Creating eco-minimalist, non-toxic homes (without the extra work). Although minimalism has experienced a rebirth in recent years, the "less is more" movement ha...
Women have been targeted for decades with the message that shopping is recreation. It’s a way to relax and unwind, sure, but recreational shopping also contributes to the climate crisis, supports the worst of shareholder capitalism, and creates an awful lot of unnecessary waste.
Enter Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy, a hard-hitting new Netflix documentary that forces viewers to look at our waste-related woes. On today’s show producer Flora Bagenal offers a behind-the-scenes look at the documentary’s creation; she also answers your pressing, post-viewing questions.
A note from Stephanie: This episode was recorded before the Los Angeles wildfires. If you're able, please consider donating to one of these organizations.
Here’s a preview:
[7:00] People find it hard to look at waste, and yet the film makes us look. A behind-the-scenes examination all those hard-hitting images
[16:30] Adidas, Amazon, Unilever, and Apple: Here's why the film featured former employees-turned-whistleblowers
[26:00] Corporate execs must show growth, and corporations are on a treadmill of extracting more and more $$ by pushing unnecessary and redundant products. Is not buying an effective act of resistance?
[30:00] Mindset shifts! Quality is a climate issue, and once you press ‘Buy Now’ you become responsible for the item’s end of life
[36:00] Exactly how to Use. Your. Rage!
Resources mentioned:
This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
Say hello! [email protected].
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45:03
Introducing Smart Money Happy Hour
I hope you'll enjoy Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel. We have become regular Thursday listeners and we hope you check it out to see why!
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1:59
Zero-Waste In The Land Of Wasteful Maximalism
Have you ever thought about what your life would be like without a trash can?
Here in the US, we don't think much about what happens to stuff once we're done with it. Indeed, American infrastructure isn't equipped to properly handle waste, and our wonton wastefulness on the cultural level exacerbates the climate crisis.
It's entirely possible to take matters into your own hands by stepping up as a change maker. On today's show activist and author Fredrika Syren suggests tangible ways to treat waste with the reverence it deserves by systematically creating less of it.
Here's a preview:
[4:00] Recycling is broken in America, and yet other countries have figured out how to do it right
[17:00] Being a change maker means asking guests to take their trash home with them
[26:30] Exactly how Fredrika saves $18,000 each year thanks to her zero-waste lifestyle
[30:00] Pick a self-sufficient skill and teach yourself! Thoughts on taking your zero-waste efforts up a notch in 2025
Resources mentioned:
"No Impact Man" Colin Beavan
Fredrika on Instagram
A Practical Guide To Zero-Waste For Families
Zero Waste Family on YouTube
Zero Time To Waste documentary
The Comfort Crisis (Book Club pick for February 12, 7pm EST)
Resources mentioned:
This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
Say hello! [email protected].
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36:24
New Year, Same Ol' Wonderful You
Does it feel like there’s something hypocritical about New Year’s resolutions? They run counter to the idea that we should accept who we are. That we should give ourselves grace.
Resolutions shouldn’t be so grand that we set ourselves up to fail; they shouldn't attempt to "fix" what we've been told is broken, either ("I should be skinnier! I should make more $$!"). There’s a way to work towards personal development without believing you are deficient, and author Tyler Moore is here to show us how.
Here's a preview:
[10:00] Where can you edit to make the time and space to flourish?
[15:00] Differentiating between becoming the best you can be versus "fixing" what you've been told is broken
[22:00] Clearing mental clutter is an awful lot like decluttering your closet
[27:00] Instead of a New Year's resolution, try 12 monthly 'experiments', instead
[32:00] Why hitching your star to external markers of success rarely works, plus: Don't move the goalpost!
Resources mentioned:
Tidy Up Your Life: Rethinking How to Organize, Declutter, and Make Space for What Matters Most
Episode #443 (with Tyler!)
Tyler on Instagram
This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
Say hello! [email protected].
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42:10
Revisiting The Capsule Wardrobe Conversation
Have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear? While capsule wardrobes are often touted as the singular solution to closet overwhelm, many report that they can be restrictive, boring and, frankly, unrealistic in practice.
A minimalist closet is best served by first identifying the outfits needed to live YOUR unique life. On today's show podcaster Lauren Morley shows us how to streamline our wardrobes, say goodbye to clutter, and feel effortlessly put together every day by focusing less on capsules and more on a 20 outfit wardrobe, instead.
Here's a preview:
[5:30] Identifying exactly where and why capsule wardrobes fall short
[11:00] Why doesn't buying more clothes solve the problems associated with getting dressed? Conversely, why isn't decluttering the singular solution?
[16:00] Say goodbye to capsule wardrobes and hello to your 20 outfit wardrobe
[20:00] Getting to the root of our cultural reverence for bottomless closets
[28:00] The trend cycle is not your friend, so hop off that bandwagon!
Resources mentioned:
The Closet Course
Millennial Minimalists podcast
This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
Say hello! [email protected].
Creating eco-minimalist, non-toxic homes (without the extra work). Although minimalism has experienced a rebirth in recent years, the "less is more" movement has been around for centuries. Yet today's minimalist influencers have resurrected minimalism with a decidedly consumerist spin, as modern minimalism is nearly synonymous with decluttering. While there's a lot of chatter about tidying, it's radio silence and crickets when it comes to sustainability. The result? Aspiring minimalists find themselves on an endless hamster wheel of buying, decluttering, buying more, and purging again. Overemphasizing decluttering and underemphasizing the reasons why we overbuy in the first place is thoroughly inconsistent with slow living as a movement; consumption without intention is terrible for the planet, too. Your host, Stephanie Seferian, is a stay-at-home/podcast-from-home mom and author who believes that minimalism, eco-friendliness, and non-toxic living are intrinsically intertwined. She's here to explore the topics of conscious consumerism, sustainability, and environmentally-friendly parenting practices with like-minded women; she's here, too, to show you how to curate eco-friendly, decluttered homes (without the extra work).
Brasil