Sustainable Minimalists

How to downsize your home (and help older relatives do the same)   Downsizing is physically and emotionally exhausting. The job becomes infinitely harder when you’re tasked with helping older relatives—your parents, perhaps—clear out their attics and basements overflowing with items they’ve accumulated throughout the decades. Should you consider downsizing and decluttering now so your kids don’t one day find themselves stuck with the job? When helping older relatives clear out their clutter, how can you empathically and responsibly disperse their possessions without absorbing them all into your own living space? I’m posing these questions and more to my friend and simplicity coach Rose Lounsbury. Today, Rose is on the show to offer her best tips as they relate to downsizing both your home and your parents’ and grandparents’ homes. Here’s a preview of this week’s episode: [5:45] 2 suggestions for managing the (many) emotions behind downsizing [14:00] Security and stuff: How generational divides may impact how you downsize your home [20:30] When to know it’s time to hire an estate sale company or a senior move manager [25:00] How to help older relatives downsize without getting stuck with their junk [31:30] Swedish death cleaning: Motivating, or morbid?   Resources mentioned in the episode: * The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson * Send Stephanie an email * Rose’s Minimalism Is Fun Facebook Group  * Rose’s Monthly Min group    * Thank you to Gemmist for sponsoring this episode! Use code MINIMALIST at checkout for 20% off and free, 2-day shipping. * Thank you also to Quince! To get 50-80% off luxury apparel, accessories, home goods, and more go to OneQuince.com/SUSTAINABLE.   * Want more episodes like this one? Check out Rose’s first appearance on the podcast via episode #017: Financial Freedom and Minimalism. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest. * NEW FEATURE! Leave a voicemail with your question and I’ll answer it on-air! Here’s how: State your name then leave the show a message at (508) 960-9046. (This new feature only works with audience participation, so don’t be shy!)      

I once aspired to design my home’s interior the way I saw design done in my favorite home decor catalogs, which is to say I chased an aesthetic that was white, pristine, and contemporary. But doubling down on what’s new and in style left little room for displaying trinkets with stories, passed-down but quality furniture, and antiques that infuse uniqueness. I had created a beautiful space, yes, but it was an impersonal one. Unimaginative, even. This week, I speak with interior designer and host of HGTV Obsessed, Marianne Canada. From a design standpoint, Marianne believes weathered-but-lovely decor and furniture give homes character, and so she’s on the show to explain how we can incorporate old(er) but quality items into our interior design in ways that feel both natural and decidedly minimalist.   Here’s a preview of this week’s episode: [4:00] 3 specific ways to insert family heirlooms and antiques without “forcing it” [9:30] How to display trinkets sans visual chaos [11:30] Anti-consumer ways to refresh your decor without heading to the store [17:30] How listeners who inherited quality but dated furniture can learn to love it [27:30] What to consider before attempting a DIY decor project at home     * Thank you to Gemmist for sponsoring this episode! Use code MINIMALIST at checkout for 20% off and free, 2-day shipping. NEW FEATURE! Leave a voicemail with your question and I’ll answer it on-air! Here’s how: State your name then leave the show a message at (508) 960-9046. (This new feature only works with audience participation, so don’t be shy!) * Want more episodes like this one? Check out #089: Eco-Friendly Home Decor Ideas. * Join our (free!) community here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.    

Curating a Healthy House What’s eco-friendly also tends to be non-toxic, and if you’re like most sustainable minimalists, you likely aspire to curate a healthy house that supports your eco-minimalist ideals. Yet non-toxic products can be difficult to find; they tend to be expensive, too. Today I’m speaking with the brains behind Shades of Green, Angela Wade and Ellen Strickland. Shades of Green is a sustainable shopping platform that’s committed to creating healthier living spaces by sourcing only non-toxic, environmentally-friendly products. In today’s conversation, Angela and Ellen offer actionable wins you can enact right now to curate a healthy house for your family (without spending a ton of money).   Here’s a preview of this week’s episode: [9:30] The low down on petroleum-based dyes in textiles versus natural ones (and why they’re problematic) [16:00] Bedrooms and sleep quality: Why you should invest in a non-toxic mattress and bedding, and STAT [21:30] EMF’s, technology, and sleep: How to incorporate minimalist principles into our bedrooms as a means of enhancing sleep quality [25:00] The best fabrics for sheets, mattress pads, and duvet covers [30:00] Beyond houseplants and open windows: New ways to improve your home’s indoor air   Resources mentioned in the episode: * Take the hair quiz at Gemmist.com * Naturepedic  * Awair air quality meter * Stasher reusable silicone bags * Ziptop reusable silicone bags   * Thank you to Gemmist for sponsoring this episode! Use code MINIMALIST at checkout for 20% off and free, 2-day shipping. NEW FEATURE! Leave a voicemail with your question and I’ll answer it on-air! Here’s how: State your name then leave the show a message at (508) 960-9046. (This new feature only works with audience participation, so don’t be shy!) * Want more episodes like this one? Check out #179: Minimalist Beauty for the Conscious Consumer. * Join our (free!) community here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.      

How to Host a (No Plastic) Party   Like to entertain but hate the overwhelm? Join the club. While it feels so right to open your home to your loved ones for dinner parties, barbecues, and holidays, being chained to the kitchen (and the dirty dishes!) feels oh, so wrong. The alternative is equally cringe-worthy: Heaps of plastic plates, cups, and cutlery in the trash? No thanks. This week, I speak with Repurpose founder Lauren Gropper. Lauren believes hosts and hostesses should center themselves around the concept of sustainable abundance, and that’s because it’s entirely possible to eco-entertain without overwhelm. She divulges exactly how to host a no-plastic dinner (or perhaps 4th of July barbecue!), sans anxiety, and—because Repurpose makes home compostable tableware!—Lauren also explains why compostable products beat plastic ones Every. Single. Time. Here’s a preview of this week’s episode: [3:00] Distinguishing between biodegradable, home compostable, and industrially compostable products (and why these distinctions matter) [10:00] How to host a party without plastic (plus: how to get your guests on board) [12:30]  How to smartly answer the question, “What can I bring?” [18:30] 3 tips I use in my own home to prevent food waste amidst gluttonous overabundance [21:00] Beyond (Mylar) balloons and (single-use) streamers: How to decorate with eco-intention   Resources mentioned in the episode: * Take the hair quiz at Gemmist.com * Find the store nearest you that sells Repurpose products! * Recork.com * Repurpose compostable plates * Repurpose compostable cutlery     * Thank you to Gemmist for sponsoring this episode! Use code MINIMALIST at checkout for 20% off and free, 2-day shipping. * Want more episodes like this one? Check out #062: 5 Ways to Take Home Less Plastic From the Supermarket. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest. * NEW FEATURE! Leave a voicemail with your question and I’ll answer it on-air! Here’s how: State your name then leave the show a message at (508) 960-9046. (This new feature only works with audience participation, so don’t be shy!)    

Why is it that, in times of fear, society reverts back to relying on single-use disposables? COVID-19 will have lasting effects on the environmental movement. While some of such effects—like embracing forced slowness, for example—took cars off the road and reduced worldwide carbon emissions in the short-term, our propensity toward fear-based buying over the past year has littered the planet. Indeed, communities that fought long and hard to ban single-use items embraced them during the pandemic; there’s the plastics problem, too: currently, the fossil fuels industry is doubling down on creating virgin plastic in hopes of staying relevant (and rich).  On this week’s show I speak with Sanikind co-founders Miles Pepper and Martica Wakeman, a *refillable* hand sanitizer dispenser made from recycled plastic. Miles and Martica believe it’s entirely possible to stay healthy without single-use products, and they’re on the show to teach us how.   Here’s a preview of this week’s episode: [7:30] Is it possible to make sanitary products (like hand sanitizer) circular? Here’s how [15:45] Fear-based buying: 5 ways in which the pandemic has increased consumer reliance on single-use waste [22:00] How excessive stress on a certain demographic (ahem … women) negatively impacts the environmental moment [24:00] How (and why) the fossil fuels industry has accelerated the creation of virgin plastic (and what it means for the rest of us)   Resources mentioned in the episode: * Swell water bottle * Sanikind (Use code SUSTAINABLE25 at checkout for 25% off your order!) * The Plastic Pandemic: COVID-19 Trashed the Recycling Dream (via Reuters)   * Thank you to Outrage + Optimism for sponsoring this episode! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts for new episodes every Thursday. NEW FEATURE! Leave a voicemail with your question and I’ll answer it on-air! Here’s how: State your name then leave the show a message at (508) 960-9046. (This new feature only works with audience participation, so don’t be shy!) * Want more episodes like this one? Check out #135: 5 New Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Waste. * Join our (free!) community here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.  

Palm oil: Ever hear of it? Imports of the stuff to the United States have risen a whopping 263% in the last 15 years and, these days, it’s in our toothpaste, our shampoo, our pet’s food, our makeup, and more. Palm oil is in nearly everything, and its cultivation has dire consequences for our planet. This week, I speak with award-winning journalist and author Jocelyn Zuckerman. Jocelyn traveled to 4 continents to research the ripple effects of palm oil’s rise, and she found herself alarmed at what she learned. Jocelyn is on the show to share her greatest insights gained; she offers accessible ways you and I can reduce our reliance on the product, too. Here’s a preview of our conversation: [5:15] The rise of palm: Did consumers demand it, or was the product forced upon us? [7:15] The (massive) environmental implications associated with growing oil palm [8:30] Connections between palm oil and pandemics [13:30] How palm oil impacts worldwide obesity rates [16:00] Political and financial forces that are keeping the product relevant [17:00] 3 tips for listeners who want to reduce their reliance   Resources mentioned in this episode: * Planet Palm: How Palm Oil Ended Up in Everything―and Endangered the World * Palm Oil is Destroying Rainforests. But Try Going A Day Without It (via National Geographic)   The many names of palm oil in ingredients lists: Elaeis guineensis Etyl palmitate Glyceryl Hydrogenated palm glycerides Octyl palmitate Palm fruit oil, Palm kernel, Palm kernel oil, Palm stearine Palmate, Palmitate, Palmitic acid, Palmityl alcohol, Palmolein Sodium kernelate, Sodium laureth sulfate, Sodium lauryl sulphate, Sodium lauryl sulfate, Sodium palm kernelate Stearate, Stearic acid Vegetable fat, Vegetable oil   * Thank you to Outrage + Optimism for sponsoring this episode! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts for new episodes every Thursday. * Want more episodes like this one? Check out #142: Biodiversity Is Declining. Here’s Why That’s Important. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest. * NEW FEATURE! Leave a voicemail with your question and I’ll answer it on-air! Here’s how: State your name then leave the show a message at (508) 960-9046. (This new feature only works with audience participation, so don’t be shy!)      

Sustainable toys provide countless benefits to both children and the planet yet, still, finding such toys can be difficult. What, exactly, makes a toy sustainable? Are wooden toys (ahem … Melissa & Doug) considered eco-friendly simply because they are made of wood? These days, most toys are made of plastics; stuffed animals and dolls are also made of artificial (read: plastic) fibers. Through a complex chemical process, plastic toys are made from fossil fuels and eventually break into many small pieces, or microplastics, that pollute our planet for the next 800-ish years. This week, I speak with blogger Christina Floyd. Like most parents, Christina found herself confused about the many issues surrounding toy sustainability so she started a blog to help others navigate the ins and outs of the toy market. And while I’ve done shows on *minimalist* playrooms in the past, this show is heavily centered around eco-friendliness. Indeed, Christina and I do a deep dive (and I mean real, real deep!) into the world of eco-friendly playthings for the children in our lives.   Here’s a preview of this week’s episode: [5:00]  Beyond wooden toys: The 4 qualities of sustainable playthings [7:00]  Is Melissa & Doug an eco-friendly corporation? [8:30] 3 things to look for when buying any toy for the children in your life [14:30] Non-plastic stuffed animal ideas [15:30] Why toy packaging matters   Resources mentioned in this week’s episode: * Christina on Instagram * Christina’s 13 sustainable toy recommendations * Sustainable Toys free Facebook group    * Thank you to Outrage + Optimism for sponsoring this episode! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts for new episodes every Thursday. * All I want for my birthday is your podcast reviews! On the Apple Podcasts app, hit the Library tab, scroll allll the way to the bottom past all prior episodes, then click on the stars to leave a review. (Thank you!) * Want more episodes like this one? Check out #164: Your Minimalist Play Room. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest. * NEW FEATURE! Leave a voicemail with your question and I’ll answer it on-air! Here’s how: State your name then leave the show a message at (508) 960-9046. (This new feature only works with audience participation, so don’t be shy!)    

How To Be Happy In A Small Home   Choosing to live in a small home is one of the most basic ways we can both reduce our carbon footprints and curb unnecessary spending. Indeed, while living small (not necessarily tiny!) is the epitome of sustainable minimalism, it can be difficult to intentionally embrace less square footage in a culture that suggests bigger is best. It’s a real conundrum: We revere space, but we also revere eco-simplicity. Can we have both? On today’s show I speak with author Laura Fenton. Laura’s here to explain exactly how she has found daily joy in her 690 square foot apartment with her family and how you can, too.   Here’s a preview of this week’s episode: [7:30] The personal and environmental benefits associated with living small [13:45] The nuts and bolts of living in a small space with kids: Making it work [14:50] Tricks of the trade: Practical storage solutions for small homes [24:15] Laura’s words of encouragement for listeners who believe they need a bigger home   Resources mentioned in the episode: * The Little Book of Living Small    * A huge thank you to Reel Paper for sponsoring this week’s episode! Use code SUSTAINABLE at checkout for 25% off your first order. * All I want for my birthday is your podcast reviews! On the Apple Podcasts app, hit the Library tab, scroll allll the way to the bottom past all prior episodes, then click on the stars to leave a review. (Thank you!) * Want more episodes like this one? Check out #019: Tiny Home, Gigantic Life. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest. * NEW FEATURE! Leave a voicemail with your question and I’ll answer it on-air! Here’s how: State your name then leave the show a message at (508) 960-9046. (This new feature only works with audience participation, so don’t be shy!)    

When humans solve problems, we often overlook an incredibly powerful option: Subtraction. We add baskets and bins to fix organizational issues within the home. We buy new clothes when we find ourselves frustrated with our wardrobes. In correspondence, we get loquacious in efforts of making our points. In design fields, we add elements to improve “flow”. In short, addition rules. But intentional subtraction is a powerful practice that’s rewarding, fun, and backed by science. And once we retrain our brains to subtract first and add later? We empower ourselves to take the tenets of subtraction well beyond decluttering and into every facet of our lives. My guest today is Dr. Leidy Klotz,  author of Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less. Dr. Klotz proposes a counterintuitive way of re-framing our behavior so that subtracting becomes our go-to method for solving problems. Here’s a preview of this week’s episode: [5:15] Why humans tend to consider subtraction as revolutionary (even though it isn’t) [9;45] How to apply the tenets of subtraction to improve the quality of your life [14:30] Why we all need to enact Stop-Doing Lists in addition to our To-Do Lists [17:15] How subtraction can be part of the climate change solution [19:45] Practical ways to make subtraction your go-to habit when problem solving   Resources mentioned in the episode: * Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less * Why our brains struggle to subtract (a short YouTube video that summarizes Leidy’s research)   A huge thank you to Reel Paper for sponsoring this week’s episode! Use code SUSTAINABLE at checkout for 25% off your first order. NEW FEATURE! Leave a voicemail with your question and I’ll answer it on-air! Here’s how: State your name then leave the show a message at (508) 960-9046. (This new feature only works with audience participation, so don’t be shy!) * Join our (free!) community here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.  

The Circular Economy’s Benefits for You and Me   ** Like this show? Want to help it grow? Please leave it a quick review on Apple Podcasts, and thank you! **    Our “take-make-waste” economy has cost consumers billions of dollars and has cheated us out of an inhabitable planet.  But it doesn’t have to be this way: embracing a circular economy will save taxpayer money, preserve resources, and lead to an estimated $4.5 trillion in economic growth. Even better? Embracing circularity on the large scale isn’t a pie-in-the-sky proposition: It’s entirely possible to transition from our existing linear model of consumption to a closed-loop one by 2030. Today I speak with sustainability entrepreneur and author Ron Gonen. Ron argues that that circularity is not only crucial for the planet, but holds immense business opportunity.   Here’s a preview of what Ron and I discuss: [3:45] Exactly how (and why) consumers foot the bill for the disposal of single-use products [7:00] A look at advertising’s impact on disposability over the decades [9:45] 3 fundamental differences between linear and circular economies [13:00] The not-so-obvious benefits to circularity [ 17:20] Why circularity on the large-scale is feasible by 2030 [23:20] Common-sense ideas for listeners invested in circular economy benefits   Resources mentioned in the episode: * Waste Free World: How the How the Circular Economy Will Take Less, Make More & Save the Planet   A huge thank you to Reel Paper for sponsoring this week’s episode! Use code SUSTAINABLE at checkout for 25% off your first order. NEW FEATURE! Leave a voicemail with your question and I’ll answer it on-air! Here’s how: State your name then leave the show a message at (508) 960-9046. (This new feature only works with audience participation, so don’t be shy!) * Want more episodes like this one? Check out #142: Biodiversity Is Declining. Here’s Why That’s Important. * Join our (free!) community here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.      

Finding your Minimalist Mindset   It’s often the case that we are our own worst enemies. It’s easy to fall back into old habits and old ways of thinking—it’s too easy, in fact, to revert to what we’ve always done. Indeed, in my capacity as host of this podcast, I often hear the same struggle from you, my listeners: it’s really darn hard to both find and maintain your minimalist mindset for the long haul in a culture that glorifies consumption. Today I’m speaking with Lauren Jones, fellow minimalist, mom, and host of The Simple Life Project podcast. Lauren’s here to offer the unique insight she gained from both paring down her possessions and ultimately changing her lifestyle. On today’s show Lauren also outlines 4 minimalist mindset shifts that are crucial for long-term simplicity. Here’s a preview of the 4 minimalist mindset shifts we are discussing today: [5:15] Loss Aversion (We don’t like losing what we own, even if it is by choice.) [10:00] The Endowment Effect (We value things more because we own them.) [16:30] Keeping up with the Joneses (We are primed to compare and compete with others in our economic sphere.) [24:00] The Diderot Effect (Buying one nice thing makes everything else seem lackluster in response.)   A huge thank you to Reel Paper for sponsoring this week’s episode! Use code SUSTAINABLE at checkout for 25% off your first order. NEW FEATURE! Leave a voicemail with your question and I’ll answer it on-air! Here’s how: State your name then leave the show a message at (508) 960-9046. (This new feature only works with audience participation, so don’t be shy!) * Want more episodes like this one? Check out #136: The 5 Pillars of Responsible Decluttering. * Join our (free!) community here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.    

Tips for an organized home with kids   Staying on top of tidiness can be stress-inducing, time-sucking, and never-ending. If it seems as though your home never looks or feels the way you want it, know that maintaining an organized space with kids is hard work, but it’s possible. This week, I speak with professional organizer Elise Hay. Elise believes there’s only one way to have a tidy home with children, and that’s to have the support of each and every family member. Elise is on the show to divulge the strategies she uses in her own home to create an organized sanctuary with children in tow. No children? No problem: Elise’s ideas work for kid-less listeners, too. Here’s a preview of this week’s episode: [5:15] The top two tips for an organized home with kids [9:15] Tidying 101: Where to start and what to have on-hand [12:00] How and why to use drop baskets [16:45] Ways to both engage kids in the organizing process and get them excited about caring for their shared home (plus: why we shouldn’t clean up after our children) [21:30] The genius behind Not Done Spaces [26:30] Should kids have toys in their bedrooms? Elise weighs in   Resources mentioned in the episode: * Click here to enter to win a set of Swedish dishcloths from Cleaner Cloths! Giveaway ends on 5/10.     * A big thank you to Cleaner Cloths for sponsoring this week’s episode!  * Want more episodes like this one? Check out #152: How To Organize For Your Personality. * Like the show? Leave it a quick review!  On the Apple Podcasts app, hit the Library tab, scroll allll the way to the bottom past all prior episodes, then click on the stars to leave a review. (Thank you!) * Join our (free!) community here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.      

Pop Culture and the Environmental Movement Today   In recent years, pop culture has raised important questions about the environmental movement today, and people are listening. Because while it can be easy to dissociate from media coverage surrounding global warming, climate change, and environmental racism, it’s much harder to do so when pop culture pushes the narrative. The relationship between popular culture and popular opinion is circular, and so a great way to jumpstart conversations with children and other loved ones is to do so through a television show, a book, a movie, or a song that both hits the issue head-on and pulls at the heartstrings. Today I’m speaking with author Jessica Harris. Jessica felt prompted to write a children’s book about plastic pollution after realizing that The Great Pacific Garbage Patch isn’t common knowledge: If adults don’t know about plastic’s problems, how can they teach their kids? Jessica and I discuss the reasons why pop culture—not media coverage!—may be the best means by which to both broaden and diversify the environmental movement today; we suggest solutions for engaging older children in the conversation, too.   Here’s a preview of this week’s episode: [9:30] Why, exactly, pop culture is really darn important for the environmental movement today [12:30] How to talk to older kids about global warming and climate change: What research says [18:15] Why and how to  focus on solutions instead of ruminating on the magnitude of the problem [25:00] The 7 areas that have made our world and shaped our future, plus sustainability concerns associated with cheap goods [26:00] The promises associated with a circular economy (as opposed to a linear one)   Resources mentioned in the episode: * Enter to win a signed copy of Bernie’s Escape from Ong Island here! * Extension activities to accompany Bernies Escape From Ong Island * A big thank you to Cleaner Cloths for sponsoring this week’s episode! * Harris Energy Solutions on Instagram   Other pop culture resources: Children’s Books: * The problems with plastic: Bernie’s Escape from Ong Island * A gentle introduction to climate change: The Lonely Polar Bear by Khoa Le * Jane Goodall’s life and advocacy: The Watcher by Jane Goodall * How to help endangered species: Don’t Let Them Disappear by Chelsea Clinton * The importance of bees: Bee & Me by Alison Jay * Why we need trees: The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry  * Planting and growing: Miss Maple’s Seeds by Eliza Wheeler * Finding eco-friendly solutions: Kate, Who Tamed The Wind by Liz Garton Scanlon and Lee White 

Minimalist beauty for the conscious consumer   Toner, exfoliant, emulsion, eye cream, and that’s all before breakfast: The average woman uses 12 beauty products each and every day. But are these products actually necessary? What are the benefits to a minimalist beauty routine, and how do you start simplifying your existing one? On today’s show we are applying the tenets of sustainable minimalism to our skincare routines by minimizing the excess, simplifying the process, and replacing what’s essential with eco-conscious and non-toxic products.  Today I’m speaking with Jeremy Coles and Emma de Szoeke, the husband and wife team behind Croon, a toxin-free, closed-loop facial cleanser. Jeremy and Emma outline the problems they see within the skincare industry as well as potential solutions for those of us who are ready to look at the products in our bathrooms with critical eyes.    Here’s a preview of the episode: [9:50]: What the average listener likely doesn’t know about his/her beauty products [16:15]: How the concept of body burden relates to the contents of our medicine cabinets  [19:45]:  How to simplify your skincare routine in 4 steps   Resources mentioned in this week’s episode: * Try Croon for FREE and join the #NoSoapChallenge here! * Thank you to Outrage + Optimism for sponsoring this episode! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts for new episodes every Thursday.     * Want more shows like this one? Check out #009: How to Create a Sustainable Minimalists’ Bathroom. * Join our (free!) community here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.      

Digital Minimalism in 2021   It isn’t hyperbole: Technology is in many ways taking over our daily lives. Research has found that children spend 1200 hours per year on technological devices. And adults? We waste approximately 6200 hours a year—or up to a staggering equivalent of 44 years of our lives—staring at screens. In this era of technological-everything, is digital minimalism even possible? On today’s show I speak with Bill Brady, CEO of Troomi. As a father of five, Bill offers up his best tips for creating a culture within our homes that prioritize in-person time as opposed to screen time; he suggests action steps for adults looking to achieve digital minimalism, too.   Here’s a preview of this week’s episode: [4:15] Beyond cyberbullying: The wide-ranging effects of technology on kids [8:30] 3 House Rules that prioritize real-life relationships over virtual ones [13:30] The importance of technological time-outs for working professionals [20:15] How to know when your child is ready for a cell phone   Resources mentioned in the episode: * Upchoose.com   * This episode is sponsored by Cleaner Cloths. It’s also sponsored by Outrage + Optimism. * Want more shows like this one? Check out #0134: Raising Good Humans With Minimalist Parenting Guidance. * Like the show? Help it grow by leaving a quick review! On the Apple Podcasts app, hit the Library tab, scroll allll the way to the bottom past all prior episodes, then click on the stars to leave a review. (Thank you!) * Join our (free!) community here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.