Sustainable Minimalists

“It’s a common misconception that the government is very carefully regulating everything that’s out there. They really aren’t.” It’s high-time we safeguard our families from harmful products assumed to be safe. As a bonus? Doing so declutters the spaces under our sinks + rids our homes of excess plastic, too. My guest this week is Micaela Preston. She’s a concerned mom + author who has spent the last 12 years researching the risks associated with common household items. When it comes to our go-to cleaning products, Micaela’s here to give us a collective wake-up call. On today’s episode, Micaela identifies the 3 most toxic cleaning products in our homes; she offers easy-peasy swaps for absolutely everyone, too. Enjoy!  * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram! * Like what you hear? Kindly leave a quick review wherever you get your podcasts. (Thanks!)

  A. Curious about what a Professional Organizer does, exactly? B. Want to hire a Professional Organizer but concerned about the financial investment? C. Ready to declutter on your own, but don’t know where/how/when to start? If any of the above statements are true, then this episode’s for you. This week, I’m chatting with Janine Adams. She’s a certified Professional Organizer with over a decade of experience helping overwhelmed clients find peace of mind within their living spaces.  An organized home is a serene home. On today’s episode, Janine divulges how she fixes the biggest problems aspiring declutterers face. She lays out her step-by-step decluttering method, too.  Enjoy!  * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram! * Like what you hear? Kindly leave a quick review wherever you get your podcasts. (Thanks!)

“As I began meditating + getting more grounded, I wasn’t reacting as much to the kids’ upsets. I was being a bit more present for their questions + concerns, too.” If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times:  When it comes to intentional living, adopting a mindfulness practice is the singlemost powerful habit we can foster. This week, I’m thrilled to offer two unique perspectives on the link between intention + mindfulness: – First, Buddhist + meditation expert Kim Fuller. Kim reveals the details about what exactly mindfulness is + why it’s so darn important.  – Second, Tara Dubiel. Tara’s a busy mom who’s passionate about simplifying parenthood. I ask Tara the practical questions, like How. On. Earth. overstretched parents can find the time to get incrementally mindful.  I can’t wait for you to meet Kim + Tara. Enjoy!  * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram! * Like what you hear? Kindly leave a quick review wherever you get your podcasts. (Thank you!)

“I was tired. Often I felt like I was barely getting by. I kept thinking to myself, ‘Why am I spending my precious time + remaining energy doing things that don’t add value to my life?” For most of us, life is busy. Too busy, in fact, to do the things we love with the people who matter most.  This week, we’re adding by subtracting. We identify 5 specific time-suckers in modern life, then we outline strategies to mindfully let go of anything + everything keeping us from living our values. On this week’s episode I’m thrilled to chat with a veteran guest of this show, Laura Durenberger. Laura’s an intentional mom + blographer who comes armed to our discussion with 5 incremental tweaks we can *all* make to live with purpose.  Enjoy!  * See Laura’s original post on this topic, found here.  * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram! * Like what you hear? Kindly leave a quick review wherever you get your podcasts. (Thank you!)

“So, what’s for dinner?” I *hate* this question; maybe you do, too.Another thing I hate? Food waste. I find myself composting past-its-prime produce more often than I’d like to admit. While these dueling conundrums may seem mutually exclusive, they actually have an easy, common solution. That easy solution is meal planning. This week’s guest – Staci Ducharme – started meal planning + failed. Miserably. But she tried again + got it right: * Meal planning got her family out of debt (no more defaulting to take-out!). * Meal planning ended food waste on her homestead for good, too. Staci’s a full-time blogger, homesteader + meal planning connoisseur. She’s here to make passionate planners out of all of us by divulging the best tips + tricks others DON’T mention. Enjoy! * Access this week’s Show Notes (+ snag the FREE Meal Planning Cheat Sheet!) here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram! * Like what you hear? Kindly leave a quick review wherever you get your podcasts. (Thank you!)

Design shimmering mosaics from old CDs. Create rag rugs from used clothes. Got yourself an abundance of plastic bags? Get weaving. *Creative Reuse a THING!* If you’ve been to a contemporary art museum lately, chances are good you’ve viewed at least one exhibit that boasts garbage as its sole medium. While critics argue that trash creations look … well, … trashy, today’s guest swiftly debunks this assumption by offering truly beautiful reuse ideas for our trash + recyclables. Carla Brown is a podcaster + artist who gleans creative inspiration from items others generally discard. She claims we don’t need to run to the art store ever again: That’s because our trash + recycle bins are already overflowing with possibility. On today’s episode Carla tells us what to keep, how to store it + what to make. She suggests fun art projects for kids, too.  Enjoy! * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram!

Like clean countertops? Me too.  While many associate minimalism with clean homes, it’s a little-known secret that the practice is easily applicable to our heads + hearts, too.  That’s because minimalism grants breathing room in *all areas* of our lives. My guest this week is Ashley Logsdon. She’s a blogger + fellow podcaster who’s here to help us clear the clutter so that we may have the mental + emotional “space” for whatever comes our ways. Enjoy! * Access this week’s Show Notes (+ snag the FREE Clear the Clutter PDF!) here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram!

If you’re serious about sustainability, I’m willing to bet you’re also serious about reducing food waste.  Preserving food at home is the epitome of sustainability. That’s because canning eliminates the need for pesky supermarket packaging or plastic + relies instead on (reusable + awesome) mason jars.  A little-known secret? Preserving food at home also saves serious cash. That’s where today’s guest comes in. She’s a homesteader + canning expert who has gotten quite creative in the kitchen as a means of slashing into food waste + saving money. She’s gotten *so* good, in fact, that her grocery bill averages just $30 per week. My guest this week is Heather Harris of The Homesteading Hippy. Heather’s here to offer her best kitchen tips. Enjoy! * Access this week’s Show Notes (+ snag the FREE Can-Like-A-Pro Cheat Sheet!) here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram!  

  Are you an Aspirational Recycler? You know you’re an Aspirational Recycler if: – You wish EVERYTHING was recyclable. – You place nearly every item in the recycling bin, cross your fingers  + hope for the best. But there are *big* problems with Aspirational Recycling. Nonrecyclable items contaminate the recycling stream + cause clog the facility’s equipment. Aspirational Recycling raises the overall cost of recycling + demands additional manpower, too. On today’s episode I take you from Aspirational Recycler to Expert by demystifying the recycling process then identifying + correcting 9 common mistakes. Enjoy! * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram!  

Modern thrift stores AREN’T overflowing with Grandma’s mothball-y hand-me-downs. That’s because 21st Century thrifting has become *quite* sophisticated. Consumerism tells us need the newest + the shiniest. Today’s episode invites you to challenge that assumption by shopping secondhand, instead. My guest this week is Amanda Lindner. She furnished her ENTIRE Brooklyn apartment with items purchased secondhand (+ for under $500 total!). She asserts that thrifting isn’t just frugal + eco-friendly; it’s fun, too. Amanda’s here to offer her best thrifting tips for savvy, modern shoppers. Enjoy! * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram!

On vacation, time slows + senses heighten. Slowly but surely, we find ourselves utterly relaxed. I call this the Vacation Sensation.  But there’s a major glitch, + it’s this: Upon returning home, the stresses we ran from inevitably catch us yet again.  Is it possible to keep vacation mode alive well after returning home? If so, how? I’ve done the research for you. This week, I’m thrilled to offer 13 empirically-based strategies to bring the Vacation Sensation into our daily lives. Enjoy!  * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram!

“Live less out of habit + more out of intent.” If you follow me on social media, you already know this is my personal mantra. I recite it over + over when choices are hard; it’s this mantra we’re discussing today. My guest today is Jen Panaro. She’s the founder of Honestly Modern, an online brand that focuses on sustainable living for modern families. She’s a mom with a full-time 9 to 5 who has gotten quite skilled at rethinking the status quo, too. Today we have an open + (very) honest conversation. Jen details strategies to confront our habits + say NO to obligations + YES to intentional living, all with a great, big smile. Enjoy! * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram!

  Is your home overrun with hardly-used dog + cat toys, like mine? Do you find yourself wondering whether there’s an eco-friendly alternative to those plastic poo bags? When it comes to pet parenting, it’s easy to buy All. The. Toys. It’s easy to forget about sustainability, too. That’s where today’s episode comes in. My guest is Kim Almon. She’s a blogger, animal-lover + expert on sustainability + minimalism as they apply to our furry friends. On today’s episode, we:  – Answer the pet-related questions YOU ask ME most, including reuses for dog food bags, the most sustainable litter box practices + more,  – Outline pros + cons of pet subscription boxes, and – Detail Kim’s eco-friendly pet movement, #take3forthetrees, so that you, too, can participate.  Enjoy! * Access this week’s Show Notes (+ snag the Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Pet Ownership!) here.  * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram!

Men are less likely to buy eco-friendly products. They’re hesitant to carry reusable bags + drive hybrid cars, too.  That’s because environmentalism is for women + crossing gender boundaries makes men uncomfortable. Sustainability has long been associated with femininity. On today’s episode we examine why this stereotype exists; we offer research-based methods to engage reluctant men in the eco-friendly movement, too. My guest today is Dr. James Wilkie. He’s a consumer psychologist, professor + researcher who examines how social norms influence consumers. His research into the Green-Feminine Stereotype offers crucial insight into the future of eco-consciousness. Enjoy! * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram. * Have you left a review yet? Thanks for taking the 60 seconds to help our movement grow!

Cloth diaper. Breastfeed. Minimize plastic. …… Duh. It’s sad but true: Most low-waste parenting strategies read like obvious platitudes. Worse, such practices are recycled ad nauseam on the eco-friendly inter web. Did you know? There are HEAPS of zero-waste parenting tips that aren’t QUITE so apparent: It’s THESE 10 strategies we’re discussing today. On this week’s episode, I’m thrilled to divulge the not-so-obvious, often overlooked sustainable parenting rules. They’re Kid-Tested, Parent-Approved + are guaranteed to slash into the waste your household (+ your child!) produces. * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook + Instagram. * Have you left a review yet? Thanks for taking the 60 seconds to help our movement grow!