We have reached the end of our challenge! Just one last tip for you to bring with you into the rest of the year. the challenge: Explore your town – on foot. A lot of local businesses don’t have a footprint online. You could be overlooking the most amazing place! Look into the little shops in...
I hate food waste. I know we’ve already talked about composting, but I want to encourage you to think about stems and scraps in a different way. Scraps and peels are still food! I would love to do a longer and fuller post on what I like to call “Root to fork” – eating and utilizing...
When I first went zero waste, I was thinking about buying reusables. Not necessarily about the end life of a product. But, some products, just don’t last forever. The two products that come to my mind are dish scrubs and toothbrushes. In both of these situations, I’ve opted for bamboo instead of plastic. By choosing...
This is one of the most common emails I receive. Yes, I still use toilet paper. We briefly discussed toilet paper in my bidet post. It takes 37 gallons of water to make one roll of toilet paper! A lot of toilet paper companies are using virgin forests and are completely unsustainable – let’s chat about...
My heat sings for cloth napkins. They are versatile, easy to clean, and even easier to use. The first cloth napkins we’re used by the Roman’s. They weren’t necessarily for cleaning hands, but rather as a to-go bag for leftovers. Let’s learn from the Romans more on that below… Eventually they were used as mind blowing...
With just a few changes in our grocery shopping habits, we can greatly reduce our amount of waste. Grocery stores are filled with single use plastics. Over 50% of all plastic made is only used once. At it’s best, it sits in a landfill forever. At it’s worst, it breaks down into microscopic pieces in the ocean...
When the weather gets warmer, I tend to graze rather than dive into hearty meals. Where I may have reached for a package of chips ahoy or poptarts in a past life, I now seek out whole, real food. Of course I could make poptarts and cookies, if I really wanted them, but zero waste...
School is out! Kids have tons of energy and lots of time. When I first moved out to California, I worked as a nanny. We mostly went on nature walks and to the park. I also tried to choose a couple of new fun activities each week. After a quick search on pinterest – almost...
The summer bounty is all around! So many fresh fruits and veggies are awaiting you – package free. All you need to do is head down to your local farmers market. Photo credit my wonderful friend Gillian Everyone at the market is happy to take back any rubber bands, twist ties, and even berry baskets making...
Making repairs is a lost art. Instead of repairing our shoes, holes in our leggings, and fixing our buttons, we would rather toss it and buy something new. We have lost value in our possessions. We don’t buy things to last. When we buy things, we don’t think about what happens after they stop working....
A lot of people struggle with eating healthy. They say it takes too much time, it’s not easy, and it’s expensive. So, I want to talk about how I eat healthy every week and do it on a budget. It all starts with just a little bit of prep. make it easy: make a plan: I...
Summer is all about those long days and bright sun. Which is great for rapidly drying your laundry! Dyers use a lot of energy and heat up the house. The A/C has to over compensate for all of that hot air the dryer is pumping out. And, if you’re like me, living without A/C –...
It’s day 10 y’all! Welcome to the double digits. Today we have a challenge for your furry companion. I am in love with my pup! She’s fluffy, snuggly, and always happy! I wrote a post about my zero waste dog here. Be Zero has you covered with more zero waste pet ideas, and she...
Compost is pure magic. I love composting. I just throw all of my food scraps in a bin and they’re turned to rich and wonderful soil. I have a worm bin, and an enclosed bin. My city offers discounted bins to residents, since we don’t have municipal. Check with your city too, and see my...
This one is over at Be Zero! Clear space; clear mind. There’s something utterly addictive about decluttering. Once you start, you just can’t stop. You should focus on keeping things you love and things that are useful. Anything that you don’t love and isn’t useful, is a wasted resource. You pay for space to store...
It is summer time. In my family that means swimming and BBQ. How many of you have a cookout or two planned this year? We’ve always been big grillers; so, I want to talk about some of my favorite Eco friendly swaps. make veggies the focus: You get the same sweetness as roasting them with...
Be Zero has got you covered for this one! All I have to say is, once you use a cloth handkerchief – you won’t go back. No more chapped noses.
Andrea over at Be Zero has you covered for day five! She eloquently describes our connection with nature, and has an awesome challenge for you this month. I really wanted this challenge to cover more than just standard zero waste swaps and focus on more than reusables. I already have a top 10 list for that....
Most of my life has been spent in a drought. Between Texas and California, I just can’t seem to catch a break. There’s never enough rain. It blows my mind the average American home uses 400 gallons of water a day! Water is a precious resource we should all focus on conserving. Only 1% of all...
Picnicking is one of my favorite things to do when the weather is nice. I love spending the day outside, and it’s just bonus to sit on a blanket, kick back, and chow down on finger food. I recently did an article with A Greener Future on picnicking. Disposable food and beverage packaging are some...
