Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
​~Melody Beattie

It's the time of year that many of us might be thinking about wearing boots. It's exciting to see how many fair boots can be found. The thing that I really want to say on this topic, however, is to consider pre-owned boots, if new boots are in order. Some of these brands might be out of some of our budgets, but we just might be able to score a used pair on one of the resale sites out there (a few are listed on the ethical brands page).

A great way to stir up some gently used boot options might be to put out a call to friends asking if anyone has any boots they'd like clear out of their closets. Maybe a whole group of friends could find some good swaps + matches. People are always cleaning out their closets, + sometimes they offer up barely worn things that we can use! Sometimes a pair of stiff boots might be perfectly worn in for us. I would be aware that the seller/swapper might have wider feet than us...though a pair of thick socks might just take care of that issue too. Second hand boots are a great way to save resources + keep a pair out of the landfill. If second-hand luck is no where to be found...here are some new, fair, quality options to consider:
​
Coclico :: made in a small, family-run factory in Mallorca Spain exclusively making Coclico, living wages, materials sourced in Europe with an emphasis on sustainability, natural materials

Cydwoq :: handmade to order in-house in Burbank, California (visitors to the store can see inside the factory), natural materials, repairs offered

Fortress of Inca :: handcrafted in Peru, fair wages, safe working conditions, gender equity

​Marais USA :: made in Los Angeles

Mason Dixon :: handmade in Philadelphia

Nisolo :: beyond fair wages, safe work environment, healthcare, made in Peru, Mexico, + Kenya

No 6 :: clog boots handmade in the USA (by Sven, I believe)
​
Oliberte :: fair-trade certified, made in Ethiopia, known sourcing

Po-Zu :: fair wages, safe work environment, natural materials from renewable sources + responsibly harvested, no pesticides or beaches or toxic dyes, solvent-free, 10% profit to charity, mostly non-plastic vegan options 

Red Wing :: handmade in Red Wing, Minnesota for 110 years

Sevilla Smith :: handmade in Philadelphia or Barcelona by named makers, made to order, hand lasted, customizable

Sven :: made in the USA since 1974, can be custom made, bases sourced from Austria + Sweden, leather from the USA

Zuzii :: handmade to order in Los Angeles

Also (not pictured) :
​Anfibio :: made in Montreal
Birkenstock :: made in Germany + Portugal
Cordani :: made in Italy
Kamik :: 73% made in North America, liners made from recycled materials, boot recycling program
La Canadienne :: made in a family-owned factory in Montreal, Canada 
Sesto Meucci :: made in Italy
Vince :: made in Italy

For men (not all are pictured):
​
Anfibio :: made in Montreal

​Birkenstock :: made in Germany + Portugal

Cydwoq :: handmade to order in-house in Burbank, California (visitors to the store can see inside the factory), natural materials, repairs offered

Helm :: handcrafted in the USA

​Kamik :: 73% made in North America, liners made from recycled materials, boot recycling program

​Mason Dixon :: made in Philadelphia

​Nisolo :: beyond fair wages, safe work environment, healthcare, made in Peru, Mexico, + Kenya

Oliberte :: fair-trade certified, made in Ethiopia

Po-Zu :: fair wages, safe work environment, natural materials from renewable sources + responsibly harvested, no pesticides or beaches or toxic dyes, solvent-free, 10% profit to charity, mostly non-plastic vegan options 

Red Wing :: handmade in Red Wing, Minnesota for 110 years


All lovely photos via links.

This post will be linked on the ethical brands page...for when it might be helpful.  :)

Systemic change is what we desperately need in order to curb the effects of climate change. Power plants need to make the switch to solar + wind power. Plastic straws + bags need to disappear from possibility. Carbon taxes, correctly implemented, make sense. Widespread public transportation is important. Power to the people rather than corporations is necessary. These are the types of change that are going to really shift the terrifying trajectory that we are on.

A number of interviews + articles have come out proclaiming the need for systemic change in regards to climate change. Surprisingly, the message that often accompanies this call opines the futility of individual efforts toward impacting climate change.

In an interview on NPR, Ajay Singh Chaudhary advocated for a "rethinking of capitalism" as a major way to impact climate change. He also said, "So often this conversation about climate change gets framed in these hilarious things like, 'Oh, are you like, how much plastics are you recycling? How much are you composting? Have you eaten more beans than meat?', Right?" When the interviewer said, "OK, so I could decide I'm not going to eat red meat anymore", (Chaudhary laughs) "but you are saying instead of that you..." 

Alden Wicker wrote an article for Quartz entitled, "Conscious consumerism is a lie. Here's a better way to save the world." Wicker based her case against conscious consumerism on this quote from this study, "A 2012 study compared footprints of 'green' consumers who try to make eco-friendly choices to the footprints of regular consumers. And they found no meaningful difference between the two." 

So I read the study...which states that people often do things like buy a hybrid car + then drive more than they otherwise would have, because it's "green"...or become vegan + then eat more foods imported from further away. The study puts it this way, "The research found no significant difference between the carbon footprints of green and brown consumers suggesting that individual environmental behaviour does not always modify consumption patterns significantly. Consumers offset the impact of their environmental behaviour by consuming more." 

So actually the study points out that one's ecological footprint is more related to one's level of consumption rather than to the amount of "green" products (like a hybrid car or bamboo toothbrush) one buys or the "eco" labels (like vegan or zero-waste) one adopts. My personal perceptions of sustainability greatly emphasize consuming less too...many of us actually call this "conscious consumption". Ahem. 

I've had conversations about climate change that resulted in statements like, "Yeah, but there's nothing we can do about it." In response, I begin by emphasizing that systemic change like power plants making the switch to solar + wind power is crucial...but I also offer some personal changes that we can make. Learning "enough"...buying local, in-season, organic produce...reducing meat consumption...cutting out packaging altogether...reducing use of air-conditioning, heat, car gas +/or lighting...line drying clothing...not consuming fast fashion...wearing + mending + repairing + thrifting clothing...consuming less...composting ...living in a smaller home...putting less in the landfill...not buying + washing plastic fibers...it all does matter + will decrease one's environmental impact.

Often the will to engage in the fight for systemic change grows out of a connection + commitment to one or more of these individual choices. Conversely, individual action might grow out of engagement with a systemic cause. Individual actions bundled together offer credibility to the possibility of collective proposals. Why would we want to promote the idea that individual action doesn't matter? Why don't we maximize every bit of good we can do to impact climate change, both systemically AND individually?

The thing is that we need everyone to do what they can...as much as they can. 

Love,
Jane

P.S. Reminder: One individual action that contributes to systemic change is voting!  ;)

Since I received Wardrobe Crisis by Clare Press right before our vacation + didn't want to risk losing a library book, I didn't get the chance to finish it before the due date. I will say that it is unlike other books on this topic. It puts the fashion industry into the greater context of history + brings topics like the skillful craft of clothing making to life quite well this way. I will definitely be looking forward to getting my hands on this one again soon! 

Pure Style by Jane Cumberbatch might have been the first decorating book I ever bought. I remember coming across it in a shop in Denver + it spoke so deeply to me of simplicity + beauty. I revisit every so often + it serves as a sort of realignment for me. Nothing feels dated even after all of these years.

​Personal style.
Eye candy.
​The hard way. (thanks, Jo!)
​Sourcing.
An "edgy capsule"...versatile too.
Zero-waste morning.

Hope you are having a simple, lovely weekend!

Love,
​Jane

Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature.
​~Augustine

The switch to zero-waste toothpaste has been a process for this tribe. I had a little apprehension about the effectiveness of straight baking soda in the beginning, but I think that I probably could have overcome it if it had only been myself that I was considering. Since I wanted to bring the rest of my tribe along in this journey, I knew that I might need to ease a couple of them into this one.

Our first try at homemade toothpaste that really stuck moved us away from non-recyclable toothpaste tubes + the unknown ingredients list, but still used a few (recyclable) packaged goods. I've never been a fan of this sort of substitution, so my goal was always to use this only as a beginning. 

Next, I stopped using clay in the recipe (and added a bit more baking soda to it). Without clay, the toothpaste doesn't keep its consistency quite as well, but "leaves teeth + mouth feeling more clean" than the clay version. (via family reviewer)  :) After a couple of rounds of that paste, I was ready to try leaving out the aloe vera...which results in tooth powder.

So...here is our zero-waste toothpowder! It's a mixture of:

2 Tbsp. baking soda (available in paper box)
pinch of xylitol (using the rest of what I have now- not sure I'll buy again)
8 drops peppermint oil (available in glass- again using up what I already have)

Baking soda :: Helps to remove plaque + reduces acidity. This is the main ingredient in most tooth powder/paste recipes. Though there are those who say it is too abrasive for everyday use, its abrasiveness is less than many commercial pastes. via

Xylitol :: I chose xylitol instead of stevia, because xylitol reduces tooth decay + plaque and promotes the remineralization of teeth :: via + via :: choose xylitol from birch wood, so it's non GMO

Peppermint Oil :: has antimicrobial properties, reduces cavities + freshens bad breath :: via

I stir this up with a chopstick. To use: we simply wet our toothbrushes, tap the excess water off, touch the toothpowder + brush as usual. We have all been to the dentist since our switches began. None of us were asked if we'd changed anything, and no one had any cavities. 

This process of moving through the recipes is totally unnecessary, but I think it did help move my tribe along toward more zero-waste tooth care. Initially the consistency + the smell of the peppermint helped convince the skeptics. Now we're used to the taste + the experience, which will not change with this latest adaptation. Used in combination with dental lace (now coated in a natural wax instead of a petroleum product!) + bamboo toothbrushes...I feel good about our waste reduction in the oral hygiene department.  :)

Love,
Jane

We all know by now that a big day is on the horizon here in the USA. Hope is high, but a little uncertainty or confusion can linger. How can we be certain we are making the right choices? Where can we find some unbiased, reliable information? Showing up to vote is important, but showing up informed is crucial. Thank you, Jo for sharing these words +  resources with us!!

voting impacts our lives, and many others’. our vote is a privilege. it is the freedom of choice, of voice. however, we want to be educated voters! we don't want to simply follow party lines. at this point, our personal beliefs and morals could outweigh groupthink in terms of importance. and is this not what democracy is for? educating ourselves and then following our own thoughts, our personal views, our own understanding of the world is not only in line with our individualist culture, but also embraces exactly what a vote is: a chance to express our personal selves, rather than following or being dragged along. still wondering if your vote matters? take a minute to watch this.

linked below are easy online resources to make your assessment as streamlined and efficient as possible:  

- start by viewing your sample ballot via ballotpedia. this will be your roadmap. the ballot does link to info provided by ballotpedia; unfortunately, it's very clunky. just use this site to view your ballot, or to use the info in the sidebar, if you so desire.
- next, search the candidates via votesmart to view their bios, professional and political histories, votes, positions, ratings, speeches, and funding, as well as all contact and social information, if you need these.
- now's a good time to click through votesmart to the candidates' websites to view stances on issues. just a reminder; it's a good idea to keep an open mind + do research on all candidates involved. you may want to take note of spirit/tone and organizational skills/clarity.
- we're getting closer to the vote now! head over to vote411 for practical voting info, from registration status to polling locations (for both of these, use sidebar to enter address). a search by state or topic gives you more details on voting, like id's necessary or absentee ballots, specific to your location.
- once you have made your selections, ballotready can help you keep it straight while voting, ensuring a swift trip. simply enter your address and select your chosen candidates to stay organized. when you enter the polling station, simply pull up your selections on your phone and you're ready to copy in your selections. ballotready does give you minimal info on each candidate, so if you're in a hurry, this is the site for you.
- congrats! you're ready to vote! don't let transportation stop you from getting to a polling station. uber, lyft and carpool are offering free rides for voters. download the app, and a button for free rides to polling centers will appear on election day. otherwise use this coupon code or use this code for carpool.
- more info on voting laws by state can be found at rockthevote and electionary
- finally keep tabs on your democracy using fact checking such as politifact, factcheck, and politico. easily contact your elected officials via the contact links you found via votesmart, or try resistbot. Simply text resistbot at 50409, and it will allow you to type your message and send, all via text.

still need a little inspiration? this.

- Jo

"There's also the issue of privilege. The sustainability movement has been charged with being elitist- and it most certainly is. You need a fair amount of disposable income to afford ethical and sustainable consumption options, the leisure time to research the purchasing decisions you make, the luxury to turn up your nose at 95% of what you're offered, and, arguably, a post-graduate degree in chemistry to understand the true meaning behind ingredient labels." via
​
"Though inspiring, a zero-waste lifestyle will be impractical or impossible for most of us within current economic systems." via

I hear this line of thinking loud + clear. Our household income is not huge. When I first started hearing about eco-friendly cleaning products + makeup years ago, I really could not afford the extra pennies or dollars to make the switches. When first contemplating moving toward zero-waste, I hesitated wondering if my budget could handle it.

When I think of sustainability today, however, eco-friendly products are not the first things that come to mind. I don't think of any the "green" products on store shelves at all actually (unlike the author of the top quote). My brand of sustainability has more to do with the things that I've realized are unnecessary altogether. Things like:

- putting our clothes in the dryer (we use drying racks) 
-cleaning products (we use vinegar + baking soda + cotton rags)
-meat (bulk beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, nuts + seeds are protein packed)
-lots of imported produce (eat more local + seasonal)
-owning lots of clothing (less is enough)
-shopping at the mall (almost nothing is fair there anyway)
-a tv or cable package (no commercials either)
-buying books or movies (the library is our big bookshelf)
-lots of new clothes (we wear, care for, mend, repair our clothes)
-perpetual 72 degrees F indoors (we wear shorts + sweaters as needed)
-lots of meals in restaurants + movies in theaters (more special the less we go)
-throwing dinner parties (we can go for a walk, meet for "coffee" or have a picnic or potluck)
-driving willy-nilly all over town every day (I wait + combine errands)
-owning everything ourselves (borrow + lend)
-paying for everything (trade jobs + services + clothing + stuff)
-new stuff (search for a used option first)
-throwing unwanted stuff away (we can get it into the hands of someone who can use it)
-recycling (much less packaging means much less recycling)
-throwing food away (eat it + compost the scraps)
-buying some food (we have a garden + grow the most-expensive-to-buy things possible)
-stuff (do without some)
-outdoor landscaping that needs extra watering (pick native plants + food)
(I'm not even going to deal with stuff like a big house, storage unit, frequent vacations, air travel...because we're talking about privilege...and those involve choices of privilege + costs to the environment that can obviously be downsized or done without.)

We did many of the above things out of necessity during our very lean, first years of marriage too. A few more of our actions that qualified as (unintentionally) sustainable were:
-having only one car for 7 years
-biking to work 
-budgeting
-packing sack lunches
-not buying anything for long periods of time
-minimally fixing up old houses by ourselves
-using free furniture
-consuming very little
-shopping at flea markets + yard sales

We did not need to be wealthy to consider any of this. None of these sustainable practices cost more money than their unsustainable counterparts. In fact they save money! Interestingly, most of the ways that I can think of to save money...are also better for the environment! (I wish I would have skipped the dryer + saved all those quarters + the time at the laundromat!) A few of these practices do cost a little more in time, but I've shifted my perspective toward appropriate time costs. We've become so obsessed with convenience that sometimes it feels like we've lost sight of appropriate time dispersal. Healthy food that provides the fuel we need to do anything + everything that we do requires that someone take the time to prepare it.  People used to have to prepare the soil, sow the seed, weed, keep the pests away, pray for rain, harvest at the just the right time, preserve, ration through winter, AND prepare their food. Today we can pay someone else to do all of that, or we can do at least that last step ourselves.  :) Batch cook + freeze as necessary. 

While many bulk items like carrots, rice, beans + spices may be cheaper than their packaged counterparts, things like milk in reusable bottles + organic produce can cost more than their conventional equivalents. I'm not sure I could have made the more expensive grocery store choices every time years ago...but I most certainly could have skipped the meat + the middle aisles at the grocery store, bought as much bulk + fresh produce as possible, and used vinegar + baking soda to clean. 
 
When it comes to clothing, the most sustainable choice will always be to wear what's already in our closets. We can care for, repair + even refashion those pieces. When something new is necessary, buying secondhand is not only ethical...it saves money too.

Sustainability is not just about what we buy. It's very much about what we don't buy...and the choices we make in other areas of our lives including what we do for entertainment, how we use our utilities, how we get around, the homes we choose to live in, etc. From my experience, it is actually easier to live a more sustainable life when my resources are limited. My constraints push me to be more creative + resourceful, + I find that I'm less tempted to mindlessly over-consume.

Wealthy or not, I will never be zero-waste. Emissions waste is involved in getting my food from the farm to the grocery store (or even to the farmer's market). The food that fills the bulk bins often arrives at the store packed in plastic. There are places we need to go that involve fossil fuels. I can only be on a journey toward zero-waste. I try to make sustainable choices along the way. Most of them do not need to cost more money. We don't have to do every thing every time in order to make sustainable choices some of the time. Each one of us can choose to do what we can with what we have.

So...is sustainable living only for the wealthy?  My view is that it certainly is not. 
-Sustainability is not about purchasing "green" products.
-Sustainability is about consuming less.
-Most sustainable practices actually save money.
-Sustainability is not an all or nothing endeavor. Everyone can make some sustainable choices that make sense for them.

Love,
Jane

"Every election is decided by the people who show up."
~Larry J. Sabato