I want to keep highlighting amazing makers in the US, and I feel like my Etsy links can get caught in the more mainstream shuffle. So starting a series to focus on the greatest stuff we have found. 

Unblushing

Knotty Cards 

SimplyHandmade

This week, there has been a lot of terrible news. News about the permafrost. Floods. The first big heatwave of what I expect will be a heartbreaking summer. Pesticides. Penguins. The list goes on and on.

It is easy to feel helpless, like what we can do will make no difference. We get a lot of feedback that the solutions we choose won't matter, that we are focusing on the wrong thing, and that "x" solution is the one real solution.

Honestly, I don't believe there is one solution.

This is what I believe. No, giving up plastic bags will not magically solve the whole problem. The problem is big and complicated, and I imagine that the solutions will be a big, complicated collaboration. There are big steps that need to be taken. Leaders need to step up and corporations have to stop their purely profit-driven nonsense.

 I absolutely hate thinkpieces that oh so helpfully point out that everyone giving up meat (or giving up plastic, or insert any freaking solution) could not possibly solve the problem. OF COURSE IT COULDN'T. No single bandaid is big enough. No single step could fix it all. It will take so many good choices from so many people.

We all have an opportunity to be part of the solution, not the whole solution. We have the chance to change our own habits, to stand up to companies who aren't doing right by the environment, and to share our concerns, changes, and ideas with our friends (because these things catch on). This may all feel little in the face of everything that is happening, but I believe that it adds up. I also believe the journey makes our own lives better in the process.

If at the end of my life, I found out that all of this stuff I have done to help the environment didn't make a lick of a difference, I think I would be sad, but I still wouldn't feel like I wasted a minute of my life.

Because this is the simple truth, which I have noticed again and again on this journey:

When something is better for the planet, it is better for us too. Taking care of the planet has transformed our lives for the better. That positivity spreads. 

I have my own list of the many ways 4 years of striving for green living has made my life better. I suspect this list would be vastly different for every person who is striving to take better care of the planet. We all have different things to offer, different switches that make sense, and different opportunities for change based on how much our lives and access vary. We know that access to green choices depends on geography, class, race, and more. No experience of this is universal. 

But we care, and any level of caring is so amazingly powerful. 

We each need to care for more and more change to happen. It will be good for the planet, but it makes our lives better too.

I am so far from perfect. My life is not perfect. I am still listening and learning.  But I know it is better because I care about being a steward of this Earth.

Here is my list of how a sustainable lifestyle has made our lives better. What would you put on your list?

9. The Simple Joy of Gratitude

The consumer treadmill goes something like this- we think we will finally be happy when we have this car, or that house, or that phone. And it kind of works, because for a second we are really excited and happy about that thing we bought. But that chemical high begins to fade, and before long we are back to wanting the next thing.

This is more commonly called the hedonic treadmill, and it is true for everyone, whether they have no money or a ton of it (there is a reason that billionaires are still pushing for more). It can be treated as a normal part of life, but you can flip the whole thing on it's head, help the planet, AND make yourself a lot happier by just practicing gratitude.

Green living tends to inspire a lot of gratitude. If you are living a slower life, taking better care of what you have, and not constantly throwing things away, you are already treating your life with more gratitude. You help the bees because you are grateful for them. You fight for creation because you are grateful to God for it. When you take care of something, it builds gratitude, and gratitude builds happiness.

Green living also tends to break you off from these endless cycles of desire and shift into a cycle of gratitude instead. It's pretty great that way.

8. Spending More Time Outside Prevents Depression

There are so many good studies out right now about how time outside is one of the best things we can do for our mental health. Studies have come out suggesting that kids need 4 to 6 hours of outdoor time, and adults need at least two hours a week. Doctors are now starting to prescribe time outdoors for people with depression as well. It helps with focus as well.

In other words, if you go out and collect trash, or plant a tree, or grow things in your yard, or practice gratitude for nature, you are probably a happier person for doing it. We need to love nature to save it, and the simple beauty is that nature will love us back.

7. Less Chemicals, Less Cancer

Using less plastic is absolutely necessary for our planet. We have tons of ideas on how to do it, but if you can stop with single use plastic, some food packaging, and stop wearing plastic-based synthetic fabrics, you put a huge dent into the plastic your household produces.

You have also minimized your exposure to serious chemicals that leach out of our plastic containers and clothing and into our bodies. There is so much research left to be done on so many of these chemicals (including the "food safe" ones), but we know a few things for sure.

Plastics are linked to hormonal changes and earlier menstruation.
Plastics are linked to cancer.
Plastics are linked to severe endocrine problems.

So, if you stop with the plastics, you are doing your body a big favor. In a generation, our kids will be shocked we ever let it near our bodies in this way. It's the asbestos of our generation.

6. Buying Local Takes Care of our Community

Shopping local, especially for food, is so important for the environment. Our food and goods are shipped such long distances, so often the things we buy have a much larger carbon footprint than we do. On average, a food item travels 1500 miles from farm to plate, stopping for processing and packaging in different places.

This is crazy pants. If you are going to have a carbon footprint from travel, wouldn't you rather do the traveling yourself? Why does your chicken breast get to be a world traveler?

Shopping things that are made or grown where you are can cut out a huge amount of your carbon footprint. But it also takes care of the economy where you live. I get that it is expensive, but if you look at local economies that are doing well, you will see a lot of consumers who shop at their local stores and not at the Walmart.

No one wants their community to struggle, so a huge benefit of being green is that local businesses can encourage job growth and prosperity where you live. If you shop at Walmart, all that money leaves your area forever, headed off to the Waltons instead. If you shop at that local grocer, your money stays where you live. The more that happens, the healthier your local economy can be.

5. Gardening is so Good for the Soul

I never would have anticipated liking gardening- I tend to be impatient and busy, and my strength is not consistency. And yet. We started growing some of our own food at our house because it cuts down waste and helps our kids understand the preciousness of food better.

Little did I know how good it would be for our soul. Weeding and nurturing and watching things grow brings me a peace I didn't suspect, and honestly I am a way better mother outside. I love to watch my kids hard at work watering, harvesting, and carrying weeds to our compost bin.

It may sound crazy, but there is plenty of scientific evidence that gardening is extremely good for mental health. This is a pretty good overview of the many benefits of getting your hands dirty.

our playhouse, free from Buy Nothing

4. We Save Money

One of the simplest ways to help the planet is to just stop over-consuming. We have stopped buying hardly anything new. Our first place to look is our local buy nothing group, where we have gotten major furniture, bags of clothing, toys (including Christmas gifts), and most of our outdoor toys from our neighbors. If I had to guess, I would suspect being on Buy Nothing for 4 years has saved us somewhere between 3 and 5 thousand dollars.

If we do need to buy something, we always start secondhand, then check things made locally. It creates less plastic waste (most everything is now shipped in plastic bags) and fossil fuel waste (shipping something from China takes a lot of fossil fuels). It also means we aren't supporting unethical labor practices, because I can no longer live with items that I know someone else was hurt to make.

What does all of this mean? We save money. We spend significantly less on stuff. Buying all of our clothes secondhand means we probably spend a quarter of the money on clothes that a regular family does. When your kids are little, that adds up fast!

Other green steps can save money too. Living in a smaller home saves money on everything from furniture to electric bills. Our hybrid car uses way less gas. Turning off lights and being efficient with electricity keeps bills down. Growing some of our own food saves money. Fixing things instead of throwing them away saves a ton as well. Making our own cleaning fluid (vinegar and water people! How are cleaner companies even in business?). Buying bulk and reusable products helps too (one box of paper towels lasts us multiple years).

The list here goes on and on. So many good green choices can actually save money.

3. Prioritizing the Environment Makes us Healthier

It turns out that so many of the switches we have made to help the environment also means we move move and eat less junk.

In short, the environment diet should be a real thing. 

Giving up or dramatically decreasing our meat intake is one of the best things we can do for the environment- it minimizes our water waste, cuts way down on our emissions, and allows space in our budget to buy more ethical food. In the USA especially, this is also absolutely necessary for our heart health, as we currently eat about 3 times as much protein as we need.

If you are going on a diet, the advice you will get is to shop the outside edge of the grocery store. If you are trying to stop making so much plastic waste, you will get the same advice. The food with the least packaging, chemicals, and palm oil are the best for you and for the planet.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.  If you are trying to drive less, you will inevitably get more steps in a day. If you give up plastic-wrapped foods, you have also given up the majority of the chemical-laden stuff currently linked to all sorts of health problems (especially cancer).

2. We Gave up Consumerism and Found Community

The less time we spend shopping, the more time we have for building community, making connections, and having experiences we will remember for a long, long time.

It may not seem obvious, but we often use what we consume to define us. Think about things like the Star Wars community or the "community" feeling that comes from wearing Toms. It isn't abnormal to identify with the things we own, but it never actually makes us happy for very long. Rather than treating shopping as a way we understand ouselves or a way to fill our time, we can now look to other things and put that time into experiences and memories instead.

One of the best ways we have done this is with our Buy Nothing group. We are still relatively new to our city, so it would make sense if we didn't know many of our neighbors. That isn't the case at all for us- because of Buy Nothing, I know at least a hundred people within walking distance of our house. We see people we know at the grocery store and at events, like we live in a small town (when we really don't). I threw a picnic for our Buy Nothing members, and about 30 people showed up, which I think shows how excited people are to find community and connection where they live. Every single day, my newsfeed is flooded with people simply being kind to one another, helping each other with everything from meal trains to dead car batteries to kids clothes.

One of the best symptoms of caring about things is that, with time, it connects you to other people who really care about things. Little by little, you feel less alone, and you can find whole communities (and action groups) that are getting things done. I have met so many cool people in the course of trying to help, and it is honestly the best. If you feel like you don't meet new people that often, getting involved in an issue you care about is a perfect way to shift that momentum.

Even when I don't see people in person, I have found community online. Instead of spending time browsing and online shopping. I have seen tons of communities develop to encourage greener living. These groups tend to be positive and encouraging (just don't bring up veganism).

1. It just feels like a weight has been lifted.

I think we all carry a lot of subconcious negative baggage from all of the things we support with what we buy. Most of us would never force a small child to work all day in a factory, but we support it with how we spend our money. Most of us would never knowingly kill a whale, but we participate in their death by buying and tossing single use plastic items.

It doesn't mean we are bad. It's that capitalism has alienated us from the sources of what we buy and the consequences of what we throw away so effectively that we don't see it. But I genuinely think we feel it, we carry a lot of pain and loneliness at this moment in history, and I think a root of it is how our actions can ripple so negatively into the world.

It feels so empowering to recognize that I can make positive ripples instead and do so. Just panicking about Climate Crisis feels freaking terrible. Doing something feels a whole lot better, even when it is something small. We say a prayer, and we get to work. Connecting with the fact that we can do something (anything), that our fate isn't solely in other people's hands feels so good. Become a member of Greenpeace or a wildlife conservation group. Write a local leader. Call your favorite company. It all feels good, because taking a stand for what is right feels right.







So if you have been feeling discouraged or like what you do doesn't matter anyway, know that it does matter! If absolutely nothing else, it makes life so much better to get our of those loops of consumerism and make choices that help others. It matters. You and what you do matters.

A lot of people don't shift to do greener things- avoiding plastic packaging, shopping local, growing more of your own food, and more- because it just seems hard. Life is hard enough! The truth is that there are lots of things in a green lifestyle that do take more effort than just doing it the mainstream way. That isn't to say it isn't worth it, but we can each only fight so many battles at a time.

I often think of my favorite Wall-E, he is single-handedly trying to put the world back together, and he works. A lot. Alone. So much working all of the time.

The truth is that no one can do everything to help the environment- no one is saving this planet on their own. And no one solution will fit for everyone too- reusable stuff makes sense in my life because we have in home laundry, but that solution may not be workable if that isn't your situation. The idea is that we all give what we can and do what we can. We start with the stuff we are most likely to sustain. That means the easy stuff, so there is no shame in a little eco-laziness.

So I use eco-laziness with total love- this stuff still matters and it is pretty dang easy. Sometimes doing less is actually the best thing you can do.

So here are my best ideas for things you can do even when life is full, and you know you can't do much. The idea here isn't to be perfect, it's just to keep making progress. Let's do this!

1. Stop Weeding

First of all, if you are still killing weeds with Round Up, you have to stop (tell your friends- this is a big deal). I honest to goodness don't even think it matters if you care about the environment; do it for your own life and health. Round Up has been proven to cause cancer and to hurt kids' brain development. Round Up is poison to us.

But that doesn't mean you have to get down on the ground and weed every little thing either! A perfectly manicured yard is actually WORSE for the environment, and one of the best things we can do for pollinators like bees is to keep our weeds (which are often native plants) growing. Bees are in desperate need of our help; their population continues to decline, and if they go extinct, so does our food supply.

So take it easy on the weeding and say absolutely no to Round Up (scream it from the rooftops).

2. Buy your Basics in Bulk

Buying in bulk can minimize packaging waste and makes more ethical brands competitive with what you buy in stores. It also means you can buy this stuff once a year, have it delivered to your house, and not think about it again for months and months.

My favorite for this is Who Gives a Crap toilet paper. You can buy a huge box of it, and not think about it again. Most anything in bulk will use less packaging than things in smaller portions. You don't necessarily need to become a costco member, but maybe make friends with one. We buy our salt and pepper in bulk, hand soap in bulk, paper goods, and cleaning supplies. If you don't have a ton of space, just pick the things you use most (or split with friends- bulk sharing should be a real thing).

If you want more ideas of things to buy ethically, online, and in bulk, check out this blog about greening your basics.

3. Skip the Straw

It takes nearly no effort to say "No Straw Please!" and you get to feel that Earth-Saving glow all day long. It's the little victory that gets you started to a world of victories! They are not necessary for many of us, and it costs us nothing to just turn them down.

If you want more crazy easy ways to get plastic out of your life, check out this post.

4. Stop Shopping

We all shop a lot. We shop for holidays, as a pass time, as quality times with friends, it even gets called "self-care." We think of shopping as a quick and easy fix, something that saves us time, but it is actually a huge time suck in our lives! We waste so much time and energy shopping, thinking about what we will shop for, and working extra so that we can shop.

Take our wardrobes for example. We spend a lot of time and energy shopping for clothes, many of which we will only use a few times, sometimes keeping up with trends. But in the course of doing so, we buy into the myths of fast fashion, that clothes can change who we are or make us better.

We kind of know this is a lie. Have you ever bought a piece of clothing that boosted your confidence in a longterm way? Not just a quick high? Me either. So we keep shopping with the hope this dress will be the one. Instead, what we do is create an overwhelming amount of waste, textiles are the third largest source of waste in the world, and with plastics involved, things are getting really ugly. We create so much garbage, and we are putting a lot of effort into something that never really pays off like we hoped.

It's easier to just not shop. Start a list on your phone or fridge. When you feel the need to buy something, just write it there. Then only go shopping once a month or once a season. A little time can make something that felt like a need transform into something not so important. And all that effort can go into something creative, fulfilling, our social instead.

This is just as true for the holidays. You can spend HOURS looking for deals, the perfect gift, and still come up feeling like you didn't do enough. If you change your approach to gifting, thinking about what you can make or what experiences you can give, you can save a lot of time. Even if you spend a bunch of time making gifts, it will still probably come out about even.

5. Run It When It's Full

I feel like we are being irresponsible or not taking care of our responsibilities if don't "keep up" with the laundry and dishes. But if I run the dishwasher or laundry machine everyday, they often aren't exactly full. Using a dishwasher is actually more efficient than the sink if it is full, but only if. So don't do those dishes until you have a whole load. It's not being lazy, it's saving the Earth!

While you are at it, switch all your washing options to cold water. Super easy, and the vast majority of the power a washer uses is just for heating the water up.

6. Just Go Outside

When parenting is rough or therapy is expensive, save yourself the hassle and money, and just go outside. Time out in natural spaces is so good for us, that around the world doctors are prescribing it for depression and physical problems. Also, it costs us nothing. You can be in most outdoor spaces like parks for free.

Start planning more picnics and fewer dinners out. Or meet a friend at the park instead of at a cafe. Enjoy all the happy things that outdoor spaces do for your brain.

If I am having a completely terrible day parenting, I will either head out with my kids and play in the backyard or I will strap them into the stroller and go for a long walk. I don't know if either counts as good parenting, but it is just the break I need.

This is perfect eco-laziness. It costs you no money, and in most places, very little effort. But time outside tends to be low impact and low waste, and the more you love nature, the more likely you are to take care of it. So being outside (hopefully for at least an hour a day) can save your life and save the world at once.

7. Don't Use Produce Bags

Remembering shopping bags can be a challenge for some of us, and even if you accidentally end up with plastic grocery bags sometimes, you can still avoid a bunch of grocery plastic by refusing to use produce bags.

Just set your fruit and veggies loose in the cart- you are going to wash them either way! And no one has ever suffered from getting their apples on their oranges.

We definitely have gotten some weird looks, but other than for delicate herbs or powerful peppers, most everything can mix with no consequences. It's just so easy. And if the cashier looks annoyed, just tell yourself that you are practicing eco-laziness (and giving them job security).

Want more ideas to be green at the grocery store? Check out this post.

8. Don't Replace Things Unless They are Really, Really Done

One of the worst trends I see right now is people who want to go green, so they throw out all of their old plastic stuff and get the pretty wood and glass options instead. Don't do it! Let eco-laziness take over here, and use whatever you already have until it is absolutely done. The real "look" of eco-friendly living is stuff that is used within an inch of it's life. Worn down and then reused for something else.

The objects in our life have two lives- a use life (when they are in use) and a waste life (when they are out of use). Natural items (plants, animals, humans, air) etc are so spectacular because they don't have waste life. As soon as something dies or rots it enriches the soil and breaks down to become something else. But much of what we buy spends more time as trash than as a useful object. The longer you can stretch out that use, the better.

What you already have is the most eco-friendly choice, because you have already paid the environmental price for its shipping, manufacturing, and packaging. Also, if something still has life in it and you send it to the landfill, you are only adding to the extreme waste humans are making on this planet.

There are a few exceptions (namely plastic-based clothing and beauty products with little plastic microbeads), but in general, your best option is ALWAYS what you already have. You will have a beautiful wood dish brush soon enough, but get every bit of life out of the plastic one first.

9. Eat Less Meat

If you are a regular meat eater, one of the easiest ways to have a huge positive impact (and save money) is to cut a bunch of meat out. Now, if this isn't in your comfort zone, it can feel intimidating at first, but if you start with recipes you already know (spaghetti, tacos, chili etc) and replace the meat with more veggies. Still feels like too much? Start by giving up beef, which is the key offender in both waste and climate change. In a few years, you will be shocked that you ate this thing that was just so bad for the Earth, so take it easy on beef now.

If you want a resource for more vegetarian recipe for beginners, we have hundreds of recipes to look at. But really, you don't have to reinvent the wheel- just start making your pizzas into veggie pizzas and brush your shoulders off. A day with less meat is a day you are saving the world.

10. Unpaper Towels, Cloth Napkins, and Unsponges

If you have laundry at home, it doesn't get much easier than switching out your paper basics for reusable cloth stuff. I run one load of our kitchen towels, napkins, and sponges a week, and we are back in business. Cloth Napkins are so easy that I don't really understand how paper napkins ever caught on! A few of each of these can replace hundreds of disposable ones, and so they will save you money in the end. This post has my favorite Etsy stores to buy these things from, and you can read more about kitchen towels from this post.

11. Use a Menstrual Cup

This is one purchase (a couple if you also want some reusable cloth pads or period underwear like Thinx), and you never have to run out for pads again. It is an absolute game changer; so easy, so much less waste, and you will wonder why you were messing with tampons and pads (and the HUGE amount of plastic waste that comes with them) for so long. Here's a whole post about how to change your approach to your period, if you have one.

Women who have switched swear by their menstrual cups. You can do it too.

12. Laundry Balls, Skip Dryer Sheets

This is another simple switch you basically buy once, and don't have to think about again for years. Throw them in the dryer, and they will do their thing. Even the most mainstream, non-Earthy person can embrace a dryer ball. You can read more simple laundry switches here.

13. Throw Garbage-Free Celebrations

Remember when we were kids and our parents got the plastic tableclothes and matching paper plates for our birthdays? They were so cute, but totally not necessary. And do you remember actually caring much about them? Now people are carrying that into their adult celebrations... but you can just stop!

Now, we can change our approach to celebrations, and just keep it simple. Just skip all of that and use your regular tableclothes and plates. You will spend less time doing dishes than you spent going to the store to buy that tablecloth. Skip party favors (instant garbage) and make your party no gifts. Focus on the parts of the party that are actually fun and memorable, and skip all the stuff that you buy at the store and throw away afterwards. Even better? Celebrate outside, and then you don't need much decorating at all. Keep it simple, be lazy, and just have fun!

Want more ideas for green parties? Check out this post for supplies and check for our party ideas- we have everything from backyard barbecues to wedding showers to graduation parties.

14. Shop Secondhand... Online

I'll be honest, this isn't always the easiest, but now with online spaces like Ebay and Thred Up, you can often find what you are looking for secondhand without too much time. It doesn't have the same fun as browsing through a thrift shop, but if you know exactly what you want, you can find it cheaper and in your pajamas. Even Amazon has secondhand and open box shopping options for much of what you are looking for, so stop buying new if you are buying online.

15. Join Buy Nothing or Freecycle

One of the mistakes we often make is to throw away stuff that could still be useful because we are done with it. Instead, consider joining your local Buy Nothing Group. You can post pictures of what you are getting rid of and one of your neighbors will come and get it. You can even set it on your porch and never have to talk to anyone if that is your deal. Not sure if you have a Buy Nothing group? Check this page to find yours.

16. Turn Off the Lights and Unplug What We Aren't Using

We all know this, but how many of us actually do it? If you are a creature of habit, start a new routine and you will be saving power in no time.

Ok, so what was the easiest switch you made in your journey to live a more environmentally-conscious life?




Want more ideas for living greener? I have nearly an endless supply! Check out the Green Home page for lots of lists and inspiration!

from okdani.com

So many people are obsessed with KonMari.

She never explicitly tells you what she means by "discarding."

In other words, the hard work is deciding to get rid of what you want is the perfect first step. But that doesn't mean it's the magical ONLY step. That stuff all needs to go somewhere, and that's on you. 

So my addendum to KonMari would be this- 

Do the right thing and discard in a way that protects the Earth from all of this garbage. If it could still be used for anything, share it. Don't toss it. 

I want to keep highlighting amazing makers in the US, and I feel like my Etsy links can get caught in the more mainstream shuffle. So starting a series to focus on the greatest stuff we have found. 

As we get ready for the school year, lots of us also get ready to pack a lunch! Not everyone does, and I think it is totally up to you whether your kid (or you!) brings a lunch. Still, this is another one of those things where there is no need to settle for the junk they sell at Walmart or Target- you can buy something specially-made in the US on Etsy and use it for years. Let's make our lunches zero waste!

For a Lunch Sack

from A Little Lark

A Little Lark sells simple cotton bags with all sorts of hilarious and/or adorable designs silkscreened onto them. Such a cool variety and I think this would be absolutely perfect most elementary schoolers. Cool and different, but also really affordable.

from Italic Home

I love these bags from Italic Home, because they look so much like a regular paper lunch bag, but on closer inspection, you see they are made from waxed canvas. It feels modern and totally eco and animal-friendly. If you like these waxed bags but are looking for a different color, you can try Newton Supply Co.

from Intericon

Intericon makes gorgeous cotton and leather lunch sacks that could look grown up enough for a workplace while still being sturdy enough for a kid. Might be a perfect transitional bag for a high schooler. I like that it stays standing on its own.

from Waami Industries

Waami Industries makes great-looking lunch sacks in some of my favorite colors. Based out of Minneapolis, this company takes low cost and low value items, chooses more beautiful and eco-friendly materials, and what results is just really sharp and well-suited to all sorts of students and adults.

from Cloth Bliss

If you (or your little one) want something with some pattern or fun, check at Cloth Bliss which has all sorts of cute patterns and designs. I can totally see this coming with someone to elementary school!

And Instead of those Ziploc Bags...

from Love for Earth

Love for Earth makes tons of sizes and colors sandwich and snack bags out of their shop in Virginia. They have amazing reviews, and you just handwash the bags with the rest of your dishes for the day. One bag can last years, replacing tons of ziplocs (saving money and preventing waste- score!).

from Olive Street Studio

Olive Street Studio also makes wet bags/ sandwich bags. I love the cute patterns they come in, though I would worry about getting something too cutesy since they last so long!

from Bag it Conscious

Bag it Conscious sells sandwich, snack, and lunch bags. I love the bright colors and simple designs. The patterns look so fun for younger kids. Plus, they have 3000 positive reviews, so they must know what is up. (check out equally fun napkins to put with it on Creekside Kid).

from Sweet Pea Purse Company

Sweet Pea Purse Company also makes sandwich bags in some seriously adorable prints that might even be cool enough for a high schooler to use. Other ones are pure kiddo, but check them out.



Want to make your home greener? No matter the size or location, you can limit your waste and make your house have a more positive impact on the environment. Check out the Green Home Page for thousands of ideas on how to do it.

Ok, friends. We are getting to the end of the line. Christmas is coming.

There is no more time to procrastinate. Get those final gifts so you can focus on celebrating, not shopping!

I have a very distinct memory of going to Walmart on Christmas Eve with my amazing (but also amazingly busy) mother so she could frantically finish up her Christmas shopping in the last hour. I was sure I would be nothing like that, because I thought I couldn't stand the chaos, and you would definitely think I wouldn't fall prey to that kind of procrastination now that ethical and eco-friendly shopping is so important to me, right? But yeah, I procrastinate like everybody else.

 We all have a week before Christmas, so it must be time to forget ethical gifting and just fill those gaps, right? Wrong! You and I can still make good choices for a few days before we reach the Christmas Eve Hail Mary trip. Stores are still open.  Hope continues for a while longer!

This post does use affiliate links from Amazon and Etsy. It is probably too late for Etsy, but before you revert to Prime, check out what is in your own neighborhood! Money sent to Amazon will never see your community again, but money paid to local business owners continue to enrich the place you live. Check out this post to see other places to shop online. 

So, here is a list of things you could still pick up now. It's not too late to do something good with your Christmas shopping!

1. Experience Gifts 

Experience gifts are the BEST, and you can get a gift card to their favorite restaurant last minute as easily as ahead. Also last minute? A coupon to do 5 hours of handyman work at their house. Movie Tickets. Event tickets. Piano Lessons. Couples Dance Classes. A Gift card for a cleaning lady. A Netflix subscription.

When you step out of that box, where every gift has to be a material thing, you see that the options are endless.

Still don't see an idea that clicks with you? I have 99 ridiculously awesome experience gifts on this list. As you reflect on that person, something will click, and it could be the absolute best gift you've ever given, even in a pinch.

Need more reason to go this route? These gifts create less waste and shift the focus away from overconsumerism (which is making us all miserable) to the memories and moments that make our lives amazing. What a huge gift.

2. Anything from a Locally-Owned Store Nearby

 Before you try anything else, take a shopping trip to your local downtown, consignment shop, antique mall, or candy store. You may not find anything, or you might find something really really cool.

Do you even have a grocery store in your neighborhood with local products? Maybe something a little pricey for everyday shopping? Start there. Any adults on the list are likely to enjoy some bread or cheese or candles or soap that was made nearby. These might be the kind of stores that are not open at all hours, and they may not stay open on Christmas Eve, but if you spend some of that last 50 bucks of panic money locally, you could be helping to save the jobs of your friends and neighbors.

One of our family branches just does a 20 dollar limit white elephant, and we make a point to buy all of those gifts in our neighborhood. It means we have spent at least 80 dollars in the community that made us that will stay in that community. I love that, and feel really excited about it. Plus, we have found some really cool stuff!

Made locally and sold locally means that gift used less fossil fuels and created way less waste. It also keeps jobs in your neighborhood.

3. Buy Nothing

  This week, I saw so many people ask for specific gifts or give gifts that might be Christmas-worthy on this site. I gave away some baby stuff so new aunts could re-gift to their new niece and nephews. I have been so moved to see people help others celebrate Christmas in their homes and stock their house with gifts when otherwise there may not have been any. It's hard to fight with free, and that thing lingering on your list might already be collecting dust in someone else's closet. In a pinch, asking your neighbors for help produces surprising and moving results!

Not in a Buy Nothing Group yet? Craziness! Check out their webpage to see if there is one near you (checked before? Maybe check again, because new ones are constantly starting). If there isn't, I have a resolution for you for the New Year...

4. Donations

5. Make Something