The other day, I mentioned my simple grocery list + was asked for a little more detail. I didn't originally share the specifics, because we all like to eat differently...and also because I'm not sure I have this whole nutrition thing dialed in perfectly. I try to focus on appropriate portions of mostly plant-based, whole foods that are in-season, package-free + as local as possible. I'm also aware that simplicity is key for me right now. So...please take this only as an example of how I'm approaching my grocery list + not a recommendation of how to eat, k?  :)

As a starting point, I thought through what each of the people I feed eat throughout the day. I am happy to eat the same thing for breakfast + lunch every day. My partner has a choice of two things for breakfast + two or three things for lunch (*). Our daughter eats what she likes.

​Our current list looks like this:

B: coffee + breakfast bite 
     cereal or oatmeal*
L: fruit + granola + yogurt
    leftovers or pb sandwich or rice noodles + veg*
    fruit
D: veg + grain + protein
    (bowl, pasta, salad, soup)
    tea + fruit or smoothie

The above list is written on one side of a notecard. On the flip side of the notecard, I wrote a loose list of things that supply these meals. There are specifics like oatmeal + peanut butter...and more general things like in-season fruit + in-season veg which can be chosen according to what looks good on a particular trip to the store (which provides variety in our meals).

This is my current list of items:

in-season fruit
in-season veg
greens 
lemons

milk
eggs
butter
cheese
bread

oatmeal
granola
cereal
honey
PB
rice/quinoa/pasta
olive oil
coconut milk
beans

TP
soap
dish soap
laundry soap

This list covers the staple things that ensure we can make + eat real meals at home. Things like tea + spices that run out less often can be written down for a specific trip. 

I've made my grocery lists in various ways over the years, but this is probably the simplest system I've used. It involves decreasing some expectations for more complicated meals + variety, but this is exactly how I want to eat...so it's working for me. (Of course, I can always accommodate a craving too.)

All of which leaves a little time for sipping chai on the porch of a favorite coffee shop on my day off instead of doing chores all day.   :)

Love,
Jane

Supply chain issues, rising gas prices and everything else seem to be contributing to palpably rising prices at the grocery store. While zero-waste grocery shopping can be more expensive than regular grocery shopping in some instances, there are actually many more ways that shopping with the planet in mind can decrease our grocery bills. 

Here are a few ways to decrease that grocery bill while doing some climate action as well:
​

• ​​skip the meat :: choose beans, eggs or tofu instead 
• choose loose vegetables :: get just what you need...don't pay for packaging...they will likely be more local + in-season too ​
• grow your own :: whether it's a pot of herbs in the window, sprouts in a jar, peppers on the balcony, or a garden patch in the backyard
• focus on the calories that feed your body, not your boredom :: the middle aisles at the grocery store will likely be avoided
• bring your own bags :: there is often a discount for doing so
• drink for hydration + nutrition :: skip the drink aisle...drink tap water 
• grow food from what you'd usually throw away :: grow onions from onions ( + more)
• use up what you have :: make a point of using every little bit of food, roast those fading veg, freeze leftovers for a quick meal later, use up all those half bottles of dressing, shampoo + hotel freebies
• buy only what you need :: make a list, meal plan
• clean with vinegar, baking soda + rags :: skip all the "magic" solutions
• forage :: mushrooms (be careful), berries, onions...
• collaborate :: institute a Sunday supper with friends + bring together all the lonely bits + bobs from each fridge >>> tacos or pasta or soup or charcuterie

May your bodies be nourished + your grocery bills be reasonable.  :)

Love,
​Jane

This weekend, someone asked me why I don't do a men's line.
I replied, I am working as hard as I care to be.
I value my free time.
​He said, that is pretty interesting, I like that.
You know what I say,
freedom is wealth. 
​#freestate
~Jesse Kamm (photo via)

When I start a new journal, I enjoy taking some time to review the past journal + to think through what I want to bring forward from it. The first few pages of each of my journals contain headings like ritual, zero-waste, home, clothing, food, movement + budget. I enjoy thinking through these topics and migrating lists + intentions onto new pages.

A journal usually lasts a full year for me, but this past year I filled three journals. Those front pages did not make it into every journal. To be honest, these values + systems have felt a bit overwhelming this year. My life shifted a bit + new ways of living were required.

I finally decided to write those pages onto cards that I can move from journal to journal easily. The food card received some revisions + now lives with the reusable bags in my car so I can reference it at the grocery store. I can pull out the clothing card, when the weather is about to change + I need to decide what I need/want moving forward. I can reference our budget goals easily, when I need a jolt of reality or when big decisions need to be made. 

Notecards seem like appropriate vessels for these systems. They provide only enough space for the basics. I like to keep my thoughts on these concepts uncluttered + manageable. These cards are simple + succinct reminders of my systems.

Love,
Jane

Many of us believe that meal planning + grocery list making are helpful parts of eating intentionally. We know that time spent in these endeavors pays off in reducing both our food waste + our grocery bills. Even so, many of us find ourselves at the grocery store unprepared at times. I've found myself in the unprepared category more + more lately, as my previous routine has been interrupted by a new schedule.

When a new challenge comes along, I look for ways to simplify. I've simplified my grocery list, by simplifying the way I think about meal planning. Variety was once high on my list of meal planning priorities, but lately I've let that go a bit. I'm focusing on bowl meals (vegetables + greens + grain + protein), because they are my favorite. A bowl meal could be a salad, soup, roasted vegetables, pasta (Julia's favorite), etc. A bowl meal could skew Japanese, Indian, Italian, Greek, Mexican (variety!), etc. And yet, the concept is simple.

On one side of a notecard, I've listed what we eat for each meal. We are happy to eat basically the same things every day for breakfast + lunch. Supper is a bowl meal. Now it is quite simple to turn the card over + make a basic list of items to stock (in-season fruits, vegetables, greens, grains, lemons, beans, etc.).

Plants, books, coffee + banana bread are some of my favorite things...and they can be climate action too! yay!

• 65 :: buying rocks in bulk. there was an option to scoop these rocks into a paper bag rather than choosing those in a plastic container. plastic-free!
• 66 :: repotting our plants in order to give them a little more room to grow. plant care!
• 67 :: replacing a part rather than the whole thing. I was able to find just the part needed to keep our french press (which we've used every day for more than 20 years!) in service. 
• 68 :: choosing clay pots rather than plastic ones. 
• 69 :: using pieces of broken clay pot for drainage at the bottom of pots. zero-waste!
• 70 :: repotting plants is plant care + plants convert carbon dioxide to oxygen
• 71 :: freezing past ripe bananas + making them into (snow day) banana bread. no food waste!
• 72 :: sharing books via the library...our great big bookshelf!
• 73 :: reading Paul Hawken's new book...hopeful + inspiring.

The warm days are coming with a little bit more frequency lately, and these warm neutrals are holding my attention. I'm dreaming of bare legs or bare arms soaking in the afternoon sunshine. Can't wait.  :)

All lovely photos via links.

Love,
Jane

Climate action is about choices...not about a list of special, new items to purchase. It's about our perspective + questioning our habits. Fun!  :)

• 57 :: saving the leaves for later. dried leaves are a crucial part of composting...making them treasures to be saved + bringing a different perspective to spring clean-up.
• 58 :: choosing glass packaging (rather than plastic), when I can't buy spices from the bulk jars. it would be great to have some standard glass jar sizes that could be cleaned + reused commercially. for now, we recycle it. 
• 59 :: choosing unpackaged rather than packaged. it doesn't get much easier than that.
• 60 :: returning a set of towels I bought, because I could just replace that one discolored one.
• 61 :: saving water. you know how it's good to wash your jeans less often? can I apply that logic to my sheets + wash them tomorrow instead?  ;)
• 62 :: composting peels. they will eventually transform into fertile soil to grow more food!
• 63 :: putting unpackaged fruits + veg into the cart + skipping the plastic bag. sometimes it's strange to realize why we do things...habit? because everyone else it doing it? question the status quo.  :)
• 64 :: using glasses rather than contact lenses + contact solution in plastic bottles.