Archives

bookmark_borderHere’s Why You Should Have a Constant Reminder of Your Sustainable Values

Posted on

Hey earth muffins! With a new year upon us, it is important to try to be more eco-friendly in 2022. In a previous post, I talked about how you should evaluate your current eco journey and set some goals for yourself. I have found that setting goals that align with my sustainable values makes it easier to achieve them. I’m the type of person who also loves a constant reminder of what I stand for. I recommend that you all also have a constant reminder of your core values as well! Here are my thoughts on ways you can continue to inspire yourself every day.

What Are Your Values?

Taking time to think through your core values is super important! When my boyfriend and I took a staycation last summer, I spent a few hours journaling and writing down what values were important to me. There are plenty of online value worksheets that can help you with this if you aren’t sure where to start! Once you have a bunch of your values written down, I recommend grouping them into similar categories. For myself, I picked 5 overarching themes that encompass what my core values are.

Read More ➥

bookmark_borderGetting Started with a More Eco-Focused Lifestyle

Posted on

In today’s world, there is an ever greater awareness developing about the need for eco-focused approaches to life that help to mitigate the negative impact we have on the environment. With various gripping and troubling documentaries coming out over the last few years, increasing numbers of people are looking for changes they can make in their personal lives to live more in harmony with the natural world, as opposed to living in opposition to it.

At the same time, though, it’s fair to say that many people also find the idea of leading eco-friendly lives daunting. After all, not everyone is willing or able to move to a self-sufficient homestead, complete with a perfect composting system. As with so many other things in life, though, eco-friendly living is something where any movement in the right direction is likely to be beneficial. Here are just a few measurable tips for getting started with a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Read More ➥

bookmark_borderHow to Respond to Vegan Haters

Posted on

Hey earth muffins! As I mentioned in my recent post how to start a plant-based diet, January is the month of Veganuary. I’m sure you all know that vegans are often criticized and made fun of for their eating habits… Being vegetarian, I have also had people question my decision to not eat meat. If you are participating in Veganuary this year, it is helpful to prepare yourself in advance on how to respond to vegan “haters”. Regardless if someone is just asking a question about your diet choice or being mean-spirited, these suggestions should all help you create the perfect reply to their comments.

Keep your diet choices to yourself!

It is honestly no one’s business that you are plant-based or vegan. So, keep it to yourself! I think a lot of vegans get in trouble for sharing too much about their diet all the time. This can get annoying, which can turns others off to the diet altogether. I know I am doing a good job at keeping it to myself when a coworker or friend says “Oh, I didn’t know you were vegetarian!”. 😊

Read More ➥

bookmark_borderHow to Shop Zero Waste When You Don’t Have Access to Bulk Bins

Posted on

Hey earth muffins! One of the easiest things you can do to reduce your impact at the grocery store is to shop from the bulk section. Bringing your own containers and shopping bulk is easy… But what should you do if your town doesn’t have any bulk bins to shop at?? The city I bought my house in does not have many bulk options like the previous area I lived in. Because of this, I have had to shift my shopping habits. Here are my top tips on how to shop zero waste when you don’t have access to bulk bins!

~Make sure you check all the stores in your city!

Even if a “bulk” section isn’t listed on the website, I still recommend going to every grocery store in your area to double check there isn’t one. I’ve found stores that have smaller bulk sections this way! Or, you might find a store with a specific type of bulk item, like coffee beans. Try out all the grocery stores and health food stores when you do this. You might be surprised to find that a city you thought had no bulk bins has a couple you can work with.

Read More ➥

bookmark_borderA Hey Humans Plastic-Free Deodorant Review

Posted on

Hey earth muffins! In my recent 8 Eco-Friendly Products You Can Find at Target post, I mentioned that they carry a wide selection of plastic-free deodorants. I have tried and reviewed the Native deodorant, so once that ran out I thought it was the perfect time to try another plastic-free deodorant on the market. 😊 I’ve absolutely loved the Hey Humans toothpaste that comes in an aluminum tube… So I was hopeful I would find success with their sustainable deodorant as well. Let’s jump right into my Hey Humans deodorant review!

Hey Humans plastic-free deodorant tube in scent Lavendar Vanilla

What I LOVE About Hey Humans Plastic-Free Deodorant

Obviously I love that this deodorant is plastic-free. From the time I started my eco-friendly journey, I have tried deodorants that came in anything from jars to tubes… And I think plastic-free tubes are the easiest to apply! Especially if you are new to the sustainability sphere, the design of this deodorant is not too far off from what you would be used to using. I try my hardest to support brands that are truly planet friendly; I love that Hey Humans has only plastic-free containers for their deos. Add on that they use aluminum tubes for their toothpaste and you can’t go wrong!

Read More ➥

bookmark_border10 Tips on How To Start a Plant-Based Diet!

Posted on

Hey earth muffins! January is here, which means Veganuary starts! What is Veganuary, you might ask? It is a month-long challenge to push yourself to try a plant-based diet. If you aren’t sure what I mean by “plant-based”, check out this full guide on the different plant-based diets. 😊 As a vegetarian, I love the idea of this challenge… But I also know that starting a plant-based diet can be overwhelming at first. To make it easier for any of you interested in participating in this challenge, here are my top 10 tips on how to start a plant-based diet this January. I adapted this list from the official Veganuary guide, so sign up to participate in the challenge to get even more helpful hints!

1. Focus on planning before you start!

Changing your diet is going to take some preparation. You can’t just decide that you are going to be vegan one day and expect to be successful. It is going to take some planning! I’m a huge fan of journaling, so I suggest writing out a plan for yourself. Make lists for the grocery store (bonus, this prevents food waste too!), ideas for meals, and set goals to help ease yourself in. If you have a plan before you start, you increase the likelihood that you will stick to your new plant-based diet!

Read More ➥

bookmark_borderHow to Be More Eco-Friendly in 2022!

Posted on

Hey earth muffins! I can’t believe 2021 is almost over. 😅 This year has been full of a lot of life changes for me, from a new job to buying my very first home. I am excited to see what lies ahead in 2022! Last year, I shared all the reasons why you should go green in 2021. If that post didn’t convince you to start on an eco journey, I hope this post will do the trick! This is the season of making New Year’s Resolutions, so I challenge you all to add “be more eco-friendly” to your list. Here are 5 ways to be more sustainable in the new year!

*Evaluate your current eco journey!

The end of a year is the perfect time to reflect back on what areas you found success in your eco journey. I personally love to sit down with my journal before a new year and write out every success and failure. It is a great way to visually see a list of where you are struggling. Plus, you can look back on this list throughout 2022 to remind yourself as well. In order to be more eco-friendly in the new year, it is important to first evaluate how far you have come.

Read More ➥

bookmark_borderThe Environmental Impact of Returns: What To Do Instead!

Posted on

Hey earth muffins! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday full of family and fun – I know I sure did! Now that the gift giving is over, you might find yourself with things that aren’t exactly what you were hoping for… 🎁 Maybe your grandma thinks you are three sizes smaller than you are or your mom bought you a set of mugs that you actually already bought a few weeks ago. There is ALWAYS an increase in returns after Christmas; and there is a huge environmental impact of returns because of this. To be a bit more eco-friendly this year, I suggest avoiding returns as much as possible. Instead, here’s what to do with those unwanted Christmas gifts!

What is the Environmental Impact of Returns?

About 30% of the items bought online are returned… And that doesn’t take into account products purchased at the store. Did you know that most companies just throw away returned items? Five BILLION pounds of returned goods end up in landfills around the US each year. 😳 This is highly confusing to me, as there are plenty of secondhand places that could easily find new homes for these items. It’s also really upsetting that huge corporations don’t care to even TRY to re-distribute what they have already produced. It proves that they only care about producing more and more goods to make a profit. Instead of supporting the destruction of the planet by making returns this year, I suggest the following options instead:

Read More ➥