The Sustainable Minimalists Podcast

It’s cliche but true: Our children are always watching. As eco-conscious parents, we consistently lead by example on the ‘big’ actions (reducing air travel, cooking plant-based meals) as well as on the small stuff, too (repurposing water, line-drying clothes). We assume that – because our kids are always observing our behavior – they’ll naturally pick up on our low-waste, environmental ideals. And while it’s certainly true that our children are watching us, it’s also true that they are learning from... Read More Read More The post How to Raise Eco-Conscious Kids appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Is it me, or do we often forget self-care during the holidays? For better or worse, the holiday craze starts on November first. Christmas commercials inundate our favorite television programming. Christmas trees abound in stores. Holiday “sales” entice us here, there and everywhere. In November, it often feels as though being busy – and being stressed – is expected. But the weather is cooling; it’s darker earlier, too. It’s natural for you and me to desire a slower pace and... Read More Read More The post Less is More! Practical Self-Care During the Holidays appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

They’re nearly here: the holidays. And with ethical gift giving on the rise, it’s no surprise that discerning shoppers aspire to support sustainability with their dollars. But how, exactly, to give ethically? Although shoppers are becoming more brand conscious + 1 in 5 Gen Z’ers are taking extra steps to shop with intention, confusion abounds over what ethical gift giving really means. The Ethical Hierarchy of Gift Purchasing makes reminds us that the bulk of the gifts we give should be... Read More Read More The post Ethical Gift Giving for You & Me appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Why Being Self-Sufficient Matters   Our grandparents and great-grandparents knew the importance of being self-sufficient. They survived an economic depression and major wars so they fostered age-old skills, just in case. These days, you and I are a generation (or two!) removed from crisis, and we are heavily dependent on products that make our lives easier. This lack of perspective coupled with reliance on convenience means we’re one thing and one thing only: Vulnerable. Preparing for job loss or sudden... Read More Read More The post Why Being Self-Sufficient Matters appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Planned Obsolescence: What It Is + What To Do About It They just don’t make things the way they used to. It’s true: These days, electronics and appliances are often made with cheap parts that are designed to break just after warrantees expire.  But planned obsolescence is more than just cheap products; it’s automatic software updates that render our tech useless. It’s missing user manuals and discontinued parts, too. The linear economy favors production, consumption, and—eventually—disposal. Not surprisingly, planned obsolescence creates... Read More Read More The post What’s Planned Obsolescence? appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Minimalism For Moms Minimalism for moms may at first seem impossible, for 3 reasons: – First, there’s all the stuff children need and somehow accumulate. – Then there are the endless calendar-fillers including appointments, extracurriculars, playdates, birthday parties and volunteer opportunities. – Finally, mothers manage an increased mental load because organizing, planning and juggling all the facets of domestic life is a full-time job. But minimalism in motherhood is possible, and the benefits are multitudinous. Indeed, proponents of slow parenting attest... Read More Read More The post Minimalism for Moms: Parenting the Simpler Way appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

How (Exactly) to Cook Zero Waste Meals   If you’re like most eco-friendly parents, you’d like to cook zero-waste, plastic-free meals for your family, but you’ve realized that doing so is much harder than it sounds. Does this sound right? – Feeding your family demands significant mental energy. Although you’d like to serve low-plastic, zero-waste meals, you have no idea where to start. – You eat out more than you’d like; you spend more money than your wallet likes on... Read More Read More The post How (Exactly) to Cook Zero Waste Meals appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

The Healing Effects of Sentimental Clutter Cleaning   Sentimental clutter lives in the past; keeping it around often prevents full presence in the here and now. Conversely, removing what’s unnecessary ushers in freedom. It presents opportunities for personal growth, too. If you have items in your home that leave you emotionally drained, it’s likely time for a sentimental clutter cleaning. My guest this week is Erin Beckman. Erin is a single mother and widow who faced her attic full of  nostalgic... Read More Read More The post Sentimental Clutter Cleaning’s Healing Effects appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Declutter tips for tackling sentimental items   You listeners often ask for declutter tips when tackling sentimental items. What should you do with a talented family member’s paintings? What about that box of childhood mementos? How about the yellowed wedding dress hanging in the far recesses of the closet? Although the “stuff” in question differs from query to query, the underlying obstacle is always the same: What’s the best way to let go of clutter that’s laced with emotion? First... Read More Read More The post 7 Declutter Tips For Tackling Sentimental Items appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Eco Friendly Home Decor Ideas   Are you tired of your decor? Maybe your furniture isn’t contemporary enough for your taste. Or perhaps your once-trendy, heavily-patterned curtains feel stale. But you lean toward the sustainable side of things—you’re a stand-up human, too—so you won’t chuck your old decor for new stuff without a bit of eco-guilt. You’d like to find eco friendly home decor ideas, even, but you don’t know where to look. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 9 million... Read More Read More The post Eco Friendly Home Decor Ideas appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

25 Ways to Create an Eco Friendly House   Green living sometimes gets a bad rap as being reserved only for the privileged. And curating an eco friendly house? Many people assume that doing so requires a hefty upfront cost. Here’s why: –  While organic food + hybrid cars are certainly green, they have oversized price tags and therefore aren’t accessible to everyone. – Some eco-friendly products will save money in the long run, but their significant up-front costs deter... Read More Read More The post 25 Ways to Create an Eco Friendly House (For Free) appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Coping with eco guilt in 4 steps   Does the future of our planet usher in hopelessness? Do you stay up at night worrying whether Earth will remain habitable for our children? If so, you may suffer from eco guilt. Eco anxiety is fear for the future of our planet and manifests itself in feelings of anger, powerlessness or exhaustion. A 2017 report by the American Psychological Association found that – because its chronic by nature –  the condition can have... Read More Read More The post How to Cope With Eco Guilt appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

10 Reasons Why Your Home Is Cluttered After Tidying   It happens to the best of us: You have already tidied, yet your home remains cluttered. It’s incredibly, frustrating, sure. It is also quite common. Tidy homes can often feel messy, even after the work is done. Why is that? The answer is threefold: First, there’s a perceived inverse relationship between clutter + cleanliness. Second, you overlooked some important places (10 important places, to be exact!) when decluttering. Finally, you neglected... Read More Read More The post Why Your Home Is Cluttered After Tidying appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Does the slow living movement intrigue you? If you recently went on a summer vacation you know it’s true: A slow, intentional life feels right. Yet, despite our best intentions, most of us retreat to our busy habits + our cluttered ways hours after returning home. The first step to living a more intentional life isn’t Googling a quick fix. Seasoned minimalists know that in order to slow down (for good!) you must first identify why you’re so busy in the... Read More Read More The post Your Intentional Life Starts with ‘Why’ appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

What’s your underwear made of? Are your tighty-whities: A. Synthetic? Polyester, rayon, acrylic + nylon are comprised partly of plastic, are hard to dispose of + contribute to landfill waste. Even worse, synthetic waste byproducts pollute waterways. B. Or is your underwear made of cotton? Because it’s grown, conventional cotton is bathed in pesticides, derived from genetically-modified seeds + originates in factories that pay unlivable working wages. When it comes to our underwear, today’s guest offers a better way: Organic cotton. My... Read More Read More The post Why (Organic) Cotton is King appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

These days, many Americans boast supersized homes, an outfit for every day of the month + 300,000 possessions, on average. We also report high levels of depression + anxiety; we have debt, too. Have you ever wondered why we continue to buy more + more, despite the fact that our purchases don’t make us happy, send us into debt + destroy our planet’s precious resources? I do. On this week’s show I divulge 4 reasons why we buy things we... Read More Read More The post Why We Overbuy (+ How to Stop) appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Have a major decluttering project on your To-Do List? If so, you’ll benefit from having both a plan + insight before you declutter your home. My guest this week is Katie McGowen. Katie is a mom of 5 who knew she had to declutter in a big way. But she didn’t tidy willy-nilly wherever the wind blew her + whenever she found the time; instead, she sought to declutter her entire home systematically. Katie created a plan before she minimized... Read More Read More The post 3 Hard Truths about Clutter appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

You’ve heard the buzz around composting, but you want to be certain composting is right for you *before* you embark on another potentially time-sucking hobby. Of course you’d love to know how to make great compost, but you’re a newbie + you need guidance. If your garbage can is like the average American’s, at least 20% of it is filled with food. Worse, that 20% is entirely preventable. My guest this week is Heather Kauffman. Heather is passionate about composting... Read More Read More The post How to Make Great Compost (With Very Little Effort) appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

My grandparents were incredibly resourceful: They pioneered countless reuse ideas so that nothing valuable was ever wasted. These days, while many Millennials + Generation Y-ers harbor a collective single-use mindset, generations past had ingrained reuse within well before zero-waste living ever became a ‘thing’. We can learn an awful lot from our grandparents. On this week’s episode I uncover 13 of the best household reuse ideas straight from Grandma. Enjoy! * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable... Read More Read More The post Smart Reuse Ideas + 13 Items My Grandma Never Threw Away appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Sick of having a closet full of clothes + nothing to wear? If so, it’s time to seriously consider a capsule wardrobe. A successful capsule improves self-esteem, reduces mental clutter + makes getting dressed a heck of a lot easier. But what’s the secret sauce to creating one that works, as opposed to one that’s ‘meh’? It isn’t about base neutrals or accent pieces. It isn’t about following rigid rules, either. My guest this week is Amanda Warfield. Amanda is back on... Read More Read More The post The Secret to a Successful Capsule Wardrobe (Planner Included!) appeared first on Sustainable Minimalists.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content