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.



Thank you so much for reading this website!

Please go follow us on facebook and instagram if you haven't yet. My goal for 2020 is to finally get going on Twitter, but damn that place is depressing.

Another huge help to the blog? Share your favorite posts! Pin them, share them on facebook, invite friends to like our page or our instagram. Every little bit helps, and we are so grateful for all the help we have gotten already.

This was a huge year for the blog, and I am really excited about how it is growing. Some of this is maybe to our credit, and I really have been putting a lot of effort into it, but I think the larger reason why the blog keeps growing is because more and more people simply care about these things!

More and more people want to have some part in making the Earth better.
More and more see how real and pressing Climate Change is, and they want to do something.
More and more want to break free from materialism, or plastics, or the constant churn of capitalism.

I feel like what I am doing is throwing thousands of little pebbles with the hope that one or two make some ripples. Every time someone tells me they love a blog (or even better, share it!) I could not be more excited, because it is nearly impossible to tell if it is making a difference. I hope it continues to make a tiny, but positive difference for people. My dream is for you, person who is miraculously reading this, to feel like your life and your impact on the world is a little more positive, because I sure am glad you are here.

Here are ten of my favorite things we talked about this year- consider checking them out if you missed them before!

This year, the blog started off with a big dip. In our efforts to make it more professional-looking, as if someone other than my grandma reads it (I love you Grammy), we redid a lot of things. Little did I know, those changes mess with all sorts of blog rigamaroll, and you lose a bunch of traffic.

I feel pretty excited that I stuck with it and kept building up the blog even after the big hit, and now the blog is as big as it was back then (with fewer Russian crazyviews too- score!). This is by no means a masterful blog, and I am no expert, but I do think I write some content that could really help somebody. I hope that anyway.

Here are ten of my favorite things we talked about this year- consider checking them out if you missed them before!

10. Where to Buy Eco-Friendly and Awesome Holiday Cards

I love this post because it has to be one of the EASIEST switches that people don't even realize they could make! So many great companies out there, so there is no reason to shop somewhere like tinyprints or Shutterfly, who may have nice enough designs, but use virgin paper. Why not use recycled when you can?

9. Don't Buy from Exxon Mobil, Instead Try...

2017 has been ROUGH on the environment, and like so many areas of the government, seemed to attend to the needs of an uber privileged few instead of the people and the country as a whole. For the "environment" agencies and their leaders, it's all about selling our land and our standards to fossil fuels. It's not enough to yell at our dealers about how sketchy they are- we have to start ending our own addictions to gas and plastic.

8. The Best Wording for a "No Gift" Birthday Party Invitation...

No gift parties are still a controversial move for parents, but this blog tries to lay out ways to cut off the gifts with positivity, humor, and grace (because somebody is definitely not going to listen to you. And that someone is Grandma).

7. Could you Get Rid of 2,017 Things for 2017? 

I took on a big challenge for this year, and even though I am only 5/8ths of the way there, I am still so glad I did it. Excited to hear from friends and readers that they tried it too, and you better believe we are going to try it again next year. Because we all have too much stuff, and we can help fulfill the needs of others by being less attached to what we have.

6. Don't Buy Modcloth, Instead Try...

Walmart bought Modcloth this year. Blech. Rather than just harass the company for selling out (even though it does really suck that they did), I offer other options to give your money to. I will not buy from a company I don't respect, and I always believe another option exists. Here is a perfect example of how this is true, and it got really enthusiastic traffic as well.

5. The Best Clothes to Buy Secondhand

I love secondhand shopping for the sake of the environment, but you have to get over the stigma to see what great possibilities are out there. So we spent a month focused on clothes and especially on thrifting. Letting go of our obsession with the "new" frees us up to all sorts of fun new possibilities. Hopeful more and more people start thrifting!

4. Where to Donate VHS Tapes

I kicked off 2017 with a month of donation possibilities, because the less we just throw in the trash, the better. Little did I know this post would become one of my most popular of the YEAR. I mean, this gets clicks everyday. Just goes to show there are a lot of VHS tapes out in the world- do you really need to get things on Blue Ray if it is just the VHS of tomorrow?

3. Four Practical and Meaningful Ways to Limit your Gifting

This post really clicked with readers, and it makes me feel encouraged that so many people want their Christmas, Hannukah, and birthday gift piles to get SMALLER. The "fantasy" we are sold is that things have to get bigger to get better, but I know more and more people see that is a lie. We waste so much money and energy on stuff because we are worried our presents (and our presence) isn't "enough" but I hope you feel empowered to enjoy your holidays another way.

2. Deciding What We Have and Who We Are Is Enough

I keep writing this blog as a whole because I am hopeful that when people see they have other options they might make changes that fit their life. I genuinely believe that everyone has so much more to give the Earth than just be a constant consumer. I think you are amazing, and I hope you can see that all of these messages that tell you that you aren't enough are lying to you.

1. 75 Crazy Easy Ways to Get Plastic Out of Your Life

I am so proud of this post, because I think every one of us can find things we already do, things we could do easily, and things that make us face up to our own addictions to plastic. Letting go of plastic is HARD, and it forces you to step against the grain of everyday American living. But it is so worth it. I also love that the picture is of a straw, because one of my favorite things that happened all year was that my brother-in-law gave up serving straws at his restaurant! We can all do something great.  Hope you check this out if you haven't already!


Runner Ups (it was a better year than I thought!)- Hey Millenials, Give Bar Soap a Chance, Don't Buy Old Navy or Gap Clothes, Instead Try... How to Still "Be In" the Paris Agreement, 10 Green (and Perfect) Gifts for Father's Day, How to Throw an Eco-Friendly Graduation Party, Unique and Eco-Friendly 6th Anniversary Gifts, Don't Buy Monogrammed Napkins, Instead Try...



What a year! So excited to still be doing this and hopeful that it continues to grow in 2017. I believe that no one person can save the world alone, but if we all work together and keep trying to do something, things can still be great in the future.

One wise woman said that the fun of thrifting is that you don't find your clothes, your clothes find you. When you go buy clothes at Target, you leave with the same clothes as everyone else who shops at Target, but when you leave a consignment store, you can find all sorts of things (including those target clothes for a third of the price) that you aren't expecting.

Thrifting came with a stigma in our parents' generation (like you had to be a charity case to wear secondhand clothes).

But our generation is doing things differently, and thank goodness for that. Here's why-

- Most importantly, secondhand clothes is better for the Earth. It keeps things out of landfills (the average American tosses 65lbs of clothes into the landfill EACH YEAR). It travels short distances, using less fossil fuels. And it comes in less packaging (did you know every piece you buy new has traveled in one of those plastic pouches? So much plastic waste).

-Secondhand clothes saves you money. That you can spend on plane tickets, or cool meals, or any number of experiences more memorable than a shirt.

- Secondhand clothes have less ethical baggage. The companies who import their clothes so they can have terrible labor standards won't get a penny of your money. If you believe in ethical labor, buy most of your clothes used to save money for quality, fair trade or domestically-made items.

- Secondhand clothes gets you out of the consumerist grind of fast fashion. If you are shopping secondhand, you are taking a peripheral approach to trends that change too quickly or clothing that wears out instantaneously. It helps you shift your paradigm about the value of a garment and what makes it great.

- Secondhand clothes allows you to cultivate a REAL personal style. Every mall carries the same basic stuff, keeps up with the same basic trends. Thrift stores have way more variety. Stepping away from the relentless changing of trends, you can think about what you WANT to look like, not what you feel you are supposed to.

Can you tell I think thrifting is the best thing ever? Because I do think that. A lot. 

Also perfect solution to staying stylish and eco-friendly? Renting and borrowing clothes. The sooner you shift your mind away from the assumption that you have to buy it new from the store, the more money you can save. Renting means you can get something high end for cheaper than buying something not nearly as nice.

The problem is, if you live somewhere with little or crappy thrifting available, you may be feeling a real shortage of thriftastic goodness. There may just not be much to see, and you will start to think secondhand clothes are mostly a waste of time. Thank goodness for the internet, because you still have nearly endless possibilities out there. You just have to know where to look.

Or, I can tell you. Here is a list of the best places to buy and swap clothes. Need it for a one time thing? A wedding or special event? I have lots of amazing renting options too. Let's get to it.

dress from Rent the Runway

Online Secondhand Shopping

Wants to be known for easy buying and selling, because you can just photograph the item and post it. Mostly I see sweatpants and lower end brands (please friend, skip the Old Navy unless you really love it. That stuff isn't built to last).

For Swapping

And Borrowing

Where do you like doing your thrifting? What kinds of things do you buy secondhand? Or, if you don't shop secondhand, why?

Look up in the little tab for this blog. Do you see it? I have my own little icon thingy!

(I have just learned it is a favicon... that's how tech-savvy I am)

I point this out not only because it represents another (really exciting!) step toward being a serious blog (with some damn serious bossing going on), but because it perfectly demonstrates one of the things I talk about ALL THE TIME.

This logo was a gift. This was my big gift from The Boy for my birthday. It didn't come in a box and you wouldn't have thought much of the folded up piece of printer paper, but I can't imagine a cooler gift than getting to work with designers to make my own logo.

Because you know what is damn romantic? Having someone get right in the trenches with you. Being your teammate for a dream that is yours, not theirs. In that way, a folded up piece of paper can mean way more than a piece of jewelry or pile of gifts.

You want to give someone a gift they will always remember? Get in there and help them reach their goals. Try asking them what their goals are for this year, what's on their to do list or (even bigger) their bucket list. Start there instead of the store.

We all have plenty of stuff we don't need already. We all also have goals we want to accomplish, but just haven't yet. Figure out what the person you care about is really working toward, and just be on their freaking team.

So thanks to The Boy, kicking ass as always, and I hope you like the new logo!

I know the end of year posts have bled into the New Year, but alas, life happens, and the blog has to wait. This blog grew a lot last year, and I think we are on to some real positive momentum. This is important to me, because I think it is saying something worth hearing. Not only that, but I think the shift in paradigm around shopping- to simply buy fewer things, to fall in love with used shopping, and to buy locally and American made stuff- has radical potential to make our lives better, our country better, and our world better. So, yeah, I am pretty excited about it.

I wrote an about me page for the blog, so you can always check back on what the big mission is here. It's right up on that bar, so be sure to check it out!