6 More Months Of Zero Waste: Bathroom Makeover in March

If you’ve been following along with our 6 more months to zero waste series, or if you have been on a zero waste journey of your own, by now you’ve made a lot of changes. Perhaps they were one huge step and you jumped right in, but if you are like me, you’re taking many small steps to get where you want to be.

By now, you may have made some zero waste swaps around the house but now it’s time to make a full room switch. I think the bathroom is the easiest place to do this bc, for most, this is a finite space. As with most zero waste switches, the first step here is to take a look at what you consume and see where you can make more sustainable swaps. Start by taking a look at every product and item you normally use in your bathroom.

Some people have only a few items in the bathroom, some have many many items. Let’s just take a look at a few things that anyone might have and the swaps I have tried for an example. We’ll assume you’ve already done away with liquid soap, paper towels and such. Here are some more intermediate swaps. These are only some of the potential swaps. If you have more ideas, please share them in the comments.

Safety razors are a great sustainable bathroom switch.

 Toothbrush/Toothpaste/Floss
All three of these conventional items are packed in plastic which usually can’t be recycled. Many people replace a plastic tooth brush with a bamboo one, but I don’t like them. I prefer Preserve toothbrushes which can be recycled and are made from recycled yogurt cups. They can be sent in or dropped off at drop boxes in certain grocery shops.
One of the most popular toothpaste swaps are toothpaste tablets, which are a great alternative. Also, there are many homemade toothpaste recipes. If you make your own toothpaste, share the recipe here.
I’ve currently been using a cotton floss in a glass jar. I bought it when I visited The Good Fill in Nashville. This is one of many floss alternative.

Toilet Paper
There are several ways to swap out the waste made by toilet paper. This waste is not only what we flush down the loo, but also what is created in the creation of the paper, it’s packaging, etc… In this area, I have not been too experimental. I buy my TP in bulk, wrapped only in paper, in a cardboard box, it’s made from recycled paper. Similar here. Bidets are a common alternative and apparently easy to install and use. Family cloth might be the most sustainable, but also possibly the ickiest swap.

Shampoo and Conditioner
Shampoo bars are so great! Long lasting, supporting small business, natural, vegan, and more, these are my favorite alternative. They take a little getting used to. They are a little more work but once you get the hang of it, they are easy. You all know I love Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Co for shampoo. For conditioner, I do like a conditioner bar, but I find apple cider vinegar is best. If you just can’t quit liquid hair cleaners, there are many refill varieties if you have a store near you. (I just discovered one near me, Currant, in Red Bank, NJ). There also exist refill programs thru the mail.

Deodorant
The switch over to cream deodorant is pretty seamless. As with a shampoo bar, it takes a few applications, but you’ll get it. There are many cream deodorants that come in glass or reusable containers. This is also a good DIY project. I have tried a few, but Meow Meow Tweet is always good!

Hand Lotion
For this swap, I prefer a balm that comes in a metal tin or glass jar. Some use various oils, instead of creams. There are many ways to keep your hands moist and be plastic free!

A natural loofa is made from a gourd! Sustainable scrubbing!

Makeup might be the biggest switch over category in most people bathrooms, but I don’t wear it! I searched around and found quite a few good zero waste, vegan options, even some refillable. If makeup is a stable for you, there are options! There are also a lot of great DIY tutorials.

As you see what you regularly use and research what swaps you will make, remember not to throw away what you currently have!! It’s very important in the zero waste movement to use up what we already have as this is the most sustainable practice.

What are some other swaps you have made or can think of to make?

By the end of the month, try to have swapped out (or have a swap ready for) every item in your bathroom. Many small businesses that sell zero waste swaps need our support, so when we are ready we can make some of those purchases thru them.

Just bc we are going to be inside for the next few weeks, or months, doesn’t mean that we should just sit on our hands. This is a perfect time to do various audits around the house, so let’s start with the bathroom! Share your experiences to help others!

In 2019 we started a monthly journey towards a more zero waste lifestyle. Each month you can follow along. Here is what we have done so far:

January 2019 - Trash Audit
We separated and looked our trash to see what we are throwing away and what we can reduce.
February 2019- Declutter Everything
We went thru what we have to declutter and reduce.
March 2019- Switch to Paper
This month we moved to paper to get one step closer to reusables.
April 2019- Compost
Composting is an easy way to reduce food waste and prevent it from reaching the landfill.
May 2019- Meatless Monday
One of the best ways to improve the environment is to stop eating factory farmed meat and industrial fish. Small steps lead to big change so this month we gave up meat (or dairy or fish) for at least one day.
June 2019- No Bottled Water
We gave up bottled water as an avenue to give up more disposable plastic in Plastic Free July.
July 2019 - Plastic Free July!
Go plastic free this month!

In late 2019, we continued our journey to becoming more zero waste. The current list has changed a little since the beginning. See the list below to follow our progress:
November - Zero Waste Kit
We created a zero waste kit to help us be more zero waste in our day to day life.
December - No Gifts
We took Dec to give no gifts and get no gifts.
January - Clothing and Fast Fashion
This month we explored what fast fashion is, and how we can stop buying it forever.
February - Use Mass Transit
March- Bathroom Make-over
April - Grow Your Own Food

Bullet Journal Check In: March - More Full Pages

In February I started a new Bullet Journal. Since I always use what ever book I have on hand, most of them thrifted, or found, all my Bullet Journals end up looking quite different. I thought it might be interesting to record some full pages from my BuJo’s latest iteration.

Zero Waste Recipe: Vegan Baked "Home Fries"

This recipe might be a no brainer for most people but it’s one I find myself going back to every month or so.

One of my main goals in creating a more zero waste lifestyle was to reduce food waste. I would often buy lots of food, end up not eating much of it and throw it away bc it had gone bad. A continuing challenge for myself is to come up with easy recipes to utilize any veg that might be on the turn.

This recipe is perfect to use those potatoes you forgot about and are starting to grow, the spices that are languishing on your spice rack.

Ingredients:
Potatoes (as many as you have to use up or want to make)
Olive oil (enough to coat potatoes)
Spices (I used salt, pepper, dried dill, garlic powder, and onion powder)

Equipment:
Knife
Sheet pan
Wooden Spoon (or just use your hands)
Fork or tongs for turning.

Skin potatoes and cut into bite sized chunks. If you’re using fresh tubers, you can leave the skins on, but when I make this recipe, my potatoes are usually growing eyes and roots, or have gone green, so the skins have to go. put on sheet pan and add any spices you want to use. Drizzle with olive oil. Combine all with wooden spoon until all the potatoes are well coated in oil and spices. I do this right on the sheet pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven. Turn only after the potatoes have cooked well on the first side has crisped up and will turn without sticking. This is the key to super crispy and delicious potatoes! Turn once more and cook until edges/sides are crispy and potatoes are fork tender, about 30-40 min. Let cool enough to eat and serve!

Some notes:
- These potatoes are great as traditional home fries, as a side, on salads, or for snacking, and can be served hot or cold.
- They last about a week kept in the fridge. To reheat, toss in a frying pan until warmed thru.
- They won’t ever be as crispy after the first day, tho, so I suggest eating asap.
- I know this recipe also works for sweet potatoes, and I’m sure it would work for other hearty potato like veg (rutabaga, etc…) as well. If you try it with more exotic veg, let me know!

Using up veg that might otherwise end up in the garbage makes this recipe perfect for zero waste. It’s also a great way to use up dried spices that are past their prime. Remember to get your potatoes loose, and your spices in glass jars or bulk. Buy olive oil in glass or bulk.

This is a great meal prep element as it can be used in many days and with many meals. If you’re like me, you might eat them all the minute they cool down, tho. That crisp is irresistible!

Mad Cat Garden | February

February saw little action in the garden, but lucky for us, the groundhog predicted an early spring!! We have seen some buds springing up and the days started getting longer and warmer. Our blueberry bushes all started showing early signs of growth.

This wild kitchen onion I planted seems to be doing really well. I’m excited to plant more if I have onions past their prime, and to try it with potatoes too. I don’t know the appropriate time to dig this fella up to see how oniony it has gotten, but we will eventually need to move it, I think.

Our compost has been too cold to turn, but I’m hoping in the coming months we can turn it and utilize some of the good earth it’s produced for our beds.

Next to the compost, someone has been using this little throughway.

Feb was still too chilly for fires, but I’m hoping in the early spring we can get out to arrange the wood pile and have a few.

Most of our early propagated plants died inside. But our jackfruit is going strong!

As expected, February didn’t see too much movement in the garden. March might be a totally different story. What did your winter garden look like?

6 More Months of Zero Waste: Use Mass Transit in February

In 2017 I started my zero waste journey. Zero Waste is the goal, mindful practice is the action. When I use the term Zero Waste, that is my ultimate goal, but Less Waste would be a more accurate description of my evolving lifestyle.

In 2019 we started a monthly journey towards a more zero waste lifestyle. Each month you can follow along. Here is what we have done so far:
January 2019 - Trash Audit
We separated and looked our trash to see what we are throwing away and what we can reduce.
February 2019- Declutter Everything
We went thru what we have to declutter and reduce.
March 2019- Switch to Paper
This month we moved to paper to get one step closer to reusables.
April 2019- Compost
Composting is an easy way to reduce food waste and prevent it from reaching the landfill.
May 2019- Meatless Monday
One of the best ways to improve the environment is to stop eating factory farmed meat and industrial fish. Small steps lead to big change so this month we gave up meat (or dairy or fish) for at least one day.
June 2019- No Bottled Water
We gave up bottled water as an avenue to give up more disposable plastic in Plastic Free July.
July 2019 - Plastic Free July!
Go plastic free this month!

In late 2019, we continued our journey to becoming more zero waste. The current list has changed a little since the beginning. See the list below to follow our progress:
November - Zero Waste Kit
We created a zero waste kit to help us be more zero waste in our day to day life.
December - No Gifts
We took Dec to give no gifts and get no gifts.
January - Clothing and Fast Fashion
This month we explored what fast fashion is, and how we can stop buying it forever.
February - Mass Transit
March- Bathroom Make-over
April - Grow Your Own Food

As with all the zero waste switches we have made, changing how we get from place to place begins with a mindset shift. We use our cars every day for our every whim and most of don’t think much about it. We create waste and pollution by prioritizing our own convenience. We must change to be mindful of the impact that is incured every time we drive. Once we assess when and why we drive we can formulate ways to change this behavior. This will look different for each person.
Like many of the ways we can reduce waste, we must look at our consumption. The first step is to take a driving audit. When do you use your car most? What are you doing with it? Is there a way to lessen your usage? Are there times that you drive when you could use public transit, take a car pool, or walk? Take note in your phone, or write your findings down.

Mine would look something like this:

9 hours is probably less than many people drive but to me, that seems like a crazy amount!! Since I wrote this off of memory, I will take some time to do an actual audit next and see how my actual driving looks compared. After that, I will see where I can cut down.

Once we know why and how much we are driving we can see where we can cut down. Perhaps you can carpool to work or take mass transit, cut your shopping trips down to once a week, or take one day per week to not use your car at all. The more you think about your car use, the more you will be aware and mindful of when you can reduce your usage.

Like all our swaps, getting out of the habit of using your car won’t happen all at once. We can take small steps that will lead to a big change. Try using public transit a few times a month to start or work from home if possible. Coordinate with family and friends who live near by for grocery shopping. Set up days where you can walk instead of take the car. Each little step will help us pare down to what is essential and important, even if we cannot eliminate using the car completely.

Hopefully by reducing our car usage, we will see an improvement on our impact on the environment, on the waste we create, but also on our the enrichment of our lives. Living a more local and less far flung lifestyle, more slow and mindful lifestyle, might have a great effect on our communities and our lives.

**Editor’s note: Because of an unexpected blog break in February, this article is quite late. We apologize for any confusion. Keep a look out for March’s 6 More Months of Zero Waste coming soon.

2020 Monthly Goals | February Recap and March Goals

I feel that I did extremely well in March; Only not accomplishing one goal, which was the hardest one for me.

Beach at least four times
We ended January at the beach, I’d like to make sure I get there in Feb, too.
We made it to the beach exactly four times this month. I want to keep this as one of my monthly goals, keep it in my routines.

Take a yoga class
I’ve never taken one before and it seems intimidating as hell.
This was the goal I couldn’t finish. It’s too scary still. We will see if this goal makes it’s way back around for me.

Watercolor
I’ve been thinking about painting a lot lately. It’s a good month to stop thinking and start doing.
I certainly didn’t paint every day, but I did manage to paint a bit and that’s a start.

Dance more
February always puts me in the mood for dancing. I’d like to dance more at home, listen to more music, play more records, and I’d like to get out to dance once this month.
I did listen to more records this month with this goal in mind and I did dance more. I Would like to make this more of a routine, as well. I also discovered, at a friends encouragement, podcasts this month and I have been mildly obsessed.

Stay warm - stay slow
In January, I tried to have a slow mindset. I want to make sure that I continue this practice. I also want to stay warm, both in body and spirit.
I think I did achieve this goal in Feb. It is one of the hardest months of the year for me, but I tried to keep a balance between warmth and depression. Some moments depression won out, but in those moments, I tried to remember to slow down, and reach out for help.

Now on to March. I feel that in many ways, March is time to get down to business. I want to carry over a few routines from the previous months: I want to stay slow and make sure to be mindful, read everyday, see at least two friends, dance more, and go to the beach at least four times in the month. And here are the big goals to accomplish this March.

Eat vegan once a week
I’ve tried this one before, but it’s something I have to more purposefully move towards.

Schedule two docs
I have to take my health more seriously and I need to do those things that I really don’t want to do and continually put off. Baby steps.

Schedule two trips
This balances out the above, but If I don’t plan to schedule trips, I don’t take them. I have a lot of ideas where I want to go and have narrow it down and book them up. My short list includes NOLA, Cleveland, Pittsburg, Bermuda, Beacon NY…

Go to Brooklyn
I’ve been saying I would go back for a visit since November 2019, it’s time to actually go.

Write two letters
As soon as I thought of this goal, I received a letter in the mail and I knew I had made a good choice.

How did you do on your February goals? Did you move any that were not completed to March?

February Plant Update

February’s weather was up and down. We had very cold days, as you would expect in Feb, but we also had days in the 50s. We tried to get out and about and make some plant observations. We went to a new park, Hartshorn Woods, which was a treat in it’s Winter glory. But we also saw some signs of Spring.

Reeds in Hartshorn Woods.

A Winter beach.

Intense green and red.

Our montauk daisies are always hoping for Spring.

I love cafes with tons of plants. It was nice to visit this one in Montclair, NJ.

We had a few beach days this month.

This beautiful visitor.

A night encounter.

These croci were very early this year…

…but that didn’t stop them.

A pretend jungle at the grocery store.

I worried this month, when I went to look back at my photos, that I would have nothing to show. In my mind, February was bleak, but in fact, Feb was full of plants, full of color and light. To me, reflecting back on the plants of the month reminds me to see the living joy all around us at any time of the year.

What were your plant observations this month?

Pantone Color of the Year 2020: Classic Blue

Each year Pantone, the paint and color people, choose a color in December for the year ahead. They imbue these colors with ideas and ideals for the new year. I don't always agree with the choices but along with many in the quilting community, I like to ruminate on them a bit.

The Pantone color of the year for 2020 is Classic Blue.

Here is what they say about it:

“Instilling calm, confidence, and connection, this enduring blue hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era… Imprinted in our psyches as a restful color, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue brings a sense of peace and tranquility to the human spirit, offering refuge. Aiding concentration and bringing laser like clarity, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue re-centers our thoughts. A reflective blue tone, Classic Blue fosters resilience… As technology continues to race ahead of the human ability to process it all, it is easy to understand why we gravitate to colors that are honest and offer the promise of protection. Non-aggressive and easily relatable, the trusted PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue lends itself to relaxed interaction. Associated with the return of another day, this universal favorite is comfortably embraced.”

I’ve pondered Classic Blue for almost two months.

Generally I have a pretty quick response to the Color of the Year. Usually a negative one. I tend to vehemently disagree with the statement and mission that Pantone puts out. This year it took me much longer to decide how I feel.

My first thought is that I like this color. I’m often indifferent to the actual color of the Color of the Year. But Classic Blue is calming; it reminds we of the deepening blue of a late spring or early summer sky, cloudless and intense. The feeling you get when you’ve gone thru your whole day and for some reason you glance up, maybe a noise attracted your attention, maybe your in the middle of a memory and your head tilts up in thought, and there it is, a perfectly blue sky. And the feeling that the color inspires is so all encompassing, washing over your body, spirit and mind. It is uplifting, humbling, and expansive all at the same time. It may be, as Pantone suggests, a peaceful color, but it is at the same time a color that makes one think of the vastness of sky, ocean, and time, and how small your part in that expanse can be .

One tiny indistinguishable drop in an enormous endless bucket.

To me, this feeling is comfortable, re-centering, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility, just like Pantone intends. The idea that we are all the same, and all only a part of something far bigger and more important than the individual. This might not be exactly what Pantone meant, but to me this is the most relevant message to what’s happening in the world that Pantone has come up with in recent years. With world leaders making choices that strip away our rights, and divide us, with a shift to a “me me me” mentality, we need a reminder that everyone is connected and everyone needs to be able to relate to each other and put themselves in other people place. No one is special, no one is different, look at a stranger as you would look at yourself.

Overall, I really like classic blue and hope that Pantone, is right and this can be an awaken, centering, joining, strengthening year for all as a whole. That the larger community can leave the individual behind and come together to create better things.

What does Classic Blue make you think of or feel?

The Wench is Dead

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The Wench is Dead is the 8th book in the Inspector Morse novels by Colin Dexter, and the 8th that I have listen to read by Kevin Whately.

Morse’s bad habits catch up with him and he lands himself in hospital. Between ogling the nurses, and pestering Lewis to bring him some scotch, he discovers a murder mystery to solve from his bed.

When I read the synopsis of this short novel, I was pretty convinced that I was going to be disappointed. But it turns out that The Wench is Dead has been my favorite Inspector Morse book so far. The grand inspector, taken down by illness of his own devising, gives him a more human side. But even with feet of clay, he cannot ignore a murder, long thought solved. The way the mystery unfolds, both in a book retelling the crime and in Morse’s musings on it, is really compelling and his curiosity becomes yours. This novel has Dexter’s healthy dose of womanizing, lamenting old age, intellectual bravado, and over indulgence, but it frames it in a more accessible way than many of the previous novels. As always, Kevin Whately’s reading really adds to my enjoyment of these books. He played Morse’s sidekick in the BBC series and seems to have a unique take on the characters. Although I would not suggest people read this book first, but I would highly recommend this novel for those who like boat books, historical mysteries, and detective novels with a twist.

Mad Cat Garden | January 2020

Winter may not be the best time for gardening where we live, but there were some surprises this month and some progress. We are still lamenting that we didn’t get it together to create a winter garden. Especially when there were January days that were in the 60s.

The garden is mostly bare… except for some lingering radishes and spinach. It’s a waiting game now until we can clean up the beds, turn them and start again.

Meanwhile, we have this little elephant to watch over it.

We are also taking the time to build our compost. Winter means winter veg and winter scraps. We are waiting to turn the compost, too, but for now, we are happy to add to it.

Irving helped us check out the garden in the snow this month.

We worked on your seedlings and plantings this month. Many of the small plants we are propagated have sadly died died. But our jackfruit trees are trying to hold on.

Did you keep a garden this Winter? What are your thoughts?

2020 Monthly Goals | January Recap and February Goals

January is over, we are 1/12th of the way into the year. We had a great month, there was a lot of joy and progress although there was also loss. If this is any indication of how 2020 will go, we are in for one heck of a year.

Think slower - act slower
For my 2020 monthly goals, I want to incorporate more mental and health goals. These might be more vague and not as easy to quantify at the end of the month. For Jan I want to take more time to be slow. Act slow by stretching, reading, working, and thinking with more mindful purpose.
I feel like I did try to think about this goal and incorporate it this month. I’m not sure I totally succeeded. Looking back at the month, much of it seems like a blur, which I feel makes it clear that I was not overly mindful. But I was able to take some time to rest, relax, act slowly, and reflect.

Create
I want to make sure to write, draw and sew this month.
The month started off very strong for this goal. We did some sewing and drawing but we petered off pretty quickly.

Read every day
I’ve found that for many of my goals for 2020, a little goes a long way. Even if it’s only 1-2 pages per day, I want to make sure that I read.
I have been really good about reading a little bit everyday! I want to keep this up for the rest of the year! In future lists, I want to keep a running tab of goals such as this.

See two friends
I really go back and forth between wanting to be alone with my family, and wanting to spend quality time with my extended family, my friends. Setting some goals to make sure I balance this this year will be key.
I’m keeping this for future lists as well. This needs to be a mindfulness practice I keep up this year.

Enjoy our anniversary
Feb 1st marks 7 years married. One thing we’ve been trying to do it mark special occasions and make sure we are taking time to celebrate.
Seven years is a long time! We were able to visit some of our favorite places, see new sights and something even more rare; I was able able to almost fully relax for 4 days. Being with my husband, both not working, for that long is especially rare and it made going back to normal especially hard.

On my list of monthly goals, inspired by @tinywhitelights, I added a few highlights of the month. I’m not sure where I’m going with this method of goal setting, but I’m interested to find out.

Here is my list for February. I’m still trying to keep it simple, physical and mental health goals I can achieve and feel good about. February is always a short month, but always packed. Here are some things I want to do.

Beach at least four times
We ended January at the beach, I’d like to make sure I get there in Feb, too.

Take a yoga class
I’ve never taken one before and it seems intimidating as hell.

Watercolor
I’ve been thinking about painting a lot lately. It’s a good month to stop thinking and start doing.

Dance more
February always puts me in the mood for dancing. I’d like to dance more at home, listen to more music, play more records, and I’d like to get out to dance once this month.

Stay warm - stay slow
In January, I tried to have a slow mindset. I want to make sure that I continue this practice. I also want to stay warm, both in body and spirit.

Sometimes February feels like a “why bother?” month. It’s cold, it’s short, it’s not the first month of the year, or the best, but I feel motivated in Feb. This month can be the done messing around month. What are your goals for February?

January Plant Update

I thought January would be slow for plant observations but it was pretty packed. We traveled a little, saw indoor and outdoor sights, remnants of the holidays, and many critters.

Every month is a good time to observe our house plants.

Irving agrees.

He also lets the neighborhood know.

George is a friend.

The last of xmas.

I only saw this interesting display after the holiday.

A great plant display at Montclair Vegan.

Twilight moon.

Some new additions.

A day at the beach.

Feathers and sand.

A fellow visitor.

Big sky.

I was startled by this bright fellow on vacation.

It was a cold January and we are deep in the heart of Winter. It’s been making for many winter plant observations. Is it winter where you are? What have your observations been this month?

6 More Months of Zero Waste: January and Giving Up Fast Fashion

In 2017 I started my zero waste journey. Zero Waste is the goal, mindful practice is the action. When I use the term Zero Waste, that is my ultimate goal, but Less Waste would be a more accurate description of my evolving lifestyle.

In 2019 we started a monthly journey towards a more zero waste lifestyle. Each month you can follow along.

Fast Fashion is like fast food, it’s cheap, quick and easy but it’s junk, not healthy for you or the world. Chances are 99% of your clothes are fast fashion. If you shop at target, the gap, banana republic, the mall, amazon, etc… you are buying fast fashion. Fashion is one of the most impactful industry on the environment using millions of tons of water, creating millions of tons of pollution, enslaving men, woman and children all over the world, and creating millions of pounds of trash as most fast fashion ends up in landfills.

The myth of buying cheap clothes is also similar to fast food. It seems cheap at the time, but the long term cost is huge. The impact on our health and the world is terrible. The monetary cost is far greater than you think when you buy too many “cheap” items. When you are accostomed to buying a few new things every week, or month, you spend way more money than you would if you bought less clothes but at a high price point. That being said, switching to slow fashion doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

The mental cost of adhering to the latest trends and constantly shopping, never loving what you are wearing, decision fatigue, wearing ill fitting or unflattering clothing that makes you feel bad about your self, mental and physical clutter, plus more, are all hidden costs of fast fashion.

A great step to take towards a more zero waste and low impact lifestyle is to give up fast fashion.

As with all the steps on this journey, this one starts with a mental shift. The hardest part is changing the way you think about clothing, shopping, and how those things make you feel. Once you have accepted and resolved not to purchase fast fashion and start your slow fashion lifestyle, here are some things you can do to help you on your way.

Do a closet declutter.
Get rid of the items you don’t love or don’t wear.

Remember older clothes are slow clothes.
Fast fashion wants you to believe that old clothes are obsolete, but our most loved and most worn clothes are often ones you’ve had a long time. Slow fashion starts with the clothes you already have.

Shop your closet.
Revisit what you already have instead of buying new.

Start a capsule wardrobe
Make a capsule for each season, put the other clothes away. When you go thru those clothes in a few months, it’s like you have all new items!

Have a clothing swap.
With all those items you decluttered! Your friends and family, or larger community might also be trying to give up fast fashion and become more low impact. A clothing swap is a great way to get new items (for free!!) And get rid of what you don’t want or need at the same time. Pro tip: Arrange to donate all the clothes that are left over immediately after the swap.

Buy second hand.
While not as easy as shopping fast fashion, the thrill of a good thrift find can be just as up lifting. This is also a great way to still get the fast fashion brands you might love and not be ready to give up yet. Shopping second hand forces you to slow down, avoid impulse shopping, and saves clothes from the landfill among many other benefits.

Shop ethical and sustainable clothing.
There are more and more ethical brands out there!

Choose only natural, sustainable, and ethical fabrics.
Now you are shopping second hand or ethical and sustainable, another way to be more low impact is to only shop fabrics that are renewable, sustainable, and ethical.

Concentrating on giving up fast fashion this month will make it easier for us to now revel in slow fashion. Each time you are tempted, remember the environmental and social impacts of Fast Fashion and how you are actively working to combat them.

Here are other things you can do to move closer to a zero waste and low impact lifestyle.

November - Zero Waste Kit
December - No Gifts
January - Clothing and Fast Fashion
February - Mass Transit
March- Bathroom Make-over
April - Grow Your Own Food

Below are the previous month’s projects:

January 2019 - Trash Audit
We separated and looked our trash to see what we are throwing away and what we can reduce.
February 2019- Declutter Everything
We went thru what we have to declutter and reduce.
March 2019- Switch to Paper
This month we moved to paper to get one step closer to reusables.
April 2019- Compost
Composting is an easy way to reduce food waste and prevent it from reaching the landfill.
May 2019- Meatless Monday
One of the best ways to improve the environment is to stop eating factory farmed meat and industrial fish. Small steps lead to big change so this month we gave up meat (or dairy or fish)
June 2019- No Bottled Water
We gave up bottled water as an avenue to give up more disposable plastic in Plastic Free July.
July 2019 - Plastic Free July!
Go plastic free this month!

Bullet Journal Check-In | New Book for February.

Last year, I decided I wanted a new book for my bullet journal. I bought two. I loved the one I chose to use first. It was big, easy to use and cute! The other book is very different. But since I bought it, it must get used.

I’m not sure I will like this journal as much as the last one, but I’ve had a different book for all of my journals so far and that’s part of the fun. In the future, I could see myself sticking to one type of book, having a set of neat and tidy, uniform, books over the years. But for now, variety is still king.

Off Season | The Book Garden

One of my all time favorite places to visit is a used book shop. We passed Book Garden in Cream Ridge, NJ, a handful of times before we finally stoped in. Now we try to visit every time we are in the area.

Selling since 1977, in the same building since 1989 and boasting over 100,000 used books, this is a must visit for those that love used books. For book shop tourists this is also a gem!! Hand written signs, custom shelves, ridiculous organization and maze like long stacks to get lost in, Book Garden hits all the marks of a great vintage book seller. And it used to be a florist also? Amazing.

I think we will always check in on book garden when we are in the area. There’s always something new to see.

While researching this book shop, I found a list of other indie shops in NJ. I can’t wait to visit some soon!

Do you have a favorite used book shop where you live? Leave it in the comments!

2020 Monthly Goals | January

I finally got around to making me January Goals. I wanted to draw my lists this year. My inspiration is @tinywhitelights who writes her monthly goals list and they are always so pretty. We’ll see if I can keep it up, but might as well try. Here are my Jan goals.

Think slower - act slower
For my 2020 monthly goals, I want to incorporate more mental and health goals. These might be more vague and not as easy to quantify at the end of the month. For Jan I want to take more time to be slow. Act slow by stretching, reading, working, and thinking with more mindful purpose.

Create
I want to make sure to write, draw and sew this month.

Read every day
I’ve found that for many of my goals for 2020, a little goes a long way. Even if it’s only 1-2 pages per day, I want to make sure that I read.

See two friends
I really go back and forth between wanting to be alone with my family, and wanting to spend quality time with my extended family, my friends. Setting some goals to make sure I balance this this year will be key.

Enjoy our anniversary
Feb 1st marks 7 years married. One thing we’ve been trying to do it mark special occasions and make sure we are taking time to celebrate.

What are your goals for the first month of the year? Now that we are half way thru Jan, how are you feeling about them?

Mad Cat Capsule | Winter 2020 (Jan Feb Mar)

In Fall, the weather was all over the map. I think my capsule treated me well, but all I really wanted was big snuggly sweaters. I was excited to go thru my sweaters in Winter and get more of that cozy vibe. That’s where my head was at when starting my Winter Capsule.

I‘ve been doing capsules for several years now, trying not to buy any new clothes and trying to limit the second hand clothes that come into my closet. Every season I pare down my back stock of clothing. But I’m still surprised every three months about what I have, or in Winter’s case, what I don’t have. I was pretty surprised that I thought I didn’t have very many cozy sweaters.

This made me think about a few things: Where did all my sweaters go? How many sweaters do I need? Am I going to get some new sweaters?

I love making a post for each season’s capsule bc this is the time that I really get to answer those questions or any questions I’m having.

Here’s my Winter 2020 Capsule.

5 Jeans - Can I do three months with only 5 pairs of pants? Everlane blue high waisted (ethical, sustainable) , everlane grey button fly (ethical, sustainable), white button fly (thrifted), black wide leg (vintage and thrifted), fleece lined wranglers (vintage and thrifted).

11 tops - Mostly long sleeve and for layering. American Apparel green waffle (ethical, sustainable, 10 years +), grey stripe (10 year +), blue henley (hand me down), grey ribbed henley (5 year +), Grey waffle henley (5 year+), Baseball tee (local biz), floral waffle (10year +), green waffle (10 year +), snake skin turtleneck (vintage and thrifted), ribbed mock neck (vintage and thrifted), rainbow mock neck (thrifted).

10 Sweaters - To answer some of my earlier questions: I have plenty of sweaters! And quite a variety. Sparkly mock neck (vintage and thrifted), teal (5 years+), chenille (hand me down), eye sweater (vintage and thrifted), grey light (5 year +), grey kimono (thirfted, 3 year +), John cardigan (vintage, hand me down), grey wool (hand me down), black cardigan (5+ years), Katie sweater (hand me down).

3 dresses - Denim (10 year +), silver (ethical and thrifted), burn out (hand me down).

4 tanks and under shirts - I mostly use these for layering. Salmon crop (thrifted), grey tank (10+ years), teal (5 year +). black (10 year +).

1 shirt - I’ve used this black skirt (8 years +) in just about every capsule.

12 t shirts - Again, I layer with these a ton in every season. Teal talula’s (local biz, gifted), white floral (thrifted), minutemen (10 years +), grey waffle (10 years +), AA green crew (ethical, sustainable, 10 year +), AA grey crew (ethical, sustainable, 10 year +), green band (local artist, 5 years +), spiritualized (artist tee, AA ethical, sustainable, 10 year +), Happy Birthday Sandwiches (thrifted, AA ethical, sustainable, 10 year +), Mets (thrifted, 10 year +), long sleeve black (local biz, gifted)

4 shoes - velcro vans (3 years +), floral vans (3 years +), brown boots (thrifted), black boots (3 years +).

This capsule rounds out at 50 pieces. The color theme is grey (as always), black, sage green, teal, with a bit of white. I would like there to be a few more pops of salmon, so if I find anything like that, I might swap some items out. I feel good about this capsule, I’m interested to see how it treats me for the next three months. I’ve got plenty of cozy sweaters!

Are you switching out your capsule every three months? Do you change it seasonally? What arre some of your Winter staples?

Life Admin Day 1/14/20

Hooray for the first life admin day of the year! I haven’t had one in a long time and it is over due! This year, I’m trying to work a little less each month, and I think monthly life admin days are going to be really helpful for me.

I had a lot to get done this week.

-meeting 3pm-5pm
-clean fridge
-water plants
-dirt in plants
-clean old car
-call care care
-call rx
-pick up rx
-clean table
-clean desk
-bills
-finish capsule
-clean bathroom
-call insurance
-blog photos
-hungry puppy

A lot of these things have been on my list before, either bc they are reoccurring items or bc they are things that I keep putting off. One of the main goals of the life admin day is to get those nagging things finally crossed off!

Here’s where I got to on the first day. I admit, I didn’t try too hard.

On the second day I was able to get a lot more finished. I still put off a lot of the major things. I find that that is common for my LADs bc I end up choosing the things that have a greater impact on my day to day. The longer term tasks often get pushed back. Littler things like laundry, cleaning, cooking and taking care of cats and plants often get pushed to the front. There’s something more satisfying about those things, as I can see the tangible work. Things like calling the car place just doesn’t feel as good. But all these items are important.

For this life admin day, I really really didn’t want to leave the house and that was restricting. There are a lot of reasons that I like to just stay home on my days off. I love my house and I love uninterrupted days at home, but staying home also helps me save money, keeps my waste low, and makes me take time to take care of my cats, plants and family.

Overall, I feel good about what I got done and how I spent my time. In the future, I would like to get better at limiting the time I put aside for getting things done, and getting them done within that limit.

Do you use Life Admin Days? What are some methods you use?

2020 Goals

It took me a very long time to come up with my 2020 goals. When I told a friend I was struggling she said, “you love goals!”. And I do. I like them to focus and anchor me and my time. This year I’m feeling an odd relationship with my yearly goals. I have some very specific things that I want to achieve, but I also have a need to change some practices in my life but am not sure how to do that. It makes some of my goals sound vague. Hopefully by setting the goal, I will figure out how to bring them into fruition. I think 2020 is the year to tip the scales on sustainability, creativity, and health.

Creation Over Consumption

Be More Self Sustainable,
Live slow
Forage more
Grow more food
Build a greenhouse
Cook more
Beach more
Cat health
Work less
Spend less

House Projects
Kitcehn
Basement
Woodstve
Piano
Clean and reduce

Travel and Explore
Explore where to have a vacation house
Johnson family trip
Bermuda
NOLA

Read 1 Book per Month
Shroud for a Nightingale
Salt
Magical Herbalism

Exercise
Walk
Swim
Stretch
Health and suppliments

Was setting your goals easy this year? Or did you struggle with them, like I did? Although writing down my goals didn’t come easily, I feel very positive that they will help me move forward. Are you feeling optimistic about achieving the goals you set for 2020?

Mat Cat Capsule | All the Clothes I Didn't Wear in Fall

As I was sitting down (ok, running up and down the basement stairs) to create my Winter 2020 Capsule Wardrobe, I realized just how many clothes that were in my Fall Capsule that I hadn’t worn once. Many might think that 65 items of clothing is too few to get them through 3 months of wear. But I only actually wore 48 between Oct and Dec bc there were 17 items that I didn’t even touch.

Here’s what I didn’t wear and my thoughts on why not.

I didn’t wear any of these white tops. Each of them is not my favorite for different reasons. The Bahamas shirt is too tight at the collar, the floral is cropped, the Japan shirt is very fitted.

I’ve never worn this vintage wrap shirt/over shirt but I would like to fit it into my wardrobe.

A few more t shirts taht I didn’t wear. I love the deep v, and they used to be my uniform for many years, but now it can be too tricky. I often wear the other two shirts, but always ended up grabbing other shirts in my capsule.

This new hyper color t is also tricky to wear. The tank was just too summery.

This cardigan is not overly easy to wear or match with other items. It works really well over lighter clothing, but is hard to pare with fall/winter items.

I love this dress, it has pockets! I never reached for it this Fall.

I got this Eileen Fisher silver dress this summer, but haven’t worn it yet.

I thrifted these leather joggers a long while ago, but I have never worn them. I really want to, I think it would be a look. This super soft leather skirt was bought at a stoop sale many years ago, and I wish I wore it more.

I love this light over shirt that was found at my old bar but it never worked out this Fall. The next shirt is just a little tight around the middle and a little stiff. I This I’ll like it when I can wear it in, but I haven’t yet, The last denim dress, I really enjoy, but it wasn’t right for this capsule.

Setting aside the clothes that I didn’t wear in my capsule was an interesting experiment. I would like to try it again at the end of Winter. I ended up putting some of these items into Winter, let’s see if they end up on the didn’t wear pile again in three months.