wellth:: a life exemplified by abundance, happiness, purpose, health and joy
​~wellth by jason wachob

zero-waste-istas.  
how.
process... 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11
choice.
making better choices.

this weekend let us not be lonesome lost in between our needs and wants.

p.s. julia has been into making paper cranes lately and didn't want to waste any paper.  that biggest one is made with a sheet of regular origami paper...and the smallest one fits onto a dime with room to spare!  simple weekend pleasures.  :)

[in regards to injustice...]  when we pray to God asking, "why don't you do something?  we hear a gentle whisper respond, "I did do something.  I made you."  prayer is important.  just as important is the call to become the answer to our prayers.   ~shane claiborne + jonathan wilson-hartgrove in becoming the answer to our prayers

i'd have to say that brussels sprouts were something that i didn't like into my adult years.  mr. tribe and i both would have probably picked them as our most loathed food.  

funny thing is...my girls don't understand why.  we all love them now...just gotta know how to use them.  (absolutely no boiling.)  :)  jo mentioned to a coworker the other day that she'd enjoyed her dinner the night before...and that it involved brussels sprouts.  her coworker was puzzled and asked how they were prepared...so i thought i'd share.

these beauties were spotted in bulk, and we just had to pop some into a cloth bag.  not sure what i'd do with them...this is what i came up with.  it was so good that we've had it twice in two weeks!

sriracha brussels sprouts + rice
brussels sprouts
red pepper
olive oil
rice
sriracha type sauce

cut the "stem" tips off the brussels sprouts and slice into fourths long ways.  chop red pepper too.  toss them together with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees F on a cookie sheet.  cook rice.  these should be done at about the same time...the sprouts and peppers should have some brown crispy bits.  top rice with veggies and add some sriracha.  enjoy!

​love,
jane

these glass dishes are very useful in our kitchen.  the big one can hold a tasty lasagna or a whole cut up cantaloupe.  veggies, fruit or chips can be placed around a dish of hummus, salsa, or dip at the center of one. we transport homemade cookies to our small group gathering in one most weeks.  

each dish has a lid, so they keep leftovers fresh in the fridge...lots of times the item was baked in the same dish.  leftover soup cools quickly after being ladled into the shallow dish and is ready for the fridge in no time.  i like to use the large one to hold various savory leftovers from thanksgiving dinner right next to each other in a single dish,  yum.  cinnamon rolls rise nicely in one and then bake in it as well.

these dishes really earn their space by replacing cake pans, muffin tins, bread loaf pans, and cooling racks. those round layer cakes are spectacular, but every time i tried to make one, the cake broke coming out of the pan... or had a rounded top.  i'm sure i could have perfected it, but ultimately a sheet cake us just as tasty...and i don't have to keep cake pans used only twice/year (mr. tribe prefers something other than cake on his birthday). 

when i didn't want to throw away paper muffin cups or spray oil cans anymore, i decided to forgo stuck and subsequently broken muffins.  now when i make muffin recipes, i just put the batter into the 9 inch x 13 inch dish and bake it like a cake.  it increases the baking time slightly, but works out just great.  banana bread or other sweet breads bake nicely in the 8 inch x 8 inch dish.  

you know i like to keep it simple! 

​others in this series :: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09

love,
​jane

p.s.  these glass dishes are made from low thermal expansion glass.  mine are pyrex.  it's important not to use just any glass dishes in the oven.  be sure that they are made with that purpose in mind.  in the past i've had some lovely flea market find pyrex in turquoise blue.  pyrex has been making these types of dishes since 1915!  :)

three years ago today rana plaza collapsed in dhaka, bangladesh killing 1130 and injuring 2500 people forced inside just that morning, after noting cracks in the building...a building where they made clothing for stores we recognize.  in response to this tragedy and the further knowledge that brands are not being held accountable for their abhorrent practices, people are choosing transparent supply chains and sustainable materials.  we are choosing less.  

today, we can take a moment to remember those who died serving us.  if they were not making an item of clothing that we would have bought, they are representative of those who have inevitably served us by stitching our t-shirts, underwear, jeans and jackets.  we can honor them by being thoughtful about what we choose to purchase in the future and by wearing what we have longer.  

businesses will note the change in where our dollars are spent.  our wishes are being heard already.  five years ago, it was nearly impossible to find a business with a responsibility or sustainability statement.  today many brands have one (scroll to the bottom of their websites and look at the fine print).  these statements leave some gaping holes, but the companies are understanding that their customers are increasingly curious about who is making their clothing.  let's keep the pressure on for further accountability...and maybe spend our dollars a bit differently. 

i thought i'd share a few of the outfits i am wearing this month from my 10 items of clothing (plus 2 pairs of shoes).  above is a pair of thrifted jeans + a fair-trade pact tank + taylor stitch tee made in california.

extending my love for this madewell button-down with added stitches + an eileen fisher thrifted dress that was made in the usa + my well-loved timex watch.

my moth eaten j.crew cardigan...still feeling the love + handmade jumpsuit made with a pattern by an independent designer.

here are those thrifted levis again + a handmade top made with my own pattern + trusty timex.

maybe my favorite item:  a black crane jumpsuit, fabric and construction made in the usa + a transparently made everlane tee

i don't share these outfits to put myself forth as any sort of exemplary human.  these are just my clothes.  i share to prod myself into being held accountable...to provide one approach to a simple, conscious wardrobe.  i am nowhere near perfect...just trying to be aware... one choice at a time.  there are pieces here which have questionable origins.  it would not be better to donate them and fill their spaces with "ethical" pieces.  i purchased those pieces and now i need to value them and their makers as best i can.  that doesn't mean that i need to keep them forever, but i am responsible for finding the best path to reuse that i can when i do let them go.

it's sobering... and also an honor to be able to consider who made my clothes.  i am grateful for the opportunity to be one of the ones able to make that choice.

love,
​jane

there is no beauty without some strangeness.  ~poe

this quote reminds me of the necessity of diversity in our world.  as gmo seed is pushed onto farmers and its resulting product onto consumers...as animal species are going increasingly extinct...as we narrow our preference of varieties of bananas and wheat and apples...we can see the negative effects of monocultures.

variety is resiliency.  diversity is beautiful and powerful and necessary.  planet earth, our home and provider, needs our consideration and help like never before.  may our eyes take in the beauty that surrounds us.  let's make good use of our positive actions and voices to advocate for the diversity of life on our planet.

happy earth day, friends!
jane

i've realized lately that it would be helpful to have some additional cloth bread bags.  we don't always finish our bread in time to have the bags clean and dry when we return to the grocery store for the next loaves.  (i like to wash the bags inside out along with my dish towels and wash cloths each week.)  it will be nice to have two sets of bread bags.

i took a look at my dwindling fabric stash and found that i had some pieces of liberty of london fabric that could do the trick.  i love these fabrics for bulk bags because they are beautiful and 100% cotton.  they are also very lightweight (so wouldn't add weight to bulk items at the register) and tightly woven (so that bits can't sift through + i think they could keep the bread fresh longer).

in addition to providing hydration throughout the day, these water bottles always come with us when we eat out.  this may reveal the type of restaurant we go to as a family...the level between fast food and sit-down restaurant.  we are somewhat cheap, but water is usually our beverage of choice anyway...so we can say, "no thank you," to a cup for water, and fill these up instead.  

all it takes is a shout out to ask, "everyone have their water bottle?" on our way out the door.  those disposable cups, bottles, cans, and straws add up.  eek!

love,
​jane

last week i painted the ceiling in the kitchen + dining room...it needed to be done (why else would one undertake this task).  the movable pieces had to be evacuated, so when the time came to put them back...they got a little rearrange.  this bench was moved out from the bedroom and the plants found their way around it.

(our poor jade plant fell, and the pot broke as i was moving it...a mess is not a fun way to start a dreaded job...but it was the one plant that needed to be repotted + now it needs some staking...so that happened too.)  ​

one of the outdoor chairs moved inside around the table...and it feels a little fresher and lighter.  i may be the only one to notice, but that's ok.  :)

​here's what it looked like before...on a sunnier day.  

love,
jane