It's the end of 2019! Time for reflecting on what is working and how we want to do better next year.

I have a lot of days where I wonder whether this blog is a good idea at all. It can be hard to tell if I am doing any good or just annoying my family members. There are debates every day about whether personal choices are vital to the survival of our planet or are personal changes just rich people virtue signaling? Like every person on the internet, I get 10 pieces of spam and 5 negative comments for every 1 positive thing.

My hope is that the blog serves as a grab bag for good ideas and information. When I started trying to shift our family's relationship to the environment 4 years ago, it could be hard to find much clear information out there. If nothing else, I hope the website is helping people to feel empoweredin their own life and can serve as a place to find info on ethical underwear and the like. Nobody is saving this planet on their own, but this is my way to do something.

And the exciting thing is it is growing. If nothing else, it helps to know that more and more people care. I am so glad you care. So let's look at some of the best stuff we talked about it 2019.

10. Less Meat Meals

Most personal choices' effectiveness are debated, but almost all environmentalists agree that how we eat matters, and it matters a lot. Animal agriculture is a huge culprit in most of our environmental problems, from pollution to water shortage to greenhouse gases.

In a perfect world, we would all give meat up completely, at least for a while. If that isn't possible for you, you can still cut tons of meat out of your diet and have a positive impact (without undermining nutritional needs, cultural expectations, etc). Here are TONS of meal ideas where you can cut meat portions down. Perfect ideas to try in the new year!

9. Beginner's Guide to Helping Preserve Biodiversity

Biodiversity is another issue that so many more people are aware of this year- animal species around the world are shrinking, many becoming endangered or extinct before our very eyes.

This is a big deal. If biodiversity goes, humans go with it. We need those animal and insect species for our own survival.

We are not helpless in this, so if you want ideas for how to help, I have plenty to share. Check out this post, which also has lots of research on organizations on the front lines.

8. Eco-Friendly Switches for your Church

Individual actions matter. Collective actions have even more dramatic impact. The good news is that many of us already belong to communities, workplaces, and churches. These are perfect places to bring in new green practices, shift the mindsets of the people you love, and honor your God by serving as a steward. To me, this is a big freaking deal, so I am proud of this post.

7. 80 Ideas to Help your Kid Fall in Love with Nature

We know that the first step in protecting the environment is feeling connected to it. That starts from our very childhood, which is one of the MANY reasons it is so important for our kids and their future that we get them outside. I have tons of fun ideas for encouraging a love of nature (and maybe falling back in love with it yourself too).

6. What Marie Kondo Missed

Back in January, minimalism was having a moment thanks to Marie Kondo. I loved her ramping up people's excitement for simpler living, but I thought her philosophy left out a major element- how do you get rid of stuff that doesn't bring you joy without just adding to the misery of the world?

5. Ten Surprising Things to Get Secondhand

One of the easiest ways to help the planet is to shift our consumer habits. People love brand new, but you can find so much of what you need secondhand. I love secondhand shopping, and I would never go back, so here are a few of my favorite surprises from secondhand shopping.

4. Everything You Need to Know about Plastic Fabrics/ Dear Washing Machine Manufacturers

I still feel that plastic microfibers are the biggest environmental and health crisis we are facing that no one talks about. These things CAN ABSOLUTELY be solved, but not if no one is demanding it from legislators, clothing manufacturers, and brands. I spent a month focused on what you need to know about microfibers. I hope this information becomes common knowledge in 2020, so plastic fabrics can become a thing of the past.

3. Eco-Laziness

We get stuck in this mindset that helping the planet requires a lot of money and time. Sometimes, that is true. But in other ways, it totally isn't! It can take even less effort than what you are doing now to do right by the environment. This one totally took off, and I get it- who doesn't want to start with the easy stuff?

2. How to Let Your Kid be Creative (without Creating a Ton of Waste)

This post is a perfect combination of my writing, my day job (as an art teacher at an environmental center), and my other day job (mom). I have a very prolific little artist in my family, but it can be so hard to not flinch at the waste it can make. Luckily, there are so many fun and interesting ways to make art, practice mark making (so important!), and be creative without just creating waste.

1. 100 Things You Should Never Throw Away

We need to lead more minimalistic, less consumer-driven lives to save this planet of ours. But what do we do with all the stuff we already have? If recycling is failing, and our landfills are filling up, what options are there? I did a hell of a lot of research, and the truth is we have tons of options. Check out this post, which is one of my favorites, and also got tons of traffic for the blog this year.



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