Sustainable Minimalists

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 8 2023:[00:30] An update on how companies are doing on their environmental "pledges"[4:30] Lego-like bricks? A carbon capture breakthrough[7:30] Would you pay a monthly fee to not see ads on Facebook and Instagram? [9:30] Quick check-ins from COP28 and Wednesday's Republican presidential debate  This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Research finds that by and large happiness is a learned and cultivated behavior. Even better? Decades of psychological research lay the foundation for a handy-dandy formula that helps us *increase* the amount of happiness we experience in our daily lives.On today's show: abandoning cultural expectations in favor of a happiness formula that's both practical and empirically-based. Here's a preview:[3:00] If happiness isn't a state of being, what is it, really? Should we even seek it out?[7:45] H = S + C + V! An easy-to-understand formula for a happier life[16:00] Adults today are less happy than adults in previous generations, and here's why[21:00] 7 research-backed ways to increase your level of enduring happiness Resources mentioned: Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment by Dr. Martin Seligman Episode #343: The Distorted Mirror This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Sustainability has the reputation of being, well, expensive. When money's tight, how do modern families decide what to prioritize with their dollars? Today I chat with Whitney Leigh Morris about the space where eco-consciousness and finances collide.Here's a preview:[3:30] Think you can't afford to be eco-friendly? Think again[6:00] $8 leggings from Target or a $35 pair from an ethical brand? It's complicated ... [13:00] Electric vehicle? Heat pump? How to get in the habit of asking whether you *actually* need that big ticket eco-item[16:00] Thoughts on replacing items that are in working condition for more energy efficient options[19:30] Are carbon offsets really worth the money?[26:30] What 'voting with your dollars' really means Resources mentioned: Episode #326: Gifting Boundaries with Whitney Whitney on Instagram This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 1 2023:[00:30] Frustration and skepticism surrounding the latest climate summit happening now[5:30] A plane just flew across the Atlantic without fossil fuels, but let's reign in our excitement[10:00] Lead pipes, be gone[14:00] The plight of the wolverine  This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Like wine? Me too! On today's show: Everything you need to know about selecting wine that's aligned with your values. Here's a preview:[3:00] Why, oh why aren't there ingredients labels on alcohol?[8:00] Your favorite wine may have up to 6 dozen additives within. Let's chat about a few of them[13:00] Do sulfites deserve their bad rap? (hey there, red wine headaches!)[20:00] Grapes are listed as #8 on the EWG's Dirty Dozen. Should we be buying organic wine?[24:00] Biodynamic wine is organic, but organic wine isn't necessarily biodynamic. Here's why[33:00] How to buy wine like an informed and conscious consumer  This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Many of us have a complicated relationship with our stuff. And while no one wants their possessions to possess their lives, our stuff often has fascinating stories to tell.On today's show: A conversation with psychotherapist and professional organizer Helen Sanderson about what the state of our homes reveal about our psychology. Here's a preview:[3:45] Pack rat, minimalist, or somewhere in between? Here's what our homes show us about ourselves[6:15] How to best guide your child toward tidiness, no nagging necessary[12:00] When a neat freak and a slob get married: How to best navigate differences in home maintenance styles[17:00] Home management is like tending a garden (and other applicable metaphors)[20:00] Thoughts on finding the drive to get to "maintenance" Resources mentioned: The Secret Life of Clutter Helen on Instagram   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

It’s crazy but it’s true: Only in America do we trample each other for sales exactly ONE day after being thankful for what we already have.Corporations want us to believe that happiness lies in stuff, but research consistently suggests otherwise. On today's re-air: A conversation with blogger Barbara Alfeo about making the most of the day after Thanksgiving in ways that have nothing to do with shopping.Here's a preview:[4:00] A Black Friday primer: Its humble origins and its spectacular modern-day popularity[8:15] Why do we over-shop? It's likely to fill the hole that our communities used to fill[12:00] Get out of the stores and get off the internet; have an anti-Black Friday instead. Here's how[20:00] Are you *just* a consumer or are you a helper, a volunteer, a friend? Here's why Black Friday is the perfect day to give back[26:00] How to set clear cut gifting limits so you don't overspend on Cyber Monday and throughout the holiday season This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Is that Christmas in the air, or is it capitalism?There's no doubt about it: overconsumption degrades the planet. Enter Secondhand Sunday, a new-ish shopping holiday that's nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It's dedicated to all-things thrifted and redirects shoppers away from mass consumption and toward pre-loved items instead. On today's show Poshmark's Kelly Mason inspires us to think differently about shopping during the holidays.(P.S. Are you putting up your Christmas tree this weekend? Listen to Episode #323: O Christmas Tree first!) Here's a preview:[2:45] The case for normalizing secondhand items as gifts[6:00] We live in a different world than we did as children! Here's why it's high-time our giving rituals adapt to our current enviro-reality[13:00] Would your loved ones be open to receiving a secondhand gift? This is what market research says[15:00] Skeptics, unite! How to best dip your toe into the secondhand lifestyle[21:00] Why it's individual voices (a.k.a. yours and mine) that contribute to the collective gifting mindset shift  This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, November 17 2023:[2:45] Climate disasters are expensive, yo[7:30] Earth just experienced its hottest year in 125,000 years[12:00] The planet is "woefully off track" on 41 out of 42 global climate goals   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

The holidays are meant to be about peace, joy, and togetherness … but they often end up steeped in chaos, rush, and overspending.Not this year! There’s really no better time than right this minute to practice slowing down and getting intentional *before* we say yes to another obligation or hit 'add to cart'.On today's show podcast host Desirae Endres reminds us that the holidays aren't just for kids; they are for us to enjoy too.  Here's a preview:[6:30] First things first: We can't manufacture perfection, and kids make their own magic[11:00] Are you the behind-the-scenes magic maker? The importance of remembering what YOU love about the season[23:00] Protect your peace by zeroing in on what's within your control[29:00] Focus on contentment, not on comparison! Shining light on the chasm between our idealized (ahem...commercialized) celebrations versus real life Resources mentioned: Your Minimal-ish Holidays: 30 Days to a More Intentional Season Desirae on Instagram This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.