Creating eco-minimalist, non-toxic homes (without the extra work). Although minimalism has experienced a rebirth in recent years, the "less is more" movement ha...
In Scandinavia, daily interaction with nature has helped turn many people into passionate advocates for the environment. But there are forces at play in American society that divide humans from nature. To name just a few? Schools cut recess to make more time for academic instruction, cities boast sprawl over walkability, and our societal reverence for cleanliness prevents many Americans from getting outside and getting a little dirty.
Best-selling author Linda McGurk was born in Sweden and, later, raised her own children in the US. Linda is on the show to highlight the ways in which the two cultures diverge with regard to interacting with and respecting the natural world; she also offers both the encouragement and the how-to to get outside in all weather.
Here's a preview:
[5:00] Nature isn't an essential part of childhood here in America. Why not?
[18:00] Not competitive, not motorized, and 3 other ways adults prioritize the open-air life in Scandinavia
[23:00] No such thing as bad weather? What about extreme, climate change-induced weather events?
[28:00] Revisiting our very-American need to be comfortable at all times
[32:00] American schools are slowly eliminating outdoor recess. Here's how to advocate for more outdoor time at your child's school
Resources mentioned:
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/MINIMAL and get 10% off your first month.
There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids
The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day
Linda on Substack
Children And Nature Network
Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy (via Netflix)
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Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
Say hello! [email protected].
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38:29
Introducing Smart Money Happy Hour
I hope you'll enjoy Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel. We have become regular Thursday listeners and we hope you check it out to see why!
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1:59
Living Seasonally, Not Commercially
What is the "holiday season", really?
Savvy marketers have inserted gingerbread lattes, blow up lawn decor, and lots of gifts as synonymous with December. But we aren't in some made-up season of buying; instead, we are approaching the Winter Solstice. And when nature is our guide, living seasonally is less about shopping hauls and more about existing in pace with the changing seasons.
In a world where we can buy just about anything, it takes intention to live in alignment with nature. On today's show Bailey Van Tassel offers suggestions for weaving what's outside your front door — not what's in Target! — into your seasonal celebrations.
Here's a preview:
[11:00] Transitioning from commercialized seasonal living to interacting with nature at your feet
[15:00] The ways in which nature's pace complements modern life (if, of course, we allow it)
[19:30] Minimalists, unite! Don't buy more ultra-trendy seasonal stuff; do this instead
[25:00] Slow down your life by making your family traditions crave-able
[33:00] Connections between seasons of a year and seasons of a life
Resources mentioned:
Kitchen Garden Living: Seasonal Growing and Eating from a Beautiful, Bountiful Food Garden
Bailey on Instagram @baileyvantassel
Chatpods: www.chatpods.com/?fr=SustainableMinimalists
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! [email protected].
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45:55
How Many Jeans Do You Own?
Denim jeans were once the preferred trouser for cowboys in the American west; some decades later, they became a symbol of rebellion for non-conformist teens. These days jeans are all about comfort and casual style, and the average American woman owns 7 pairs.And yet blue jeans also happen to have one of fashion's biggest environmental footprints. On today's show Sarene Alsharif reveals the harsh realities associated with jeans production; she also shares practical strategies for transforming this wardrobe staple into a sustainable solution. Here's a preview:[7:00] Stone-washed with actual stones? Dyed with carcinogenic dyes? Uncovering your favorite pair's dirty little enviro-secrets [13:00] Want some stretch? Revisiting our desire for synthetic fibers in our denim [23:00] The trend cycle = smoke and mirrors[27:00] It's a marriage not a fling (and other tried-and-true sustainable fashion tips)[31:00] Stephanie's nihilist thoughts: What happens when collective action matters, and yet the collective isn't doing its part? Resources mentioned:
How To Save The World With A Pair Of Jeans (via YouTube)
Tad More Tailoring
Atomic Habits (by James Clear)
The Comfort Crisis Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self (February's Book Club pick!)
This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! **If you're a financial supporter over on Apple Podcasts and want to join Book Club, please email me and let me know! For privacy reasons, Apple won't share your contact info with me. Just email me and I'll happily add you!**
Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
Say hello! [email protected].
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41:57
A Poverty Of Spirit
We Americans may indeed be "rich" in material terms, but we suffer from what Mother Teresa calls a poverty of spirit. As we chased economic growth we closed ourselves off. We abandoned interconnectedness with other people, beings, and things. We also abandoned ourselves. Many of the problems in our world today are visual manifestations of such abandonment. If the world isn't looking the way you want it to look right now, author Jeff Golden argues that solving our (numerous) issues starts by healing our culture-wide poverty of spirit. Here's a preview: [4:00] Money doesn’t make us happy, and the extent to which we strive for stuff is a manifestation of how unhappy we actually are inside [8:00] How we feel about ourselves impacts how we show up in the world. How we treat others! Whether we regard other beings with love and respect! [16:00] Exactly why healing our world (and ourselves!) may indeed start by getting out of our heads [32:00] Debunking heady intellectual conversations about the importance of the economy, plus: a laundry list of the ways we use stuff as stand-ins for well-being [38:00] Tangible ways to "drop into yourself" (because you and others deserve it!) Resources mentioned:
Episode #478: Charting A Rich Life
Reclaiming the Sacred: Healing Our Relationships with Ourselves and the World
Thank you to Wild for sponsoring this week's episode! Use code SUSTAINABLE20 for 20% off. https://www.wearewild.com/us/?discount=SUSTAINABLE20
This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting it!
Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
Say hello! [email protected].
Creating eco-minimalist, non-toxic homes (without the extra work). Although minimalism has experienced a rebirth in recent years, the "less is more" movement has been around for centuries. Yet today's minimalist influencers have resurrected minimalism with a decidedly consumerist spin, as modern minimalism is nearly synonymous with decluttering. While there's a lot of chatter about tidying, it's radio silence and crickets when it comes to sustainability. The result? Aspiring minimalists find themselves on an endless hamster wheel of buying, decluttering, buying more, and purging again. Overemphasizing decluttering and underemphasizing the reasons why we overbuy in the first place is thoroughly inconsistent with slow living as a movement; consumption without intention is terrible for the planet, too. Your host, Stephanie Seferian, is a stay-at-home/podcast-from-home mom and author who believes that minimalism, eco-friendliness, and non-toxic living are intrinsically intertwined. She's here to explore the topics of conscious consumerism, sustainability, and environmentally-friendly parenting practices with like-minded women; she's here, too, to show you how to curate eco-friendly, decluttered homes (without the extra work).
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