Sustainable Minimalists

We all need to feel like we can make smart purchasing decisions, but it’s hard to know where to put our trust. Researchers have found dangerous levels of mercury in anti-aging creams; they’ve linked chemicals in hair dye to cancer; they’ve traced fragrances in soaps and shampoos to fertility issues. And while it has become more confusing than ever to know whether our buying choices are putting our health at risk, America's laws often help manufacturers avoid accountability.Today's show is the first in a two part series about creating a marketplace that puts consumers — not mega corporations! — first.  Here's a preview:[1:30] Mascara and blindness[6:00] Antibiotics, antifreeze and over 100 deaths[11:00] The link between Johnson & Johnson's baby powder and ovarian cancer; plus: the mega-corp's attempts to protect itself at the expense of 34,000+ victims Resources mentioned: Johnson & Johnson Reaches Deal for $8.9 Billion Talc Settlement (via NY Times) US Judge Halts Most Talc Lawsuits Against J&J, Stops Trials (via Reuters) Talcum Powder Lawsuit Update June 2023 (via Forbes) --Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday June 16, 2023:[00:30] German homeowners and financial sacrifice (heat pumps are expensive!)[04:00] Should we sacrifice the Great American landscape in the name of clean energy? [11:00] Here's how South Koreans are making eco-sacrifices in real time Resources mentioned: Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.  Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Our brains are really darn busy. They're continually processing lots of information; they're also working overtime to keep us out of harm's way. And because they're overworked and underpaid, our brains seek out shortcuts. Sometimes these shortcuts are helpful but often they cause more harm than good.Enter cognitive distortions, which make us anxious, create excessive suffering, and blow our self-esteem to smithereens. On today's show we flip and reverse these 6 unhelpful thought patterns for greater well-being:[8:00] Overgeneralizations ("Everyone else is doing so much better than me!")[10:00] Negative predictions ("I'm trapped!")[15:00] Jumping to conclusions ("No one loves me as much as I love them!")[19:00] All-or-nothing thinking ("If only I had ...")[25:00] Misplaced self-doubt ("I'm an imposter!")[28:00] Polarized thinking ("My life is a mess!") Resources mentioned/Further reading: 5 Distorted Thought Patterns and How to Change Them (via Psychology Today) 6 Thought Patterns That Increase Anxiety (via Psychology Today) A New Earth by Eclhart Tolle --Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Our kids have big feelings about their stuff. In many homes, the mere suggestion of a toy and treasure decluttering sesh initiates a gargantuan cleanup battle. Are your kiddos running out of space to store their special things? If so, it may be time to teach them the important skill of discerning their favorites from the minutia.Drama-free decluttering with kids is possible! Today I speak with shopaholic-turned-minimalist Mary Simpson about the ways in which she empowers her children to make difficult decisions about their stuff. Here's a preview:[6:30] First things first: We respect our children by respecting their stuff[9:30] Drowning in artwork and school papers? Here's what to do[15:00] How many childhood mementos should you keep?[26:00] Containers are your friend! Resources mentioned: Mary on Instagram Want more episodes like this one? Check out #302: Raising Non-Materialistic Kids --Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday June 9, 2023:[01:00] Promising developments re: PFAS legislation[4:00] Eco-conscious breweries?[8:00] Bad news for arctic sea ice[10:00] Sinking US cities and rising sea levels = trouble Resources mentioned: Episode #264: Forever Chemicals Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

When the clutter in your immediate physical environment becomes just another major stressor that bombards your autonomic nervous system, you may be stuck in the mess-stress cycle. My children are almost on summer break and this means extra messes and excess stresses. On today's show: 5 steps to bare-bones home maintenance that will get your home back to functioning in 20 minutes or less.Here's a preview:[2:30] Are you stressed, or are you in a stress cycle? Here's how to know[5:30] The warning signs and symptoms of the mess-stress cycle[13:00] 5 steps to getting your home back to functioning in under 20 minutes Resources mentioned: How To Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach To Cleaning And Organizing by K.C. Davis Caught in a Stress Cycle (via Psychology Today) Episode #076: The Shoebox Method Episode #152: How To Organize For Your Personality  Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

It's 2023 and upgrade culture is fierce. For many of us, wanting something is as good a reason as any to go out and buy it. And wanting a newer model of an item you already have? Just another excuse to splurge.Today's show is less of an interview and more of a conversation with the anti-upgrade king (a.k.a. my husband) about how we attempt to keep upgrade culture at bay in our own home.Here's a preview:[5:30] Don't forget utility![7:30] Thoughts on the connection between upgrade culture and performative wealth[9:00] Why we don't buy stuff for our daughters "just because"[15:00] Tech-free homes as a sneaky anti-upgrade power move[18:00] The quiet power embedded within simply saying nothing[23:00] Why and how to steer clear of the parenting path of least resistance, plus: How to teach your kids to care for their stuff Resources Mentioned:National Crayon Recycling Program--Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday June 2, 2023:[00:30] Angry environmentalists and the US debt deal [4:00] Recycling centers create lots of microplastics (and lots of problems)[8:00] What you need to know about a gigantic log pile in Canada[11:00] "Rapidly growing catastrophic exposure" and home insurance changes  Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Countless online articles jammed with affiliate links entice readers to modernize. To swap what's working with something better. To stay relevant with the sleekest and newest. Some such guides even amplify the health and safety benefits associated with upgrading certain home items. But is replacement our only option? How can consumers truly know?On today's show we take 8 common household items and ask the singular question: Do we *really* need to swap out these items with newer models?Here's a preview: [3:00] Should we actually replace our toilet bowl brushes on the regular (or is a simple cleaning enough)?[7:00] What's the truth when it comes to replacing personal care products?[16:00] Hold up: do surge protecters need replacing?[22:00] Let's talk cutting boards[26:00] All-things mattresses ... again[29;00] Everything you need to know about the efficacy of your smoke alarmsResources mentioned: Sorry, but It’s Probably Time to Replace These 17 Household Essentials (via Wirecutter from NY Times) Tushy toilet brush with replaceable coconut husk cleaning pads Berkey water filters Izzy Zero Waste mascara How to Clean and Care for Wood Cutting Boards (via NY Times) Episode: #208: How to protect yourself from EMFs at home Episode #256: The Best Things In Life Are Free: Sleep --Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Sustainability chatter often centers around the importance of being selfless: Do better for waterways and ecosystems. Do better for endangered animals and, of course, do better for future generations, won't you?But humans tend to be self-centered as a species, and expert marketing has trained us to prioritize our personal whims over the collective. The result? Many tend to help others only if their needs and wants first feel fully fulfilled.Self-centeredness has a universal benefit: planetary wellness *always* starts with personal wellness. On today's show Brienne Derosier introduces her concept of the Wellness Onion as a means of explaining how caring for ourselves is a smart and sneaky means of learning to care for all things everywhere. Here's a preview:[5:30] Layer One: What are you consuming?[10:00] It's less about how you look and more about how you feel. Here's why[12:00] Layer Two: What are you putting on your body?[22:00] Layer Three: What are you putting in your home?[32:00] Layer Four: What is your long-term legacy? Resources mentioned:The International Living Future Institute--Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content