For me, scaling down implies a kind of trust that it is OK to do
just this, right here, right now.
Letting go of controlling the macroscopic outcome,
action becomes a kind of prayer,
​a kind of aligning oneself with the world one wants to see.
~Charles Eisenstein

Our lives are made up of moments...most of them quite mundane. We shower, prepare meals, eat meals, brush our teeth, sleep...over + over again. When we are raising children, we wash hands, change diapers, feed them, read to them...over + over again. Children, however, also have a way of pointing out things they have never seen before. We stop to watch a ladybug meander across a leaf. We admire a unique stick or stone. It's the noticing that makes all the difference. 

We set out this morning to stretch our legs + to enjoy the sun + breeze on our regular walk route. Every bit of the way is familiar + yet...there is something to notice every time. A new sort of mushroom to stop + admire, a woodpecker to match with its drilling sound, the way the shadows play in the leaves overhead + this magical spot. Right here between the school + the houses. Just in this spot the grasses have grown long + wild with all the rain...the trees cast dense shadows...and the sun dances with the breeze blowing blades. Cottonwood fluff floats in the air. Birds sing their morning conversations. We stop + take it in.

Our lives are made up of moments...most of them quite mundane...and yet...there is magic just waiting to be found...and noticed.

Love,
Jane

Sophe of Urbanroots Handmade wrote something recently that she exemplifies so well..."wear plants, eat plants, grow plants". It resonated deeply with me. We are eating strawberries from our garden every day now. The sun + soil + rain play such a large role in the food we put into our bodies. The same can be said for the clothes we put on our bodies.

Linen is a natural fiber that is breezy + cool in the summer. It is sturdy + long-lasting...gets better with age, time + wear...resists odors, so can go a little bit longer between washes ...and looks best a little rumpled. 

Last summer, a thoughtful soul shared that she had bought a couple of lovely, linen tops to add to her warm weather wardrobe + that they played a vital role in the enjoyment of dressing all summer long. I love the idea of just a few linen basics forming the backbone of a warm weather wardrobe. A few simple linen tops, a pair of swingy pants + a pair of shorts + a breezy dress could make quite a lovely one. No need to buy everything at once, but maybe as a couple of tops wear out + need to be replaced...one linen top could fill the gap. After a few years a small collection could form + be maintained...slowly + sustainably.

All lovely photos via links. Many more linen pieces can be found via the ethical brands page.

Love,
Jane

The biggest little farm sounds important.
Zero-waste sewing patterns.
Like swallowing a meter of plastic rope.
​Turning carpet into clothing.
​I trust the wind. I trust the sun.
Why should a deodorant she'd use for a few weeks or months come in a plastic case that would be around for longer than she'd be alive?

Enjoy the weekend, friends!

Love,
​Jane

Going zero-waste can effect the ease of figuring out what's for dinner. I've found that having a few go-to categories (rather than meals themselves) allows for simpler grocery list making, seasonal vegetable enjoyment + a bit of variety. We've touched on five of those categories over the past few weeks, and now we have arrived at the sixth category :: pasta. 

When we first started seriously shopping the bulk bins, we could purchase bulk pasta there. At the moment I can't locate bulk pasta, but can buy orzo + couscous in bulk. Now that we avoid gluten, we don't choose those either. The first year we ate gluten-free, I skipped pasta altogether. Now we choose a gluten-free pasta in a recyclable cardboard box. (Anyway, there are a few different zero-waste options for pasta.)

Pasta is a familiar meal choice for most of us, so I probably don't need to elaborate too much...but I will just a bit.  :) Pesto pasta can be made by blending a couple of handfuls of tasty greens (basil, most commonly), a small handful of bulk nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, pecans), a clove or two of garlic (if you like), a glug of olive oil, salt, + pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon juice or grated parmesan, if desired. Mix this pesto with seasonal vegetables, chickpeas + pasta for a tasty meal like the one above.

One of my girls loves anything cheesy, and macaroni + cheese is a favorite. Our zero-waste mac + cheese is better than any I made before. I melt a small block of butter over medium heat, stir in a spoonful or two of flour (gluten-free works too) + add some milk. Whisk, whisk, whisk until this mixture thickens into a bubbly, gravy consistency. Remove from the heat + stir in some grated cheese (we love pepper jack). Poured over pasta + some steamed broccoli = decadently delicious.

My favorite way to eat spaghetti type pasta is to make a sauce of chopped fresh tomatoes (or some of my sauce) added to a skillet already sautéing red onion (add some red pepper too, if desired) + to cook it all down a bit. Stir in some salt + pepper flakes for a tasty sauce.

A hearty vegetable + legume + noodle soup is another tasty way to eat pasta. 

Parts 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 of building a zero-waste meal plan.  :) We eat vegetarian at home, but any of the meal choices offered here can easily incorporate meat, if desired.

Love, 
Jane

Pansy :: USA grown, organic cotton :: sewn in San Leandro, CA :: non-toxic dyes
This is a 100% made in the USA tee...from fiber to dyeing to seams. ​

Growing new organic cotton for each new tee is a resource heavy endeavor involving water, land + labor resources. Innovations in recycled cotton are exciting...and the fact that a tee can be made with 100% recycled cotton (no new fibers added) is a breakthrough. Everybody World is bringing us these innovative tees.

Hemp is another fiber focus for sustainable t-shirt makers. Hemp is a more naturally resilient crop than cotton requiring less water, chemicals + fertilizers. Hemp restores soil health rather than depleting it. It makes a sturdy, long-lasting fiber as well. A few brands are bringing us hemp/organic cotton tees.

The working conditions of the garment workers who put together our clothing are of great importance. We know that our purchases factor into the paychecks of all the hands who touched that t-shirt. It's exciting to know that there are people designing clothes with the entire process in focus. Fair-trade certifications bring credibility to ethical labor claims.

While all of these factors are wonderful, we can't lose sight of the fact that even organic cotton, hemp + recycled cotton require land + power + water + transportation + human resources. These processes create waste too. Just how many t-shirts does one person need? Can we find a second-hand tee that suits? Can we wear the ones we have longer + wash them less? Just a few things to consider before going any further.  :)

For Days :: organic cotton :: made in Los Angeles :: :: recycled :: closed loop system

For Days has a waiting list for "membership" at the moment, but looks to be quite an innovative brand. They are advertising organic cotton tees that can be returned to them for recycling...I'm assuming into new tees. I'm not certain whether you could call the recycled tee organic, but I'm certainly intrigued.

​There are lots more fair brands that offer tees on the ethical brands page. These are a few that stand out for the reasons below. Many offer both men's + women's styles/sizes. The criteria for making the list this time around was (at least):
-organic or recycled cotton or hemp
-fair wages
-under $50 (with one exception)

​Amour Vert :: organic cotton :: made in USA
Back Beat Rags :: hemp/organic cotton :: made in USA
Brook There :: USA milled organic cotton :: sewn in Massachusetts
​Dazey LA :: organic cotton :: made in USA
Everybody World :: 100% recycled cotton :: made in an ethical factory in Los Angeles
For Days :: organic cotton :: made in Los Angeles :: recycled :: closed loop
Freeset :: fair-trade, organic cotton :: fair-trade labor
Harvest + Mill :: organic cotton grown, spun + knit in USA :: sewn in San Francisco
Industry of Nations :: locally grown, organic cotton :: natural dyes :: fair wages 
Industry Standard :: organic cotton :: made in Los Angeles​
Jungmaven :: hemp/organic cotton :: made in USA
Know the Origin :: organic cotton :: fair-trade certified :: UK based
Loomstate :: organic cotton :: GOTS certified factory
Outerknown :: organic cotton :: fair-trade certified sewn
​Organic Basics :: organic cotton :: living wages :: Denmark based
Pact :: GOTS organic cotton :: fair-trade labor
​Pansy :: USA grown, organic cotton :: sewn in San Leandro, CA :: non-toxic dyes ($58)
Patagonia :: organic cotton :: fair-trade certified sewn
Reformation :: organic cotton :: made in Los Angeles
Richer Poorer :: organic cotton :: made in Los Angeles
Slumlove :: organic cotton :: carbon neutral facility :: fair wages

​
​I want to wear clothes from brands that value people over scale or profits. Thank you to all the people who make that possible!

All lovely photos via links.

Love, 
Jane

A conversation I had this weekend involved habits + sustainability + shopping. I mentioned choosing food that we put into our own containers + buy in returnable bottles. Inevitably the increased cost of such choices came up as a reason for not choosing items packaged this way. I totally understand the hesitancy, but at some point I just had to decide that it was worth it.

It's always necessary to remember, acknowledge, accept + respect that not everyone can choose a more expensive option. At the same time, some of us can...and are simply choosing not to.

Another piece of this conversation is that it was with someone of an older generation. I really do not like generalizations about generations, and I do not mention this in order to make any generalizations about people. I have great respect for the person I was conversing with. They have grown food + canned it + baked bread from scratch + lived a life of simplicity based on the principles of enough + less. 

This conversation sparked some thoughts about times past + present. Choosing a more expensive option is not a new concept. The last century (in much of the world) was full of choices that cost more...but brought an increased level of comfort, entertainment, +/or quality of life to the purchaser. People installed indoor heating, bought cars, televisions, microwave ovens, + cell phones for the first time. These purchases were gratifying + satisfying + induced feelings of being "worth it".

In the age of climate change, we are faced with increased costs that don't always feel "worth it" in personal + immediate ways. Converting to solar or wind power, buying an electric car, or investing the time it takes to use public transportation...while offering the possibility of financial returns down the line, do come at a cost. None of these choices really improve the function of our lives in the short run. The value is in the long term health of our planet.

Like Bill Nye said last week, "By the end of this century, if emissions keep rising, the average temperature on earth could go up another 4-8 degrees. What I'm saying is...the planet is on fire. There are a lot of things we can do to put it out. Are any of them free? Of course not, nothing's free!" (I left a couple words out, but you get the idea...if not the urgency.)  :)

The thing is that choosing the cheaper status quo (packaged food + fossil fuels + disposable fashion, etc.) comes at a far greater cost. Nothing is free.

Love,
Jane

Nothing strengthens the judgement
+ quickens the conscience like
individual responsibility.
~Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Lots of zero-waste chatter seems to focus on tools like beeswax wrap, wooden dish scrubbers + glass straws. To me, zero-waste is not about a new set of things to buy. It's about a whole new mindset. It can be tough to remain focused within this new mindset, when the world around us bombards us with advertisements + social media full of people looking cute in their new outfits + coworkers discussing their new cars.

I feel that zero-waste essentials are less things than practices. Practices that focus our minds on truth...connection to our planet...the goodness of simplicity. If we are raising children, these practices inform their young minds too. ​

I love visiting the ocean + the desert, but I don't live near them. We've lived in lots of different places, and each has its own beauty. There are trails to be found, yes, but there are also just neighborhood walks that provide connection to place + creation. Our walks have allowed us to notice yucca plants in New Mexico + snowdrops in London. Sunsets + cloud scapes draw us outside often where ever we find ourselves. 

Getting into nature is about the most transformative thing I can think of in my own life right now. It feels like the most amazing cathedral (no manmade fortress could compare). There is grounding + connection + wonder under the tree canopy...at the edge of the ocean...between the boulders. Control is not mine here. Significance gains perspective. I emerge reborn, cleansed, energized.