June 2019 - Life of an Earth Muffin

6 EASY Ways to Participate in Plastic Free July!

Posted on June 28, 2019June 25, 2024

Hey earth muffins! For those of you who don’t know, Plastic Free July is almost here!!! 😮 To raise awareness for the plastic pollution epidemic that our world is currently facing, this global movement aims to inspire people to reduce their plastic usage. I learned a lot by participating in the challenge last summer, so I am super excited to take part in it again! If you are interested in trying to reduce your use of plastic in July, here are my top suggestions. 🥳

An image that links to the Plastic Free July website will be on the sidebar of my blog throughout July! 😁

1. Avoid all fruits and vegetables wrapped in unnecessary plastic. Why do cucumbers (or any produce item) need to be shrink wrapped when they have a skin that protects them? Put loose fruit and veg into a reusable bag instead!

PC: link

2. Refuse all plastic water bottles. This can be difficult at first, but you will get the hang of carrying around a reusable water bottle wherever you go! It is one of my top ten ways to reduce plastic consumption, making it a perfect thing to focus on for Plastic Free July 😊

3. Find an alternative to plastic wrap. You can purchase or DIY beeswax wrap or use mason jars/other containers instead! 🐝 Such an easy switch!

Purchase this set on Amazon!

4. Be conscious of what food is packaged in and make the switch! If you can find a similar item with less or no plastic, I’d say it’s a no-brainer.

5. NO STRAWS. “I’d like a water with no straw please.” -Me when ordering a drink at a restaurant

PC: link

6. Figure out the single-use plastic you use the most and try to avoid it! Plastic Free July has a great Pesky Plastics Quiz that will tell you exactly what items you use the most… So really try to cut back on them this month (or cut them out completely!). 🎉

PC: link

Will you be participating in Plastic Free July?

Love,
Jenna ♥

The Weekender’s Guide to Fort Wayne, Indiana!

Posted on June 24, 2019August 18, 2023

Hey earth muffins! My boyfriend and I spent the weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana a few weeks ago, as I am sure you saw on Instagram. I recently made a Weekender’s Guide to Madison, WI, so I thought it would be fun to do the same for this city. Fingers crossed that I will be able to continue to travel this summer… but let’s jump right into it!

Pin to read later!

What To Do
1. Walk around the city – One of my absolute favorite things to do in a new city is to walk around aimlessly to see the sites. As there are plenty of public parking structures in the city, it is definitely a must to ditch the car and wander! Fort Wayne is a pretty small city overall, so it was easily walkable. Fun things to look at: Embassy Theater, Tincaps Stadium, Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Allen County Public Library and Genealogy Center.

2. Hit up any/some/all of the museums – Fort Wayne has a bunch of museums all around the city including the Museum of Art, the Firefighters Museum, and an Air Museum! I was actually impressed by how reasonably priced everything was… Make sure to take advantage of student discounts! 🙂

3. Take pictures with some murals – There are murals all over the place, and it was super fun to take some cute pictures while sightseeing. If you are looking for some cute Insta pics, check out this interactive map that points out all of the murals!

Peep the new profile pic to see another cute mural!

4. Go to the Botanical Conservatory – I am a huge plant lover, so I would suggest checking out all of the cool florals in this conservatory! Plus, it is right across the street from the Cathedral I mentioned above. 👍

5. Do some shopping – The Glenbrook Square mall is about a 5-10 minute drive from downtown, and it had a lot of great stores! I was also really excited that there is a two story carousel in the food court…

There was a dino, so I obviously loved it…

6. Attend the Fort Wayne Air Show – While this only happens once a year, it was definitely worth it! Parking and admissions is FREE, and it was so cool to see Air Force planes (both on the ground and in the air). What a cool event!

Got to go inside this one! 😮

What to Eat
1. Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island (131 W Main St) – This coney island has been open since 1914, and it still sells hot dogs for super cheap. My boyfriend loves coney dogs, so we just had to go – for $1.50 per dog it was definitely a win!

2. Yummi Bunni (123 W Main St) – This ice cream shop is right next door to the coney island, and it is soooo cute inside. 🍦 Plus, their classic “bun” is ice cream STUFFED INSIDE A GLAZED DONUT. Yes. Please.

I ordered the Bun of the Week: Moosetracks in a Glazed Donut with chunks of waffle cone… YUM!

Where to Stay
1. Paul’s Apartment on Airbnb – My boyfriend and I chose to stay in an Airbnb, as we wanted to have access to a kitchen and laundry if needed. This apartment was 5 minutes from downtown, and it was such a great Airbnb! It was also quite cheap (only $108 for two nights!), so I would definitely recommend checking it out. 😊

2. Hotels – There are a bunch of hotels downtown, but they would definitely be more expensive than the place we stayed at. But, it is still an option!

Have you ever been to Fort Wayne? What did you do when you were there?

Love,
Jenna ♥

Review: Ethique Boost Hair Mask 🌸

Posted on June 21, 2019June 19, 2024

Hey earth muffins! As the summer humidity starts to set in, my hair usually goes through a period of being extremely dry. This probably hasn’t been helped by the fact that I have been doing some traveling recently and hotel air doesn’t agree with the frizz of my hair either… To give my hair some pampering, I decided to try out a hair mask from Ethique. 😊 As their brand fits perfectly with my mission towards living low waste, I will be sharing my experience with this product today!

The hair mask that I decided to try was in the “flavor” Boost (you can find it on their website for $13.95!). I featured their other mask, Bloom, in my Sustainable Gift Guide for Mother’s Day, but I figured a little boosting would be perfect for my hair right now. This product comes with two masks in a compostable box – wow, such a great way to reduce your waste!

Overall, I thought the mask was extremely easy to use. Just plop the adorable heart shaped product into a mug, pour 150 ml of boiling water over top, stir until smooth, and let it thicken for about 15 minutes. Then, apply to dry hair for 20+ minutes and rinse out in the shower. 👍

For me, the process was extremely easy; however, I found that 150 ml seemed like too much water. After only 15 minutes the mask was still a bit watery, but after letting it sit for longer it was fine to apply into my hair. Maybe the water was too hot? Or maybe I just added too much? I’d say shoot for about 130 ml 🙂

I think this hair mask did boost the shine of my hair, as it felt extremely soft after my shower. My hair tends to be on the greasier side, so I was glad that it didn’t seem to make my hair appear like it had more oil in it. I am excited to use the second hair mask in this package, and I love that I am able to pamper myself while still reducing my waste! 😁 I would definitely recommend checking out Ethique’s hair masks!

What are your favorite hair products?

Love,
Jenna ♥

7 Things I’ve Learned One Year Into Zero Waste

Posted on June 10, 2019June 18, 2024

Hey earth muffins! I find it hard to believe that I started my journey towards living low/zero waste a year ago! 😲 This blows my mind, but I have had a really great year changing my habits in order to live a more sustainable lifestyle. To reflect on the journey so far, I thought it would be fun to share the most important things I have learned one year zero waste. 😊

When looking back on this year, I think the most important thing I have learned is that people get really sick of you talking about your sustainability efforts. At the start of my journey, I wanted to share all of the cool things I was learning with my family and friends; however, I feel like I talked about it too much. This made people not want to hear what I had to say, no matter how helpful the information was. To combat this, I now try to lead by example instead of forcing my opinion on others… And it actually works wonders! My family and friends now ask me about the things I am doing with genuine interest, so I think this is the approach everyone should take!

Leading by example has proven to me that your small steps towards sustainability WILL affect those around you. When my parents and I were sitting on the porch a few days ago, they started talking about what they should do about the plastic problem. These conversations were never brought up before, so I am so happy that my new mindset has impacted theirs too! 🥰

The journey will be hard at first, but it does get easier. It is difficult to change habits because they are habits after all, so stay patient with yourself! Every person who is “zero waste” does it differently, so find what works for you! There are many misconceptions on what it means to live low waste, but I have found it the most effective to figure out the places where you can reduce your waste and where you cannot.

I have found that grocery shopping is an easy place to start!

Even if you know you won’t be able to cut out the waste in one area of your house, just know that every little thing counts! Just imagine if every single person on the planet reduced their waste in the kitchen or the bathroom; there would be monumental change! 🙂 Alongside this point, it is important to remember that it’s okay to have bad days. If you have to use plastic bags at the grocery store one day or need to purchase a plastic water bottle from the vending machine, don’t beat yourself up! Many people aren’t doing anything to be sustainable at all, so be proud that you have been trying your best 😚

Lastly, this past year has taught me that living a sustainable lifestyle will definitely make you feel so good inside! I am so happy with the way I now live my life, and I absolutely love my new mindset in putting the planet first. I look forward to another great year ahead!! 🎉

What have you been doing in the past year to be more sustainable? What are your own zero waste successes and failures?

Love,
Jenna ♥

Wild Woods Natural Deodorant ft. Primal Pit Paste!

Posted on June 5, 2019June 18, 2024

Hey earth muffins! Back in March I reviewed Primal Pit Paste’s Tough Teeth Charcoal Whitening Tooth Powder for you all. In that post, I mentioned that I was also excited to try out the company’s natural deodorant (especially since I LOVED the tooth powder). As Primal Pit Paste (now Pretty Frank) products come in glass jars, they fit perfectly with my journey to live low waste! 🎉 My old deodorant finally ran out, so I have been using the Wild Woods deodorant for about three weeks now – the perfect amount of time for an in-depth review 😁 Let’s jump right into it!

The Pros
*Easy to apply – While you can’t just roll it on like a typical deodorant, it is still so easy to apply! Using the small wooden stick that comes with the jar, you take out a pea sized amount and roll it between your fingers a couple of times to make it soft. Then, just rub into your armpit! I have found it easiest to apply my deodorant before I put on my shirt for the day as I can see where I am applying it 😊
*Smells amazing (and keeps ME smelling amazing!) – I don’t usually smell unless I am seriously sweating, but this deodorant has never let me down! 🎉 The Wild Woods scent is earthy and smells like a forest, and I love it!
*Dries fast and doesn’t become sticky during the day – Before switching to this product, I was using Tom’s of Maine deodorant. This would often become sticky during the day, so I am so thankful that this natural deodorant stays dry all day. You can’t even tell that it is there!
*Doesn’t stain clothes or leave residue – I was worried that it would leave white stains on my dark clothes… But it does nothing of the sort!
*Comes in a glass jar – In my Zero Waste Successes and Failures post, I mentioned that I was having a hard time finding a zero waste deodorant. While Tom’s of Maine was natural, it still came in a plastic container and there were no TerraCycle places near me to recycle it properly. Therefore, I LOVE that Primal Pit Paste products come in glass jars. I will be able to use the jar for something else after I finish up the product or recycle the glass.

The Cons
*Difficult to get the same amount each time – As you need a wooden stick to get the product out of the jar, it is hard to get the same amount each time. This isn’t a huge deal at all, but it was the only con I could think of! 😝

Overall, I would recommend checking out the Wild Woods deodorant from Primal Pit Paste (or any scent of their deodorants really!). As mentioned in my last review, I also still have a tooth powder that I haven’t been able to start yet (as I still have some of my toothpaste tube). Keep a lookout for a review of the tooth powder when I start using the product!

Have you tried anything from Primal Pit Paste? Will you give their products a try??

*The Primal Pit Paste products were sent to me for free, but all opinions are my own!*

Love,
Jenna ♥

The Weekender’s Guide to Madison, Wisconsin 🧀

Posted on June 3, 2019October 25, 2023

Hey earth muffins! Wow, this feels so weird – I haven’t posted on a Monday in quite some time… But I am super excited to share this travel guide with you all today! 😁 I recently spent some time in Madison, WI and would recommend visiting this city to everyone! There was so much to do; I definitely did not get to see as much of it as I wanted… But here are the things that I would recommend!

What To Do
1. Walk around the University of Wisconsin campus: As a Michigan grad I shouldn’t be supporting a rival school, but their campus was absolutely gorgeous! There were so many unique buildings to look at including Bascom Hall (which sits on top of a super pretty hill!).

2. Listen to music at the Terrace of the Memorial Union: The city of Madison is located between two different lakes, making this terrace the perfect place to eat, listen to local musicians, swim, watch the sunset, and have a great time!
3. Climb to the observation decks of the Capitol Building: The Capitol is free and open to the public, and you are able to climb all the way up to the interior AND exterior observation decks. These are some great views of the city!

The view from the interior viewing platform

A view of the city (and solar panels!!) from the exterior deck

4. Hit up the farmer’s market: While it is extremely crowded, there are a ton of awesome stalls selling everything from succulents to jewelry! Hot tip: Make sure you walk counterclockwise around the Capitol 👍
5. Go to a cheese barn: While not in the city, it is basically mandatory that you find some Wisconsin cheese curds! I went to two cheese stores that were about 20-25 minutes from downtown: Mousehouse Cheesehaus and Ehlenbach’s Cheese Chalet.

What to Eat
1. The Nitty Gritty: This bar is the place to go – especially if it is your birthday! They give you a free balloon and beer mug with unlimited drinks (alcholic or non-alcholic)… Plus, they sing to you! 🎉 The burgers are super tasty, and it is located right downtown.
2. Essen Haus Restaurant: AMAZING German food! If you want a fun time with friends, you can split a 2 liter beer boot while listening to live music…

The Strawberry Salad with a side of spinach spätzle

3. Barriques: I stayed outside of the city in a hotel in Middleton, so I ate lunch at this adorable cafe.☕ The food was super delicious and affordable – definitely a good brunch stop!

My delicious cranberry almond scone!

Where to Stay
1. Airbnbs: There are so many cute apartments on Airbnb to choose from! This allows you to stay close to downtown/campus, which ensures that you don’t miss any of the sites 😀
2. Downtown Madison hotels: While there aren’t many choices (I think there are around 4 hotels downtown), the rates for the hotels are pretty comparable to any Airbnb.
3. Middleton hotels: As I mentioned before, I stayed in Middleton instead of downtown. The Staybridge Suites was a nice hotel, and I thoroughly enjoyed the free breakfast. Middleton is an adorable little town that even has a free trolley that takes you around the city!