Making Habits

A lot of people talk about habits. Habits of Successful People. Habits of Productive People. Habits of Healthy People. I want to be those things! 

There's also a lot of research and documentation of how to build habits and how to stick with them, and probably most of it is great. I haven't really delved into any of that. I'm sure it would be helpful, but I also think a good way to form a habit is to do them and keep doing them, until they becomes so. We'll see how well that works. 

This Summer I have been on a journey to create some of the habits I hope to adopt. Perhaps my busy season, the high season in the town where I live, my husbands busy season, is not the best time to try making strides in this direction. Despite that fact, I have made strides. For the rest of the year, I plan to work more seriously and devote more mental energy on building new habits. 

I often have so many thoughts or ideas that it helps me to write them down. I love to use this space for things like that. So, here are just some habits I hope to create:

-Morning walks -  This is an old habit that I want to get back into. The Summer saw some progress here but the resent heat waves have driven to indoors. 
-Cleaning routines - There are many that I want to adopt on a more habitual basis. The list is too long to write out here.
-Stretching and exercise - This has been on my list forever. I am not getting any younger and I want to be active, limber, and healthy well into old age. I better get started!
-Morning pages - By all accounts this is a great practice for the mind. It helps stress, creativity, writing skills, dexterity. 
-Work regularly on side hustles - I have a lot of plans, but to make them happen is going to take regular routines, better start making some habits to make that work.   

How do you create habits? What habits do you want to adopt in the next few months? Leave a list in the comments to inspire the rest of us!

On Not Being in Vermont

Can you be homesick for a place you never lived? 

My mother and I had vacationed in the same part of Vermont for 17 - 20 Summers (after that amount of time, one losses track!). We spent almost a month there year after year until about 7 or 8 years ago. Bc of work, and wanting to save to buy a house, we decided not to go. It was a tough choice to break the tradition. If we hadn't made that choice, I'd be in Vermont right now. 

Every year, leading up to August, I think more and more about Vermont. I can't completely describe why it's such a special place. It's more than a place to me, in fact, but a symbol of a way of life that I strive for. Vermont to me embodies slow, simple lifestyle, no waste mentality, fresh food resources, community reliance, and a balance between nature, industry, and a peaceful life. 

Obviously that's just want it embodies, to me, not what it actually is. But it is a state that strives to keep big box stores out, to value different and alternative lifestyles, renewable energies, farming, clean living, and statewide community. 

While thinking about it this year, I want my nostalgia to motivate me towards my evolving lifestyle. For the end of August, I'll be meditating on what I want my life to look like for the end of this year, what I want my life to look like going forward, and what that means for this blog space. My time in Vermont will be an inspiration for me.  

Hopefully getting back to Vermont will be part of our near future, but for now, I can use my memories to motivate my present!  

Is there a place that inspires your day to day? Where is your home away from home?

In Search of Milkweed

We are already thinking about and planning our next year's garden. One big focus we have is attracting more pollinators! We are starting to gather seeds from friends, buying them off the internet, and seeking them out around where we live. 

We recently set out to find some milkweed near us. It was too early for us to gather seeds, but we had fun spotting the plant! We plan to go back later in the Summer or early Fall to see if we can view more butterflies!

Monarch caterpillar!

Snail on snail!

Cicada!

What are some of your favorite pollinator attractors? Is anyone else planning their 2019 garden?

Plastic Free July Wrap Up: Plastic Audit

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.

Now that I have gone all the way through my second Plastic Free July, let's take a look back at what my goals were and how I carried them out!

- Audit my trash for the month of July. I have done this before while I was starting out along my ZW journey, and I do it every once in a while to see where I'm at. This month, I plan to mostly audit our recycling. 
I kept all my plastic trash separate this month, even items that can be recycled. I also brought plastic waste that was generated outside the house, home with me. It came out to one full paper grocery bag for the whole month. 
The biggest plastic waste I had this month were items that I already had but cleaned up and had to throw away or recycle. This contained several recyclable plastic containers, like berry boxes and a flax milk box. There were also a few reusable containers that cracked or broke and I could recycle. We ate out in July and even if we asked we sometimes got condiment containers. We also had a food in a paper boat, but it had a plastic lining. We choose to get milkshake from a place with paper cups, but they changed from waxed to plastic lined so those were waste. 
The items I had the most of when I went back through the bag were plastic bags!! Not grocery bags, of course, but some berry bags, cat litter bags, chip bags, bird seed bags, cheese plastic, etc ... These will all get recycled at a local drop off point. 

I HATE fruit stickers.

We also had a few pens, we are working through allllll the pens we have so we don't buy new. And we went through a weedwacker wire. Is there a none plastic alternative for this?

- Take the time to recycle the items that are difficult to recycle. We are donating clothes, dropping off our electronics, bringing our plastic bags to drop off centers, and other annoying tasks this month. We still accumulate some of these items, so disposing of them properly is super important. 
We did so well with this goal! We recycled plastic bags, electronics, dropped off clothes for donation and books to the library! It felt great to send these items to their proper places and get them out of our house!

- Focus on building our garden for this year and years to come! We recently (finally) planted our front bed and now we are hooked! We cannot wait to create more avenues for us to grow our own food and rely less on conventional, and often plastic packed, fruit and veg. 
Our garden is going nuts! One of our favorite things to eat in the summer is cherry and grape tomatoes but we don't eat them often bc they are hard to find without plastic. This Summer, bc or our garden, we are tomato rich!! It's felt amazing to grow our own food this July and we can't wait to garden more and more! 

- Utilize local farmer's markets! Summer is the best time for fresh fruits and veggies and I want to eat them all! The farmer's market is a great to get them, plastic free!
Partly bc we have grown our own food, we didn't got to the farmers markets too much in July. But we did have a few great visit to get corn and other Summer goodies. 

- Continue to refuse disposable plastics like straws, plastic bags, plastic cups and coffee cups, single use plastic containers, etc... and get better at it!! The more you practice, the easier it becomes!
We did a great job with this in July! Re refused like crazy and made strides to not accept plastic that sometimes slips thru the cracks. We also went out of our comfort zone and got many items in our own containers!

- Preach! Mostly, I try not to be too preachy about my Zero Waste journey, but PFJ is the perfect time to let people know about the horrors of disposable plastics, give them some insight into my lifestyle and ideals, and to hopefully spark them to think to these ideas!
I think I did more of this this month. And it was good!! We have a few restaurants who know us and ask us questions and help us out. I also talked about my drive for a plastic free lifestyle with family and friends. I posted stories and instas and talked to a lot of people on social media!

Overall, I'm sure happy with Plastic Free July. It wasn't entirely plastic free, but it was a great eye opener and a great step forward!

How was your Plastic Free July? Share your triumphs and fails in the comments!

Recently Thrifted

Since returning to thrifting, I've tried to not buy too much, not buy things I wouldn't need and use. But the problem with thrifting is that you find so much good stuff! It's really hard to limit myself when I see things that I want to "save". Here are a few recent finds:

I'm not sure what I will use this wooden tray for, but I couldn't leave it behind. 

Thrifting is great for feeding my love for vintage, collections, and vintage collections! I have a deep love for sheets and bedding from the 60s and 70s. I'n not sure what it is about the cool feel and classic patterns (usually floral) of these that make them irresistible. 

Lastly, I found an amazing hand knit, square, neck sweater in a confetti of colors. I have been really excited to find hand made items over the last few months. There's something amazing about finding a hand made item and giving it new life. I can't wait to wear this in cooler weather and already have an idea that this might be the color inspiration for my Fall 2018 capsule wardrobe. 

Knowing that items like vintage sheets, once loved hand made pieces, or interesting homewares, will one day be gone, replaced by cookie cutter, cheaply made, unmindfully or inhumanely mass produced, pre-garbage (kipple, if you will), makes thrifting seem like it an important part of the low impact movement and my low waste lifestyle.   

I've even been toying with the idea of a pop up shop, or online store or something fun to share my thrift finds with the world. Do any reader have online shops? Would anyone be interested in purchasing curated second hand items? Comment below!

So You Forgot Your Plastic Free Kit...

What do you do?!

First off, don't panic. You can still minimize your waste and the most important step is to just be mindful. Because I still often forget my kit, I have some experience in figuring out what to do with out it. 

Go Without!
First and foremost if I forget my kit, I'll often just not do things that would generate plastic. Sometimes this means not using/eating/drinking/buying whatever it is, but more often, it's just setting aside the idea of the most convenient method. 
Example: If I'm thirsty but don't have my cup, I might choose to get water from a water fountain or coffee in a "for here" cup.

Eat In
Take away is convenient, but if I don't have the plastic free means to take it with me, I might choose to eat in so I don't have to use disposables.  

Eat it All
If I know I don't have a container to bring home my left overs, or compost, I try to think about it before I eat. I'll choose to eat a little less so as not to need a to-go container or doggy bag. 

Foil and Paper
When my eyes are still bigger than my stomach and I do end up having left overs, or when I need something at the store, but don't have my bags, I choose paper or aluminum foil instead of plastic or styrofoam. Choosing a more sustainable, recyclable, or compostable option is better than nothing. 
Example: If I choose to shop but don't have a reusable bag for bulk items, most grocery shops have a paper bag you can use. If you can't find one in the bakery section, ask someone at check out. Same goes for packing up my groceries for transport. At the diner, I'll ask for just a piece of foil rather than getting the bigger more wasteful option. Foil can be cleaned, reused and recycled, paper bags can be reused or put in the compost.  

Choose No Bag
More often than not, I'll just go without a bag if I forget one. We've carried entire grocery orders home in our hands if we forget our bags. You can't do this all the time, but if it's an option, I'll consider it!!

And sometimes, there's nothing you can do, you have to use a plastic cup, fork, portion container, etc... so if all else fails:

Bring it Home
If I have to get a disposable plastic item, even though I tried my hardest not to, I bring it home and reuse or recycle it. I have often been out and been served a plastic fork, despite having brought my own reusable one. I will save that fork, leave it in my bag, car or jacket pocket and reuse it another time. This has come in handy more times than I can count. I still feel bad about having to dispose of it eventually, but at least I know that it got a little more use. 
Example: Reuse plastic cups, flatware, etc... Recycle portion cups, and other disposables at home so you know where they end up, compost napkins, wooden chopsticks, and other single use non plastic items, too!

Plastic is everywhere and it's really hard to try not to use it. The most important thing is to be mindful of the choices you make and put aside your own convenience. Start where you are and do what you can. Maybe your Plastic Free Kit is just getting started, so you have to use a plastic fork. If you choose to carry that fork in your kit for a while, hooray! Maybe your kit is extensive, but you left it at home, it happens! Maybe you asked for a glass but your drink still came in plastic, oh well, you tried! It's important to remember to learn from these incidents and try for better next time. 

Hopefully these tips will help and inspire those starting on a plastic free journey!
Do you have tips for getting started? Share them below!

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.

My Plastic Free Kit

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.

One way I'm participating in Plastic Free July is to be better about bringing my Plastic Free Kit with me where ever I go. Since starting my zero waste, low impact journey, always having my kit with me has been a struggle but I find when I do bring it it makes my life so much easier.

Creating and carrying a plastic free kit is a great way to start your own plastic free or low waste journey. You don't have to buy anything new to create one, you can use items you already have! The hardest part of having a kit is remembering to bring it with you! 

So, what is a plastic free kit? For me, the kit is simply a few items I try to bring with me to help me avoid waste and disposable items. What you have in your kit depends on what you will use most and what will help you avoid using plastic disposables. Your kit can be one or two items, or a whole bunch. Your kit can always be the same items, or can change depending on what you're doing or where you are going. Here is what I usually carry in my kit:

1. A Reusable Cup - Usually insulated to keep hot or cold drinks. Sometimes glass or metal. The one pictured is one I found at my work's lost and found but I have several that I have accumulated over the years. I like reusable cups that have a clear size printed on them. 

2. A Small Container. I use this for leftovers or salad bars mostly. But it can also hold bulk items, snacks, or compost I want to bring back home. The one seen here I got last year from the Mighty Nest website. But you don't need to buy anything new!! I also use old tupperware, glass jars, or reused take-out containers for this purpose. 

3. A Cloth Napkin. Here I have just a tea towel, but I also have a few thrifted napkin sets, so I'll also bring one of those. This is useful for wiping one's mouth but also for wrapping leftovers and  tying into a bag for fruit and veg among many other uses. 

4. Produce Bag. I like to keep an extra bag on hand. Cloth bags take up barely any space and are so useful. Use for fruit and veg, carrying groceries or other purchases, loan to a friend, etc... The one pictured was gifted from my BFF; it was her grandmothers!!

5. A Flatware Set: 

My set has a a bamboo spoon, fork, and chopsticks. I bought these and the little carrying case last year. It came with a knife, but I find I never use that, so don't carry it. I love the chopsticks tho (highly recommend carrying some chops!). I also carry several metal straws. I don't use straws for most drinks but love milkshakes and smoothies so want to be prepared! You never know when a friend might need one, too. 
My advice here would to NOT buy any new forks, knives, spoons, etc!! We all have flatware hanging around that can make a set, or spend a few pennies to get some flatware at a local thrift or charity shop. I like using these bamboo items, but regret buying new when I already had plenty. The carrying case is also not needed.
I would advice investing in some reusable straws. 

6. A Carry All Canvas Bag. Once I have all my items I need a bag to carry them in! I prefer a canvas bag bc it's pretty sturdy, can get wet, can take some ware and can be used for a shopping bag, or in other ways as well. I've been using the one seen here, which was a gift, bc it's pretty small but tucks under my arm, and still holds a lot.

I switch out items, this cup for that one, etc... when one needs washed or I left one at work or what have you. If I know I want to get smoothie bowl, I'll bring a bigger container. If I know I'm eating with friend or family, I'll bulk up some items. If I'm going shopping, I'll bring more bags. My kit is fluid and that makes it easy for me. Over all the kit is small and light and easy to carry. 

I tend to leave my kit in the car, where I can easily grab it if we are out and about. If we're home and walking around I might grab it to carry with us. My biggest challenge is remembering to bring it with me when I leave the car. I tend to forget until I've gotten far enough away that I don't want to go back. For Plastic Free July I've been more mindful about it and it makes a big difference!!

Have you started your Plastic Free Kit? What was your first item?

5 Steps to Get You Started for Plastic Free July

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.

Plastic Free July is a month to give up or at least be mindful of not using disposable items like plastic straws, bottled water, plastic bags, disposable coffee cups, etc... and it's a time to be mindful of your plastic consumption in general. This is a great time to think about how our purchases and practices effects the world. 

Plastic Free July doesn't suggest you tear through your house abolishing every item of plastic, you can start going plastic free this minute, by simply deciding that you want to. 

This can be a a really intimidating undertaking, even if it's only a minute or a month at a time. Here are a few steps you can take today to get you started to have a great Plastic Free July: 

1. Get Over Your Own Convenience. 
The majority of the plastic we use daily was created to make life "more convenient" for us. Plastic water bottles to get water anywhere and easily, straws to keep our teeth from staining and make our drinks that much closer to our faces, plastic grocery bags, plastic tooth brushes you can buy and just throw out, disposable razors, etc... etc... these items might be helpful to us in the short term but ultimately it's the waste of these items that are creating problems there is currently no solution for, like micro plastics in our oceans and drinking water, like pollution in our rivers and cities. By thinking and being mindful and putting our own convenience aside, we can start to think about healing these problems. Bringing your own water bottle instead of buying plastic might be slightly inconvenient, but it makes a huge impact and all you have to do is get over the idea that everything should be convenient for you!

2. Think About The Life Of Items You Use. 
When you buy that disposable plastic water bottle, think about the factory where it was made, the machines filling it, the stream they blocked to get the water, the towns that effected, the truck driver bringing it to the grocery, the stocker putting it on the shelves, and how it got to you. Then think about where you will throw it in the trash, who will pick it up, where it will go, how long it'll be there or if it will make it's way somewhere else, like onto the beach, into the ocean, and into our water. I find this exercise makes it easy to make the decision whether I need an item or if I really don't. Before I buy anything I think about how I will throw it away which has made a huge change in what I buy. This is a simple moment of mindfulness practice that anyone can do. And you can start right now.  

3. Learn to Refuse. 
One of the easiest ways to cut down on the plastic you use is just to refuse the plastic that is given to you every day out of hand. Ask for no straw at the restaurant, ask for paper bags at the check out, buy soda in cans not plastic bottles, there's a ton of alternatives out there! Once you start refusing the items that are given but you don't need, it's easier to seek out non plastic alternatives. 

4. Choose Something To Give Up.
Now that you are getting comfortable saying, "no straw please", or asking for a real cup at the coffee shop, it's time to pick a thing that can give up. Maybe you can give up plastic coated paper coffee cups and bring your own reusable mug. Maybe a water bottle to replace plastic water bottles. Maybe a metal fork so you don't use a plastic one. Now, this doesn't mean you have to run out and buy a bunch of stuff!! You can bring a fork from home, a mug you already have, a tote bag you had lying around, you can reuse the last plastic water bottle you bought until you're ready to get a new one. It's not hard or expensive to have a reusable item and give up a disposable one.  

5. Start a Plastic Free Kit. 
Now that you've given up using a plastic fork for your lunch and bring a metal fork from home, pick the next thing to give up. Maybe you're used to refusing a plastic straw but you really miss straws, now might be the time to invest in a metal straw. Now you carry a reusable fork and straw! Now you have a Plastic Free Kit! You can continue to give plastic disposable items, and replace them with reusable items. Again, this doesn't mean you have to run out and buy a bunch of stuff. You can, if you want, but you can also look around your house for these swaps, ask your friends and family if they have something that might help you, or seek low cost alternatives at the local thrift store. 

I hope these steps help you on your plastic free journey and let you have an easier and less intimidating Plastic Free July. It's about starting where you are and doing what you can. It's about shifting your mindset and your habits. It's not easy but it is simple. Mindfulness is the key. 

Need more details? Let me know what you want to learn more about! Let me know what wasn't clear. Want more plastic free tips? Share your PFJ questions and insights in the comments. 

Mid Year Goal Review

Here we are in in July and I've definitely been feeling that mid year slump. My unexpected blogging hiatus has lasted much longer than I intended, I'm having trouble motivating myself to get back started, I'm having trouble motivating to sew and art, I'm struggling a little to be happy and content at work. To try and change this mental slump, I've been brainstorming, reading, and watching some videos that might help inspire and motivate me! 

One step I've decided to take is to reassess the goals I made in the beginning of the year. This is something I have never done before. It never occurred to me to change my goals mid year but why not? If the goals I set are not working for me, I should mold them into something that does. My goals should work for me as much as I work towards them.

Here are my original goals for 2018 and how I might modify them:

Be Balanced in Home Life/Art/Personal Endeavors and Work
Since 2015 working on personal endeavors as much as my job has been one of my main goals. At some times this works, at others it does not. In 2018, I would like to continue on this path but to change it slightly. What I find most difficult sometimes is splitting my focus, trying to keep my work, art, life and job separate but equal. This year I want to focus on keeping them Balanced.

Finding a balance between work and personal art and achievements is a constant struggle. Mid year, I want to take time to figure out what I need to do to be creative and productive in my non professional life. And happier in my professional one. 

Sew and Quilt More
In 2017 my quilting fell off the map a little after a strong start to the year. I want to get back in the habit of working on quilting more days than I don't. I want to have more finishes in 2018 than last year. There are a bunch of projects (not quilts) that I have been wanting to work on; I'd like to get these done this year! I want to keep up with all my community sewing projects, like YOTS, OMG, and FALs. 

This goal is taking a break. I have been unmotivated in sewing and feeling guilty about it. I know it's something I will always come back to so why stress myself out feeling bad about it? 

Be a Better Blogger
I want to keep up my progress on my blog and set some goals for myself. I want to make sure I blog at least 23 days each month, explore my favorite columns more, create new content, and make bloggy connections. I want to get back in the habit of writing in my live journal, and use it more as a free flowing, personal, brain dump, style actual journal. I plan to get some items that will help me at work, but I plan to use them for my blogging life as well. I plan to try a standing desk. I have to learn to get better about answering comments!!

This goal still really motivates me!!! Every year I take a blogging hiatus and this year I feel like it was not planned but has already happened. With that out of the way, I can concentrate on blogging hard for the rest of the year! I can't wait to blog more and have some great content ideaas coming up. But LiveJournal doesn't work for me, so that's a no go. 

Zero Waste Journey
Last year I began my zero waste journey. In 2018, I plan to continue this journey and take more steps towards becoming plastic free. At the moment, I feel like I still hold myself back from taking easy steps towards this goal, so becoming more mindful and incorporating more ZW routines into my daily life are key for this goal. 

This is another one that I am even more excited and motivated about it!! I am so happy about where I am in my ZW journey. 

Be Purposeful and Mindful in My Home Life and Relationships
This is a big goal, but I can break it down. 
First and foremost, I want to spend more time with my husband and the cats, and make that time more purposeful. We live very busy lives and sometimes togetherness and quality time get pushed to the side. I want to make sure I'm mindful of the little things, like taking photos together, going on walks, exploring, beach combing, and being together intentionally. I want to make sure we are caring for the cats, appreciating where we live and the seasons. 
I made strides in decluttering and keeping the house clean, happy and healthy in 2017. This year I want to get even better. I want to tackle a few bigger projects around the house, like finishing our kitchen renovation, fixing up our bathroom, organizing and purging the basement, plus more. I want to continue to take good care of the plants. 
I want to continue to see and be mindful about connecting with my family and friends. This includes my immediate family, who live close, but also those that live far away, and friends near and far. 
This year, I want to focus on gardening, taking care of our yard, growing food, and composting. Since moving we have wanted to make our property more comfortable and useful. This is the year to do that in earnest. 

This is a big goal! But I think we are doing a really great job with this one. We spent 30 minutes the other night pulling caterpillars off our tomato plants and having a great time. That seems like a perfect embodiment of family togetherness and care.  

Improve My Health, Wellness, and Mental Well Being. 
A lot of things last year worked towards this goal, but in 2018 I want to be more mindful and more intent on really taking care of my health. In February, I turn 39 and I want to make sure that I get healthier and happier as I get older. I want to walk and exercise more regularly and purposely. I want to swim in the summer and learn to do yoga and home workouts. 2018 will be the year I can touch my toes!!
My first full year of having a capsule wardrobe is approaching and I have loved this challenge and routine. I plan to implement even more consciousness about my style and outward appearence to feel better about myself in 2018. 
I want to continue to eat and be more mindful of having a plant based diet. I want to make sure that we are eating locally and sustainably as much as possible. I want to increase our health using suppliments, vitamins, essenital oils, and exercise. I also want to make sure I'm maintaining my health by taking my inhaler. My asthma has gotten worse in the last few months and I know this is due to not being strict on taking my meds and also not exercising properly. 
Reading, drawing, sewing, creating, and organization have always helped my mental well being and this year I want to focus on all these areas. Watching tv does the opposite, so I want to be mindful of moving away from this fun but unproductive activity. 

Another big goal!! Mid year I want to really concentrate on health so that at the end of the year, I don't fall in to laziness. I always struggle more in the Winter months, so I want to make sure I have some good habits in place before then. Everything mentioned in the goal has a place in my mid year review. 

Make Time To Travel and Explore 
This should be a priority for us but it must be balanced with being at home in our own space. Challenges like exploring one new place per month, doing an overnight every two months, seeing art once a month, going to the beach once a week, etc...  might help strike this balance. 

This hasn't been a priority for us, and honestly, I haven't thought about it too much. This might happen when it happens but mid year, it's not a goal. 

Write 2 Letters Per Month
Writing letters gave me so much joy last year, but I never made the time to do it in a purposeful way. In 2018, I plan to change that. 

I really want to get back into this!!

Create 1 Tattoo Per Month
I have very slowly been learning to do Stick and Poke tattoos. This year it's time to branch out and seriously improve this skill. One tattoo per mouth is really ambitious but it's a good goal to strive for. 

No progress has been made on this, and it's not going to be a huge goal going forward. If it happens, I'll be happy, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it. 

Save Money
We did a good job at saving money and at not over spending in 2017. 2018 is the first year since we moved to NJ that I will work full time all year and I want to have some money saved to show for it. 

We've been really mindful of this goal and I think we are on the right track. 

I think one of the biggest takeaways for me is to reassess my art and how to be creative. Sewing, tattoos, and other things I've tried to focus on are not doing it for me but I am inspired by clothes, blogging, and other new endeavors!! I'm ready to move forward in those directions.
Going thru my goals has really let me think about what I want for the rest of the year. I think I need a little while to ruminate and come up with my new goals list. 

Have you ever changed your goals mid year? Did it help you stay motivated?

Plastic Free July

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.

Happy Plastic Free July!

2017 was the first year that I even knew what PFJ was, and it came right at the right time of my life. I was just learning about Zero Waste and the Low Impact Movement. I was thinking about it a lot at that time. But I wasn't ready to really paricipate in PFJ. I was a little at a loss as to how to even do that.  But July 2017 was, if I can pin point it, the time where I really started my Zero Waste, Low Impact, journey. That was the month I first tried to refuse straws on the regular, I bought a water bottle and tried to use it, and that was when Low Impact became a serious undercurrent in my life. 

So here we are a year later, and this year, I was ready for Plastic Free July! This year, refusing straws is second nature, bringing my water bottle is becoming the norm, I try to always get items in my own containers instead of a disposable container, we no longer use plastic wrap or garbage bags! Continuing these practices is part of my PFJ2018. I also created a list for my self for things to work on this year:

- Audit my trash for the month of July. I have done this before while I was starting out along my ZW journey, and I do it every once in a while to see where I'm at. This month, I plan to mostly audit our recycling. 

- Take the time to recycle the items that are difficult to recycle. We are donating clothes, dropping off our electronics, bringing our plastic bags to drop off centers, and other annoying tasks this month. We still accumulate some of these items, so disposing of them properly is super important. 

- Focus on building our garden for this year and years to come! We recently (finally) planted our front bed and now we are hooked! We cannot wait to create more avenues for us to grow our own food and rely less on conventional, and often plastic packed, fruit and veg. 

- Utilize local farmer's markets! Summer is the best time for fresh fruits and veggies and I want to eat them all! The farmer's market is a great to get them, plastic free!

- Continue to refuse disposable plastics like straws, plastic bags, plastic cups and coffee cups, single use plastic containers, etc... and get better at it!! The more you practice, the easier it becomes!

- Preach! Mostly, I try not to be too preachy about my Zero Waste journey, but PFJ is the perfect time to let people know about the horrors of disposable plastics, give them some insight into my lifestyle and ideals, and to hopefully spark them to think to these ideas!

So far, I'm happy with how my Plastic Free July is going. How are you celebrating PFJ?

The Thrifting Bug

When I was younger thrifting was one of my favorite activities. I never stopped thrifting but I did slow down quite a bit. But recently, I've caught the bug again. 

Now that I only buy second hand clothes, I find myself stopping by the local thrift shops quite often. I also keep an eye out for rummage sales, yard sales, etc... I still try not to buy too much, but sometimes I find treasures I can't resist. 

I try to have a mental list of what items I'm looking for; I love to get shoes, clothing with great fabrics, lovely homewares, vintage toys, and more. But I try to only buy what I need and will use. What do you look for when thrifting? 

Hand Sewing (Video!!)

I am slowing but surely making youtube videos! I don't plan to always share them here, but for now, I'm pretty proud of each one! Subscribe to my channel if you like these videos and use the notification bell to know when they post!

Here is me working on my visible mending. Original music by audionightlight. 

What are you favorite style of videos to watch?

Zero Waste - Foraging for Firewood

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 and Low Impact would be a more  accurate description of my evolving lifestyle. 

You may remember that when we moved to NJ we got a fire pit. It's one of the first household things we really wanted! I can't say it's our most used house hold item but when we do use it, we love it! 

One reason that we werren't using it too often was bc I hated buying firewood at the store. We mostly found it at big box stores, wrapped in plastic (!!) and who knows where it came from! We had seen many places where wood was for sale on the side of the road, but the idea of having to walk up and knock on a stranger's door always stopped us from getting it that way. Buying it locally online would mean buying a cord, which is way too much for our little fire pit.  

Right now we just have piles of firewood in various places in the yard, as it gets to be fire season, we will chop and organize our stash. 

Then one day we started picking up sticks, and logs and fallen branches. And as our stick pile grew and grew and as we started oooohing and ahhing when we saw a pile of discarded tree limbs on the side of the road, we realized that this was a viable way to gather wood for our fire. Now where ever we go we usually come home with a large stick or two. That person walking around the neighborhood dragging a large dead tree branch? That's me. We stick wood in our car, in our bags, carry it on our shoulders. Now that we have a large stick collection, we are just waiting for the weather to be nice enough to have a fire!

We realized that we like the mindful act of seeking out something useful when we are out, without buying anything. There have been some big wind storms lately, many trees lost limbs. It was a field day for us, and we liked the idea that instead of going to the local dump (and then who knows where? We don't have a compost or mulch pick program in our town), this debris would be used for something. We are happy to put to use something that most consider solely waste.

Right now, we are only collecting fire wood casually but it got us thinking that this might be an affordable, zero waste, way to cut down on the none renewable resources we consume. If we were to install a wood stove to offset gas-heat usage, could we gather enough sticks to help heat our house?     

We're still in the research phase of this possible new plan but we are kind of excited to see where it might lead. Does anyone out there have any advice on wood stoves, firewood or foraging? Do you forage for anything in your neighborhood?

What I Ate in a Day (Video!!)

Oh boy, ya'll. I may not be getting the hang of this youtube stuff, I may have posted this video a week later than I intended, but I think I have the BUG. And now I have a partner in crime, audionightlight!! Check out this sweet song he made me: 

Subscribe to my channel if you like these videos so far and let's see where this crazy train takes us. 

If your new to youtube, or been doing it for a while, please post your channel in the comments!

Mad Cat Capsule: Spring 2018 (April - June)

Here we are, come full circle back to Spring. I started my Capsule Wardrobe in Spring 2017 and I have greatly enjoyed the last year. I feel like I've learned a lot and yet, I feel like I'm still learning and growing into capsule wardrobes. I'm still learning the best way to create each capsule, I'm still learning what my personal style is, and I'm still learning to part with so many of the clothes I've kept over the years. I feel like I'm moving towards owning less, buying less, but enjoying my clothes more. 

For Spring, my method was very different than the last few. seasons. I had a good idea of many things that I wanted to include and did not go thru all my stored clothes, only those I knew I wanted. I also bought quite a bit more this quarter (all used, except a few pairs of sneakers). I also didn't choose one color to be my theme as I mostly have done for the other capsules. I know I wanted more color this season, so I added whatever I wanted. My color scheme has my usuals, grey, black and denim, but also some maroon, brown, teal, orange, white, and mustard. 

7 Pants - New to me red cords (used), Everlane jeans (sustainably made), red pants (new to me but used), brown pants (used), grey jeans (used), gap jeans (new to me but used and mended), banana republic jeans (new to me but used).

4 Pullover Sweaters - cream (used), teal, grey (a favorite thrifted piece), black. 

4 Over Shirts/Cardigans - Mustard cardi (hand me down), maroon cardi, red/blue button down (10+ years), vermillion cardi. 

8 Tops - Maroon cowl neck (10+ years), black short sleeve sweater/top (10+), grey satin neck (used), B&W diamond top (new to me but used), moon shift (clothing swap), white short sleeved top (newly thrifted), lace sweat shirt (newly thrifted), Everlane top (sustainably made). 

4 Tank Tops - White, grey, black, brown with flowers (all over 10 years old). 

7 T Shirts - Maroon V, teal V, grey V, maroon crew (all made in usa and 10+), cat/whale (10+), grey Talula's, black Witch band T. 

4 Shirts/shorts - New to me bermuda (thrifted), t shift, denim (used), long black. 

9 Shoes - grey cons (10+), tall boot (new to me but used), suede booties (used), white hightops, velcro vans, cat sneakers, grey moccasins (10+), maroon boots (10+), emily booties.

My Spring capsule is a little all over the map, but I like it!! I think it'll work for me and I'm excited to try it. It's a bit larger than some of my previous capsules, falling at 50 items. 35 of those are slow fashion, a higher percentage than previous capsules. Many of the remaining 15 pieces are close to the 10 year mark. Having an entirely slow wardrobe is a goal I'm happy to work towards. 

I cannot wait to get into the meat of this capsule. And into real spring. Warm weather cannot come soon enough. Is everyone as excited for the coming season, and coming capsule, as I am??

Something New: Visible Mending

One thing I know I should do more of, as a sewist and as a someone on a sustainable lifestyle path, is mend my clothes and make repairs to my wardrobe. 

Since I get almost all my clothes second hand, or use what I already have, repairing my clothes will help them last longer. Since I don't use the sewing machine, sometimes my repairs can't help but be visible. But I am also trying to embrace purposely visible mending. 

I decided to try it out on pair of jeans I thrifted but that had a hole near the knee that was too big for my taste. For the patch I used a bit of old jean. I stitched one way with a blue cotton thread and in the other direction with cream colored purl cotton thread. 

I like how these came out, but 'll be interested to see how these wear and how I feel about them after getting used to it. 

Does anyone else use visible mending to repair clothes? 

Something Nice

Cool stamps and friends who get it. 

Simple Swap: Shampoo Bar

My journey towards Zero Waste has been a series of simple swaps. This seems like the easiest and lowest impact way to move towards less waste and a new lifestyle. If you are thinking of moving to a more low impact life, I highly suggest starting small with easy simple swaps. 

One swap I knew I wanted to make was to stop getting shampoo and conditioner in plastic bottles. There are many ways one can do this but I opted for the simplest, a shampoo bar! 

Luckily I have a awesome local soap shop, Big Spoon Little Spoon Soaps, and they make a shampoo bar. I had never used one before, and it took a little getting used to. The first few times I washed my hair with the bar it was quite dry and stiff. But after a few washes, my hair got used to it and it was soft and supple after washing. The soap does lathers up nicely but I had to learn how much to put on my hair and how to work it in, which takes a little more work than regular shampoo. 

I only was my hair 2 - 3 times per week, partly to let the natural oils in my hair do their thing and partly bc that;s just how I roll. In between washes, I will sometimes use a dry shampoo which I make myself. Currently we still use conditioner that comes in plastic. After the bottles we have runs out I want to switch. I have not found a conditioner bar yet, but I'm always on the look out! 

This was the shampoo swap I settled on, but you can also get shampoo in metal refillable containers, use home made shampoo, or go no poo and natural. What shampoo method do you use?