As January comes to an end, football fans are amping up for the biggest game of the year – the Super Bowl! Even if you aren’t big on the game itself, the Super Bowl is a time to make some fun foods, get together with friends, and enjoy some sports (and ads!). For those hosting a watch party, it’s an excellent opportunity to combine the excitement of the game with sustainable practices. This blog post provides a playbook for hosting a sustainable Super Bowl party that scores big on fun and low on environmental impact.
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bookmark_borderIntroducing Seek Bamboo Toilet Paper: A Sustainable Alternative
Hey earth muffins! Without a doubt we all use toilet paper in the bathroom. Even if you have a bidet, you still have to use some sort of TP… So what is an eco-friendly alternative to using all this paper? Before you jump into reusable toilet paper (which is actually a thing), I suggest trying out bamboo TP. Seek Bamboo kindly sent me some to try out, so I thought I would share a full review with you all today. Let’s jump right into it!
What I Love About This Toilet Paper
First off, I love that bamboo toilet paper is totally sustainable! It’s not a shock that pandas love bamboo – it is a great eco-friendly plant that grows extremely fast. Some even call it the fastest growing plant on the earth! Because it grows quickly, it doesn’t have a large negative effect on the planet when it is cut and turned into consumer goods. The alternative is to cut down trees which grow quite slow… Seek Bamboo’s toilet paper is 100% tree-free, which is awesome for the planet (and you!).
Read More ➥bookmark_borderHow to Celebrate World Fair Trade Day
Hey earth muffins! May 14th is World Fair Trade Day! If you aren’t familiar with this event, it is an annual global celebration held on the second Saturday of May. It is a time to support small farmers, producers, and artisans (and their families!) to create more sustainable and healthy communities around the world. Fair trade is amazing and impactful; here are my suggestions on how to celebrate World Fair Trade Day this year!
Shop from some fair trade stores!
While I don’t often shop for new items (I’m typically a new-to-me girl), I definitely support some fair trade shopping to celebrate this day! I bet you a ton of your local small businesses carry a plethora of items you can purchase – just look for a fair trade label. If you aren’t sure how to identify “fair trade”, ask a friendly staff person in the shop and hopefully they can help. 😊 There are also plenty of online retailers that only sell goods that are fair trade. WorldFinds has amazing accessories (see my Kantha jewelry haul from them) and Fair Trade Winds is another website that has an awesome selection of everything from home decor to felt flowers.
Read More ➥bookmark_borderHow to Check Carbon Emissions on Google Flights
Hey earth muffins! While massive companies like Google are by no means sustainable or eco-friendly, there are sometimes small parts of them that are. For Google specificially, they offer ways to search for eco hotels and a Google maps eco feature to reduce your impact when driving. Did you know they also offer a tool to check carbon emissions when flying? This search function on Google Flights allows you to see estimated emissions and even sort by low emission flights. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use the awesome feature!
How to Check the Emissions of Flights
On Google Flights, type in your “to” and “from” destinations as well as the dates you will be traveling. Hit enter and a list of flights will pop up. To see the carbon emissions estimate for each flight, hit the down arrow to the far right. Once the drop down is shown, the arrow will turn into an up arrow. In the extra information, you can now see the estimated carbon emission!
bookmark_borderMy Tips to Reduce Food Waste in the Kitchen!
Hey earth muffins! One of the easiest ways to reduce your impact on the planet is to be mindful of the waste you create in the kitchen. Yes, that’s right – I’m talking about food waste today! Why is this a great place to start?? Because it can lead to HUGE results. Like I mentioned in my how to reduce food waste post, one third of the food produced in the world is wasted… Which is such a waste! I absolutely love to cook, so I’ve gotten into some great habits since starting my eco journey. Hopefully these help you all reduce food waste in the kitchen as well!
~Cook the right portion sizes.
If you want to save time, money, AND the planet, start being more mindful about portion size. I used to prepare way too much food when I cooked. I’m sure you all are guilty of just “making the whole box of pasta” at times too. Doing this is often easier in the moment because you think you will eat it later… But a ton of leftovers isn’t the best idea. To be more eco-friendly, I recommend only preparing what you know you (and your family) will eat. I’m not saying serve smaller portion sizes by any means – cook as much as you want to eat!
Read More ➥bookmark_borderHow to Increase Your Sustainable Living this Lent
Hey earth muffins, happy Fat Tuesday! 😃 Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of the Lenten season. I’ve always loved Lent, as it gives me time to reflect on my life and strengthen the areas that I value most. Plus, it means Easter and spring are just around the corner – definitely helps me power through the last few weeks of winter and busy season at work. In today’s post I will be sharing my tips on how you can have a sustainable Lent this year. Let’s jump right into it!
1. Give up something that is not-so-eco-friendly.
It is custom for people to give up something if you celebrate Lent. In the past I have given up things like YouTube, desserts, social media, etc. The season is a time to improve your relationship with God – but also to improve your life as well! It is one thing to give something up for 40 days because your religion tells you to; it is another to choose an unhealthy habit that you want to continue to avoid once Lent is over. I always try to pick something that I know has been hurting my life or my relationship with God – it is easier to force myself to go cold turkey when I have a legit reason to stop doing it altogether! This year, I challenge you to find a not-so-eco-friendly habit of yours and give it up for Lent (and maybe for good). It doesn’t have to be something big; remember, every small change helps!
Read More ➥bookmark_borderIs There Privilege Around Being Sustainable?
Hey earth muffins! Without a doubt, we all know it is important to protect Mother Earth. She is amazing and blesses us with our wonderful home. That is why it is important for all of us to do our part to reduce our impact on the planet; every small step helps in the long run! 😊 But, there are obviously circumstances that either help or hurt living in an eco-friendly way. Yes, I’m talking about sustainable privilege! In today’s post, I will be discussing the importance of privilege to zero waste lifestyles.
What Factors Can Limit Eco-Friendly Living?
1. Money
For starters, money is a huge privilege when it comes to sustainability. It is no surprise that some sustainable products are more expensive than cheaper alternatives. I mention this fact in most of my eco-friendly product reviews! People with more money are able to purchase these “green”, sustainably labeled products without question. On the flip side, it can be hard for those with lower incomes to justify making those purchases. While I personally think you can save money in the long term by reducing your consumption and investing in sustainable things, it is definitely easier to live in an eco-friendly manner when you aren’t restricted by a budget. The same applies to those wanting to make more eco-friendly financial investments instead of products, such as looking into a solar investment company as opposed to investing in nonsustainable options. There is a privilege to being “sustainable” versus making do with what you have due to your income and class restrictions.
Read More ➥bookmark_borderHere’s Why You Should Have a Constant Reminder of Your Sustainable Values
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.
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