A new year...a new notebook. Before I leave the old one behind, I like to go through + take note of discoveries, mistakes, lessons learned + good stuff.  :) Here are a few of my zero-waste findings from this year:

::This is the year we finally kicked the toothpaste tubes. After a few years of dental work that scared me out of stepping away from conventional toothpaste (toms) along with "roommates" who turned their noses up at the idea...I saw a recipe for homemade toothpaste that I thought might ease the transition. I've since moved on to tooth powder...and they will too once the original, excess ingredients run out. We still have what promises to be a lifetime supply of bentonite clay. The peppermint oil is going strong, the second bottle of aloe is probably 1/3 full, + there is still a little xylitol left (just for reference cost wise...four people using the ingredients shown here...for one year). We're back to no cavities for our tribe this year!

::Period panties replaced liners. I chose these in organic cotton. It involves a bit of hope + trust. I will say that these particular ones feel quite secure + nice during those (for me, painful + unwelcome) days.

::I had a completely zero-waste year in the make-up department...because I hardly ever used it. I'm not really advocating for everyone to give up make-up. I'm not completely giving up the option to wear it when I want to. I just wish it was a more widely embraced option...especially when it comes to the messages given to young girls...and women...and aging women. So here I am saying that even though my skin is not a picture of dewy perfection, I went on vacation + brought only lip balm.  :)

::We joined a CSA + received boxes from April through October. I was happy to form this tight little link with the farmers growing the food we put on the table. There was a little bit of plastic involved in the beginning, but we were able to return it all for reuse. I'm glad we joined this year, but I won't be doing it again next year. We had a different experience with our CSA in London (which we loved). Anyway, I'm going to enjoy choosing the produce we will eat from the farmers at the farmers market again + ensuring that it is fresh + in good shape. (eating what we grow in our own garden too)

::We stopped buying bags of pretzels. This involved a habit shift for someone other than myself. I don't know what else to say about that.  :)

::Finding out that one of us needs to eat a gluten-free diet throws a wrench into the zero-waste realm. We'd been eating gluten-free for a year already, but this summer learned that it is important not to cheat. I would be fine with just using the bulk bins, fresh produce + dairy...but knowing that baked goods are off limits forever messes with a person. I had been able to concoct a gluten-free flour almost exclusively from the bulk bins...but then our grocery store closed + the other one has fewer options. So lately I've been buying gluten-free flour which is expensive + packaged in plastic. This sounds like a long excuse...but I share it to say that this lifestyle (zero-waste) does come with limitations. We can grit our teeth + comply as fully as possible, or we can choose to make some concessions...because this world is not designed zero-waste (yet).  :) We've all enjoyed being able to make + eat pizza, banana bread, pancakes + birthday cake again...and one of us is feeling so much better.

This zero-waste thing is about an awareness of packaging + a few big habit shifts (choosing loose carrots rather than those in a plastic bag, noticing bulk bins, always having a reusable bag in the purse). Once those shifts become habit, we see the world + our daily activities in a new light...and we can sail forward in our new reality. Every once in a while I like to take a fresh look at how I do things + notice areas where I might be able to make even less waste...less recycling even. But first, it's nice to notice the steps I've taken this year. 

Hope you find a little time to do the same!  Thank you so much for every effort you've made this year to make our world a little less trashy!  :)

Love,
Jane

A new year means a new notebook for me! It's exciting to have a whole blank book of possibility, but I don't want to forget about all the discoveries recorded in the full notebook about to be set aside. I like to go through the full one + pick out the things worth bringing forward.

I learned a lot about my simple wardrobe in 2018. I tried some new things, wrote down lots of thoughts, made lots of mistakes + learned from all of it. A few of my findings:
​
::I loved the experience of traveling with only what fit in my (not too large) backpack! It helped that our destination was warm + lightweight fabrics packed small...but I loved what I had to wear. I took only my favorite things + really wore them instead of trying to keep them from harm. The limited number of pieces allowed me to really experience each piece ...from cool mornings + evenings...to sweaty hikes...to wanting to look presentable in museums + shops. I had the opportunity to see how these few pieces could adapt + partner in a variety of ways. Happy success.  :)

::I thought about what I really want to wear. My clothes need to function for the life I'm living. (I work from home.) Summer: I found shorts that I liked + comfy sandals too. One of each was enough, but one more pair of shorts would not be too many. Winter: I'm embracing the leggings + found footwear that works with them. In any season, a few pairs of fitted pants easily level up my look + go with the same tops I wear every day.

::I stuck with the fairdare, but I bought most of the clothing that I added to my wardrobe. There were a few good secondhand finds + a couple of successful makes, but I'd like to stretch my creativity through making a little more of what I might need in the year to come. It could help the budget as well.

::Getting things worn is one of the biggest priorities for me in regards to clothing. Patches were added to the seats of a couple of my favorite pairs of pants. Stains were carefully worked out. Hand-washing keeps a few things (like summer pajamas + my short jumpsuit) in heavy rotation. I'd like to choose well enough in the first place + have few enough pieces to wear...that I truly wear out more of my clothing.

::I spent time thinking about versatility + how each new addition must work with lots of the existing pieces. I don't need pieces that are too precious or situation specific to wear often. Each piece must earn its spot. I bought a pair of pants that was fun + fair...but also pricey, didn't work with many of my tops, felt quite casual...but also precious (that price) + bothered me just the smallest bit feel-wise. I was able to get them worn through a charity auction. The purchase was a pricey mistake. It wasn't the only one. I learned from each one.

::My most successful wardrobe additions were (unsurprisingly) the most basic ones. I am quite picky about proportions, fit + fabric...so finding just the right whatever-it-is is an event to be celebrated (with a lot of wear + use + appreciation + care + gratitude!). My favorite wardrobe additions this year are:
-a cozy, just the right amount of oversized, oat cashmere pullover
-a pair of not too low rise, just the right amount of figure hugging, creamy white jeans
-a versatile, breezy, honey-colored, hand block printed blouse

::I realized that my style has remained surprisingly stable. I like pale denim, white, block prints, overalls + soft, natural fabrics. These things make me happy. Hot pink does too, but I can enjoy it on others for the moment.  :) I already have happy!  :)

::Less, but enough.
Style, but my own.
Always fair.

It feels good to celebrate what went right in my simple wardrobe this year! That recognition goes a long way toward that elusive "enough" + contentment.

Love,
Jane

The art of forest bathing is connecting with nature through our senses.
All we have to do is accept the invitation.
~Shinrin-Yoku

The new year is approaching + it might be just the time to jump into the fairdare for the first time, to renew a commitment or to dig a little deeper with a new fairdare challenge! (Exciting!!) There is so much opportunity to make the fairdare your own...to hone in on a certain aspect of awareness...to make it a fun creative experience. Here are just a few ideas to get the juices flowing:

::Take the fairdare as is.
-Quit fast fashion. Commit to learning "enough". Wear what is in your closet. Mend + repair. Thrift. Make. Buy fair brands.
-Take time to learn from + observe your findings. Were you able to identify the difference between need + want? What are the motivations behind your shopping habits? Did you establish a deeper connection to the pieces in your closet? Do you feel good about how you are supporting garment workers, farmers + the environment?

::No new clothing for a year (or six months, or...).
-Take a year to wear what is already in the closet...to detox from the pull of the internet, the mall, the allure of "new". Connect with the clothing you have already taken responsibility for...mend, repair, refashion. 
-Make space to learn from + observe the findings. How do you feel? What has changed? Do some feelings get stronger or lessen? What do you find out about enough + need? What really motivates shopping? Did you get to know what you like to wear better? Will you go back to shopping in the same ways as before or will you be more mindful? Did it feel like deprivation or mastery?

::Make any new clothing added to the wardrobe this year.
-Learn new skills like sewing, knitting, or sewing with knits. Try making things that you haven't tackled before...maybe intimates, a swimsuit, or shoes. Connect with the process + materials. Slow down + choose fabrics with intention. Perfect fit.
-Observe + learn. How does wearing something that you've seen from fiber to garment feel? Do you feel a greater connection with garment workers + farmers? Do you want this piece of clothing to last longer? Will you care for it differently? Did you learn about how something comes together + does that help your understanding of repair? of garment pricing? of the fairness of wages paid to garment workers? of the skill required?

::Buy only second-hand clothing this year.
-Explore the second-hand market or make a commitment to shop + exercise creativity locally. Wear what you have, mend, swap, borrow, refashion. Explore style with what can be found. Take in the sheer volume of second-hand clothing. Find out what happens to the clothing that doesn't sell at the thrift store.
-Observe + learn. Do you value clothing more now or less? How do you feel about quality? What fabrics last? Is it difficult to accommodate style or did you discover style? Is it easier or harder to feel original? How do you feel about donating clothing now? How important is it to wear the clothing in our possession?

::Make a "local" outfit.
-Search for materials grown in a certain radius of home. Visit sheep or alpaca. Meet farmers + growers at a fiber fest. Explore origins + make connections.
-Learn + observe the findings. Does deeper connection to fiber make the garment more valued or meaningful? Will it stay in your wardrobe longer? Is it wearable + useful? Did your style bend with the fibers available? Can you honor existing fibers with deeper commitment now that you know what it takes to grow them? Are natural fibers more important to you now? What surprised you?

::Dress with less.
-Compose small wardrobes out of the clothing you already have for each month or stick to a certain number of pieces year round. Explore how much is enough. Get good at knowing what you like to wear. Explore what is truly necessary.
-Observe + learn. How many options do you need for formal wear? Can you wear certain pieces a number of different ways? Do people notice that you are wearing the same things over + over? Do you care? How does dressing with less feel better or worse than having access to more? 

::Wear a uniform...whether this is just one jumpsuit or a sort of formula outfit (black pants + striped top + red flats, for example).
-Choose wisely.  :)
-Observe + learn. How does the reduction in decision making affect your morning? Does it give you a sort of peace about being appropriate for different situations or does it cause a problem? What kinds of conversations does it spark? Do others tell you about their perceived bondage to fashion? How does the clothing wear? Do you feel more engaged with its care + repair? Are you surprised about the resiliency + longevity (or lack thereof) of this piece? Do you get bored? Why do you think that is? What are you trying to use your clothing for? Were you able to focus more on the person wearing the clothes rather than the clothes?

::Allow yourself a certain number of new additions to your wardrobe...one a month? three per season?
-Plan purchases. Wait out desire.
-Did you find that you still want what you thought you wanted after a little time has passed? Did you make better purchases by really assessing what would be a good addition? Do you have any regrets about certain purchases? Why? Is this something you'll carry forward? Did it feel good to be more disciplined? Did you miss out on joy along the way?

::Set a clothing budget + stick to it all year.
-Test need versus want. Plan ahead. Be strategic. Test out different fair price points...thrift, fair brands. 
-Observe + learn. How does it feel to know that no debt is involved in a purchase? Were you more likely to mend or repair? Did you feel more in control? Did that feel good or like a drag? in the moment? in the long run? Did you make less mistake purchases? Do you love + wear what you chose more than usual? Did you feel deprived? Will you continue to adhere to a clothing budget?

::Make a category list of clothing items + stick to it for a year. 
-Decide what is truly necessary for the seasons, events, workout, sleepwear, + outerwear (10 tops, 5 bottoms... for example). Dress from the list. A new top is needed only if one is on its way out.
-Observe + learn from the findings. Has your perspective on "need" changed? Has you list changed? Do you feel less wasteful? Do the pieces in your closet earn their place there? Do you feel prepared for different situations? Does it matter if you wear the same dress to multiple events? Do you think about clothes less? How does that feel?


The best motivation for sticking to any of these challenges is knowing your reason for doing it. I've touched on a number of reasons that motivate me, but your reason might be different. New reasons might crop up along the way...take note! That's the exciting part! Check in with yourself periodically...schedule it on your calendar.

Please do let us know what you come up with as a challenge...whether fairdare, simple living, zero-waste, compassion related or not...I'd love to hear + it can motivate others too! 

And obviously...have fun with it! Be kind to yourself. Observe + learn.  :)

Love,
Jane

Wishing you all the peace, joy, love + laughter this season has to offer, friends. 
Merry Christmas!
Love,
​Jane

I caught a glimpse of Katrina Rodabaugh's Mending Matters in the Levis Tailor Shop, but this week I had my turn with our library's copy. What a wonderful take on slow fashion, becoming attached to our clothing, and subversive activism. One of my favorite quotes found inside is this: "Recognize that you have everything you need to simply begin your Slow Fashion journey right now, use what you already have + simply do what feels possible today." Amen.

Upcycled textile waste + zero re-dyeing. 
​To tell stories of these other times + lives.
Clean rusty lids.
What will you do with the power of enough?

Wishing you all a festive holiday weekend, friends!!

Love,
​Jane

Thinking back, I'm struck with how many of the choices we've made in order to exercise compassion + reduce our waste have to do with trust. In order to take the plunge into changing a habit, I had to trust that the new way would work + would be ok. There are so many examples of the intersection of trust + choice. Here are a few:

-I had to put my trust in crystal deodorant. When I switched back + forth depending on the heat or proximity to others, I smelled worse. In order to release all the toxins once + for all, I needed to commit to the change + trust. Once the toxins cleared, the smell did too.

-We all had to trust that we wouldn't miss out + would still have something to do without a television. We don't see advertisements very often anymore, which makes a giant difference in our passive or unconscious thinking. When we see ads now, every single one of us is horrified by so much of the messaging. I love that my girls have that recognition!

-Cleaning with rags rather than paper towels involved trusting that those rags would not make my washing machine gross...and would get clean enough to touch again. Today, I honestly can not even fathom paper towels.

-Here's an obscure one. Allergies make my ears itchy, which leads to ear infections. I made ear drops + tried to clean my ears with soap. At some point I decided to trust that my body knows how to best keep the insides of my ears clean. I decided that no soap or drops were needed in there + finally kicked the infections.

-After learning most of what I believed about cleaning from ads on tv (if I'm honest), I needed to trust that cleaning with baking soda + vinegar works. Also I had to trust that my whole house wouldn't smell like vinegar all the time (not my favorite smell, since my sisters worked at a pickle factory for many of my childhood summers). I don't know how I thought the toxic smell from commercial cleaners was even ok. I believe our home is much more truly clean today. 

-Buying food out of bulk bins involved trust in a few ways: cleanliness (versus purchasing products sealed in plastic), budget-wise (that I'd be able to afford groceries from the health food store), and that I could actually feed my family this way. I'm not going to lie + say that I haven't found a pantry moth or two in my airtight jars...haven't spent more than I wanted to...or haven't ordered a pizza. The thing is that real food that nourishes our bodies comes from the earth...the out-of-doors. Food is perhaps the most important + most undervalued industry right now. Real food costs both money + time. I feel more of a connection to the food on our plates, to farmers, to the weather, and to the land now than when I was serving my family processed foods. 

-In the beginning I had to trust that it would be ok to be the first one to use a reusable cup at the coffee shop..or cloth bags for groceries...or my own bin for bulk food. I learned to put more value on my belief that I'm doing something good for the environment, for my girls, for our global community...than on the judgement of others. Most of the time, cashiers are supportive or non-reactive. Sometimes they tell me that my containers harbor more germs than a litter box. In any case, I'm ok.  :) 

-When we started backyard composting we needed to trust that we wouldn't inadvertently become rodent breeders or smell up the neighborhood. We trusted that others knew what they were talking about.

-In order to avoid the packaging on some of my tribe's favorite snacks, we needed to trust that we could survive + thrive (+ still smile) without as many snacks. 

-Embracing less in the closet involved trusting that people don't care if I wear the same pants three times in one week. Now, Jo + I love the concept of everyday pants.  :) Mr. Tribe lives it too. We are more than what we wear, and that feels really powerful.

-In order to acquaint myself anew with necessity + enough, I needed to trust that we could wait to replace things. Often I forget that I ever thought we needed the thing. It's somewhat surprising + always freeing.

One may decide that trust doesn't come easily for them...and that must be why committing to change is so difficult. The thing is that we are already putting our trust in something. I trusted that there would always be enough trees to make more paper towels. I trusted that all the plastic in my trash can would go "away". I trusted companies not to put harmful chemicals on the food I fed my girls or the cosmetics I slathered on their bodies. I trusted that the chemicals in the cleaners I used were just fine to breathe. I trusted we fought wars to help people rather than to ensure access to oil.

Many of my examples show that the effort of trusting is somewhat short-term. In the beginning, we are just trying out a new way of doing things + want to know if it will work. We trust enough to try...we observe the outcome...and we reevaluate. Sometimes we'll need to try another way or engage our creativity. Sometimes, that trust is supported...and we find it easy to continue to trust.

​Many of the above shifts involve the trust that it will be ok to look different. One of the first (simple + obvious) quotes that spoke to me in my journey to free myself from a devotion to stuff was, "I am more than my things." I needed to trust this truth first...in order to live it with confidence. I'm more than what I wear. I am more than what people think of me. It's ok to look different...to act different...to live differently. We can embrace this truth ourselves...then we teach it to others with our actions + attitudes (or we find that they already know this truth)! Trust in the right things gets easier.

Love,
​Jane

Sometimes something appears in the donation box that seems to have a little more possibility. Jo bought a little cropped jacket from the thrift store a couple of years ago, but just didn't end up wearing it. She was ready to return it to the thrift store for someone else to try. 

At the same time, I was trying to find something (already in our possession) to cover a couple of pillow forms...to use as floor pillows. The sturdy woven fabric on that jacket just might work. A few unpicked stitches + some creative cutting yielded a few large enough pieces of fabric to cover a pillow.

All that was left of the jacket after the pillow cover was the sleeves + a couple of strips of fabric from the front facings...just enough for a bag. The cuffs became the top of the bag...the caps of the sleeves were just right for pockets...and those strips became the strap. This bag received a lining of leftover fabric from a top. Leftover fabric from my robe lines the pockets.

Sometimes I wonder if it is better to let a piece stay what it is rather than cutting it up. This jacket had already found itself in the thrift store (at least) once, + the cut of this jacket was a little out of date. In this case I thought that it was probably ok to make it into something else. The goal is to get it used...and these will be!

Love, 
​Jane