsor our Convoy to Calais
Comparison is the thief of joy
Have you ever negatively compared yourself to someone else before? Have you felt jealous? I know I have. And it is not my favourite emotion. I’m going to be vulnerable for a moment and tell you what I’m particularly jealous about at the moment. I’m at the stage in life when quite a few of my… Continue reading Comparison is the thief of joy
Creation Care Sunday School Free Resource/Plan
Hey everyone, I recently ran a Sunday School Session on Creation Care/the environment/climate change, and I want to share the PowerPoint I created in case you want to use it too. You can download it below. Message me on Instagram @RealLifeRebs.blog If you would prefer me to email it to you instead or have any… Continue reading Creation Care Sunday School Free Resource/Plan
Engage Your Church on Climate Action (Free Resource Pack)
This year’s Christian Aid Prophetic Activists have put together a recourse pack for churches to learn about climate justice, celebrate God’s creation in their services, and engage in the politics of climate justice. This pack will empower your church to engage with climate justice at whatever level you are at, especially in light of the… Continue reading Engage Your Church on Climate Action (Free Resource Pack)
Reflections on the Prophetic Activist Retreat
Last November, I went away on a retreat with Christian Aid’s Prohetic Activist Scheme (PAS). PAS is a group Young Adults seeking Climate Justice in a Christian context. The course lasts 6-months and includes teaching on how to go about Christian activism, here are my thoughts on what we reflected on and learnt at the… Continue reading Reflections on the Prophetic Activist Retreat
Shell And BP Crowned ‘Architects Of The Climate Emergency’
Below, I share my article for Jesuit Missions on our stunt action that declared oil and gas companies Shell and BP as ‘Architects of the Climate Emergency’. On Friday (September 15), Jesuit Misisons joined Cafod, Faith For The Climate and Christian Climate Action outside Shell and BP’s headquarters in London to unveil the mock awards, which we attempted to hand… Continue reading Shell And BP Crowned ‘Architects Of The Climate Emergency’
How to reduce your rubbish – Tearfund
Today, I’m sharing my first article written for Tearfund as part of their RubbishCampaign! Have you ever thought about how much you throw away each week? Globally, we’re now facing mountains of plastic pollution, and this rubbish problem is pushing people further into poverty. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can change… Continue reading How to reduce your rubbish – Tearfund
How to avoid the temptation of fast fashion
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard multiple reasons why fast fashion is bad, unsustainable and unethical (If you don’t know why then read this post… ) Perhaps you’ve decided you want to commit to avoiding fast fashion, but you keep on coming back… It’s tough, I know, and it’s not always as easy as eco-influencers… Continue reading How to avoid the temptation of fast fashion
Valentine’s Day – Loving ourselves as God loves us
Around Valentine’s Day, we might be thinking about our love for others, but how about loving ourselves too? In this blog post, originally written for Just Love Brum, I share how to practice self-love from a Christian perspective. God loves us, he ‘knitted us together in our mother’s womb’ (Psalm 139:13), made us ‘in his… Continue reading Valentine’s Day – Loving ourselves as God loves us
How to forage & brew nettle tea
Picture this, you’ve booked a holiday reuniting your old housemates. The ultimate girls’ trip way. You travel for 4 hours on public transport, to your destination. Only to arrive at your Airbnb to discover there are NO TEA BAGS. We hadn’t even considered bringing our own. We were nieve and optimistic, thinking surely our barn… Continue reading How to forage & brew nettle tea
Loneliness and Mental Health
This week, we have a guest writer on the blog – Michael Onumah!! Michael and I hosted the second episode of ‘Fresh Minds’ – the mental health podcast (you can listen to it here). Today Micheal shares about the important topic of loneliness & mental health, and his own experience of this. Hope you enjoy!… Continue reading Loneliness and Mental Health
The Cheapest Sustainable Fashion Brands I Could Find
Sometimes, we want to shop sustainably but don’t want to go down the second-hand or rental route. We crave the simplicity of shopping for a new item where we are the first to own and wear it. However, shopping sustainably, when it’s not second-hand, can be super expensive and out-price many of us. I’ve been… Continue reading The Cheapest Sustainable Fashion Brands I Could Find
Why you should send a coin to Liz Truss
Yesterday, I wrote a letter, attached a 1p coin and posted it to Liz Truss. But why?
Well, Cop 27 is fast approaching and we’re still facing a climate emergency, but the government are not acting as if this is an emergency. Climate change is pushing people further into poverty across the world, damaging the…
Study Tips
Ahead of the new University term, I have some study tips for you, these are ones I’ve used throughout my Philosophy degree but are also relevant at any level of study or work. Read on to find out more… Forest A classic, but it works. Forest is a study timing app. You set the amount… Continue reading Study Tips
Real Life Rebs is Back
Hi readers, I’m back, I have finished my degree and hopefully in a season where I’ll have time to post on this blog again! This post is to share a few updates! Graduation Firstly, I have graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BA Philosophy Degree. I studied lots of interesting philosophy & ethics… Continue reading Real Life Rebs is Back
#checkMEup – Prioritising Women’s Health
This week I have an inspiring story to share on my blog! Dafina has created a petition to demand that the UK give women the opportunity to have an annual health check-up after facing the costly consequences herself. Read below to find out why it’s so important that we take women’s health seriously and sign… Continue reading #checkMEup – Prioritising Women’s Health
The ‘University Experience’…
Today’s blog post is a bit more personal than usual with some thoughts from my time at university. We’re going to be chatting about changing degrees, finding ‘your people’ and the pressure to have the typical ‘University Experience’. Keep reading to find out what I wish I’d known earlier during my time at uni… It’s… Continue reading The ‘University Experience’…
Sustainable Living Series
Hi reader, I wanted to share the sustainable living series I coordinated last summer with my role at Just Love Brum! This series looks at how as students we can live more sustainably, from fair trade, to period products, to renewable energy. It is important we to focus on individual action against climate change and… Continue reading Sustainable Living Series
Fresh Minds – I’m on a Mental Health Podcast!
Hey Everyone, It’s been a while but I have some exciting news (drum roll….) I’m a guest on the ‘Fresh Minds’ podcast by Just Love Bath! I wanted to share this episode with you all, where myself and Michael talk about Anxiety, Depression, why we should talk about mental health and how we can respond… Continue reading Fresh Minds – I’m on a Mental Health Podcast!
5 essentials you need for University
Continuing with my Uni series, it can be hard to know what exactly to bring for your new flat, so I’ve thought of 5 items which you will need for University but might forget to purchase! But these are also items that are really useful to buy for any new home! Blanket/Throw Making your room… Continue reading 5 essentials you need for University
Sustainable alternatives for your Uni essentials
Nothing says you’re starting uni more than a good old Ikea shopping trip! It’s almost compulsory at this point. You drag your parents along, you overfill the trolley with essentials you will definitely need and junk you probably won’t, but you tell yourself you might. You get to the till and it’s far more expensive… Continue reading Sustainable alternatives for your Uni essentials
Sustainable Skin Care
Plastic-free skin care is something I’ve been wanting to explore for a while. Stats show that in the beauty industry 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year[1] and 91% of plastic produced doesn’t get recycled[2]. Plastic packaging is such a massive part of the beauty industry and it can be really difficult to avoid it.… Continue reading Sustainable Skin Care
A Plastic Free Period (TOTM)
This month I’ve been trying out sustainable period products! This is an avenue I hadn’t ventured into before and I did a lot of research before choosing to purchase from TOTM. I loved this experience from receiving the brightly coloured packaging and quotes #periodpowerful to using new products that are plastic-free. I’m going to be… Continue reading A Plastic Free Period (TOTM)
How to make your kitchen more sustainable…
As a student it can be difficult to be sustainable within the kitchen. We look for cheap, accessible products which are often thrown away after use. This year I wanted to experiment with some plastic free products within the kitchen, and I would like to share my honest thoughts with you. I’m going to review… Continue reading How to make your kitchen more sustainable…
Coping with Stress and Anxiety in a Busy World
This week I have a new guest on my blog, Alexandra Lambeth, who is a professional therapist from Texas! She writes about mental health from her own personal experience and expertise as a therapist. Today I’m featuring her post about coping with anxiety and stress but you can head to her blog or Insta to… Continue reading Coping with Stress and Anxiety in a Busy World
3 ways to manage your mental health
This week I want to give you some tips to improve your mental well-being! We all have mental health and we need to look after ourselves, mind and body. Read below to find out my three fav tips which I encompass into my own life… Lists Firstly, lists, lists and more lists. Lists are great… Continue reading 3 ways to manage your mental health
How to make a pair of dungarees… (Lucy and Yak Style)
Inspired by the popular ‘Lucy and Yak’ Dungarees, I decided to sew my own pair of dungarees for less. I struggled to find a good free dungaree pattern online, so I decided to invest in the ‘Heyday Dungarees’ pattern by W&W from Etsy. Although normally, I would create my own or adapt a free pattern,… Continue reading How to make a pair of dungarees… (Lucy and Yak Style)
Free Sustainability Guide
Hi reader, for those of you who don’t follow me on Instagram (@realliferebs.blog) you may have missed that I have created a free sustainability guide for you to download! It brings together all my best blog posts on sustainability for you to look at in a new format. You can access this from the menu… Continue reading Free Sustainability Guide
Real Life Rebs in 2021
It’s a new year and I’m going to share my blogging New Years resolutions on here! Feel free to share your resolutions in the comment section below 😍 Insta Stories and Reels I would like to try and make my blog Instagram more interactive. I made my first Insta reel last month (you can view… Continue reading Real Life Rebs in 2021
Wrap with Care – Have a Sustainable Christmas
Each year at Christmas, in the UK, we go through the equivalent of 50,000 trees in gift wrapping. Cheap wrapping paper often contains foil, glitter and fibers that cannot be recycled. But, there is a sustainable alternative. This year I am pledging to wrap with care! I’m going to take you through a few eco-friendly… Continue reading Wrap with Care – Have a Sustainable Christmas
Salt Dough Decorations
It’s November and our Christmas tree and decorations are already up! We had a tree in our Uni house, but no decorations. And salt dough decorations came up as an idea from our childhoods, and we decided to give it a go. These are sustainable, budget friendly and you can make some really lovely designs!… Continue reading Salt Dough Decorations
Easy Vegetarian Dishes
Recently, I’ve been trying to improve my cooking and learn some new vegetarian dishes. I thought I would share with you, three of my new favourite meals to cook. All healthy, affordable and easy to make! Tofu Stir Fry First we have the Tofu Stir fry, an easy and healthy meal to make. Tofu has… Continue reading Easy Vegetarian Dishes
Fighting off mosquitos in an eco-friendly way…
Today’s guest blog post has been written by Andre who runs the successful Instagram account @lpakaco where he talks about sustainability and zero-waste living. Definitely worth checking out!! Andre lives in Texas and in this post suggests some simple eco-friendly tips of getting rid of mosquitoes in areas that are prone to them. My name… Continue reading Fighting off mosquitos in an eco-friendly way…
International connections during the pandemic
During August, I took part in the Universitas 21’s Global Connections, virtual ‘pen pal’ scheme, where I was connected to some other students across the globe to chat about our experiences during the pandemic. Myself. Marlene and Renan wrote a blog post for U21 on the importance ‘to stay connected to those around us but… Continue reading International connections during the pandemic
Why you should volunteer at a charity shop!
Over the summer, I volunteered in a charity shop for the first time and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It was such a great experience, and I want to share why you should get involved too! Here are 5 reasons why you should volunteer at a charity shop… Give back Firstly,… Continue reading Why you should volunteer at a charity shop!
Supporting A Friend With Mental Health Problems
With mental health campaigns encouraging those who are struggling to open up to family and friends, you probably know someone who is experiencing mental health problems – or you will do in the future. Mental illness can be a difficult topic to navigate in conversations and it can be hard to know how to support… Continue reading Supporting A Friend With Mental Health Problems
How much money do you really make selling on eBay?
A few months ago I sold lots of used clothes on eBay. I had little success on Depop and ended up selling everything on eBay. I would totally recommend eBay for selling, and I really believe in carrying on the cycle of used clothes. If we want to be more sustainable ourselves by buying second… Continue reading How much money do you really make selling on eBay?
Sustainable Products Review
Last month I purchase some sustainable products from @easyilyeco. I’ve been trying them out and I’m going to give you an honest review of what I thought of them and how sustainable I think they are in this blog post x Chewsy Plastic Free Gum At £1 each, I was intrigued to try this plastic… Continue reading Sustainable Products Review
Suds And You – An Interview with Beki Babb
This week I have an exciting interview with the lovely Beki Babb, owner of the new business ‘Suds And You’! Beki has recently turned her soap making hobby into an accredited business, selling beautiful handmade soaps and bath bombs via her Etsy store. In this post, I chat to Beki about how she got into… Continue reading Suds And You – An Interview with Beki Babb
Why the McDonald’s vegetarian menu could be better…
If you know me well, you’ll probably know my McDonald’s order by heart. Or you’ll probably be able to guess based on the fact there is very – limited – options for a vegetarian… In my thirteen years of being a vegetarian, McDonalds has vastly improved their veggie menu, gone are the days when you… Continue reading Why the McDonald’s vegetarian menu could be better…
Why I believe the future is Vegetarian…
At the age of 20, I have been a vegetarian for more than half my life. I was brought up in a meat eating family and didn’t know that being ‘vegetarian’ was a thing until infant school. At the age of 6 and a half, inspired by a vegetarian friend, I decided that eating animals… Continue reading Why I believe the future is Vegetarian…
A Bit About Me
I thought it might be time to say a bit more about myself and why I created this blog! My name is Rebecca, I’m 20 and I live in the New Forest and in Birmingham as a student studying Philosophy. The name ‘Real Life Rebs’ came about because I wanted this blog to be a… Continue reading A Bit About Me
The trials and triumphs of staying on an Airbnb boat…
We’re students, we’re tight for money, and we’ve left booking our summer holiday to the last minute. The only accommodation left is a £40 per night, tiny, Airbnb boat. Initially we were sceptical, but this 5 star, ‘super host’ listing grabs our attention. And before we know it, we’ve booked it. But what’s it really… Continue reading The trials and triumphs of staying on an Airbnb boat…
Can Minimalism Increase Our Happiness?
Inspiration: Inspired by the Netflix documentary ‘Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things’, a few months ago I decided to attempt a more minimalist lifestyle. While for me, this did not mean emptying my house of all unnecessary possessions – which I am sure my parents and housemates would not have been impressed with –… Continue reading Can Minimalism Increase Our Happiness?
Why We Need To Raise More Awareness Of Mental Illness…
Mental health awareness has increased massively in the 21st century. But, we still need to do better. NHS counselling services are underfunded, waiting times long, discrimination in the workplace, and each suicide we hear of is a tragedy we wish we could have prevented. We need to educate from a young age and make mental… Continue reading Why We Need To Raise More Awareness Of Mental Illness…
How to make a pair of Pom Pom Earrings…
Want to make a bold, unique statement with your earrings? Pom pom’s are the way to go! Stunning and easy to make in a few simple steps. Inspired by the TheTrendySenorita’s Etsy Store, which sells pom pom earrings for an average of £30. I decided to challenge myself to make a pair for less. And… Continue reading How to make a pair of Pom Pom Earrings…
Tips and Tricks for buying Clothes Second-hand
We all love a fashion bargain, something new to freshen up our wardrobe or wear to a fancy event. But with our planet in a ‘climate emergency’ and the unethical sweatshop industry, our fast fashion shopping habits need to change. One way to reduce our carbon footprint, is to shop second hand. I love the… Continue reading Tips and Tricks for buying Clothes Second-hand
A Gap Year of Personal Growth…
Thanks so much to my wonderful friend, Daisy Sheppard, for sharing her gap year experience as a post on my blog. An inspiring read of a year spent working as a care worker and of personal growth; to then go on to study Occupational Therapy at Oxford Brooks Uni… After spending two incredibly intense and… Continue reading A Gap Year of Personal Growth…
How to make a Pom Pom Bunting…
Spice up your room with a cute homemade pom pom bunting. Perfect as a present or for yourself. Read below to find out how to make this easy bunting ❤ First, you will need some wool. I would recommend heading to your local sewing/wool shop to have a browse of different colours and textures. I… Continue reading How to make a Pom Pom Bunting…
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