On my first day of college, I opened up a checking account with a big, national bank, and I continued using that account for years and years, until very recently. Why did I choose that particular bank? Well, they had a branch on campus, and it was convenient. Plus, everybody else was using that bank, … Continue reading I switched to a socially responsible bank; Here’s why you should too
Summer is officially over in the northern hemisphere, and so is Slow Fashion Season. Along with 14,486 other people, I pledged to buy no new clothing from June 21st to September 21st. The purpose of this campaign was to help make the fashion industry more sustainable and reduce the amount of pollution created by the … Continue reading Recap: Slow Fashion Season
September has arrived, and I'm committing to a shopping ban for the entire month! I began what I call "No Spend September" last year, because I think it's a great way refocus on what really matters in life, like spending time with loved ones and helping other people, so I've decided to bring it back! … Continue reading No Spend September is Back!
It’s the end of August and the end of my month-long focus on clean beauty. When I originally cooked up the theme for this month, I thought I would use the book, No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics, by Siobhan O'Connor and … Continue reading Clean Beauty: A Revolution Or Consumer-Driven Craze?
It’s been years since I first read about the dangers of aluminum as an active ingredient in anti-perspirants, but I must admit, it took me a while to switch to using aluminum-free deodorant 100% of the time. Not only did it take my body some time to adapt, but not all so-called “natural” deodorants are … Continue reading The Best (and Worst) Aluminum-Free Deodorants
I had no idea before visiting, but apparently the Sun Valley, Idaho area is a thrift shopper’s paradise. I was in town for a conference, and I learned that it’s quite a wealthy pocket of the country. Apparently lots of rich people have vacation homes in the area, or simply frequent the Sun Valley Resort … Continue reading Thrift Shopping in Sun Valley, Idaho
I was lucky enough to spend some time in gorgeous Sun Valley, Idaho last weekend, and since it was Plastic Free July, I did my best to avoid plastic, and waste in general. I wasn’t perfect, but it was a lot easier than avoiding plastic in Las Vegas! Here’s how I did. On the Plane … Continue reading Plastic Free Travel: Sun Valley, Idaho
Since my recent trip to Las Vegas for a friend’s bachelorette party coincided with Plastic Free July, I thought I’d challenge myself to eliminate plastic waste as much as possible during the trip. Las Vegas certainly isn’t the most eco-friendly of cities, but sometimes you have to abide by other people’s wishes and make the … Continue reading Plastic Free July Travel Edition: Las Vegas
I recently got my first box from Imperfect Produce, and I was so excited that I decided to share my thoughts on the experience so far. This post is not sponsored; I just wanted to spread the word about a company that I believe is doing great things! If you’re not already familiar with them, … Continue reading Review: Imperfect Produce
One of the absolute best ways to make the world a better place is by making ethical food choices. Every time you eat, you’re making a choice about the kind of world you want to live in--for most of us, that’s a least three votes a day! Instead of participating in a food system that … Continue reading How to Eat Ethically
A while back I mentioned that I had enrolled in an introductory nutrition class. One of the perks of my job is that I get to take free night classes, and since I have been interested in nutrition for a while, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more. The class was … Continue reading 10 Things I Learned About Food from an Introductory Nutrition Class
I'm a huge fan of second-hand shopping. There's a tremendous amount of clothing already in existence, so much so that the average US-American throws away 81 pounds of clothing per year (Savers, 2016). Not only that, but new clothing takes a huge amount of resources to produce. So when I felt like my wardrobe needed … Continue reading Second-Hand Clothing Haul (Haulternative)
Once upon a time, I bought all my clothes at Forever 21, Old Navy, and anywhere else I could get the latest trends for rock-bottom prices. I remember how excited I was when an H&M opened up near me, because it meant an even bigger selection of the type of clothes I liked and could … Continue reading 10 Reasons to Choose Slow Fashion
There comes a point when you realize that less is more. Just because something is convenient, or cheap, or even free, it doesn't mean you need that thing, and it doesn't mean that owning that thing will make your life any better. Here are some things I've let go of, with no regrets to speak … Continue reading 7 Things I Stopped Buying, Thanks to Minimalism and Zero Waste
You know in The Little Mermaid when Ariel was like, “I’ve got all these gadgets and gizmos, but it doesn’t matter because I’m still not happy”? Well, I think perhaps she was trying to teach us a lesson about minimalism. Things don’t make you happy. People make you happy. Maybe I should have learned this … Continue reading Minimalism 101: How to Own Less and Live More
As important as it is to reduce waste, shop second-hand, and support sustainable policies, one of the biggest ways that we, as individuals, can have a positive impact on the planet is through our relationships. Positive relationships make us happier, reduce stress, provide purpose, and help us live longer. One study even suggested that a … Continue reading How to Make the World a Better Place Through Your Relationships
As much as I love The Beatles, John Lennon was wrong about one thing: love is not all you need. Long-term relationships require hard work and compromise; falling in love is easy, but staying in love is hard. Relationship experts agree: love is not enough; it’s actually just the beginning. With that in mind, I set … Continue reading Tips for Improving Long-Term Romantic Relationships
It’s February, and this month, I’m focusing on relationships. If you haven’t heard, I’m spending 2019 in pursuit of making the planet a better place, and I’m focusing on a different theme each month. I figured setting relationship-related goals is essentially one step beyond setting personal well-being goals (last month's theme) because I'm shifting my … Continue reading Relationship Goals: 6 Ways to Build Positive Friendships and Partnerships
It’s the end of January, and that means it’s time for a review of my goals for this month! As a reminder, this year I’m focusing on ways to make the planet a better place, with a different theme for each month. My January theme was personal well-being. By putting my own well-being first, I … Continue reading January Recap: One Month of Better Well-Being
It’s time for an update on my January goals! This month I’ve been focusing on personal well-being by getting enough sleep, exercising consistently, nourishing my body, and focusing on spiritual well-being with meditation and journaling. I’ve been doing the best with nourishing my body—I’ve made quite a few healthy, plant-based recipes (see my last post), … Continue reading Habit Change Hacks for Personal Well-Being
One of the books I’ve been reading this month to help me with my personal wellness goals is Kintsugi Wellness: The Japanese Art of Nourishing Mind, Body, and Spirit, by Candice Kumai. I’ve been so inspired by this book that I decided to write a whole post about it! Kintsugi is the Japanese art of … Continue reading Living by Kintsugi Wellness
As I explained in my last post, I am setting small monthly goals toward building a better planet throughout 2019. Each month will have a different theme; and the theme for January is personal well-being. You might be wondering what the heck personal well-being has to do with making the planet a better place. The … Continue reading January: Personal Well-Being
Drumroll please…with the start of 2019, I’m taking on my most ambitious project yet, and rolling out a brand new format on the blog. I’m calling it The Better Planet Project: A Year-Long Journey Toward Building a Better World. The Better Planet Project is an approach to changing the world by changing your life. It … Continue reading Announcing The All New Better Planet Project
Since delving into the realm of clean and natural beauty products, I noticed that I have accumulated a number of lavender-scented products. I didn’t used to be a big fan of floral scents, but natural products have really changed the game for me in terms of what defines “floral.” I learned that there’s a big … Continue reading Lavender Love: 5 Clean and Calming Lavender Beauty Products
On my recent trip to Montreal, I had the opportunity to explore the local slow fashion scene. There seemed to be quite a few shops that fit the “ethical” model by satisfying the criteria of local production, fair wages for workers, environmentally-friendly fabrics, and more. My first stop was Général 54, a boutique in the … Continue reading Made in Canada: Ethical Clothing from Montreal
This was my first time participating in the 10x10 wardrobe challenge, started by Lee Vosburgh of Style Bee. The rules are simple: select ten items of clothing, including shoes, but not including accessories, to wear for ten days straight. The goal is to see how many different outfits you can create with just a few … Continue reading Recap: Fall 10×10 Challenge
My month of no spending has come to an end, and I’d say it was pretty successful. During the last week of the month, I traveled to Montreal for a conference. Since it was quite a bit colder there, I had to dig my fall/winter wardrobe out of storage for the occasion. It’s always tempting … Continue reading Recap: My Month of No Shopping
