Zero-waste coffee can be made (at home) a number of ways...
-french press
-cloth (reusable + compostable) filters 
​-or our new favorite way...a simple cold brew filter that fits into a jar we had already

Grind up the beans, scoop them into the filter already in the jar, add water from the tap, put the top on + refrigerate overnight. Simple. I love that no electricity is used thanks to our hand grinder + the fact that there is no hot water to heat.

The set up is the ultimate in simplicity as well. I chose this stainless steel filter because it is very sturdy, + I liked the fold-over seam (as opposed to other models). The company sells special lids, but I don't think they are necessary. It seemed like the negative reviews came from leaking when shaking...just swirl if desired + skip the shaking (because it's unnecessary).

Cold brew is stronger than regular coffee, so it is best enjoyed over a glassful of ice or with milk. Mr. Tribe is the real coffee drinker in our tribe, + he says that it is strong enough to enjoy this way. This strength also makes it last (a little) longer.  :) (I really just like a little coffee in my skim milk...and love this because it's already cold!) 

Love,
​Jane

I love simplicity, + I'm often on the lookout for the simplest way to do something. This is a step in that direction...one warm weather piece of sleepwear. I've found that Liberty of London fabric is lightweight, cool, durable, + quick drying. This dark fabric is also opaque. The Bantam pattern produces a loose fitting garment with a higher neckline that I like for sleeping. I wash the darks most often, so I have ample opportunity to wash this piece. All of our clothing is hung to dry + this piece...hung on a hanger in my bathroom, dries by bedtime, no problem.

One is enough!

Pattern :: Bantam (lengthened to dress length) from Merchant & Mills Workbook
Fabric :: Liberty of London made into a dress once before, picked apart + sewn again  :)

Love,
Jane

I can't imagine having my girls ripped away from me (at any age), just when I thought I'd reached safety. This is happening at the United States border. 

I can only imagine that the ultimate goal of separating children from their parents is to send a message that the United States is not a safe place to which to flee. There are people with great power who want to change the image of the United States of America. They cultivate fear. They disagree with the words mounted on the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." 

There is no delusion that we have ever truly lived into those words. American greed is legendary. Yet, ideals have power to inspire those of us with a hope for the flourishing of not only the rich + powerful...but of all life on this planet. Love drives out fear. Hope + love can create freedom for all of us.
 
Sign a petition or two.
An organization or two advocating for the children.

Love,
Jane

The strawberries are rolling in from our garden!

I've been letting my girls choose (at least part of) my reading list this summer + I'm getting to read some good books that I wouldn't have chosen otherwise...and we're getting to have some good conversations too.  :) My first two books were Ready to Fall by Marcella Pixley + Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes (along with something substantial to blow my nose on).

"It wasn't lack of space for stuff, it was out of respect for the stuff we say is important enough to have in our lives."
​
"I think I use recycled materials, because it doesn't make sense not to do it."

"Because this should always be our response to life- a celebration."

A connection between female-run indie fashion labels + moves toward sustainability?

hedonic adaptation

600 square feet + a place for everything (including lots of fun!)

​"just need permission from themselves"

Have a glorious weekend, friends!!

Love,
Jane

He who is contented is rich.
​~Lao Tzu

Patagonia needs no introduction as a fair brand. They have been pushing the clothing industry toward practices that consider the earth + those who depend on it for years. This new collection is made from 80% lyocell (from wood) + 20% recycled cotton. It is made in an accredited Fair Labor Association participating supplier factory in China. The shapes are basic + versatile. Add a few fair-trade, organic cotton tees + tanks along with a pair of tencel lyocell (again...wood derived) Allbirds trainers...and a small fair wardrobe is born.

Of course the tops with the pants are obvious combinations. It's the same color combinations that intrigue me the most...the grey tank + grey pants = jumpsuit combo...or the olive top + olive dress = new dress combo. The purple tee knotted over the dress could also be cute. I imagine that this collection would travel for weeks quite well + would pack like a dream!

All photos via Patagonia + Allbirds.

Love,
​Jane

I have to admit that for all my writing about mending, patching, refashioning, and repairing...I don't see many things through to the very end. The thing is that it takes quite a lot of wear + repair + reuse to actually use something all the way up. This feels like an almost crazy thing to realize.

This week I said good-bye to my beloved babouche slippers. I bought them on our first return (we used to live there) trip to California...twelve years ago. Over the past few years, a tear in the side of one slipper grew so big that I could stick my entire hand through it...many of the sequins left nothing but tufts of thread to hint at the original design...and the insoles sat crumpled under my arches. But still, I wore them every day.

I loved these slippers + twelve years is a good, long term of service. As I cut the slippers apart (I'll compost the leather), I was moved to thank the cow from which the leather came...and the craftspeople who stitched the design to the leather and formed the pieces into something that fit my feet so well. It reminded me of Native Americans who connected the lives of animals to the provision of their shoes or coats or meals + took this connection very seriously. I actually felt more connected to the elements + makers of these slippers in their destruction than I did purchasing them or wearing them day after day. It was a strange sort of realization.

I know that even now, the discolored leather that I cut away could be scrubbed + made into something new...perhaps baby shoes. The worn, plastic soles could be attached to different slippers. The remaining sequins could be removed + reused. What is now deemed disposable is not truly useless. We live in a strange world...where...at the moment...we feel that there is a never-ending abundance of resources. Our connection to those resources can get lost.

But our connection is not lost. Our skin comes in contact with materials that the earth has produced + human hands have formed. We put nourishment into our bodies multiple times every day that sun + soil produced + human hands passed along to our plates. Awareness is all that is required...and then gratitude can flow.

Love,
Jane

P.S. I know that the use of animal products is a topic that can elicit strong feelings. For the most part, I try to avoid it here. I apologize for any insensitivity in the posting of this. I have posted (however ineloquently) about my personal feelings on this issue once before + respect others' commitments to abstain from animal products. 

Leggings hold an important role in my + my girls' wardrobes. In the colder months, there is nothing more comfy than leggings. For working out, they are a necessity. Our favorite exercises are yoga + walking + cycling + rowing + strength training. Leggings work for all of it (lengths varying with the seasons). I've been on a mission to find the best leggings for years now. For a while I was devoted to Anthropologie's organic cotton/made in the USA Pure + Good leggings. By the time I needed to replace them, they were made out of polyester + imported (with no mention of fair labor). Then I found Outdoor Voices' made in the USA athletic wear + believed that I'd never have to look any further. I bought a pair of shorts, but when I went back for leggings their clothing was no longer made in the USA + made no mention of fair labor (+ now I'm not into polyester fibers either).

So the search continued.

Here are a few of the leggings that we have tried lately...along with a little overview of each brand + our thoughts too:

Pact ::
production: fairly made overseas 
fiber: 92% India grown, organic, fair-trade, GOTS cotton + 8% elastane
use: worn by Julia + I at home + for exercise for a few years (this year, exercise only for me)
performance: need to be replaced about once per year, because of thinning + holes between the legs/knees...I do repair the holes as often as possible...and do wear them quite a lot 
pros: low cost, fair-trade labor + cotton, organic cotton, perform well for exercise, opaque, long + capri length options
cons: lower waist (I repeatedly need to pull them up during yoga), slight sheen, could be more durable between legs, a bit long + baggy at the ankles (accordion fold up works), too short for tall/slim Jo
overall: Julia + I like these for working out, but I would love for them to have a higher waist. They are thinner than Pansy + therefore not as warm (as winter loungewear). 

Pansy :: 
production: made in California
fiber: 90% USA grown, organic cotton + 10% spandex
use: worn for loungewear + day to day activity...not worn for exercise
performance: I chose not to exercise in these leggings, because they are thicker + not quite as stretchy as Pact. I forgot to change into Pact leggings before going to yoga one evening, and that was all it took for the crotch gusset seam to rip right along the stitching for about 5 inches.
pros: organic cotton, traceable materials + labor, warm, completely matte, opaque, high-waist, durable seams, well-made
cons: not great for work outs that need a lot of flexibility, expensive
overall: I love the fit of these leggings. They are high-waisted (with elastic at the waist that keeps them in place) + the length is that perfect 7/8 length (my favorite). They are cozy, which I love in the winter. The fabric feels substantial + never transparent. I was able to find mine on sale/half-off toward the end of the summer (they are on sale now). Pansy seems like the most ethical choice to me, but I cannot wear them for yoga.

Tasc Performance ::
production: made in a factory exclusively sewing for Tasc, in India, 90% powered by renewable energy including onsite solar panels
fiber: 52% organic cotton + 43% viscose made from organic bamboo + 5% lycra
use: I wear them to exercise.
performance: fabric is stretchy + feels cooler on the skin than my cotton leggings, haven't owned them long enough to speak too much about durability
pros: mostly natural fibers, cooling, long + ankle + capri length options
cons: had a hard time finding the right fit
overall: My first choice was the Crosstown 7/8 legging (high-waist + ankle length), but they just did not work for me fit-wise (strangely tight at the ankle + loose at the waist). Next I tried the Nola (not so high waist- but I can pull them up). I sized down + that worked for me. The fabric is cool for working out.

Girlfriend Collective :: (including Jo's words)
production: SA8000 certified factory in Vietnam
fiber: 79% post-consumer plastic bottles +21% spandex
use: "the gym, yoga + being lazy"
performance: have had one pair for about a year + they are "holding up just like the day I got them"
pros: "comfortable, don't make me hot, opaque, don't smell", high-waist, perform well + stay put during yoga, nice fabric weight (not too thin), matte, well-made, lots of colors + fits to choose from, great size range, long enough for tall/slim Jo, a number of rise + length options
cons: made from plastic fibers which will not biodegrade, but will break free with every wash + find their way into our waterways + drinking water
overall: "They are my best girlfriends". I (Jane) would love to try these too, especially because of the high-waist + ankle length option. The plastic fibers are holding me back though.

Please let us know, if you have a favorite pair of fair leggings! We're all ears!

Photos via links.

Love,
Jane + Jo + Julia

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.
~Hans Hofmann

Responsible disposal is a big part of zero-waste. Keeping things in use for as long as possible...or from doing harm to the environment...often requires creativity. Ace & Jig is a brand that tries to make use of every last scrap of their beautiful textiles. They have sold gorgeous, scrappy scarves + garlands, offered patches for repairs at swap events, and done collaborations that put scraps to work as patches on vintage jeans. The bundles above are about to be made into quilt squares that will become part of a collection of community-made quilts! 

I've found some ways to make the most of a few of my own discards lately...or at least get them into the right places...so I thought I'd share.

Julia + I needed new glasses this year. We both still liked the glasses we were wearing, but couldn't do without them in order to just get replacement lenses put into them. We went ahead + ordered new glasses, and are keeping our old ones as backup. Next time we need new glasses, we may just get replacement lenses put into the backup glasses + let the cycle repeat between these two pairs. That would be a great way to reuse + avoid waste!

Julia had an even older (too small) pair of glasses that we needed to let go. I wrote about one way we had passed on our old glasses a few years ago...but I recently learned that we can also donate them at the optical booth in Target (no postage needed). Lens Crafters, Pearl Vision, + Sears Optical also collect used glasses. The glasses are then passed on to One Sight which strives to provide vision care + glasses to those in need around the world.

Jo graduated last weekend!! She had to buy this lovely, polyester gown + hat...and as soon as the ceremony was finished...Jo was finished with them. I looked online for a place that might collect graduation gowns for reuse. I found one...but it is no more. Each school wants their own color + sheen...so it is probably tough to amass enough to outfit + match a school's/student's need.

Jo has a friend who will graduate in December + is about the same height, so she is passing this gown + hat on to her. Passing this garb on to someone a year behind at the same school...who can then save the money...may be the best way to keep it out of the landfill. Chances are the same color + sheen will be used at the school again next year.

Rechargeable batteries are so much better these days than they used to be. They hold a charge for longer periods of time + can be recharged many more times. I've made the transition where I can, but still have a few batteries that get used up from time to time.

I've been collecting those batteries + trying to keep them out of the landfill for years. Our battery store will take them, but they charge by the pound...and batteries are heavy. They told me to just dump them in the trash, but I'd like to do my best to make sure that they cannot leak into the ground. Our hazardous waste disposal center does not take batteries. The last time I was in Ikea, I noticed that they are now collecting spent batteries as well as spent lightbulbs, paper, + plastic bags for responsible disposal. Thank you, Ikea!

Taking a little extra care to keep things out of the landfill can create beauty...or opportunity...or generosity...or protection that we would not have experienced otherwise! It's exciting to see more + more mainstream options for reuse + responsible disposal! And I always welcome the opportunity to use a little creativity! 

Love,
​Jane