If you're like most humans, 70-percent of your thoughts each day skew negative. The good news? You aren't your thoughts; you're the observer. On today's show therapist Risa Williams shows us how to break free of the negativity bias that afflicts our species once and for all. Here's a preview: [1:00] No-Spend Reset wrap-up! Here are the biggest takeaways from you, our listeners [8:30] The real-life and real-time benefits of being the observer [11:30] How to catch your bias tow...
Feb 06, 2024•45 min•Ep 439•Transcript available on Metacast Enough with excessive educational toys, extracurriculars, and enrichment activities. It’s time to take a step back, put our wallets away, and realize what our children *actually* need. On today's show: re-centering our parenting efforts around 3 of the most important childhood needs. Here's a preview: [10:00] Kids need your undivided attention! Make sure you're giving twice as much positive attention as negative attention [13:00] What recent research says about the benefits of deligh...
Feb 01, 2024•40 min•Ep 438•Transcript available on Metacast Reducing food waste doesn't always jive with societal norms. That's because keeping perfectly edible food out of landfills might mean being the weirdo who boxes their wedding entree. Or asking (gasp!) to take home extra pizza from a child's birthday party. On today's show: A conversation with journalist Rachael Jackson about how to value food more than we value fitting in. Here's a preview: [7:45] Is composting the solution to food waste? (Answer: No.) [10:00] 5 ways to shame...
Jan 30, 2024•37 min•Ep 437•Transcript available on Metacast First facts, then the inevitable spin! The enviro-news we are spinning for Friday, January 26 2024: [1:00] 3 cheers for a White House pause in the natural gas export terminal CP2 [5:00] No one likes air pollution. Enter new rules for fine particulates [10:00] Understanding the global average temperature, with predictions for 2024 [12:30] Where to put Lahaina's toxic debris? Next to an important coral reef, of course Join our (free!) community here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists a...
Jan 26, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast When faced with information that challenges our long-held beliefs, we humans do one of two things. Either we think hard about our values and adapt our lifestyles to reflect this new data, or we cling to willful blindness so that we may continue to think and act in the ways we've always thought and acted. In honor of Veganuary I bring you a conversation with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau about changing our beliefs — and perhaps our diets — in the face of new information. Here's a preview: [7:3...
Jan 25, 2024•44 min•Ep 436•Transcript available on Metacast Wisdom is the cumulation of valuable lessons we pick up along our journeys through this messy thing called life, and pearls of wisdom are guideposts to help us navigate the complexities of living in an uncertain world in an uncertain time. On today's show: A conversation with author Dr. Elizabeth Kagan Arleo about trusting the wisdom of the experts — both modern and ancient — so as to better overcome life's challenges and improve overall well-being. Here's a preview of the wisdom we ...
Jan 23, 2024•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 19 2024: [00:30] Updates from the Greenland ice sheet [5:00] Staggering losses to North American bird populations, plus: outlining their (human-made) threats [10:00] Gross! Our favorite foods have an awful lot of microplastics within [14:00] "Plastic-free" laundry sheets aren't actually plastic-free Join our (free!) community here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube . Say hello! MamaMinim...
Jan 19, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over 200 million Americans subscribe to Prime, and estimates suggest that Amazon delivers 3.4 million packages per day in the US alone. Quitters, unite! I'm quitting Amazon Prime, and perhaps it's time for you to consider quitting too. Here's a preview: [7:30] How on earth is Amazon able to selling items at such low prices? It ain't pretty ... [12:00] Amazon is only the cheapest option if you're willing to buy almost everything on Amazon, and I'm going to prove it [20:00]...
Jan 18, 2024•40 min•Ep 434•Transcript available on Metacast Did you know? Ikea beds, Wayfair desks, and other fast furniture items are designed to last about five years. Fast furniture is mass-produced and relatively inexpensive; it's easy, then, to obtain and abandon. And fast decor? Low price points essentially render disposable those trendy but cheap pillows, artwork, and trinkets. There's a better way, and it always starts with slowing down. Slow Style is Zandra Zuraw 's framework for creating homes that nurture without breaking the bank,...
Jan 16, 2024•37 min•Ep 433•Transcript available on Metacast The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 12 2024: [00:45] Want to eat and drink less plastic? Don't drink bottled water ... [5:00] Vroom vroom! Clean yellow school buses are a-comin' nationwide [10:00] Say it ain't so: Right now the US is producing more oil than any other country ... ever [14:00] Help halt the fossil fuel industry's Liquified Natural Gas export expansion! Here's how Resources mentioned: Petition to Stop New LNG Exports (via actionnetwork.org) #Sto...
Jan 12, 2024•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast You've likely been there. That moment when you look at your credit card statement and your heart sinks. Sometimes logic gives way to desire, and nothing's worse than realizing you overshopped on impulses. A lot. It’s time to take a look at what happens in the moments *before* we impulse buy. On today's show: honing in our 5 shopping triggers so we can insert that crucial pause before buying. Here's a preview: [3:45] Advertisers shape our desires, and the credit industry makes the...
Jan 11, 2024•34 min•Ep 432•Transcript available on Metacast In some ways, our preponderance toward tech disposability is systemic. We consumers in the US are denied the right to repair: fixing a broken smartphone, then, is costly. It's simply more convenient to replace our broken item for the newest model. When your device is broken you should have more options than a high-priced service or the landfill, and New York agrees. The Digital Fair Repair Act should make it easier to repair our smartphones and laptops at shops of *our* choosing. It's go...
Jan 09, 2024•29 min•Ep 431•Transcript available on Metacast The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 5 2024: [00:45] Is drinking toilet water in our future? (Answer: Yes.) [3:45] Some flowers are evolving to pollinate themselves, and this is not good news [7:15] Got climate trauma? Good luck finding professional support [15:00] A lack of EPA oversight in Cancer Alley Resources mentioned: Episode #127: Standing Up To Environmental Racism Join our (free!) community here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + You...
Jan 05, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over the holidays my family and I staycationed for 9 glorious days. During this time of introspection I re-learned these 4 universally applicable lessons which we are discussing today: [2:45] Appearance is EVERYthing (when shopping, at least). [10:00] Explanations are unnecessary. [18:00] No ones need to eat like royalty *every* night. [27:00] Habit forming? Remember dosage. Repetition too! Resources mentioned: Mailbird (Note: it's not free!) Episode #223: Reclaiming Movement Opportunities -...
Jan 04, 2024•31 min•Ep 430•Transcript available on Metacast Whether you boast a small windowsill herb garden, a thriving hydroponic system or something in between, growing your own food is great for your well-being. And when you grow what you eat? You also reduce the environmental harm that's incurred by industrial agricultural methods; you eliminate food miles, too. Kevin Espiritu built a modern homestead on a very modest urban lot; he also happens to help millions of home growers take their gardening efforts to the next level. On today's show K...
Jan 02, 2024•32 min•Ep 429•Transcript available on Metacast The holidays are all about overabundance. We buy too much, consume too much and despite our best efforts spend far too much money. But there is a solution, and it’s happening on January 1: A No Spend Reset. A practical first step toward adopting a lifestyle rooted in sustainable minimalism is to hop off the consumerist bandwagon, at least for a little while, and January is the perfect right time to tackle that project you've been meaning to get to in your home, explore the wonder of recreati...
Dec 30, 2023•28 min•Ep 428•Transcript available on Metacast A New Year's resolution is a tool that helps us become the best possible versions of ourselves. And yet research finds most people abandon their resolutions by February. Many New Year's resolutions fail because they're too broad, too lofty, and not at all time-sensitive. On today's show we set ourselves up for resolution success by applying the 5 components of SMART goals to our 2024 aspirations. Here's a preview: [2:00] What do the statistics say? Here's just how many re...
Dec 27, 2023•29 min•Ep 338•Transcript available on Metacast The (only positive!) enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 22 2023: [3:30] Can microorganisms help in our plastics fight? [6:00] Exactly how plants communicate with other plants (and why it's important in climate change conversations) [9:00] 'Sustainable' Aviation Fuels: Is climate-friendly flying an oxymoron? Join our (free!) community here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube . Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Spo...
Dec 22, 2023•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are taught from an early age that contentment is found in possessions. But lasting peace comes from within, and meditation is a powerful (and free!) way to find what so many of us seek. Yet thanks to All. The. Distractions, modern life has engineered out opportunities to go inward. And at the same time? Meditation has never been more needed or necessary. On today's show, a conversation with Brett Koon about the #1 way to boost happiness, reduce stress, hop off the consumerist bandwagon fo...
Dec 19, 2023•38 min•Ep 426•Transcript available on Metacast The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 15 2023: [00:30] COP28: The good, the bad, and the ugly [9:15] Who gets the (limited) water in California? [13:30] Extreme weather and the cost of sugar Join our (free!) community here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube . Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to Equilibria! Use code SUSTAINABLE for 15% off sitewide: http://www.myeq.com * Thank you to LifeStraw! https:...
Dec 15, 2023•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast The human endocrine system is delicate and complex. While scientists first discovered endocrine disrupting chemicals in 1991, obesogens - a subset of endocrine disruptors in personal care products that cause weight gain - were discovered only within the last two decades. Our cosmetics can cause us to develop more and bigger fat cells; they may also make it harder to stay at a healthy weight. On today's show: A conversation with Andrea Dahr about the endocrine disruptors, with special attenti...
Dec 12, 2023•28 min•Ep 425•Transcript available on Metacast The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 8 2023: [00:30] An update on how companies are doing on their environmental "pledges" [4:30] Lego-like bricks? A carbon capture breakthrough [7:30] Would you pay a monthly fee to not see ads on Facebook and Instagram? [9:30] Quick check-ins from COP28 and Wednesday's Republican presidential debate Resources mentioned: Episode #381: Our Carbon Problem Join our (free!) community here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on...
Dec 08, 2023•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Research finds that by and large happiness is a learned and cultivated behavior. Even better? Decades of psychological research lay the foundation for a handy-dandy formula that helps us *increase* the amount of happiness we experience in our daily lives. On today's show: abandoning cultural expectations in favor of a happiness formula that's both practical and empirically-based. Here's a preview: [3:00] If happiness isn't a state of being, what is it, really? Should we even seek...
Dec 07, 2023•33 min•Ep 424•Transcript available on Metacast Sustainability has the reputation of being, well, expensive. When money's tight, how do modern families decide what to prioritize with their dollars? Today I chat with Whitney Leigh Morris about the space where eco-consciousness and finances collide. Here's a preview: [3:30] Think you can't afford to be eco-friendly? Think again [6:00] $8 leggings from Target or a $35 pair from an ethical brand? It's complicated ... [13:00] Electric vehicle? Heat pump? How to get in the habit of ...
Dec 05, 2023•28 min•Ep 368•Transcript available on Metacast The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 1 2023: [00:30] Frustration and skepticism surrounding the latest climate summit happening now [5:30] A plane just flew across the Atlantic without fossil fuels, but let's reign in our excitement [10:00] Lead pipes, be gone [14:00] The plight of the wolverine Join our (free!) community here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube . Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you...
Dec 01, 2023•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Like wine? Me too! On today's show: Everything you need to know about selecting wine that's aligned with your values. Here's a preview: [3:00] Why, oh why aren't there ingredients labels on alcohol? [8:00] Your favorite wine may have up to 6 dozen additives within. Let's chat about a few of them [13:00] Do sulfites deserve their bad rap? (hey there, red wine headaches!) [20:00] Grapes are listed as #8 on the EWG's Dirty Dozen. Should we be buying organic wine? [24:00] Bio...
Nov 30, 2023•37 min•Ep 304•Transcript available on Metacast Many of us have a complicated relationship with our stuff. And while no one wants their possessions to possess their lives, our stuff often has fascinating stories to tell. On today's show: A conversation with psychotherapist and professional organizer Helen Sanderson about what the state of our homes reveal about our psychology. Here's a preview: [3:45] Pack rat, minimalist, or somewhere in between? Here's what our homes show us about ourselves [6:15] How to best guide your child to...
Nov 28, 2023•31 min•Ep 421•Transcript available on Metacast It’s crazy but it’s true: Only in America do we trample each other for sales exactly ONE day after being thankful for what we already have. Corporations want us to believe that happiness lies in stuff, but research consistently suggests otherwise. On today's re-air: A conversation with blogger Barbara Alfeo about making the most of the day after Thanksgiving in ways that have nothing to do with shopping. Here's a preview: [4:00] A Black Friday primer: Its humble origins and its spectacul...
Nov 23, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is that Christmas in the air, or is it capitalism? There's no doubt about it: overconsumption degrades the planet. Enter Secondhand Sunday, a new-ish shopping holiday that's nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It's dedicated to all-things thrifted and redirects shoppers away from mass consumption and toward pre-loved items instead. On today's show Poshmark 's Kelly Mason inspires us to think differently about shopping during the holidays. (P.S. Are you putting up y...
Nov 21, 2023•30 min•Ep 420•Transcript available on Metacast The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, November 17 2023: [2:45] Climate disasters are expensive, yo [7:30] Earth just experienced its hottest year in 125,000 years [12:00] The planet is "woefully off track" on 41 out of 42 global climate goals Join our (free!) community here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube . Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to Equilibria! Use code SUSTAINABLE for 15% off sitewide: h...
Nov 17, 2023•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
