Sustainable Minimalists

Eating meals together is the ultimate parenting cheat code, and that's because in just one hour you can improve your kids' academic performance, self-esteem, and cardiovascular health while simultaneously reducing their risks of substance misuse, depression, and obesity.

On today's show: author Annette Thurmon on making the kitchen the heart of the home once again.

Here's a preview:

[7:30] A laundry list of the nutritional benefits of regular family dinners, plus the developmental and mental health benefits for kids and teens

[10:00] We parents should be including our children in the cooking process, and here's why (plus: easy lift how-tos)

[20:00] Remember: It's not about the food! It's about the face-to-face, tech-free time

[23:00] Practical dinnertime prompts

Resource mentioned:

• Simple Country Living: Techniques, Recipes, and Wisdom for the Garden, Kitchen, and Beyond

Creative alternatives to "How was your day?"

• What's one thing you learned today?
• What's one thing that made you smile today?
• If you could change something about your day, what would it be?
• What's one thing you liked most about your day?
• What has made you feel loved recently?
• How did you help someone today? How did someone help you?
• What's it like to be a kid? To be a parent?
• What was your last thought before falling asleep last night?

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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 15 2024:

[00:30] The paradox that's holding back clean energy gains

[7:15] You're not crazy: Spring is indeed arriving earlier

[13:00] Breaking down the EU's new 'gold standard' deforestation law

[12:00] A war on utes? Updates from Australia's emissions regulations

Resources mentioned:

• Episode #187: Everything You Need To Know About Palm Oil
• Join our (free!) community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.
• Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

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Today's show is a series of 3 very diverse updates straight from developments in my own life: The first is about self-sufficiency, the second is sustainability-focused, and the final act dedicates itself to intentional living.

Here's a preview:

[3:00] Act 1: The hydroponic growing hype. (Stephanie's good, bad, and ugly experiences with her new grow tower)

[16:00] Act 2: Electrify Everything? (Our boiler is leaking. Here's where we are at with regard to heat pumps: costs, struggles, etc.)

[28:00] Act 3: More intention, please! (Here's what I'm working on to avoid the busy trap)

Resources mentioned:

• Episode #429: Get Growing (with Kevin Espiritu)
• Magic Puzzle Company
• The 'Busy' Trap (via NY Times)

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There's convenience, and then there's *excessive* convenience. While some modern conveniences are indeed necessary and needed, the excessive ones can be detrimental to ourselves and society as a whole.

Items and services of convenience are often substitutes for supportive culture and connection. On today's show historian Jennifer Newton and I discuss how culture - and specifically excessively convenient, disposable culture - perpetuates itself; we also muse on what to do if the prevailing culture no longer "fits".

Here's a preview:

[5:00] How'd we get here? A brief history of the Convenience Industrial Complex in America

[10:00] Weak ties, strong ties, and 3 ways convenience culture reduces social connection

[23:00] The average American watches 4 hours of TV a day. What are the cultural implications?

[35:00] Passive and active ways to fight back against excessive convenience

Resources mentioned:

• Sustain Initiative Substack

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• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 8 2024:

[00:30] SEC scales back its new pollution-disclosure rules

[4:15] Apparently we're smuggling greenhouse gases now

[9:00 It's no longer a debate! Our warm winter has human fingerprints all over it

[12:00] Gray whales in the Atlantic? How is this possible?

Resources mentioned: 

• Weirdly Warm Winter Has Climate Fingerprints All Over It, Study Says (via NY Times)
• Seasonal Attribution Report (via Climate Central)
• Join our (free!) community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.
• Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

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Yoga pants, baby! Athleisure is a fashion trend that features comfortable, flattering, and aesthetically pleasing athletic clothing designed to be worn all day. And while many of us turned to athleisure during the pandemic and never went back, athleisure has a dirty little secret: petroleum-based fibers.

On today's show former Athleta senior fashion designer Nancy Taylor outlines what needs to happen systemically to make the the fashion industry circular; she also introduces bio-based textile innovations in the athleisure space we all should be paying attention to. 

Here's a preview:

[6:00] From a fashion designer's perspective, here's why athleisure is so darn amazing

[12:00] What's the fashion industry's biggest problem: is it that too many products are being produced, or is that consumers simply consuming too much?

[18:00] Bio-based synthetics, oh my! Here are some exciting innovations happening right now in the textile space

[23:00] Are items made from recycled materials of lesser quality?

[28:00] Don't forget about natural fibers and semi-synthetics when exercising! Here are the best

Resources mentioned:

•  époque évolution
• Lolë
• Send me your eco-tips! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
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Soil grows 95 percent of our food and sustains human life. But monocrops, pesticide reliance, and other modern farming methods have degraded soil health in lasting ways. Some scientists believe we have less than 60 harvests left. 

The way we are feeding ourselves is undermining the very ecology we’re dependent upon. The hope? Regenerative farming. On today's show Kiss The Ground's Chief Executive Officer Evan Harrison urges each of us to participate in the regenerative movement.

Here's a preview:

[6:00] A laundry list of all the consequences associated with degraded soil

[10:00] The main reason why pesticides are a staple of the monocrop farming model, plus: what science says about degraded soil and a food's nutrient density

[19:00] For people who buy and eat food (aka everyone), here's how you can support regenerative agriculture

Resource mentioned:

• Kiss The Ground film

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Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.

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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 1 2024:

[2:30] Air pollution and Alzheimer’s 

[5:00] Won't you be my neighbor? Supreme Court seems poised to halt EPA's 'good neighbor' rule 

[9:00] 150 Canadian 'zombie fires' just won't die

[12:00] A breakdown on how air quality is measured, plus: How to find the best air quality apps 

• Join our (free!) community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.
• Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

• 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.

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“From the cradle to the grave … the [wo]man of modern times struggles through a maze of endless complication.”

Although Charles Wagner penned these words over 125 years ago, they are more true today than ever before. On today’s show author Suzanne Johnson modernizes Wagner’s tenets of simple living for twenty-first century existence.

Here’s a preview of the Wagner-isms we are revisiting today:

[7:30] We suffer the consequences of a too artificial life

[11:30] The more goods a woman has, the more she wants

[18:00] Pleasure cannot be bought or sold

[24:00] Obscurity is not a sign of disgrace

[30:00] The realm of silence is vaster than the realm of noise

[41:00] Simplicity is a state of mind

Resources mentioned:

• Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter by Elaine St. James
• The Simple Life by Charles Wagner

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Billions of people worldwide rely on seafood for nutrition and economic livelihood, but 90 percent of fish populations are currently overfished.

Your seafood choices matter, and buying responsibly is one of the most important ways you can contribute to healthier oceans. On today's show: breaking down exactly how to be an informed seafood consumer.

Here's a preview:

[3:00] Everything you need to know about that wild-caught fish

[14:00] Dirty little secrets from fish farms

[21:00] ... But which is healthier: farmed or wild caught?

[26:00] 6 ways to buy seafood like an informed and conscious consumer, plus: what it looks like to use a sustainable seafood guide IRL

Resources mentioned:

• Episode #236: The Health Of Our Oceans with Dr. Sylvia Earle
• Salmon Wars: The Dark Underbelly Of Your Favorite Fish by Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins
• Seaspiracy
• Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch
• You May Not Be Getting The Fish You Paid For. Here’s How To Spot Seafood Fraud (via WaPo)

• 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
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Reminder to my fellow moms: You don't have to do it all. 

Studies have shown for decades that women in heterosexual partnerships are responsible for the "invisible labor" at home. Not surprisingly, carrying the lion's share of the burden has oversized impacts on women's mental health.

The solution sounds simple: Divvying up domestic responsibilities decreases resentment and increases family cohesion. But how do we best encourage our partners and children to participate in the work of the home for the long haul?

It's not gendered work; it's the work of the family and all should contribute. On today's show Lori Sugarman-Li encourages us to release the need to do everything; she also calls on our partners and children to step up and participate in the essential - yet sadly unpaid! - work of the home.

Here's a preview:

[6:30] Semi-disturbing stats re: impacts of inequitable unpaid labor on women's wellness

[9:00] Defining family flow: How can we best change a family's flow if the flow isn't working for everyone?

[17:00] They aren't chores! Here's why we must change both the language and the energy around "chores"

[19:00] Full task ownership versus division of labor: Which provides long-term balance?

[30:00] Words of encouragement for the default (ahem ... 'she-fault') parents, plus: cycle breaking is in our hands

Resources mentioned:

• Fair Play
• Pre-order Our Home: The Love, Work, and Heart of Family
• Lori on Instagram

• 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
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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, February 16 2024:

[1:00] Are you a victim of seafood fraud? Probability says yes

[6:30] What warm oceans mean for hurricane season here in the US 

[11:00] Why are Louisiana's coastal wetlands predicted to collapse, and what does this mean for storm protection?

• 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.

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Weekends *should be* for resting, exploring, and participating in beloved hobbies. Yet for so many of us, our weekends are bogged down with housework. Errands too.

On today's show Tyler Moore explains his system for centering his weekends — and his life — around what's most important.

Here's a preview:

[6:00] Be efficient about it: The order in which you perform household tasks matters!

[9:00] Mondays are for bathrooms! 3 benefits to maintaining a weekday cleaning routine

[18:00] Is it really as simple as lowering expectations, or is this terrible advice?

[25:00] Surthrival = getting through a stressful time while simultaneously noticing moments of thriving

[28:00] Home rhythms and routines can indeed secure space for more of what actually matters, and here's how

Resources mentioned:

• Tyler on Instagram @tidydad
• Join our (free!) community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.
• Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

• 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.

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It can often feel in our culture as though women aren’t allowed to age. If we do? The patriarchy will (gasp!) deem us irrelevant. 

Enter countless off-the-shelf products, monthly treatments, and medical procedures that claim to turn back the clock, albeit temporarily. And while hair dyeing, teeth whitening, and more are wildly popular amongst women (and men!) forty-plus, such habits often come with excessive exposure to cancer-causing agents and hormone disruptors.

On today's show Sophia Ruan Gushee encourages us to diversify our risks as we consider which anti-aging products to try.

Here's a preview:

[6:00] "I never worried about toxins and I turned out fine." This logic is flawed, and here's why

[11:00] Don't go straight to the permanent hair dye! And other hair dyeing considerations 

[17:00] Teeth no longer pearly white? Beware of the heavy metals 

[24:00] Take an inside-out approach (not a 10 step regimen) to glowing, radiant skin 

Related episodes: 

• Episode #194: Safer Nail Polish
• Episode #203: 5 Non-Toxic Hair Dye Solutions

* Have you left this show an Apple Podcasts review yet? I'd so appreciate it, and thank you! 

• 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
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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, February 9 2024:

[1:00] Your plant-based meat could soon have animal fat

[5:00] A hamburger that saves the planet? Hmm ...

[10:00] Introducing Michael Mann, the hockey stick chart, and 2 climate change deniers

[15:30] Let's talk about Taylor's private jet ...

• 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
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By the time you open, say, a container of yogurt, the food has taken a looong journey to reach your spoon. And at each step, there's the chance that a little something extra has snuck in.

Consumer Reports tested supermarket staples and found high levels of bisphenols and phthalates — also known as plasticizers — within. The bad news? Scientists believe there's no safe level of plasticizers on human health.

On todays show Dr. James Rogers breaks down everything you need to know about the plastic chemicals hiding in your food.

Here's a preview:

[2:00] So many plastic problems, so little time! Breaking down the differences between PFAS, plasticizers, microplastics, and more

[6:00] The documented human health effects of plasticizers, plus: What their cumulative effects mean for chronic conditions

[12:00] 9 phthalates are banned in toys but they're allowed in food? Make it make sense!

[15:00] 5 ways plasticizers become stowaways in our food

[20:00] Lifestyle changes that reduce your exposure to phthalates and bisphenols

Resources mentioned:

• Episode #339: Dark Chocolate's Dark Side
• Episode #264: Forever Chemicals
• The Plastic Chemicals Hiding in Your Food (via Consumer Reports)
• * Your Homework! Sign the petition to get plasticizers out of Annie's and other General Mills products

• 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.

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If you're like most humans, 70-percent of your thoughts each day skew negative. 

The good news? You aren't your thoughts; you're the observer. On today's show therapist Risa Williams shows us how to break free of the negativity bias that afflicts our species once and for all.

Here's a preview:

[1:00] No-Spend Reset wrap-up! Here are the biggest takeaways from you, our listeners

[8:30] The real-life and real-time benefits of being the observer

[11:30] How to catch your bias towards negativity *before* you spiral

[17:00] Whatever you decide to instantly re-play in your brain impacts your mood. Is it time to change the channel?

[38:00] Changes to the podcast are a-comin'! Now's your time for public comment

Resource mentioned: 

• The Motivation Mindset podcast 

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Resources mentioned:

• 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
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Enough with excessive educational toys, extracurriculars, and enrichment activities. It’s time to take a step back, put our wallets away, and realize what our children *actually* need.

On today's show: re-centering our parenting efforts around 3 of the most important childhood needs.

Here's a preview:

[10:00] Kids need your undivided attention! Make sure you're giving twice as much positive attention as negative attention

[13:00] What recent research says about the benefits of delighting in our children

[16:30] 3 benefits to signing up for one less extracurricular

[28:00] Not all foods are created equal! Kids really do need these 8 micronutrients 

Resources mentioned:

• Episode #403: The Processed Food Problem
• Episode #173: How To Simplify Picky Eating

• 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
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Reducing food waste doesn't always jive with societal norms.

That's because keeping perfectly edible food out of landfills might mean being the weirdo who boxes their wedding entree. Or asking (gasp!) to take home extra pizza from a child's birthday party. 

On today's show: A conversation with journalist Rachael Jackson about how to value food more than we value fitting in. 

Here's a preview:

[7:45] Is composting the solution to food waste? (Answer: No.)

[10:00] 5 ways to shamelessly break social norms around food and waste

[23:00] Brown avocados, wet spinach, and more: Can we eat or should we toss?

Resources mentioned:

• EPA Wasted Food Scale 
• Project Drawdown
• ReFED 
• Avocado library
• I Bought It, Now What Ebooks for reducing food waste

• 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
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First facts, then the inevitable spin! The enviro-news we are spinning for Friday, January 26 2024:

[1:00] 3 cheers for a White House pause in the natural gas export terminal CP2

[5:00] No one likes air pollution. Enter new rules for fine particulates 

[10:00] Understanding the global average temperature, with predictions for 2024

[12:30] Where to put Lahaina's toxic debris? Next to an important coral reef, of course 

• 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
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When faced with information that challenges our long-held beliefs, we humans do one of two things. Either we think hard about our values and adapt our lifestyles to reflect this new data, or we cling to willful blindness so that we may continue to think and act in the ways we've always thought and acted.

In honor of Veganuary I bring you a conversation with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau about changing our beliefs — and perhaps our diets — in the face of new information.

Here's a preview: 

[7:30] Unpacking willful blindness: How and why we tell ourselves untruths to maintain long-held beliefs

[11:00] Cognitive dissonance is uncomfortable. Why, then, do some people learn and change while others cling to defunct beliefs?

[19:00] It's not giving up, it's letting go! Uncovering the story that's underneath your eating habits that you're unwilling to let go of

[23:00] Debunking 3 commonly-held plant-based myths to reflect updated science 

[37:00] Attitude is everything, so flip the script!

Resources mentioned: 

• Diet For A New America 
• Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry
• Food For Thought podcast
• Colleen on Instagram
• The 30-Day Vegan Challenge

Previous Veganuary episodes: 

• Episode #334: Plant-Based Families
• Episode #238: The Future Of Food

changing our beliefs — and perhaps our diets — in the face of new information.

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Wisdom is the cumulation of valuable lessons we pick up along our journeys through this messy thing called life, and pearls of wisdom are guideposts to help us navigate the complexities of living in an uncertain world in an uncertain time.

On today's show: A conversation with author Dr. Elizabeth Kagan Arleo about trusting the wisdom of the experts — both modern and ancient — so as to better overcome life's challenges and improve overall well-being. 

Here's a preview of the wisdom we discuss today:

[1:30] First, eat your frog!

[4:00] Schedule your time in 168-hour chunks

[11:30] Set criteria, meet criteria, and be satisfied (no perfection required)

[18:00] Stop over-apologizing (seriously, stop it!)

[22:00] If you don't ask, the answer is always no

[27:00] Imposter Syndrome: Name it to tame it

Resources mentioned:

• First, Eat Your Frog: And Other Pearls for Professional Working Mothers
• Episode #434: Is It Time To Quit Amazon Prime?

• 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.

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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 19 2024:

[00:30] Updates from the Greenland ice sheet

[5:00] Staggering losses to North American bird populations, plus: outlining their (human-made) threats

[10:00] Gross! Our favorite foods have an awful lot of microplastics within

[14:00] "Plastic-free" laundry sheets aren't actually plastic-free

• 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.

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Over 200 million Americans subscribe to Prime, and estimates suggest that Amazon delivers 3.4 million packages per day in the US alone.

Quitters, unite! I'm quitting Amazon Prime, and perhaps it's time for you to consider quitting too.

Here's a preview: 

[7:30] How on earth is Amazon able to selling items at such low prices? It ain't pretty ...

[12:00] Amazon is only the cheapest option if you're willing to buy almost everything on Amazon, and I'm going to prove it 

[20:00] What does Amazon's Climate Friendly Pledge *really* mean?

[23:00] A laundry list of things we lose when we choose convenience 

• 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.

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Did you know? Ikea beds, Wayfair desks, and other fast furniture items are designed to last about five years.

Fast furniture is mass-produced and relatively inexpensive; it's easy, then, to obtain and abandon. And fast decor? Low price points essentially render disposable those trendy but cheap pillows, artwork, and trinkets.

There's a better way, and it always starts with slowing down. Slow Style is Zandra Zuraw's framework for creating homes that nurture without breaking the bank, and today she shows us how to create havens that inspire and welcome without anything fast or cheap.

Here’s a preview:

[4:30] Why bother surrounding ourselves with beauty (and other big-picture musings)

[7:00] Mass production, economies of sale, and the environmental implications of fast decor

[17:00] Developing your eye for design means paying attention! 

[25:00] How to find the fine line between keeping stuff you hate versus hopping on the hamster wheel of buying

[30:00] Ethical furnishings companies DO exist! Here's where to find them once and for all

Resources mentioned:

• The Slow Style Home podcast
• The Sustainable Furnishings Council
• Roger + Chris furniture
•  Ridwell

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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 12 2024:

[00:45] Want to eat and drink less plastic? Don't drink bottled water ... 

[5:00] Vroom vroom! Clean yellow school buses are a-comin' nationwide

[10:00] Say it ain't so: Right now the US is producing more oil than any other country ... ever

[14:00] Help halt the fossil fuel industry's Liquified Natural Gas export expansion! Here's how

Resources mentioned:

• Petition to Stop New LNG Exports (via actionnetwork.org)
• #StopLNG Sit-in at Department of Energy in Washington, DC (via thirdact.org)

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You've likely been there. That moment when you look at your credit card statement and your heart sinks. Sometimes logic gives way to desire, and nothing's worse than realizing you overshopped on impulses. A lot.

It’s time to take a look at what happens in the moments *before* we impulse buy. On today's show: honing in our 5 shopping triggers so we can insert that crucial pause before buying.

Here's a preview:

[3:45] Advertisers shape our desires, and the credit industry makes these desires seem affordable. Yikes!

[9:30] Buyer, beware: when your mind becomes your own worst enemy. 

[15:00] The shopping trigger that's the most common and the most difficult to overcome

[23:00] Got parental guilt? Why you should stop buying stuff for your kids to compensate 

[29:00] Hankering to buy food when your kitchen is full? How to determine whether a physical trigger is colliding with an emotional one

Resources mentioned:

• To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop (by Dr. April Benson)
• Insert that pause with this free printout for your wallet
• The Poverty of Affluence: A Psychological Portrait of the American Way of Life (by Dr. Paul Wachel)

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In some ways, our preponderance toward tech disposability is systemic. We consumers in the US are denied the right to repair: fixing a broken smartphone, then, is costly. It's simply more convenient to replace our broken item for the newest model.

When your device is broken you should have more options than a high-priced service or the landfill, and New York agrees. The Digital Fair Repair Act should make it easier to repair our smartphones and laptops at shops of *our* choosing. It's good news, because the law may ultimately bring down repair prices for all of us. And if repair is affordable? Fingers crossed, tech stays out of landfills.

On today's show: Nicholas De Leon from Consumer Reports breaks down this landmark grassroots consumer win.

Here's a preview:

[3:45] Need-to-know details about New Yorks' Digital Fair Repair Act

[9:00] Why aren't dishwashers, washing machines, and other "white goods" covered?

[19:30] What if any benefits from NY's new law will non-New Yorkers receive? 

[25:00] The bigger picture: Why repair what's designed to break?

Resources mentioned:

• New York Right-to-Repair Law Promises Easier, Cheaper Electronics Repairs (via Consumer Reports)
• iFixit

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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 5 2024:

[00:45] Is drinking toilet water in our future? (Answer: Yes.)

[3:45] Some flowers are evolving to pollinate themselves, and this is not good news

[7:15] Got climate trauma? Good luck finding professional support

[15:00] A lack of EPA oversight in Cancer Alley

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
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Over the holidays my family and I staycationed for 9 glorious days. During this time of introspection I re-learned these 4 universally applicable lessons which we are discussing today:

[2:45] Appearance is EVERYthing (when shopping, at least).

[10:00] Explanations are unnecessary.

[18:00] No ones need to eat like royalty *every* night.

[27:00] Habit forming? Remember dosage. Repetition too! 

Resources mentioned:

• Mailbird (Note: it's not free!)
• Episode #223: Reclaiming Movement Opportunities

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
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Whether you boast a small windowsill herb garden, a thriving hydroponic system or something in between, growing your own food is great for your well-being. And when you grow what you eat? You also reduce the environmental harm that's incurred by industrial agricultural methods; you eliminate food miles, too.

Kevin Espiritu built a modern homestead on a very modest urban lot; he also happens to help millions of home growers take their gardening efforts to the next level. On today's show Kevin outlines the ways in which each of us — even those who can't keep anything alive! — can grow big(ger) in 2024.

Here's a preview:

[4:00] Why grow stuff? Food miles, nutrition, and industrialized food 

[15:00] The more you grow, the better you grow: Remembering the gardener's lesson

[19:00] Are those fancy-shmancy hydroponic garden towers worth it? Could you build one yourself?

[22:00] Can't keep anything alive? Start with sprouts!

[27:00] The Number One question expert home growers ask themselves, and often

Resources mentioned:

• Epic Homesteading: Your Guide to Self-Sufficiency on a Modern, High-Tech Backyard Homestead
• Episode #139: Microgreens

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The holidays are all about overabundance. We buy too much, consume too much and despite our best efforts spend far too much money. But there is a solution, and it’s happening on January 1: A No Spend Reset. 

A practical first step toward adopting a lifestyle rooted in sustainable minimalism is to hop off the consumerist bandwagon, at least for a little while, and January is the perfect right time to tackle that project you've been meaning to get to in your home, explore the wonder of recreational activities that don’t cost a cent, and recenter yourself with gratitude for what you already have.

On today's re-air: Julie Winpisinger divulges the Why and How of a no spend/low spend month so you can confidently embark on intentionally NOT SPENDING for 31 days.

Resources mentioned: 

• Sustainable Minimalists Substack
• Join our closed Facebook group

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
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A New Year's resolution is a tool that helps us become the best possible versions of ourselves. And yet research finds most people abandon their resolutions by February. 

Many New Year's resolutions fail because they're too broad, too lofty, and not at all time-sensitive. On today's show we set ourselves up for resolution success by applying the 5 components of SMART goals to our 2024 aspirations.

Here's a preview: 

[2:00] What do the statistics say? Here's just how many resolutions fail, and when

[4:30] How to use the SMART acronym to improve your own 2024 resolution 

[7:30] Taking 4 of the most common new years resolutions and making them better

[12:00] Got a sustainability goal on your mind? Stephanie's best thoughts

[19:00] 6 research-backed tips for making your resolution stick

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The (only positive!) enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 22 2023:

[3:30] Can microorganisms help in our plastics fight?

[6:00] Exactly how plants communicate with other plants (and why it's important in climate change conversations)

[9:00] 'Sustainable' Aviation Fuels: Is climate-friendly flying an oxymoron?

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
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We are taught from an early age that contentment is found in possessions. But lasting peace comes from within, and meditation is a powerful (and free!) way to find what so many of us seek. 

Yet thanks to All. The. Distractions, modern life has engineered out opportunities to go inward. And at the same time? Meditation has never been more needed or necessary.

On today's show, a conversation with Brett Koon about the #1 way to boost happiness, reduce stress, hop off the consumerist bandwagon for good and - most importantly - find out who you really are.

Here's a preview:

[7:00] Happiness isn't in stuff, and life isn't a scavenger hunt to amass 'things'

[10:30] Feelings are just thoughts with lag time (and they aren't the real YOU!)

[14:00] The separation of awareness and mind takes time. Enter modern distractions

[26:00] Is the solution to climate anxiety as simple as surrendering?

[33:00] Common meditation myths debunked, plus: quick wins for getting started

Resources mentioned:

• The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (by Eckhart Tolle)
• A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (by Eckhart Tolle)

• 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
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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 15 2023:

[00:30] COP28: The good, the bad, and the ugly

[9:15] Who gets the (limited) water in California?

[13:30] Extreme weather and the cost of sugar

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
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The human endocrine system is delicate and complex. While scientists first discovered endocrine disrupting chemicals in 1991, obesogens - a subset of endocrine disruptors in personal care products that cause weight gain - were discovered only within the last two decades.

Our cosmetics can cause us to develop more and bigger fat cells; they may also make it harder to stay at a healthy weight. On today's show: A conversation with Andrea Dahr about the endocrine disruptors, with special attention to the obesogens.

Here's a preview:

[4:45] Back to biology class: Breaking down the need-to-know info about your endocrine system

[7:45] Losing weight isn't as simple as burning more calories than you consume, and here's why

[12:00] Fascinating research about the impact of obesogen exposure on prenatal development and possible generational effects on our great-grandchildren

[15:00] What does "dermatologist approved" actually mean?

[18:00] Next level steps for intermediate product label readers, plus: Why simply shopping at "healthy" stores isn't enough 

Resources mentioned:

• Switch Natural app 
• The Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database

• 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
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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 8 2023:

[00:30] An update on how companies are doing on their environmental "pledges"

[4:30] Lego-like bricks? A carbon capture breakthrough

[7:30] Would you pay a monthly fee to not see ads on Facebook and Instagram? 

[9:30] Quick check-ins from COP28 and Wednesday's Republican presidential debate

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
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Research finds that by and large happiness is a learned and cultivated behavior. Even better? Decades of psychological research lay the foundation for a handy-dandy formula that helps us *increase* the amount of happiness we experience in our daily lives.

On today's show: abandoning cultural expectations in favor of a happiness formula that's both practical and empirically-based. 

Here's a preview:

[3:00] If happiness isn't a state of being, what is it, really? Should we even seek it out?

[7:45] H = S + C + V! An easy-to-understand formula for a happier life

[16:00] Adults today are less happy than adults in previous generations, and here's why

[21:00] 7 research-backed ways to increase your level of enduring happiness

Resources mentioned:

• Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment by Dr. Martin Seligman
• Episode #343: The Distorted Mirror

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Sustainability has the reputation of being, well, expensive. When money's tight, how do modern families decide what to prioritize with their dollars? 

Today I chat with Whitney Leigh Morris about the space where eco-consciousness and finances collide.

Here's a preview:

[3:30] Think you can't afford to be eco-friendly? Think again

[6:00] $8 leggings from Target or a $35 pair from an ethical brand? It's complicated ... 

[13:00] Electric vehicle? Heat pump? How to get in the habit of asking whether you *actually* need that big ticket eco-item

[16:00] Thoughts on replacing items that are in working condition for more energy efficient options

[19:30] Are carbon offsets really worth the money?

[26:30] What 'voting with your dollars' really means

Resources mentioned:

• Episode #326: Gifting Boundaries with Whitney
• Whitney on Instagram

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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 1 2023:

[00:30] Frustration and skepticism surrounding the latest climate summit happening now

[5:30] A plane just flew across the Atlantic without fossil fuels, but let's reign in our excitement

[10:00] Lead pipes, be gone

[14:00] The plight of the wolverine

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
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Like wine? Me too! On today's show: Everything you need to know about selecting wine that's aligned with your values. 

Here's a preview:

[3:00] Why, oh why aren't there ingredients labels on alcohol?

[8:00] Your favorite wine may have up to 6 dozen additives within. Let's chat about a few of them

[13:00] Do sulfites deserve their bad rap? (hey there, red wine headaches!)

[20:00] Grapes are listed as #8 on the EWG's Dirty Dozen. Should we be buying organic wine?

[24:00] Biodynamic wine is organic, but organic wine isn't necessarily biodynamic. Here's why

[33:00] How to buy wine like an informed and conscious consumer

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
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Many of us have a complicated relationship with our stuff. And while no one wants their possessions to possess their lives, our stuff often has fascinating stories to tell.

On today's show: A conversation with psychotherapist and professional organizer Helen Sanderson about what the state of our homes reveal about our psychology.

Here's a preview:

[3:45] Pack rat, minimalist, or somewhere in between? Here's what our homes show us about ourselves

[6:15] How to best guide your child toward tidiness, no nagging necessary

[12:00] When a neat freak and a slob get married: How to best navigate differences in home maintenance styles

[17:00] Home management is like tending a garden (and other applicable metaphors)

[20:00] Thoughts on finding the drive to get to "maintenance"

Resources mentioned:

• The Secret Life of Clutter
• Helen on Instagram

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
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It’s crazy but it’s true: Only in America do we trample each other for sales exactly ONE day after being thankful for what we already have.

Corporations want us to believe that happiness lies in stuff, but research consistently suggests otherwise. On today's re-air: A conversation with blogger Barbara Alfeo about making the most of the day after Thanksgiving in ways that have nothing to do with shopping.

Here's a preview:

[4:00] A Black Friday primer: Its humble origins and its spectacular modern-day popularity

[8:15] Why do we over-shop? It's likely to fill the hole that our communities used to fill

[12:00] Get out of the stores and get off the internet; have an anti-Black Friday instead. Here's how

[20:00] Are you *just* a consumer or are you a helper, a volunteer, a friend? Here's why Black Friday is the perfect day to give back

[26:00] How to set clear cut gifting limits so you don't overspend on Cyber Monday and throughout the holiday season

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
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Is that Christmas in the air, or is it capitalism?

There's no doubt about it: overconsumption degrades the planet. Enter Secondhand Sunday, a new-ish shopping holiday that's nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It's dedicated to all-things thrifted and redirects shoppers away from mass consumption and toward pre-loved items instead. 

On today's show Poshmark's Kelly Mason inspires us to think differently about shopping during the holidays.

(P.S. Are you putting up your Christmas tree this weekend? Listen to Episode #323: O Christmas Tree first!)

Here's a preview:

[2:45] The case for normalizing secondhand items as gifts

[6:00] We live in a different world than we did as children! Here's why it's high-time our giving rituals adapt to our current enviro-reality

[13:00] Would your loved ones be open to receiving a secondhand gift? This is what market research says

[15:00] Skeptics, unite! How to best dip your toe into the secondhand lifestyle

[21:00] Why it's individual voices (a.k.a. yours and mine) that contribute to the collective gifting mindset shift 

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, November 17 2023:

[2:45] Climate disasters are expensive, yo

[7:30] Earth just experienced its hottest year in 125,000 years

[12:00] The planet is "woefully off track" on 41 out of 42 global climate goals

•  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
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The holidays are meant to be about peace, joy, and togetherness … but they often end up steeped in chaos, rush, and overspending.

Not this year! There’s really no better time than right this minute to practice slowing down and getting intentional *before* we say yes to another obligation or hit 'add to cart'.

On today's show podcast host Desirae Endres reminds us that the holidays aren't just for kids; they are for us to enjoy too. 

Here's a preview:

[6:30] First things first: We can't manufacture perfection, and kids make their own magic

[11:00] Are you the behind-the-scenes magic maker? The importance of remembering what YOU love about the season

[23:00] Protect your peace by zeroing in on what's within your control

[29:00] Focus on contentment, not on comparison! Shining light on the chasm between our idealized (ahem...commercialized) celebrations versus real life

Resources mentioned:

• Your Minimal-ish Holidays: 30 Days to a More Intentional Season
• Desirae on Instagram

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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