Creating eco-minimalist, non-toxic homes (without the extra work). Although minimalism has experienced a rebirth in recent years, the "less is more" movement ha...
Have you ever thought about what your life would be like without a trash can?
Here in the US, we don't think much about what happens to stuff once we're done with it. Indeed, American infrastructure isn't equipped to properly handle waste, and our wonton wastefulness on the cultural level exacerbates the climate crisis.
It's entirely possible to take matters into your own hands by stepping up as a change maker. On today's show activist and author Fredrika Syren suggests tangible ways to treat waste with the reverence it deserves by systematically creating less of it.
Here's a preview:
[4:00] Recycling is broken in America, and yet other countries have figured out how to do it right
[17:00] Being a change maker means asking guests to take their trash home with them
[26:30] Exactly how Fredrika saves $18,000 each year thanks to her zero-waste lifestyle
[30:00] Pick a self-sufficient skill and teach yourself! Thoughts on taking your zero-waste efforts up a notch in 2025
Resources mentioned:
"No Impact Man" Colin Beavan
Fredrika on Instagram
A Practical Guide To Zero-Waste For Families
Zero Waste Family on YouTube
Zero Time To Waste documentary
The Comfort Crisis (Book Club pick for February 12, 7pm EST)
Resources mentioned:
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Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
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36:24
New Year, Same Ol' Wonderful You
Does it feel like there’s something hypocritical about New Year’s resolutions? They run counter to the idea that we should accept who we are. That we should give ourselves grace.
Resolutions shouldn’t be so grand that we set ourselves up to fail; they shouldn't attempt to "fix" what we've been told is broken, either ("I should be skinnier! I should make more $$!"). There’s a way to work towards personal development without believing you are deficient, and author Tyler Moore is here to show us how.
Here's a preview:
[10:00] Where can you edit to make the time and space to flourish?
[15:00] Differentiating between becoming the best you can be versus "fixing" what you've been told is broken
[22:00] Clearing mental clutter is an awful lot like decluttering your closet
[27:00] Instead of a New Year's resolution, try 12 monthly 'experiments', instead
[32:00] Why hitching your star to external markers of success rarely works, plus: Don't move the goalpost!
Resources mentioned:
Tidy Up Your Life: Rethinking How to Organize, Declutter, and Make Space for What Matters Most
Episode #443 (with Tyler!)
Tyler 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
Say hello! [email protected].
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42:10
Revisiting The Capsule Wardrobe Conversation
Have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear? While capsule wardrobes are often touted as the singular solution to closet overwhelm, many report that they can be restrictive, boring and, frankly, unrealistic in practice.
A minimalist closet is best served by first identifying the outfits needed to live YOUR unique life. On today's show podcaster Lauren Morley shows us how to streamline our wardrobes, say goodbye to clutter, and feel effortlessly put together every day by focusing less on capsules and more on a 20 outfit wardrobe, instead.
Here's a preview:
[5:30] Identifying exactly where and why capsule wardrobes fall short
[11:00] Why doesn't buying more clothes solve the problems associated with getting dressed? Conversely, why isn't decluttering the singular solution?
[16:00] Say goodbye to capsule wardrobes and hello to your 20 outfit wardrobe
[20:00] Getting to the root of our cultural reverence for bottomless closets
[28:00] The trend cycle is not your friend, so hop off that bandwagon!
Resources mentioned:
The Closet Course
Millennial Minimalists podcast
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! [email protected].
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39:34
No Such Thing As Bad Weather
In Scandinavia, daily interaction with nature has helped turn many people into passionate advocates for the environment. But there are forces at play in American society that divide humans from nature. To name just a few? Schools cut recess to make more time for academic instruction, cities boast sprawl over walkability, and our societal reverence for cleanliness prevents many Americans from getting outside and getting a little dirty.
Best-selling author Linda McGurk was born in Sweden and, later, raised her own children in the US. Linda is on the show to highlight the ways in which the two cultures diverge with regard to interacting with and respecting the natural world; she also offers both the encouragement and the how-to to get outside in all weather.
Here's a preview:
[5:00] Nature isn't an essential part of childhood here in America. Why not?
[18:00] Not competitive, not motorized, and 3 other ways adults prioritize the open-air life in Scandinavia
[23:00] No such thing as bad weather? What about extreme, climate change-induced weather events?
[28:00] Revisiting our very-American need to be comfortable at all times
[32:00] American schools are slowly eliminating outdoor recess. Here's how to advocate for more outdoor time at your child's school
Resources mentioned:
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/MINIMAL and get 10% off your first month.
There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids
The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day
Linda on Substack
Children And Nature Network
Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy (via Netflix)
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! [email protected].
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38:29
Living Seasonally, Not Commercially
What is the "holiday season", really?
Savvy marketers have inserted gingerbread lattes, blow up lawn decor, and lots of gifts as synonymous with December. But we aren't in some made-up season of buying; instead, we are approaching the Winter Solstice. And when nature is our guide, living seasonally is less about shopping hauls and more about existing in pace with the changing seasons.
In a world where we can buy just about anything, it takes intention to live in alignment with nature. On today's show Bailey Van Tassel offers suggestions for weaving what's outside your front door — not what's in Target! — into your seasonal celebrations.
Here's a preview:
[11:00] Transitioning from commercialized seasonal living to interacting with nature at your feet
[15:00] The ways in which nature's pace complements modern life (if, of course, we allow it)
[19:30] Minimalists, unite! Don't buy more ultra-trendy seasonal stuff; do this instead
[25:00] Slow down your life by making your family traditions crave-able
[33:00] Connections between seasons of a year and seasons of a life
Resources mentioned:
Kitchen Garden Living: Seasonal Growing and Eating from a Beautiful, Bountiful Food Garden
Bailey on Instagram @baileyvantassel
Chatpods: www.chatpods.com/?fr=SustainableMinimalists
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! [email protected].
Creating eco-minimalist, non-toxic homes (without the extra work). Although minimalism has experienced a rebirth in recent years, the "less is more" movement has been around for centuries. Yet today's minimalist influencers have resurrected minimalism with a decidedly consumerist spin, as modern minimalism is nearly synonymous with decluttering. While there's a lot of chatter about tidying, it's radio silence and crickets when it comes to sustainability. The result? Aspiring minimalists find themselves on an endless hamster wheel of buying, decluttering, buying more, and purging again. Overemphasizing decluttering and underemphasizing the reasons why we overbuy in the first place is thoroughly inconsistent with slow living as a movement; consumption without intention is terrible for the planet, too. Your host, Stephanie Seferian, is a stay-at-home/podcast-from-home mom and author who believes that minimalism, eco-friendliness, and non-toxic living are intrinsically intertwined. She's here to explore the topics of conscious consumerism, sustainability, and environmentally-friendly parenting practices with like-minded women; she's here, too, to show you how to curate eco-friendly, decluttered homes (without the extra work).