A lifestyle podcast for women who want tidiness without trash.
Minimalism has experienced a rebirth in recent years, yet the "less is more" movement has been around for centuries. Yet today's minimalist influencers have resurrected minimalism with a decidedly consumerist spin, as modern minimalism is nearly synonymous with decluttering.
While there's a lot of chatter about tidying, it's radio silence and crickets when it comes to sustainability.
The result? Aspiring minimalists find themselves on an endless hamster wheel of buying, decluttering, buying more, and purging again. Overemphasizing decluttering and underemphasizing the reasons why we overbuy in the first place is thoroughly inconsistent with slow living as a movement, and consumption without intention is terrible for the planet.
The Sustainable Minimalists podcast explores minimalism, sustainability, and environmentally-friendly parenting practices so that you can curate an eco-minimalist home (without the extra work).
I heard that because rugs and carpets are magnets for dust and everything that it is better than bare floors because with bare floors all that stuff floats around more. Just something I heard, I have wood floors with some rugs here and there.
To be a 'climate optimist' is to have faith in the good nature of humans which God gave us (and to Himself). And yes by this I'm saying today's 'climate activist' is the complete opposite of that. I also bought into that stuff. As a kid, I remember having anxieties when I see nature getting ravaged and I still believe it to be this way but I don't think the policies being spit out right now are just down right ridiculous and even more harmful than good not to mention fueled by mere narcissism. Anne Therese really summed up everything perfectly. Capitalism is actually the reason of all the advances in technology we have today -- we have less waste yet can produce more with the same if not better quality product which in itself creates even less waste; vehicles are getting more and more efficient; processes are being streamlined, and so on. By improving our capitalist system, we can get better and better to attain sustainability. Great conversation ladies!
Isn't the gift to the kids the time at the gym you had to pay for. The problem with giving a $5 gift Certificate To 1 family member is now that family member has to spend more money to buy the rest of their family ice cream because the 1 child has a certificate
This is an interesting criticism. If money's tight, you certainly don't have to buy extra ice cream. But if you feel the need to buy one for yourself/other family members, you could remember that by attending a birthday party where no presents were politely requested you could re-distribute the would-be funds you would have used on a birthday present for ice cream for your family, instead.
@@sustainableminimalists sorry I did not hear that no guests were politely requested. But still at that why do we have to reward the child coming to an activity party with a gift to take home I thought we were trying to live minimal
Thanks for talking about this! This was such a fun and relatable conversation with so many useful tips!! I woke up this morning to a HUGE box on my doorstep from my kids biological-grandpa (on my ex's side) who they don't really have a relationship with. Was disappointed his wife gave away my address to him. Searched for a video on this topic because I was overwhelmed and I loved that you guys spoke about not inviting the package in. It was too late, I already did. But the second I heard that, I taped that box up so quick and put it back on my doorstep haha. I'm already feeling a bit better. I go through most of the holidays feeling like I'm the only one who feels this way, yet I also see friends and family scrambling around stressed so I think they feel this way too yet haven't quite identified it... I love that you suggested letting the in laws know that these were earth loving decisions, I never thought to bring it up like that and now I'm planning to incorporate that for when my kids birthdays approach. I've only used the 'small space' excuse. Christmas has been an uphill battle with my extended family members since childhood for me. I was always told I was ungrateful or hard to please because I donated most of my gifts. Finally this year I announced that I'm no longer celebrating Christmas. It snapped everyone out of the habitual gift-giving to my family and I no longer feel overwhelmed by the plastic junk gifted to my kids. My husband, kids and I now celebrate the first day of Winter, where we make homemade apple cider and bring home winter plants for around the house. We color and paint together, and give my kids gifts such as snow jackets, winter clothes, and some cash for them to either save or to carefully choose what they want to bring home. We finally found something that works for us!!! Although the rest of my family still gifts like crazy, we're finally protected in our own little world. "Giving the gift is not the flex you think it is" made me laugh. But it's so true!!
I too have a 10+ year old pillow and it's my absolute favourite. Maybe should recycle it though. I've just never found a new one quite as comfortable. We did do a pre-Xmas declutter and have told the kids that if they get something they don't like, want or will use for Xmas then we can either sell or donate it. They don't have to keep something they don't want or need just because someone gave it to them. I will not be responsible for placing emotional sentimental blackmail on my kids so that they feel they can't get rid of something in case of offending or hurting someone else. They own it, they can do what they want with their things.
That was really informative, I'll definitely be trying the walking up and down the stairs after meals thing and I've found trying to be minimalist has considerably lowered my stress level.
