Sustainable Minimalists – Details, episodes & analysis

Want to be "up to date" with your wardrobe choices? Fashion forwardness understands that the textile industry is incredibly polluting; having your finger on the fashion pulse, then, is about consciously choosing not to participate in trends. And yet we somehow must dress ourselves. While fast fashion is quite literally made to fall apart, wearing what we wore decades ago isn't a good look. So what on earth is a sustainable minimalist to do? On today's show: How to mindfully refresh your wardrobe with tips straight from experts.    * A note from Stephanie: The future of this show is uncertain, and it needs hundreds (hundreds!) more supporters to stay afloat. If you find yourself thinking about the world differently after listening, please consider supporting the show with $5 per month or $45 per year. Thank you for doing your part  to keep Sustainable Minimalists in existence! https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com   Here's a preview of the expert-backed techniques we are discussing today: [8:30] All Killer, No Filler! Stop settling for garments that are "good enough" [17:00] Adapt, Don't Abandon: How to pair an outdated item with something that's on trend [24:00] Refine your style with The 3-Word Method [26:00] Raise the dead! (A.K.A. bring back to life high-quality, foundational pieces) [31:00] When all else fails, consider a uniform    Resources mentioned: Episode #217: Organized Entryway Ideas (with Shira Gill) Episode #397: What Organizers Do   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More free time and less stress. Extra money in the bank. While minimalists often report such benefits of the lifestyle over and over, for many of us, it goes deeper. Indeed, a minimalist lifestyle may fundamentally change the way we interact with the world. As this podcast approaches its 500th episode I find myself curious about the ways in which adopting a minimalist or minimal-ish outlook has altered the ways in which we as community act and think. On today's show: A conversation with minimalist Elaina Jindra about just some of the ways her life is different these days.   Here's a preview of the minimalism-inspired habit changes we are discussing today: [8:00] Watching less television and turning away from mass media [14:00] Buying in bulk, no more [19:00] Storing it at the store? Sure. Plus: Storing it at Goodwill! [22:00] Eating healthier and drinking less alcohol [25:00] Stepping into the role of 'creator' while losing the identity of 'consumer'   Resources mentioned: Sign up for the Sustainable Minimalists newsletter (it's free!) here Hobby Hour (via Substack)   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Back To School Week 2024! In many homes, back to school season means back to packing lunchboxes. It's a stress-inducing chore, sure, as many parents find it difficult to think up new, creative lunch ideas that are actually healthy (and will actually get eaten!). On today's show registered dietician nutritionist Megan McNamee offers up her tried and true lunchbox formula; she also suggests simple lunch ideas that will make prepping lunches a breeze. Stay tuned for Thursday's Back To School episode about acquiring school supplies, clothes, and gear like a sustainable minimalist.    Here's a preview: [4:00] Is there anything "wrong" with school lunches? [8:00] Pack when your kitchen is open! (And other practical ways to make lunchbox packing easier) [13:00] Add balance and variety by following Megan's Lunch Formula [20:00] Lunchbox ideas you've never heard of before [26:00] Must lunchboxes have a dessert? [33:00] How to best use after school snack time as a sneaky way to supplement your child's diet   Resources mentioned: Feeding Littles Lunches: 75+ No-Stress Lunches Everyone Will Love Episode #391: Predictors Of Back To School Success   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you doing gratitude wrong? So many of us are always waiting for more. But when you greet each moment gratefully? You're always receiving. On today's show author Kristi Nelson offers a mini-formula for grateful living (put this conversation on as you're preparing for Thanksgiving!).   Here's a preview: [10:00] It's not happiness that makes us grateful; it's gratefulness that makes us happy (and other research-backed benefits to grateful living) [20:00] Is what once was plenty now no longer enough? Practical ways to fight back against "gratitude tolerance" [26:00] The super-simple solution to mind grind [30:00] Thoughts on practicing gratitude during moments of grief, illness, and struggle   Resource mentioned: Wake Up Grateful: The Practice Of Taking Nothing For Granted This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, November 10 2023: [00:30] Microplastics are now in clouds; here's what this means [3:00] The leaf blower problem [10:30] The world's first solar SUV has entered the chat [11:00] An electric plane just flew from Vermont to Florida (!)   Resources mentioned:  Episode #260: The White Gold Rush  This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Choosing the right hand soap and body wash isn't *just* about cleanliness. You deserve non-toxic products and our waterways deserve non-polluting ones, so it's really about committing to a higher standard of care. We're likely using soap every day for the rest of our lives; it's prudent, then, to get intentional about this must-have product. On today's show: conscious consumerism in the soap aisle.   Here's a preview: [3:00] Are antibacterial/antimicrobial soaps really necessary? [6:30] A hand sanitizer tangent: pro tips for buying and using sanitizer the *right* way [9:00] Research finds that putting products with toxins on our skin is more deleterious to our health than eating them, and here's why [11:00] Everything you absolutely must know about Triclosan [19:00] How to excel at the hand soap class of life via Stephanie's handy-dandy grading rubric   Resources mentioned: Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap bars Vermont Soap Company  Attitude personal care products Carina Organics   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perhaps you're a veteran investor, or maybe you're just now starting to financial plan. Either way, where you put your money can substantially increase (or decrease!) your annual carbon footprint.  Don't put your money where your mouth is; put it where your values are. On today's show financial consultant Shila Wattamwar leads an advanced level discussion about sustainable investing for the eco-conscious.    Here's a preview: [5:00] The sneaky ways you may be funding fossil fuels with your $$ [8:00] How well do ESG rating scales actually work? (And why aren't these measures standardized?) [21:00] Proxy ballots are an opportunity. Don't throw them in the trash! [25:00] What a time to be alive: A financial advisor's thoughts on next gen "alternative investments"   New to sustainable investing? Listen to these episodes first!  Episode #278: Divesting Episode #258: Conscious Spending Episode #205: How To Right-Size Your Budget   Resources mentioned:  Sustainability With Soren www.SustainableMe.Today Net-Zero Banking Alliance – United Nations Environment – Finance Initiative (unepfi.org) Company ESG Risk Ratings and scores - Sustainalytics ESG Screener | Morningstar Resolutions — As You Sow Resolution Database | PRI (unpri.org) DEALFLOW NETWORK l Connecting Private Equity ( PE ), Venture Capital ( VC ), M&A Dealmakers | Groups | LinkedIn Impact Entrepreneur | Groups | LinkedIn Big Path Capital founders of the Impact Investing Forum | Groups | LinkedIn Gaingels SOSV - Deep Tech for Human and Planetary Health Chloe Capital | VC Firm Investing In Women   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, November 3 2023: [00:30] French cheese, meet climate change [4:00] This is why olive oil is so expensive right now [6:30] Why many scientists are now saying climate change is an all-out 'emergency' [11:00] Cities are notoriously hot. Here are some cutting edge cooling solutions    This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some environmentalists call Christmas the world’s greatest annual environmental disaster, and for good reason: All that cheap, ultra-trendy decor adds up. On today's show: getting intentional about our holiday decorations once and for all.   Here's a preview: [3:00] Let's talk numbers: How much do Americans spend each year on holiday decor? [10:00] 3 ways in which 'Christmas Creep' encourages us to spend more than we intended on decorations [13:00] The origins of those inflatable lawn thingys: Where did they come from and when will they disappear? [22:00] Don't go out and buy another decoration until you've displayed the decorations you already own, and here are 4 reasons why [32:00] Want to make your child smile? Don't buy a cheap piece of holiday decor; do this instead   Resources mentioned: Big Mouth Billy Bass Episode #323: O Christmas Tree Episode #101: 5 Spaces To Declutter Before Christmas Episode #051: How To Handle Holiday Clutter (with Joshua Becker) Episode #327: Holiday Boundaries Episode #326: Gift Boundaries This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us shy away from the word 'activist' because the term brings to mind a very specific type of person. But if you're regularly taking action to make the world a better place? Guess what my friend, you're already an activist (yes, really!). What matters is not the size of the action, nor how vigorous the action is. It's all about consistency. On today's show author Omkari Williams helps us find the kind of social justice engagement that feels both empowering *and* sustainable. Here's a preview: [4:00] Activism isn't just marching and picketing: Here's what micro activism looks like in the day to day  [10:30] Are you a headliner, an organizer, a producer, or an indispensable? How to determine your unique activist archetype [22:00] The status quo isn't working for the vast majority of us. So where's the passion for change? [30:00] How to know whether your efforts constitute shallow work or deep work   Resources mentioned: Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World without a Bullhorn Take Omkari's Activist Archetype Quiz Seafoodwatch.org consumer guides   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices