How to recommit to your low-waste lifestyle goals despite waning motivation.

We all have habits we’d like to banish, and often we believe our success or failure comes down to discipline and willpower. But discipline and willpower don't tell the whole story, and that's because the brain doesn’t make changes easily. Breaking a bad habit CAN be done, and today's show is here to help. Today's content is specifically framed around a listener's question re: buying on impulse, but please know  the suggestions offered are rooted in neuroscience and can be applied to any (and every!) habit you’d like to break. Here's a preview: [4:30] How to use the Feedback Loop to ask yourself the right whys  [15:00] The importance of removing and/or inserting visual cues when breaking a bad habit [27:00] Reign in your expectations! Here's why it takes lots of time to rewire your brain [33:00] Everything you need to know about compulsive shopping disorder Resources mentioned: Episode #362: Living On Purpose 5 Ways to Break Your Bad Habit Now (via Psychology Today) Compulsive Shopping: A Guide to Causes and Treatment (via Psychology Today) * Join our (free!) community here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. * Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

How to live on purpose by rising up and becoming the best version of you.

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday April 14, 2023: [00:30] From 7% to 67%: The EPA's proposed new EV standards [3:30] The dirty electricity turning point is here [5:30] Buh-bye, lithium? The rise of sodium batteries [12:00] 22K gallons for your swimming pool Resources mentioned: Episode #260: The White Gold Rush Episode #131: 5 Fact About The Global Water Crisis Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

We Americans are notorious for making our unwanted stuff someone else's problem. Part of the reason has to do with our desire to be altruistic: We tell ourselves we're helping the less fortunate when we pass on our perfectly decent items. But the reality is much bleaker: Both our recently-decluttered donations and our down-and-dirty trash create problems for the people and places that get stuck with our stuff. Here's a preview of what we're discussing today: [3:00] The literal mountain of clothes in West Africa [7:00] Swirling, soupy, and more than one: Here's what you likely didn't know about the Pacific trash vortex [14:00] Alabama's recent landfill fire [18:00] What's the reality re: America's plastic recyclables? [22:00] You - yes you! - can help. Here's how -- Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Our culture's messaging angles household labor as unimportant and uninspiring. And while work within the home is largely undervalued, the sad reality is that the chores, cooking, laundry, and everything else simply must get done.  Here's something that's not often discussed: there's a quiet joy to be found in tending to the home. Today I speak with podcaster and homemaker extraordinaire Lisa Bass about the underappreciated value an excellent homemaker brings to their family.  Here's a preview: [6:00] Societal messaging around homemaking versus the importance of learning by doing [15:00] How to find the time and motivation to cook in a culture that glorifies convenience [25:00] Conducting a ruthless self-assessment of your cooking skills (and how to improve!) [30:00] The essential mindset shift re: all-things homemaking [35:00] Using "the sauce of hunger" as a tool for managing picky eaters Resources mentioned: Episode Episode #357: Recycling The Unrecyclable Simple Farmhouse Life podcast Lisa on Instagram Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday April 7, 2023: [00:30] Changing tornados and tornado seasons [4:00] Amazon.com and the problem with climate "pledges" [5:30] Paris's electric scooters problem [10:00] Big Oil in the Niger Delta Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Chances are we've all been influenced to buy something at least once before. But the rise of influencer marketing is a different beast that has fundamentally altered the way brands sell to consumers.  On today's show I suggest 5 ways to be influenced less.  Here's a preview of the tips we're discussing today: [13:00] Think of influencers not as friends but as salespeople [15:00]  Look for these FTC disclosures [18:00] Know thyself by decluttering [21:00] Raise the buying bar [25:00] It's not a deal if you don't need it Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

How to know when the time is right to sort through your deceased loved one's belongings (and where to start).

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday March 31, 2023.

"I wish you would do an episode on TerraCycle. They have been in the news about not truly recycling the items they collect [and] their boxes are expensive. Am I wasting my money?" Here's a preview: [3:30] The Number One difference between TerraCycle's sponsored waste program and zero waste boxes [7:00] Have you seen the that cool infinity logo on products? Here's what it means [13:30] What happened to Loop? [19:00] Two 'gotcha' moments and a lawsuit Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Making this spring's 5 hottest trends in home decor more eco-friendly without extra cost or work.

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 24, 2023: [00:30] Potential PFAS regulation? [3:30] The planet's enduring fever [8:30] 'Slow burn' television [12:00] We want what we want when we want it: Our love of off-season produce Resource mentioned:  Episode #264: Forever Chemicals Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Goody bags, Easter baskets, and other junk culture opportunities: Revisiting the cheap plastic toys conundrum. Here's a preview: [3:00] Everybody hates goody bags, so why are we still giving them? [8:00] The history of gifting: 4 reasons why humans are wired to give gifts [20:00] Words of encouragement for listeners reluctant to go against the grain [27:00] 5 things to consider re: hosting a no-present birthday  Resources mentioned: Episode #253: Everything Eco-Minimalist Birthdays Episode #8: How To Host a No-Presents Birthday Email me your best junk-culture free birthday hacks! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

How to figure out what matters most (and hit delete on what doesn't).

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 17, 2023.

Should you pay a bit more for carbon-neutral shipping? (Answer: It's complicated.) How do you best offset your next flight? (Answer: Pay much more than you think.)  On today's show we break down all-things carbon offsets.  Here's a preview: [4:00] Are carbon offsets a greenwashing gimmick? [6:00] How to calculate the equity weighted social cost of carbon of your next flight [15:30] Guilt-free shopping? Here's what carbon neutral shipping really means [19:30] Breaking down the Climate Neutral Certified logo  Resources mentioned/Further reading: Revealed: more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets by biggest certifier are worthless, analysis shows (via The Guardian) Calculate your flight emissions with MyClimate Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

How to care for your houseplants so you never kill one again.

The enviro-news you need to know about for Friday, March 10, 2023.

How to radically transform your cognitive patterns from ruminating on what you lack to appreciating what you have in under 5 minutes a day.

When it comes to sustainable action, we tend to label behaviors as either/or: Either we're acting in a way that's "eco-friendly" or ..., well, not. But some lifestyle tweaks are greener than others: When time, energy, and funds are finite, where's the best place to focus our efforts? On today's show: A conversation with Sam Schreiner about the 4 categories of sustainable action - with a hefty dose of data-driven analysis to boot. Here's a preview: [7:00] 0.1 versus 1.0 makes a big difference! 5 examples of high impact efforts [20:00] The privilege problem: Why are high impact behaviors also often high cost? [27:00] Let's chat about low impact efforts. Do they matter? [31:00] Gateway drugs and ripple effects: Here's why its impossible to quantify a lifetime's-worth of intention Resources mentioned: University of California Berkeley CoolClimate Calculator Project Sunroof Episode #330: The Big Fix Episode #253: Everything Eco-Minimalist Birthdays Ecosia Join our (free!) community here Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

6 high-traffic, high-impact spaces to declutter that you can complete in 20 minutes or less.

Board certified dermatologist Dr. Mary Alice Mina makes the case that using too many skincare products is unnecessary at best and potentially harmful at worst.

And we’re at it again! On today's show I’m answering 4 listener questions in rapid-fire format. Here's a preview of the questions I'm answering: [1:30] What should conscious consumers consider when buying eco-conscious undergarments? [13:30] What are some practical first steps for college students who want to practice sustainability? [18:00] Oh what to do with baby bottles, car seats, breast pumps, and other one-and-done baby gear? [23:00] Eco-home renovations 101: What should we keep in mind when embarking on a reno (with a limited budget to boot)? Resources mentioned: ARQ Everlane Episode #326: Gift Boundaries with Whitney Leah Morris Clek Re:Wild Your Campus Bee Campus USA Medela's breast pump recycling program Find an energy auditor at Energy.gov Habitat Restore Renovation Angel Big Reuse Episode #312: Practical Energy Saving Steps Our Sponsors: * Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

12 food items to buy when they're on sale (and what to do with them so they don't go to waste).