Well, this is embarrassing...but let's use it.  :) Today's kitchen deep clean sparked the resolve to address all of the toothbrushes saved for cleaning...but really piling up to levels that cleaning can not justify. Above is one year's worth of toothbrushes for our family of four.

Seeing the bulk of these little tools all together + knowing that we are only one family out of so, so, so many families using toothbrushes around the world makes an impression. Just think about how many toothbrushes are thrown away every year! I look forward to the day when we can compost toothbrush bristles as well as the handles...but even now, compostable handles make a real, significant difference!

Tip :: After wrenching the bristles out of these toothbrushes, I have two visible blisters + an aching arm. I can't believe that it has taken me so many years to realize this, but here's something I realized ten toothbrushes in. Soak the bristle end of the toothbrushes in a cup of water to soften join, and the bristles will come out much easier. This thought came from the knowledge that a bamboo toothbrush that is not allowed to dry properly is more likely to shed bristles with brushing.

Certain brands of bamboo toothbrushes shed more than others. Brush with Bamboo toothbrushes shed the least for us. Recently our grocery store started carrying two other brands of bamboo toothbrushes. I bought a set there to avoid packaging + mailing waste. The first brand left me with a mouth full of bristles with almost every brush, but has held up well for the others. The second brand I tried has shed two bristles, but I like the smaller head size + encouraging message.  :)

Now I'm off to see how many more bristles my body can pull...yup, there are more.    

Love,
Jane

A little outfit formula for those of us who work from home + also want to look presentable for out-of-the-house encounters. These are also outfits for weekends that involve a mix of cozying up at home, running errands + enjoying time with friends. 

My existing formula involves wearing something on top that works just as well with leggings as it does with jeans or nicer pants. That way I can switch pants back + forth as needed throughout the day. That works, but this new formula results in outfits that bypass the switches. 

This season I'm all about monochromatic dressing. I feel like this approach elevates these more casual pieces a bit. Obviously the pieces could be worn with other pieces in one's simple wardrobe as well. I've purposely chosen bottoms here that are not leggings (which I do love) in order to possibly deviate a bit from athleisure (which I also appreciate). Throwing on a jacket + a pair of shoes or boots would take me from cross legged on the couch to presentable out in the world...and back again.  :)

This look could be achieved by wearing existing wardrobe pieces of the same color together...or by adding a bottom to match an existing top. The comfy basics can adapt with the choice of jacket (sweater coat, denim jacket, oversized suit jacket, moto jacket) + footwear (fur-lined boots, trainers, heeled boots, birks, loafers)...resulting in an outfit that is comfy + as casual or cool as desired.  :)

Love,
Jane

The first problem for all of us, men + women,
is not to learn, but to
​unlearn.
~Gloria Steinem

Often the first hint I have that a new season is upon us is the new stuff in the shops. The autumn things we could buy arrived when we were still enjoying air conditioning + iced drinks. This is actually great marketing, because at that point I would have had to buy autumn.

Where we live the leaves are now turning + falling. The wind was blowing acorns flying off of our oak yesterday and...ping, ping, ping...into the house. Autumn is here + we didn't have to buy a thing in order to experience it. A few simple, zero-waste ways we're embracing this season of gold, rust + red are...

sight ::
-a pumpkin on the table
-a few sprigs of wheat scattered among my tiny ceramics collection
-walks in the woods + in the neighborhood
​-watching Gilmore Girls again...there's just something about New England in autumn
-noticing familiar trees along our usual routes at each stage of color change 
-counting monarchs flitting + persisting
​-greeting the return of the early stars + planets
-appreciating the last of the happy sunflowers 

smell ::
-getting out all of the candles + lighting them in the darkening evenings
-apples simply cut, smelled + crunched
-breathing that musty leaf smell deep (+ keeping a tissue handy)

taste ::
-hot, spicy tea 
-chocolate chip, pecan, pumpkin bread
-all the soups
-lots of roasted, root vegetables

sound ::
-leaves rustling + crunching
-blustery winds howling
-revisiting familiar, smooth sounds...we love Ben Howard + Trevor Hall 

touch ::
-pulling out all the blankets
-and socks
-and cozy sweaters

What simple autumn pleasures are you enjoying lately? I'd love to hear!  :)

Love,
Jane

Recycled cashmere has been catching my eye this autumn. As with any natural fiber, and especially with cashmere, reusing rather than starting again from scratch is an exciting advancement. Much of the cashmere used in recycled cashmere at this point comes from fibers left over + previously discarded from the cashmere industry. It would be wonderful to see previously worn cashmere getting a second chance, but this is a great start. This is often how the technology advances, new options for recycling come into play, and then collection can have a focus + outlet/input.

Another intriguing way of recycling cashmere is simply cutting it up + sewing it back together into useful shapes. This could be a way to use bits of sweaters riddled with holes or stains...or too small, secondhand sweaters. These makers are doing amazing work! I love seeing the sleeves of sweaters made into pant legs, and that amazing scarf/blanket is the most beautiful way to ensure that no scrap of this luxurious fiber goes to waste!

Love,
Jane

The library has been good to me this week. I happily happened upon 150 Best Tiny Space Ideas + A Tree in the House while browsing there. Many of the homes highlighted in the Tiny Space Ideas book are familiar to me, but this is an impressive collection. Worn in New York is another offering by Emily Spivack that I felt focused more on story than clothing. Her first book Worn Stories is my preference of the two. I've also been reading The Great Gatsby all over again with Julia this week as well.  :)
​
This is the city where I'm from + where I'm raising my children, and putting that money back into my city is very important to me.
Some amazing (+ focused) secondhand autumn finds.
Inspiring grandpas + grandmas of the umbrella movement.
​Make it organic, please...or better yet...recycled.
An earth + trash house.
Is new clothing even an option anymore?
​An October playlist we're loving.
Truth.

Hope you are enjoying some lovely transitional weather this weekend, friends!

Love, 
Jane

We don't need a handful of people doing zero-waste perfectly.
We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.
​~Anne Marie Bonneau

above images via 

...an oat-colored layer, comfy leggings...

...a pale sweatshirt, an oversized pullover + pale soft pants.

Silhouettes I'm wearing ::
-tee or button-down + jeans 
-leggings + any top
-sweatshirt + any pants
-oversized pullover + soft pants 
(all + a cozy layer as necessary)

Pieces ::
-cream tee
-chambray button-down
-sweatshirt
-pullover
-pale jeans
-cream jeans
-soft pants
-leggings
-oat layer
-quilted jacket
-clogs 
​-boots 

Simple!  :)

All lovely photos via links.

Love,
Jane

Each of us has our own individual preferences + desires. A few of my desires are simplicity, zero-waste + beauty. Beauty for me often involves things that are natural. As I look at the things that surround me, I see a jute rug, a terracotta pot, a silk scarf, plants, and cotton clothing. Wild curls, silky straight locks, or a natural face are things that communicate beauty to me as well. (Not the only things that communicate beauty...)  :)

As I tried to move toward zero-waste, "less" often seemed like a good option. Rather than shopping for zero-waste versions of various packaged cleansers + treatments or zero-waste make-up items that would have to be shipped to my doorstep...I considered which products I really needed to continue to use. I took note of the fresh faced women I admired + carry them with me as my moral support.

Again, each of us are different. In certain environments, I may decide to add a coat of mascara or lip color...but as an every day practice...here is what my zero-waste face involves:

In colder months:
-wash face with unpackaged soap in my morning shower
-apply a small amount of skin cream + lip balm (reapply as necessary during the day)
-wash face with soap before bed

In warmer months:
-wash face with unpackaged soap in my morning shower
-lip balm as needed
-wash face with soap before bed

I find that during the warmer months, my skin has more than enough oils to stay moisturized. I really love giving my skin the chance to take care of itself for a few months of the year. Our bodies are amazing!

I love the fact that people have been able to figure out ways to make their own cosmetics out of natural ingredients + that others have figured out some less wasteful packaging options. For me, I have found "less" to be the least wasteful + most simple option. Others have found even simpler ways...like washing with water only or oil washing. 

It's interesting to see how doing things differently for a while changes your brain. The other day, I saw a commercial for makeup + thought...how weird is it that women are expected to wear all this foundation + makeup...while men are not expected to worry about any of that. There was a time in my life when a thought like that never would have crossed my mind, but at that moment it just felt totally comical + tragic that we'd let it come to this.  

If make-up makes you feel good, wear it. If it feels like a burden, experiment with wearing a less. Give yourself time to adjust. Smile. Be kind + generous. When I think of those I find most beautiful, it has absolutely nothing to do with make-up.

Love,
Jane