a sustainable and ethical (life)style blog
Buying less for me isn’t just about sustainability (although of course that’s a huge reason); it’s also about saving money and reducing the clutter in my home and trying to minimize my addition to the endless cycle of consumerism that distracts me from the more important things in life.
Winter is all fun and games until after New Year’s when all the festivities are over and the only thing to look forward to are more rain, numb toes, and chapped lips.
That being said, wintertime is the best time to slow down and cozy up with that book you kept saying you’d read and that knitting project you forgot about amid the holiday rush. Here are some things this winter that sparked joy for me; enjoy!
I have always been a messy person. Every space I’ve inhabited—my childhood bedroom, my college dorm room, my current apartment—has been a victim of my tendency to cover every horizontal space with stuff.
So, with an admittedly skeptical mind, I read Marie Kondo’s famous self-help book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
And, I am now pretty convinced that tidying up will change my life. Surprisingly, I also learned a thing or two about conscious consumerism from Marie Kondo.
When I think about shopping more consciously, I’ll admit that my electronics and tech don’t top my shopping list. I’ve happily given up my fast fashion addiction to embrace slow fashion, but taking a more conscious approach to the gadgets that power my life, my career, and this blog is mostly uncharted territory for me.
This is partly because I find shopping for clothes fun and do it on a regular basis, but rarely buy new electronics. It’s also because, compared to the overwhelming selection consumers have when it comes to fashion, there are narrower options when it comes to the electronics we buy.
I recently learned about Nimble, a company that takes a more thoughtful and conscious approach to consumer electronics and tech, and I’m thrilled to partner with them to share their story with you.
Hey fellow conscious consumer! I have to tell you something.
The weight of the world is not on your shoulders, and conscious consumerism isn’t gonna save the world.
I know, this probably sounds hypocritical coming from someone who blogs mostly about conscious consumerism. Although I do believe that thinking critically about the things we buy and what kind of practices we support with our dollars is important, I’m worried that there’s too much emphasis on individual actions within the conscious consumerism movement.
I love food. I really love food (as you could probably tell from my Instagram stories). And as my love for food, respect for the people who grow and make food, and concern for the environment grows, I’ve been trying to be more conscientious in the decisions I make regarding the food I eat.
Of course, our individual actions won’t halt climate change or reverse environmental damage without accompanying changes in government regulations and policies that hold corporations accountable. But making these small lifestyle changes can feel immediately empowering while we push for broader change, and that’s my hope for you (and for me)!
If you’re from the Pacific Northwest, you’re probably in love with the San Juan Islands. If you’re not, you probably don’t know that they exist—which is ok, because they’re seriously magical and we’d like to keep them all to ourselves.
No Pacific Northwest summer is complete without a trip to the islands. So when spring rolled around, I began doing what I do best: planning a vacation months in advance.
I planned a trip to San Juan Island for Memorial Day weekend (also my birthday weekend, yay) with my partner. After a long weekend of sunshine and seafood, I’m more than happy that I did! Here’s my guide to a long, car-less weekend on San Juan Island.