Month: November 2020

bookmark_borderWays to Celebrate an Eco Friendly Thanksgiving!

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Hey earth muffins! 2020 had its ups and downs, but I hope that you all are still thankful for something… Whether it be a family in good health or lockdown increasing your free time. 😊 Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays; you basically just eat food all day! While many Thanksgiving celebrations will look a little different this year, I hope everyone still feasts in some way. To ensure your holiday is “green”, here are my recommendations for an eco-friendly Thanksgiving!

A picture of an autumn forest with the words give thanks

Tips for a Zero Waste Turkey Dinner

I think the trend for this year (with Mister Corona) is smaller gatherings for Thanksgiving dinner. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it could lead to some excess food waste if the recipes aren’t modified for the new guest list. Food waste is a huge problem worldwide, so I suggest reading some of my tips to reduce food waste as much as possible! 😍

Some grocery stores are still struggling to stock everything, which might mean you weren’t able to get all of your usual ingredients. Don’t be afraid to stray from tradition – try something new this year! Especially if less people are there to judge the food, you might as well see if a new dish could be added to the turkey feast.

On a similar note, try to add more eco-friendly ingredients to your meal. Shop local at the farmer’s market or deli, use more plant-based foods, and try to avoid plastic packaging as much as possible. Holidays centered around food lead to a lot of waste in general, so do your part to avoid that as much as possible!

Set your table with reusables! I have been designated as the napkin folder in my family. My mom has nice cloth napkins for every holiday, and I find a creative way to fold them. While the Christmas tree fold is my personal favorite, there are a bunch of different ways to fold them for Thanksgiving! Having a fancy table set with a tablecloth, napkins, and nice dishes really makes your dinner feel like a feast. Plus, it saves on waste!

A picture of a thanksgiving table set with cloth napkins

Try Skyping in family members that are usually there. 😊 I mentioned in my ways to celebrate Halloween post that a virtual party is a great way to adapt to this year. I actually know people who do this yearly on Thanksgiving due to family in different countries, so why not give it a try? This will definitely make the holiday feel more “normal” as well. A great eco friendly way to celebrate Thanksgiving! πŸ¦ƒ

Other Eco Friendly Thanksgiving Ideas!

Thanksgiving in my family has always been more than just dinner. It is a day to be with your loved ones and reflect on the “goods” of the past year. Take some time and write down all of the things you are grateful for. 2020 had a lot of bad in it, but I bet you will still be able to come up with a list of the goods. My family likes to write down the five biggest things we are thankful for and then share them at dinner; it is such a great way to reflect together and see what each family member is thankful for!

A picture of a letterboard with the words Grateful on it

Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! My family watches it every single year, and I’m happy it wasn’t totally cancelled this year. While it will be different, I bet they will try to make it as “normal” as possible. I personally love to watch the snippets from Broadway shows at the very beginning; but, it is also fun to see all of the people celebrating in New York! 😊 Santa’s float is always the last one. It marks the start of the holiday season, but I may have already started listening to Christmas music… 🀫

If you are able to, watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. My family watches the Peanuts on many of the major holidays. I know that for Halloween at least they stopped putting it on TV this year, but I suggest trying to find it another way! The movies are really short and bring back a lot of nostalgia. Plus, I don’t think there are many other films centered around Thanksgiving. πŸ˜‚

Regardless of who you are celebrating with this Thanksgiving, I hope you find ways to make your holiday “green”. And, take some time to truly reflect on what you are thankful for. It will make you feel great, I promise! I am thankful that I have such amazing readers here on Life of an Earth Muffin! 🌎❀️ I wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving Day this week!

How to have an eco friendly thanksgiving pinterest pin
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Love,
Jenna β™₯

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bookmark_borderHow to Reduce Your Food Waste

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Hey earth muffins! A few weeks ago I got an email from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) regarding a Food Matters Action Kit that they launched in September. This kit contains activities for kids and youth centered around spreading awareness of food waste. Such a great idea! 😍 As many holidays are coming up (especially Thanksgiving next week!), I thought I would share their tips on how to reduce food waste in your home. While these tips are important to think about always, they are especially important to think about with holidays centered around food.

Why is Food Waste so Important?

For starters, ONE THIRD of the food produced in the world is wasted. 😦 This statistic absolutely blew my mind – that’s so much food that could be utilized. This wasted food produces about 193 million tons of greenhouse gases; that’s the same amount as driving 41 million cars continuously throughout the year! So, it’s clear that wasted food is definitely a problem… What can you do to reduce it?

1. Plan out your meals

Instead of hitting up the grocery store and buying what looks good, plan out your meals for the week! I personally do this every single Sunday. 😊 My boyfriend and I have a cute menu letterboard in our kitchen, which also helps us keep to our planned out meals. If you don’t want to plan out all three meals each day, just try doing dinner. For lunches I usually just eat leftovers from the night before anyway, so that works out really well!

A picture of a letter board menu

2. Shop your kitchen BEFORE the store

After you plan out your meals for the week, look through your fridge/freezer/pantry before going to the store. You might be surprised at what you already have in the cupboards! If you notice that there are things in the pantry or fridge close to their expiration date, try incorporating them into some of the meals this week.

3. Throw as little food waste in the trash as possible!

When food gets trashed, it ends up in the landfill. Instead of breaking down and producing carbon dioxide, it will create methane. Methane is 25% more potent than CO2, so it is best to avoid it as much as possible!

4. Compost instead

Composting your food is a great alternative to throwing it in the trash. Even if you live in an apartment, there are still ways that you can compost. I personally pay for a composting service to pick up my compost twice a month; I honestly can’t believe how full the bucket gets sometimes. It definitely makes me realize that food waste is a problem that many don’t even think about.

A picture of a compost bin under the kitchen sink

5. Keep organized

Make sure your fridge/freezer/pantry is organized and accessible. This helps you know what you already have in the kitchen. I’m sure you’ve seen someone’s fridge that is a complete disaster, so don’t be like that! πŸ˜… Keeping organized also helps with meal planning and making lists for the grocery store.

6. Share food

If you end up having extra food, share it with others (be safe with Mister Corona though)! Take some to work, share on sustainable apps like Olio, drop off at a friend’s house, etc. Again, make sure that you are throwing away as little food as possible!

7. Use your freezer!

This is one of my favorite ways to reduce food waste. If my boyfriend and I cook something that results in a few extra servings, I will freeze them in mason jars. When I need a quick WFH lunch, I’ll pull something out. I also like to utilize my freezer for saving fruits that are about to go bad. They are perfect for smoothies! Pro tip: when freezing cut fruits/vegetables, freeze them on a baking tray first. This makes them freeze individually so when you put them into a jar you can still pull out the exact portion you want. 😍

A picture of mason jars filled with leftovers for the freezer

8. Learn creative cooking

When looking at the food already in your kitchen, you might be confused on what you can make with certain ingredients. Now is the time to learn how to cook with unique items! Scour Pinterest for new recipe ideas or put the ingredients into Supercook to get personalized recipes. Get out your creativity!

9. Rescue food

Don’t let perfectly good food go to waste! If you see marked down food at the grocery store because the expiration date is coming up, pick that first. Buy single bananas and stick them in the freezer. If you see food nearby on Olio, take it (if you need it of course!). Shop at food “thrift” stores if you have them nearby; I personally love my Aunt Millie’s bakery thrift store. πŸ˜€ There are so many great ways to rescue food!!

10. Spread the word

If you are interested in sharing fun and informative food waste activites, I highly suggest checking out the CEC’s Food Matters Action Kit. It has so many great facts inside! Regardless if you use the kit or not, it is important to spread awareness on food waste this holiday season. I hope you put some of these tips into practice next week and share them with your friends and family. 🌎❀️

How to reduce food waste pinterest pin
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Love,
Jenna β™₯

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bookmark_borderYay for Earth Review: Sensitive Skin Face Lotion

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Hey earth muffins! In my recent wishlist post, I mentioned the Yay for Earth lotion that I have been eyeing for quite some time now. After posting that, I realized that I should just treat myself – so I placed an order! 😍 I have been using this face lotion twice a day for a few weeks nows; it is the perfect time to share my thoughts on the product. Without further ado, here is my Yay for Earth review!

A picture of the 2 oz glass jar of Yay for Earth sensitive skin face lotion

What I Love About Yay for Earth

First, this company is uber sustainable! I’ve been a long-time follower of the owner (Stevie) on Instagram, and she definitely makes sure the company does everything it should. The lotions are packaged in glass (or a metal travel tin), which is awesome! Not only that, but the rest of the packaging is also eco-friendly. The box is cardboard, the tape they use is paper, and the packing peanuts are water soluble. I found so much joy spraying the peanuts in my sink until they dissolved. πŸ˜…

A picture of water soluble packing peanuts mostly dissolved in a kitchen sink

I also love that the lotion is made of only 4 natural ingredients – that’s right, four!! Instead of finding names of things you can’t pronounce on the label, this lotion has organic olive oil, organic shea butter, local beeswax, and organic pomegranate seed oil.

More Things to Love…

The fact that the lotion is made of simple ingredients is awesome, but it is also very effective too! I apply this lotion after washing my face each morning and then after I get out of the shower each night. My skin isn’t usually that dry, but the colder weather (and the hard water in my apartment) does make it get drier. This lotion is AMAZING! My skin feels so moisturized and healthy after I apply it; when I wake up in the morning it feels so soft too.

A picture of the back of the glass jar of Yay for Earth sensitive skin face lotion

I’ve also noticed that this lotion helps with my acne and sensitive skin. The Yay for Earth website shows some great before and after pictures of those with troubled skin; but, I didn’t want to expect too much even though I’ve been dealing with a lot more acne this past year. Like I mentioned in a recent post, the Mario Badescu face cleanser (affiliate link) literally saved my skin… But I still get some hormonal breakouts at certain points in my cycle. I have already seen a difference in my skin since using this lotion! My breakouts are less often, smaller, and the redness from old acne scars is slowly fading away. I’m super excited to see how this product continues to help my skin!

I also love that this lotion has a subtle smell. To me, it has a faint hint of honey, which probably comes from the local beeswax. I am not a fan of strongly scented products, as many “fragrances” are just chemically based. I love that this lotion barely has any smell, as it stays true to its sustainable background.

What I Dislike about Yay for Earth

A picture of the color of Yay for Earth sensitive skin face lotion

After using this product for a few weeks, there is nothing that I dislike about it. 😬 The only thing I can really think of is that it isn’t a typical lotion consistency – which was expected. This doesn’t bother me at all, but it could bother some people. The product feels oily (as it is oiled based), and you need only a tiny bit. If you are accustomed to other moisturizers this might take some getting used to.

Lastly, I was going to quickly talk about price. I purchased the 2 oz jar for $28, but there are three other sizes to choose from as well. Because you only need a small amount each application, this product will last me a long time – so I definitely think it is worth the price! There are many other brands that sell similar products for less than this, but also many who sell for more. So, use your dollars wisely and vote for sustainability! 😊 I’d 100% recommend the Yay for Earth lotion!

Yay for Earth face lotion review pinterest post
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Love,
Jenna β™₯

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bookmark_borderHow To Insert & Remove a Menstrual Cup

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Hey earth muffins! If you are looking to zero waste your period, a menstrual cup is a great option! Last year I was looking into the pros and cons of menstrual cups and wrote a whole post on that. One of my major cons was that I wasn’t sure if it would be easy to insert and remove… Now that I have been using the Lena cup (affiliate link) for a few months, I thought I would share my tried and true tips for inserting and removing cups. I hope these recommendations help any of you if you are deciding to switch too! 😊

How to Insert Your Menstrual Cup

Before you even think about putting it in your body, please sanitize it! 😬 I find that letting it float around in boiling water for a few minutes does the trick. Don’t worry about melting it; most cups are made from medical grade silicone! This is awesome because you can keep them clean AND they will last for many years.

After it is sanitized, it is time to insert. πŸŽ‰ When I researched menstrual cups, I found it strange that this step was not explained in detail. “Fold and insert” didn’t really help me when I was trying this for the first time! I was a pads girl and barely ever used tampons; so, the idea of shoving this cup down there was definitely nerve-racking. My top tip – find the fold that works best for you! Because I never really used tampons, I started with the “punch down” fold. This fold results in the smallest area for insertion:

A picture of a pink menstrual cup in the push down fold

But, after trying this out, it definitely didn’t work that well for me. The cup must create a seal when inserted; this fold wasn’t allowing the cup to fully open for me. Don’t be afraid to try many folds!! I personally like the “C” fold, but there are SO many options to try out. You could even get creative and make up your own. πŸ˜†

A picture of a pink menstrual cup in the C fold

Other Insertion Tips

Even with a perfect fold, you might still have trouble inserting the cup. If you need a bit of lubrication, I suggest running water over the cup before you put it in. It is actually a great idea to insert your cup in the shower, as you will be nice and “wet” and relaxed.

It is definitely a smart idea to know your own body before putting the cup in too. If you aren’t sure where your cervix is or what angle is the best for insertion, use your fingers to figure it out! Insertion is SO much easier if you know the correct angle and how far up you need to push the cup. Every cervix is different, which means cup placement differs for each person. Some people don’t need to insert them very high, while others need to put them a bit higher. If you inserted the cup and it feels uncomfortable or hurts, then you didn’t put it in the right place. Take it out and try again! πŸ™ƒ I have found that after I insert the cup, it helps to use my Kegel muscles to “pull” the cup up into the correct space.

How to Remove a Menstrual Cup

Once the cup is in, you can forget about it for up to 12 hours! I find it amazing that for $25 you can get a menstrual cup to use for years instead of having to throw away pads/tampons every few hours (affiliate link). 😍 So awesome for the planet and your wallet! After getting my cup in for the first time, I was definitely super nervous about getting it out…. But it actually isn’t hard at all…

A picture of a woman holding a pink menstrual cup

First, don’t be alarmed if the cup shifted or moved higher throughout the day. Wash your hands and then insert a finger until you can feel the stem of the cup. Do NOT pull on the stem – the cup is basically suctioned inside of you, so that will be painful. Instead, grab the base of the cup, squeeze gently to release the seal, and then pull the cup out. Remember that it will have blood in it, so I suggest removing it in the shower until you master getting it out without spilling anything. πŸ˜†

If you are having trouble locating the cup, don’t panic! There is nowhere the cup can go, it might just be higher than you expect. I have found that you can push down with your Kegel muscles and this can literally push out the cup… Try pushing and then see if that makes it easier to locate!

Overall, the first time I used a menstrual cup I thought that it would be easy to insert and hard to remove. But, I found the opposite. For me, it took a lot of tries to insert for the first time. Don’t get frustrated – it is a new experience and takes time to learn! It feels so exciting when you finally get it in! πŸ™‚ I am still learning the ins and outs of menstrual cups, but the Lena cup has been a great purchase (affiliate link)! I’d highly recommend it and (if anyone is interested) would love to write a full review on it at some point. Do your part and switch to a cup!

How to insert and remove a menstrual cup pinterest pin

Love,
Jenna β™₯

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bookmark_borderHow to Live with Someone with a Different Diet!

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Hey earth muffins! Over the summer I posted about how I have been a vegetarian for more than a year now. What you might not know is that my boyfriend eats meat – and a lot of meat at that! I am a vegetarian for my own reasons and he isn’t for his own…. So I thought it would be interesting to share some of my best practices for living with someone who follows a different diet! This is similar to my post about how to live with someone who isn’t as eco-friendly; if you like this style/format, let me know and I will continue to write posts like this! 😊

A picture of a vegetarian chickpea salad bowl

Tips for Cooking with Different Diets

For my boyfriend and I, we talked about how we were going to cook when we moved in together this summer. I thought it was important for us to not cook two totally different meals every night. We thought it would be better for our relationship to cook one meal that we can enjoy together…. And that has worked out just fine so far! This is definitely a personal preference for us. If you are a vegetarian/vegan and your partner isn’t, there is nothing stopping you from both cooking something and then eating it at the same time! 🍴

I think the best tip I can give is to make recipes and then add the protein as the last step. If we are making spaghetti, we first cook the sauce and noodles. We then portion it in half and he adds his cooked ground beef and I’ll add tofu crumbles/another non-meat protein. Super easy! πŸ˜‹ The same goes for things like fried rice or stir fry: make the base, split into two pans, add the protein. My boyfriend has also been blessed (or cursed?) with a bunch of food allergies, so this is also a great method if I want to add something into my dish that he is allergic to.

If you don’t want to split your dinner into two dishes, you can also easily make things where a different protein is added as you cook. Examples of some of our favorites include tacos, quesadillas, sandwiches, and sheet pan dinners (where we put veggies, meat, and tofu/non-meat protein together!). This can help with making sure the different proteins are ready at the same time, which I will talk about next.

A basket of tacos

Because you aren’t eating the same protein, it is important to know how long it will take them to cook. You wouldn’t want one meal to be done 10 minutes before the other. That defeats the purpose of trying to eat together! πŸ˜… I used to eat meat which has helped us, as I didn’t have to learn how long it takes to cook meats. To speed up the cooking process, we will often use an airfry to assist with cooking the proteins. I never thought I would use an airfry as much as we do in the kitchen; I’d highly recommend checking one out (affiliate link)!

Other Tips for Having a Different Diet

Just because you have a different diet doesn’t mean you can’t eat the same recipe! While yes, for my situation, my boyfriend is the only one who can shift to eating my food, but who says you can’t find recipes with totally different forms of protein! We both love mac n’ cheese, which easily accomodates both of us. I make homemade pierogis which, again, fits both of our diets. I have also been experimenting with new recipes this year that I have never tried before, like potato tacos! πŸ₯” It’s time to get creative in the kitchen y’all!

A picture of a bowl of mac n cheese

After you have cooked your meal, just be prepared for slightly more dishes to clean! We usually just have one extra pan than if we had eaten the same food. Our apartment has a dishwasher; this makes an extra dish no problem because everything just gets put into there. If you don’t have a dishwasher, make sure you use as little water as possible when handwashing! πŸ™ƒ It is definitely more sustainable to run a dishwasher than handwash.

Lastly, it is important to discuss your grocery shopping. Some forms of protein are naturally more expensive than others. It is important to talk about what your budget(s) are for food and then stick to them! Overall, it was an adjustment for my boyfriend and I to accomodate both of our (very different) diets. But, we have made it work with these different diet tips – I know you can too! 😍

how to cook for different diets pinterest pin

Love,
Jenna β™₯

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