The Tortoise with Brooke McAlary

As someone who espouses simplicity and buying only what we need, Brooke has an uneasy relationship with the idea of capitalism. But as a business-owner, a traveller and someone who does indeed purchase things on occasion, she recognises that this means she takes part in a capitalist society every day. During a conversation with Carolyn Tate back in September last year, Brooke was introduced to the idea of conscious capitalism,  in which for-profit organisations are making capitalism stand for something good - for people, for the environment or for social change. It was also through Carolyn that Brooke was introduced to her guest today - Dane O’Shanassy of Patagonia. If you’ve listened to the poggie for any length of time, you’ve probably heard Ben and Brooke talk about Patagonia and how impressed they are with their commitment to ethical manufacturing and the environment. Founded by hardcore climbers, surfers, skiiers, mountaineers and explorers, Patagonia is a company that loves nature and wants to protect it. They actively discourage people from buying new clothes unless they’re needed, and have in-store repair stations where you can have your Patagonia gear fixed for free. They distribute 1% of sales (not profits) every year in to grass-roots campaigns, and are highly engaged both as a company and individuals in environmental activism. They’re currently transitioning to 100% Fair Trade and are incredibly transparent - both in terms of supply chain and business management. In fact, founder Yvon Chouinard’s book ‘Let My People Go Surfing’ is basically the blueprint on which Ben and Brooke are trying to build their own business. Ben and Brooke recently travelled down to Torquay to chat with Dane, and while they do talk about the work Patagonia is doing both here in Australia and globally, they also focus on his personal journey towards a more sustainable, simple life. As a surfer, Dane loves being outdoors, and he and Brooke share a similar philosophy on the best way to get people to actually care about the environment: spend time in it. This is a great conversation that doesn’t shy away from the tension that exists between environmental protection and manufacturing, and also left Brooke feeling hopeful for the possibilities that come when people turn their passion in to action (and activism!) Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/145 for links to everything mentioned in today’s episode and to enter the giveaway to win a pack of three Patagonia books (entries close 23:59 March 30, 2017). Enjoy! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Honestly, Brooke and Ben thought they might be testing the friendship by having a series of shows about cleaning, but it turns out many of you are keen on learning more about how they’ve shifted to sustainable products over the past few years.  Today they go a little further than last week (where they extolled the significant virtues of white vinegar) by looking at a handful of additional products that when combined with vinegar and a little elbow grease, will help you clean virtually every surface in your house. As mentioned last week, making these really simple changes helps you to: save money keep it simple, as most products have many uses minimise harmful chemicals or harsh commercial cleaners used in your home protect yourself and the environment And by using bicarb soda, citric acid and a couple of different essential oils you can greatly increase the range of your green cleaning products. They also talk about the commercial products they do still use, and why, as well as offering another simple action to try this week. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/144 for all the details. In the meantime, enjoy your week! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Justin Coulson is one of Australia's leading parenting experts - a father of six, a doctor of psychology and a passionate advocate for intentional relationships - and in today's episode he and Brooke sit down to discuss the importance of turning up for the people we love.  Intention is the cornerstone of slow living, which is one of the key reasons Brooke wanted to chat with Justin, and they talk about the impact it has not only on parent-child relationships, but the way we use technology, the way we allocate our time, and the way we choose our priorities.  Justin and Brooke also talk about the immense pressure we put on ourselves by trying to be everything to everyone, and how the resulting comparisons leave us exhausted and feeling like a failure. One of the best parts of this conversation is that Justin not only talks about the problem, but offers practical solutions too.  Recently Brooke also asked for topic and guest suggestions on Facebook and she asks Justin to help offer answers to some of the parenting questions she received there.  Justin has two super generous offers for listeners of the poggie today, and you can find details of them, as well as Justin's website and social media links over at http://www.slowyourhome.com/143. Enjoy!  ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brooke and Ben often talk about the idea of creating a home that works for you, and how that will look different to each of us, depending on lifestyle, circumstance and priorities. But, practically speaking, what can we do to create a home that actually does work for us? Enter Amelia Lee!  Amelia Lee is an architect based in the beautiful Byron Bay hinterland, who helps people create homes that support the life they want to live, rather than create houses that require a life-support in order to exist. Today she and Brooke talk about the philosophy of Slow Home design and why mindfulness and intention should be the cornerstones of the home we create.  They talk about Amelia's personal journey towards intentional living and how a trip to Uganda proved the pivotal point for her in recognising the excess in her own life and in our society in general, as well as what that meant for her fast-growing architecture firm.  The idea of a Slow Home - one that is simple to live in and light on the environment - is something Amelia and Brooke discuss in depth, including ways you can incorporate the idea of a slow home in to both your current or any future home.  Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/141 for links to loads of resources mentioned in today's episode as well as Amelia's podcast, blog and social media.  Enjoy!   Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let us give you fair warning: the next few Monday shows are all about cleaning your home BUT BEFORE YOU GO AWAY BECAUSE THAT SOUNDS INSANELY BORING just know that the info Ben and Brooke are going to share is actually interesting and relevant and designed to help you: save money use fewer toxic chemicals in your home simplify your cleaning routine minimise waste keep the same level of cleanliness as commercial cleaners And while not everyone wants to spend ten minutes a week listening to people talk about cleaning, the fact is, each and every one of us needs to clean in some capacity, so why not make it simple and sustainable? Today Brooke and Ben talk about the hero of green cleaning - bog-standard white vinegar. It’s what they use most in cleaning their house, and they talk about how they use it to clean the: kitchen tiles bench tops cupboard doors, handles and interiors fridge - inside and out stovetop oven microwave - inside and out pantry shelves mirrors shower glass bathroom tiles vanity top and cupboards wooden floors tile floors They discuss whether it actually cleans as well as the commercial products, if it’s as hygienic as bleach, and whether they’ve noticed any difference since adopting green cleaning a few years ago. They also talk about the practicalities - how to use it, what equipment you need, and if there are any downsides. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/142 for links to some articles and resources mentioned in today's show.  ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode Brooke and Ben are wrapping up the simple rituals series with a poggie all about gratitude. Brooke believes that gratitude gets a bit of a bad wrap, because we see it as an attempt to Pollyanna ourselves out of challenging situations, or to avoid dealing with negative feelings. But she’s a convert to the power of gratitude, and today she and Ben talk about how making it part of your day can not only help you see the positive in your day-to-day life, but also shift your mindset into one of contentment and peace. They talk about their own approaches to gratitude, as well as some other, practical, non-bragging ways of practising gratitude, including: taking photos documenting on Instagram journalling Liz Gilbert’s Happiness Jar nightly ritual of gratitude at the dinner table thanking your self or your body during meditation, prayer, yoga, exercise This week’s action is very simple: commit to a daily practise of gratitude. It doesn’t need to be over the top or public, but just take a moment to recognise the wonderful things that have been part of your day - big or small, it doesn’t matter - and then reflect on it. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/140 for a full blog post and show notes, and have a great week! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Hostful time! And, like every single month, in today’s episode Ben and Brooke answer some super insightful listener questions: What impact did slow living have on your finances? How do you judge if something is necessary and "valuable" enough to warrant purchase? As your items start to get a bit tatty, when do you replace them? Or do you keep repairing or mending instead? How does one re-learn oneself? Other than decluttering, what aspect of slow living do you feel has made the most difference in your family's life? Some of these topics Ben and Brooke feel relatively confident on, but there are a whole heap of links over at http://www.slowyourhome.com/139 that will point you in the direction of the experts. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Brooke and Ben talk through the 'three things' idea. That is, limiting our to-do lists to three main tasks every day, rather than the dozens of items we often put on our lists, despite knowing we will not be able to get them done.  Brooke used to be a big list maker, overwhelming herself with far too many tasks every day, leaving her feeling defeated before beginning, and like a failure when she finished a day having left most of her tasks unfinished. When she made the change to a to-do list of three things only, a few things happened:  She became more productive  She felt less anxious and overwhelmed She was able to move ahead on more projects because she was committed to taking steps every day, rather than only occasionally  In this poggie Ben and Brooke talk through why they prefer this approach, but also how to try it yourself. You can combine last week's ritual of the Brain Dump with this one, to create a powerhouse ritual of productivity every day!  Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/138 for a full blog post and show notes, and have a great week! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few years ago Jessica Murnane was on the verge of major surgery, a last resort to help manage her endometriosis. After a friend recommended her trying a plant-based diet to alleviate some of the pain, Jessica figured she had nothing to lose. Weeks later she was already feeling better than she’d felt for years and the surgery was put on the back burner. Over the past few years Jessica has taught herself how to cook (her diet previously consisted of “Sour Patch Kids, Diet Coke, and whatever Lean Cuisine had cheese”) and began to figure out how to navigate the massive changes to her lifestyle without alienating herself or her friends and family. In this episode Brooke and Jessica talk about the One Part philosophy and how small, incremental changes can lead to enormous shifts over time, but also the importance of being patient with ourselves as these changes settle in. They also talk about the challenges Jessica faced in changing her lifestyle, the benefits of those changes (she still hasn’t had that surgery) and also the recent move from Chicago to Charlston and how a slower paced city has impacted family life. There’s also a really interesting chat about trends, and how to avoid becoming that annoying person when your lifestyle or passion has its 15 minutes of fame, and Jessica has some brilliant points to make about basically ignoring the BS and doing what feels right for you, regardless of trends. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/137 to see where you can grab a copy of Jessica's new book - One Part Plant! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know those days where there are too many thoughts, too many ideas and too many tasks zooming around the confines of your brain, all wanting your attention but never sticking around for long enough to be acted upon? Those days where the competing thoughts, ideas, projects, problems, grocery items, packing lists never stop rolling around your head, leaving you tired and prone to procrastination? In today’s episode Brooke and Ben discuss the Brain Dump. A simple ritual designed to help you get all that low-level anxiety out on to the page, find some mental clarity and use it to move forward in your day. The Brain Dump is a ritual Brooke uses regularly whenever she’s feeling a little overwhelmed, and in today’s episode her and Ben talk through exactly how she uses it and how it helps her to calm down, find clarity, get mindful and start getting things done. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/136 for a full blog post and show notes, and have a great week! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.