Sustainable Minimalists

Do you desire to declutter your home but find yourself worried about making an even *bigger* mess? I hear that. If a slow + steady approach to, well, EVERYthing appeals to you, you’ll love the Shoebox Method’s incremental take on minimalism. My guest this week is Dionne Myhre. She’s a lifelong lover of organization; she’s a blogger who helps women find peace in tidied simplicity, too. She’s here t...

Have you planted your summer garden? Did you do so zero-waste style? If gardening isn’t your cup of tea, I humbly ask you to reconsider. Gardening is the cheapest way to get your hands on organic produce; it’s a hobby that intimately connects you to your food source, too. Whether you’re growing herbs on your fire escape, tilling a 600- square foot parcel or attempting something in between, it pays...

Have a big bucket list but a small-ish bank account? Do you dream in color but get snagged on the details? Feel held back by your children? Many of us aspire to get living, but the minutiae of planning forces us to stand still. That’s why it’s easier to remain stagnant in a life that may (or may not!) light us up. This week’s guests have mastered the art of intentional living. Despite dubious fina...

Declutter Your House by Starting with Small Wins   It’s one of your biggest decluttering concerns and I hear it all the time. Are you worried you will declutter your house and donate something you will one day miss? You’re not alone. For some of you, this fear is so strong it prevents you from decluttering before you even start.          On this week’s episode, I lead you by the hand through your...

What Is a Capsule Wardrobe? (And Other Closet Questions) When it comes to our closets, the most sustainable practice is to wear what we already own. Donating clothes contributes to textile pollution; as such, it’s prudent to wear and re-wear our garments until they are thoroughly worn out. But what is a capsule wardrobe, exactly, and how can you create one if you have a closetful of items you simp...

Conscious consumers are so much more than review-checkers. They don’t have their credit card information saved on Amazon. They’re not swayed by “deals” or “sales”, either. Conscious consumers don’t walk the shopping mall for fun + they certainly don’t follow marketplace trends. You’ve heard the term but – still! – its definition remains ambiguous. What is a conscious consumer, exactly? This week,...

    Did you know? The average American kitchen holds a whopping 1,019 items. Yet professional chefs argue that fully functioning kitchens demand *just* 16 items. No need to spend an arm + a leg on top of the line models, either: you, too, can whip up delectable meals with just 16 items that cost under $300 total. This week, I’m dabbling in the concepts of minimalists kitchens + minimalist cooking...

Freshly baked artisanal breads, still warm from the oven. Imported cheeses in original packaging. Untouched organic berries. Did you know? You can find all this + more in your local dumpster. Cameron Macleish first learned about the food waste epidemic as a broke college student. These days, he dumpster dives and – with his mom’s help – cooks delectable meals with his finds to push back against bo...

Have you scheduled self-care into your days lately? I get it: We’re all busy. When we must cut something, we almost always cut the tasks that rejuvenate ourselves from our schedules first. I believe that self-care is less about time-intensive, expensive spa treatments (although if they light you up, go for ’em!).  Instead, self-care is a collection of little habits that promote healthy + peaceful...

  So you’ve slashed into the trash your household produces. (That’s great!) But what about when you’re out + about? Are you conscious of garbage when you’re on-the-go? The truth is this: Strategic handbags go a *long way* toward low-waste or zero-waste living. It’s easier than it sounds, too: I carry everything I need for eating out, doing errands + stopping anywhere spontaneous in my medium-sized...

Have you ever embarked on a dry month? Would you consider one? This week we explore the space where minimalism, intentional living + sobriety collide. My guest this week is blogger Kim Miller. Through the lenses of #winemom + motherhood drinking culture, Kim + I examine the idea that clutter isn’t *just* physical stuff. Clutter is old ideas + habits that don’t serve us. Clutter is anything that ta...

Ever find yourself questioning the air quality in your home?  How about your water? Many of us have completed personal detoxes to eliminate internal toxins from our bodies. But how many of us tackle the toxins that reside in our homes? Toxins are everywhere, even in the cleanest of living spaces. As such, indoor air quality is typically 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Worst of all? Abund...

Let me guess: You like the *idea* of thrifting as a means of preserving both your hard-earned money + the planet. But in practice, things get muddled. Who has the time, energy or desire to sift through mounds of less-than-ideal garments in search of a genuine find? Here’s the good news: These days, it’s easier than ever to shop secondhand. My guest this week is Lauren Spraggins. She’s a fashion re...

Humans are sick + are getting sicker. So is planet Earth.  Our health as a species is intricately linked to the health of our planet. Indeed, perhaps the most concerning aspect of greenhouse gases, polluted oceans + shrinking ecosystems is that – ultimately – we have manufactured an environment unfit for human life. My guest this week is Dr. Stephen Hussey. He’s a chiropractor, health coach + auth...

Zero-waste living is easier than you think. The secret? It all starts at the supermarket. Take home less plastic. On today’s episode I’m divulging my 5 tricks that can be implemented by absolutely anyone on his or her next shopping trip. ** This episode offers a tiny taste of what I’m teaching in 14 Days to a Zero-Waste Kitchen. Registration officially opens today! I hope you’ll join me for guided...

  It happens to all of us. We embark on a decluttering endeavor – a whole house purge, even – only to lose steam halfway through. Indeed, it’s as if the motivation to finish vanishes into thin air. We’re enticed by benefits of a minimalist home, including less stress, more free time + fewer items to clean. The problem is, though, that the act of decluttering induces stress, sucks up free time + re...

So you know fast fashion is bad. (Really bad, in fact.) But you’ve got a closet full of cheap, trendy items + you have no idea how to create a more ethical wardrobe. How can you avoid eco-burnout + cultivate sustainability in your closet? That’s the question Cait Bagby is answering today. Cait is a fellow blogger, ethical influencer + self-described fashion maximalist who’s offering her two cents...

“But I might need it someday.” “But shouldn’t I save it for my kids?” “But it was a gift from my great-aunt Bertha!” Over the past 2 years, I’ve been fortunate to chat with *many* minimalists. In these chats + interviews, I’ve learned one thing: In the throes of tidying, we all push through the Exact. Same. Concerns. Today I’m bringing 5 decluttering roadblocks into the light + addressing them one...

Have yourself a disorganized household? No judgement here. I’ve got one, too. June Doran is a blogger, homeschooler + mom of 5 who argues that, if you want to get tidy, the answer *isn’t* to purchase additional bins + baskets. Indeed, the best way to organize a disorganized family is simple, painless + free. * Get early bird access (+ a 20% discount!) on ’14-Days to a Zero-Waste Kitchen’ here. * F...

Changing well-ingrained habits is tough. Why is that? When it comes to sustainability, many of us hit an eco-plateau. We successfully accomplish the easiest swaps (reusable coffee mug; cloth tote bags) but quickly find ourselves stuck as we attempt to conquer more intermediate tasks. Chloe Lepeltier has graciously offered 3 incremental tweaks we can all tackle to crank up our eco-friendly efforts....

If I asked you what’s most important in life, I’m willing to bet you wouldn’t hesitate. Family, of course! But are you in the habit of regularly showing them that they are, in fact, your VIPs? It happens more than we’d like to admit. Even though we’re conscious that our families are our Number Ones – and even though we know we should be prioritizing them over the dishes, the vacuuming + whatever e...

For many, eating is easy.  Supermarkets abound with everything our stomachs desire; as such, we’re forever just a few dollars away from food that’s prepped, packaged + ready to eat.  But what if we had to actually *work* for sustenance? This week’s guest argues that, when it comes to our meals, a little difficulty would benefit both our bodies + our planet.  Today I’m chatting with Rob Greenfield....

Love to travel? Me too. Before kids I proudly globetrotted. By air, of course! But these days, I know better. On this week’s episode I’m getting personal with Evelina Utterdahl. She describes herself as a ‘happily homeless’ professional traveller. Eve’s special because she vows to never travel by airplane again; this week, Eve tells us why. Not ready to give up flying forever? Eve also divulges he...

An Eco-Friendly New Years Resolution Idea   Have you chosen your New Years Resolution yet? I’m here to help! If you’re looking for an eco-friendly New Years Resolution, I’ve got you covered. On this week’s mini-episode I’m offering up my 2019 Resolution; I’m making it easy as pie for you to join me, too. Enjoy! * Access this week’s Show Notes here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on...

Have you ever stood in front of your closet, hands on hips, furrowed brow, wondering How. On. Earth. you have a closet full of stuff yet nothing to wear? Me too.  The answer to this all-to-common conundrum doesn’t lie in purchasing more clothes. In fact, this week’s guest advocates for owning a *smaller* wardrobe.   My guest this week is Julia Mooney. She has garnered national attention for wearin...