- 83 :: tuning in to personal basics in order to purchase the things i'll want to wear for a long, long time
- 84 :: storing vegetables in ways that preserve them longer
- 85 :: having a repotting party...because it's just more fun that way
- 86 :: choosing a vegan restaurant, because it's a great way to try it out...and to eat!
- 87 :: choosing natural fiber clothing...no microfibers
- 88 :: eating plants
- 89 :: regrowing onions from onions
- 90 :: taking them up on that lifetime guarantee
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Supply chain issues, rising gas prices and everything else seem to be contributing to palpably rising prices at the grocery store. While zero-waste grocery shopping can be more expensive than regular grocery shopping in some instances, there are actually many more ways that shopping with the planet in mind can decrease our grocery bills. Here are a few ways to decrease that grocery bill while doing some climate action as well:
May your bodies be nourished + your grocery bills be reasonable. :) Love, Jane Many of us believe that meal planning + grocery list making are helpful parts of eating intentionally. We know that time spent in these endeavors pays off in reducing both our food waste + our grocery bills. Even so, many of us find ourselves at the grocery store unprepared at times. I've found myself in the unprepared category more + more lately, as my previous routine has been interrupted by a new schedule. When a new challenge comes along, I look for ways to simplify. I've simplified my grocery list, by simplifying the way I think about meal planning. Variety was once high on my list of meal planning priorities, but lately I've let that go a bit. I'm focusing on bowl meals (vegetables + greens + grain + protein), because they are my favorite. A bowl meal could be a salad, soup, roasted vegetables, pasta (Julia's favorite), etc. A bowl meal could skew Japanese, Indian, Italian, Greek, Mexican (variety!), etc. And yet, the concept is simple. On one side of a notecard, I've listed what we eat for each meal. We are happy to eat basically the same things every day for breakfast + lunch. Supper is a bowl meal. Now it is quite simple to turn the card over + make a basic list of items to stock (in-season fruits, vegetables, greens, grains, lemons, beans, etc.). I can keep this list in my car (along with the grocery bags). The list is not specific, but it lists all the standard things (including items like soap + toilet paper) we need in order to function + make real meals at home. These two lists fit onto one notecard which makes the whole system feel quite simple + manageable.
I imagine a lot of people shop like this...with the list in their heads. I'm not sure if it is the stress that I will forget something, a chatty companion, my poor memory or a very limited budget that has preventing me from shopping purely by memory. All I can say is that this list is a shift for me...and I think it's working...for now. :) Love, Jane Plants, books, coffee + banana bread are some of my favorite things...and they can be climate action too! yay!
Climate action is about choices...not about a list of special, new items to purchase. It's about our perspective + questioning our habits. Fun! :)
I have a sweatshirt with a drip stain down the front. :( I'm still wearing + really liking this sweatshirt. I'm not ready to give up on it yet. I spotted one of these photos the other day, and it inspired me to think about the different options I have for dealing with my sweatshirt. Paint is not only a great tool for adding patterns to fabric, it could also be used to cover a stain. The patterns above could be applied with a handmade stamp or with the freezer paper method. (Cut the inside of the shape out of the freezer paper so that the outline is left. Iron the shiny side of the paper down onto the fabric + stencil. When the paint is dry, peel the paper away.) These images offer a little inspiration for freehand painting. I appreciate that these ideas also allow me to consider white + light fabrics with greater confidence. What an exciting evolution our clothing could go through right in our own closets rather than being considered waste prematurely...just because of a little stain. Turn that stain into an opportunity for creativity!
Love, Jane Sometimes I feel like these actions are so simple that they're not worth mentioning. It almost sounds like I'm twisting regular moments into climate action. I have to remind myself that that was actually part of the thought behind sharing these actions. Highlighting that many of these things are things we are already doing reminds us that climate action can be simple + become automatic.
Recognizing that we already do many things that can be considered climate action reminds us that we can make a difference. We are not powerless. This can motivate us to take a further step...to do something that might be a little bit out of our comfort zone...something that we might not (yet) do automatically.
It's positive to recognize how simple climate action can be and also to gain motivation toward further climate action. With subtle shifts we can make many of these actions automatic choices. Love, Jane So many choices that qualify as beneficial for our planet have so many other benefits too! Often they are healthier for our bodies, save us money, stretch our creativity +/or move us toward collaboration + community. I love noticing all the benefits!
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on a journey toward zero-waste, simplicity, + compassion :: daring to choose fair one choice at a time
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