Forensic Tales

We may indeed live in a world in which we can get whatever we want whenever we want it, but there's a problem with such instant (and incessant!) gratification: Resources are finite.  On today's show, a conversation with blogger and author  Liz Frugalwoods  about how to teach our children that money doesn't grow on trees and buying new isn't consequence-free.   Here's a preview:...

#157 - In December 1982, a toddler's body was discovered in the Escatawpa River in Moss Point, Mississippi. With water in her lungs, investigators believed she was smothered before she was thrown off the eastbound Interstate-10 bridge into the river. But the toddler's identity baffled investigators for decades, and she became known as Delta Dawn.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest...

#156 - In October 1980, a young college student was discovered brutally murdered inside her southern California condo. Although the police had several suspects early on, the murder investigation eventually went cold. It would take investigators decades and new forensic testing to finally figure out who murdered Michelle Wyatt.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your su...

A conversation with energy policy advisor Hal Harvey and award-winning NY Times journalist Justin Gillis about exactly what we need to do more of in 2023 to ensure the planet remains habitable for our children.   Here's a preview: [2:00] Is it already too late? [4:00] The transition to seeing ourselves not as mere green consumers but instead as green citizens [12:00] Creating a "tangible l...

#155 - A few days before Christmas in December 1959, four members of the Walker family were brutally murdered inside their home in Osprey, Florida. The victims were Cliff Walker, his wife, Christine, and the couple's two young children. The ensuing investigation into their murders led the police to an endless search for their killers.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show...

What your clutter is costing you, plus 5 guiding principles for mindful rehoming.   Resources mentioned: Episode  #105: The Dark Side Of Donating: Where Do Goodwill Donations Actually Go? Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on  Facebook,   Instagram  +  Youtube . Email me and say hello!  MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com . Thank you to our sponsors!  Thrive...

When it comes to health-first resolutions (eat healthier! feel better in jeans!), it's unfortunate but true: such resolutions often fail shortly after January 1.  On today's show  Leeann Rybakov  outlines what it *really* takes to make your health-centered New Year's Resolution stick. Here's a preview: [3:00] Exactly why our get healthy/lose weight/eat right/move more resolutions f...

#154 - On April 22, 2022, twelve-year-old Sean Daugherty unexpectedly passed away at his home in Yorktown, VA. The young boy was found hanging from a swing set in his family's back yard. He was dressed in men's clothing, a bag was wrapped around his head, and his hands were bound. After a quick investigation, the police ruled his sudden death a suicide, but his family and forensic evidence disagre...

It's the most wonderful time of the year, or is it? December can be stressful, expensive, and emotionally taxing; it's no wonder, then, that 3 in 5 Americans believe the holiday season negatively impacts their mental health.  Enter interpersonal boundaries which, when done right, protect your time, well-being, and budget. Even better? Drawing explicit lines in the proverbial sand increases...

How do we kindly ask our parents and in-laws to stop buying into plastic junk culture for our children? Why would we even want to embark on such an uphill battle? Overwhelming amounts of gifts may be commonplace around the holidays but the reality is this: The Number One most important gift we can give our kids is an inhabitable planet on which they can survive and thrive. With both the planet and...

#153 - On May 11, 2011, six-year-old Timmothy Pitzen disappeared three days after his mom mysteriously pulled him out of school and took him on a three-day trip to multiple water parks and a zoo. Timmothy's mom, Amy Fry-Pitzen, was found dead inside a motel room alongside a suicide note saying that Timmothy was with people who would care for him but would never be found. Forensic evidence points t...

When it comes to giving presents, sustainable minimalists understand that less is more and thoughtful is better. Indeed, minimalist holiday gift ideas don’t manifest themselves when walking the mall; you can’t find them by panic buying in the days leading up to Christmas, either. Need some inspiration? Today I’m thrilled to turn the mic over to you the listeners as you offer up nearly 2 dozen non-...

Are you getting all you can from your library? Libraries are quiet pillars of our communities that often get overlooked. That's unfortunate because libraries are one of the few places where you can truly get something for nothing. On today's show I'm outlining 7 goods and services you likely never knew you could get for free from your library.   Here's a preview: [9:00] Exactly how...

Success is often accomplished with grit, resilience, and action. Still, many of us women are bogged down by countless pressures each and every day. Who has time to work toward goals when the obstacles in the way somehow feel both mundane yet unconquerable? You can face steep odds and still find happiness, and that's because every woman has wells of resilience within to help get us through. Tod...

#152 - On June 17, 2013, Odin Lloyd was gunned down inside an industrial park in North Attenborough, Massachusetts. Within hours of the murder, the police identified a possible suspect, but it wasn't someone anyone expected.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about...

Ah, the holidays. The 5-ish weeks between Black Friday and New Year's Day tend to be an extended party of sorts in which many of us overspend, overeat/drink, overdecorate, and excessively waste. The excesses associated with the holidays come with a hefty environmental cost: on average, US households produce 25% more trash than normal between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day; worse, wonton w...

#151 -The badly decomposed body of a young woman was discovered in the Race Point Dunes in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in July 1974. The woman had been strangled, beaten, and sexually assaulted. Her killer removed her hands and several teeth to make it difficult for investigators to identify her. Without an identity, she became known as the Lady of the Dunes.   S upport My Work If you love the sh...

Joy Of Missing Out (JOMO) is about actively turning from the external stimuli that neither serves nor ignites. And whereas Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) is rooted in external validation, obtaining JOMO is a giant leap toward serving your internal self. During the holidays and always, it pays to get intentional about All. The. Things: Our priorities, our precious free moments and, of course, our long-...

Parenting the eco-minimalist way is, well, difficult. It's also an 18-ish year commitment that goes directly against societal norms. I'm no expert, but I do believe that impactful parenting starts by capitalizing on teachable moments. On today's show I speak with  Elizabeth Ireland  about *exactly how* she passes 3 central eco-minimalist lessons onto her children.   Here's a previe...

#150 - A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death outside a Houston nightclub in front of a dozen eyewitnesses. Shortly after the murder, the eyewitnesses identified the attacker as a convicted felon, Lydell Grant. But when the police tested DNA on the victim's fingernail scrapings, the DNA couldn't include Lydell as the contributor. Despite the inconclusive DNA testing, Lydell grant was arrested and...

The attitude-behavior gap is a fancy schmancy research term that describes the discrepancy between what we say and what we do. When it comes to eco-minimalist living, many of us quietly experience an oversized gap between our values (save the planet! live minimally!) and our actions (buy single use plastic! purchase on impulse!).  On today's show we are diving into the recesses of this, well,...

Many minimalists boast that living simply has improved their well-being in a myriad of ways. The problem, however, is that such statements are anecdotal. Does research back up these personal stories? What - if anything - does science say about minimalism's benefits? On today's show  Shannon and Gerry Arner  and I marry research findings re: simple living with day-to-day experience.    Here...

#149 - Lori Slesinski was a recent Auburn University graduate who went missing in 2006. Although a promising suspect emerged early in the investigation, her case went cold. And her disappearance remained a mystery for a decade until new forensic evidence was discovered.   S upport My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. Y...

#148 - In April 2022, police informed the Cashman family that their son, 38-year-old Johnny Cashman Jr, was discovered dead from an apparent medical condition inside his Virginia apartment. Although they were devastated by the news, they believed the police were right about what happened to Johnny. However, they later found out that his apartment was covered in blood and the scene looked nothing l...

There's lots to consider when searching for an eco-friendly and non-toxic laundry detergent. Are those strips and pods actually environmentally conscious if they're wrapped in PVA? Why don't detergents offer a full list of ingredients on their packaging? As it turns out, laundry detergents have lots of misleading claims (ahem ... marketing gimmicks) designed to confuse consumers. On to...