​Happy Earth Day! In honor of the occasion, I thought I would share some of my favorite low waste swaps. These are all things that I have personally tried an enjoy. Also this post is not sponsored, I really do like this stuff!

Obviously it should be said that the most sustainable choice is using up what you already have rather than buying more stuff. I love to have a list of what I'd like to try once my current product runs out so I hope this can be helpful whether you're in the market for something new or not.

Additionally, I think it helps to take it slow and try to swap out one product at a time. Rushing off and buying all new items or hand making a whole new set of cleaning products seems overwhelming. I suggest trying one (maybe two?) swaps at a time until you find what you love for that need before moving on to the next one.

Toothpaste- Georganics Toothpaste Tablets English Peppermint
Unlike the toothbrushes, I have tried MANY different types of toothpaste and so far these tablets are my favorite both in cleaning ability and minty flavor. 
Bamboo Toothbrush
I'm gonna be honest, I have no idea what brand I use. I think I tend to buy whatever is in stock from various stores I've shopped at. The one I currently use is this one, but it's because it's what was in stock at the last store I went to. The thing I wanted to note was that I was wondered the bristles wouldn't be right for my teeth or that the the toothbrush would be a novelty item that wasn't "as good" as a regular toothbrush. My dentist has never had any complaints since I've switched to the bamboo toothbrush about 3 years ago. 

Halloween is THIS WEEKEND! Can you believe it?! If you're looking for a few last minute Halloween costumes, I've put together a few costumes I've worn using primarily what I had on hand plus a few handmade items incase you really feel like going for it over the next 2 days. 

​A friend of mine sent me a message the other day asking for some ideas on what to do with old clothing. After sending back some ideas, I thought perhaps other people might have some similar questions especially at the beginning of a year when many people are making resolutions to clean out their closets. You probably know I'm a huge advocate for Marie Kondo and her tidying methods, but what do you do with the items you've decided to let go of? How can you be more intentional when getting rid of your clothing?

I've put together a few ideas for you, some of which I've tried myself with links to my blog posts about it. For ideas I had but have not personally had a chance to try, I've included links to other great blog posts for you to explore. 
Before we begin, a few notes:
1. I am writing this during the covid pandemic. I'm hoping it can be universal ideas that may work even if someone finds this post in the future. I recognize that some suggestions may not be possible choices at the date of publishing. 
2. Before you begin, fix anything you can. Wash all items, reattach that loose button, and do whatever else you have the time to do that gives the item a little extra value. If you give it away, the recipient will appreciate that it's in good condition. If you sell it, you will likely get a better price for the item. If something is beyond repair or cleaning, the final few ideas may be more what you're looking for.

Okay! Onto the ideas! What should you do with your clothing when it's time to say goodbye?

Every year for the last few years I go through the struggle of wanting to enjoy my favorite seasonal rituals while still upholding my ethical and environmental values. This year I've been trying to make sure I shop small, buy used, and generally try to make choices that support my community as I enjoy the holidays. One thing that seemed easy enough to figure out was wrapping materials.
Did you know a lot of wrapping materials is not made of recyclable paper? Avoiding any wrapping you see with glitter, foil, or any other speciality treatment is a great place to start. Often times, small shops or art stores will have paper options can be composted and recycled, but they can be quite expensive especially if you have a lot of gifts to wrap. Which leads me to question of if putting so much time, effort, and money into the part of the gift that gets torn and discarded is really even worth it all? This year, I decided that it was not worth it and I was going to find other means to wrap my gifts. 
Like many of you, I have the infamous bag of gift bags saved from year to year. The collection is constantly being regifted or have new bags added to the collection. But what other options are there? Gift bags don't work for every gift and can't be shipped very well. Below are some real life example of gifts I wrapped and gave this year. I spent $0.00 on gift wrap and only used existing materials I already had or was able to get for free. 

How was your Plastic Free July?! Not sure what I'm referring to? Learn more HERE.
As Plastic Free July wraps up, I've been thinking a lot about the controversy around individual environmental actions. The short version is that large companies are contributing more to climate change than any individual action could offset. Some people feel angry that they are asked to stress about take-out in styrofoam while billionaires sit on private jets. I get it! But I can only control my own actions and, while the impact may be small, if thousands of people make steps towards climate advocacy we can make change. The trick is that the steps everyone will take may look different and we have to be open to each other's lives and needs. 

I don't know about you, but my low waste intentions have been completely destroyed with the pandemic. Bulk bins are gone, additional packaging has been added to many items for safety, and the grocery store has generally been pretty hit or miss over the last few months. I have been feeling so much eco-anxiety, but I've also been trying to stop and acknowledge how much those things are not my burden. 

​Black Environmentalists Talk About Climate and Anti-Racism by Somini Segupta from The New York Times. 

I'm a black climate expert. Racism derails our efforts to save the planet. by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson from The Washington Post. 
The Climate Crisis is Racist. The Answer Is Anti-Racism by Eric Holthaus from the Sierra Club.
List of Resources on Environmental Justice, Racism, and Whiteness by the Washington Environmental Council
Environmental & Climate Justice Resources from the NAACP
Giant list of resources for legal council, bail funds, protesting information, etc. Uncertain of original source.
I posted about intersectional environmentalism on Instagram a few days ago, but I wanted to put together a little more information on the subject on the subject. I try to use my voice and my platform to fight for environmental change, but it's important to remember that justice for people is also justice for the planet. To fill you in, here's an excerpt from my original post:
"I pivoted this businesses to a sustainable textiles and supplies company because doing something to be a part of environmental change was very important to me, but climate change will not impact us all equally. Marginalized people will continue to endure the worst of the planet’s problems from famine to communities under literal water. Environmentalism and anti-racism are connected. Those who care about climate change need to show up for Black Lives Matter. Like so many other problems we face, those who are apathetic to environmental problems might also be those who feel they won’t be personally impacted by its consequences. We need to move beyond aesthetically pleasing images of minimalist pantries and understand that environmentalism also needs to be intersectional." 
If you would like to learn more, here are some additional articles and resources! This is certainly not a definitive list and I would love to hear about other resources, but these hold really great information as a starting point.

​A few weeks ago, I posted a video story highlight of a scrappy coaster DIY. I thought a post with step-by-step photographs would be a good compliment for anyone interested in trying it out for themselves. It's a really easy, practical, and fun project that you could finish in less than an hour. If you're a quilter or sewist, I bet you won't need to buy anything to make these. I also think it's a great gift item to give a set of 4-6. 

Have you read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up? Are you part of the converted or a skeptical bystander? As a recovering hoarder who has been truly changed by the KonMari method, I’m going to share with you how I purged and organized my stash to help keep my sanity in my small apartment. The specific tips and ideas may not fit for everyone, but my fabric stash has been my biggest mountain to climb when trying to simplify my life and my possessions. When we moved to San Francisco, half of our moving boxes were full of fabric! TRUE STORY. Granted, we took very little furniture and sold almost everything we could before we moved, but I was so overwhelmed at the thought of purging my stash that I took EVERYTHING. While our current apartment isn’t the smallest place I’ve ever lived, it’s the smallest space we’ve lived since I started sewing and I knew I had to figure out a new solution. This is it and I hope it helps someone out there who struggled to organize like I did. I have no affiliation with KonMari Media. I’m just a huge fan of Marie Kondo and wanted to share my perspective and ideas inspired by the method.