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Sustainable Living

10 Sustainable New Year’s Resolutions For Greener Living

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Motivational And Inspiring Ideas To Live A Greener Life

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As cliché as it may be, I rather enjoy the ”new year, new me” mantra, especially when it involves lifestyle changes that benefit the environment.

How we travel, what we eat, what we buy-they all determine the size of our carbon footprint.

So while some laugh at the thought (and even despise the idea) of New Year’s resolutions, I see it as a way of preparing a new mindset to make alterations to a current lifestyle.

Below are 10 ideas for New Year’s resolutions that will help jumpstart a journey to live more a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle that helps fight climate change, saves marine life, and minimizes waste!

10 Eco-Friendly New Year’s Resolutions

Invest In Reusable Items

One of the easiest ways to ease into sustainable living is to make gradual plastic swaps throughout the year. Start with something simple like purchasing a reusable drinking straw, and go from there. Make a plan to swap an item or two out every month, and by the end of the year, you will have lowered your carbon footprint by a significant amount. Trying out a monthly subscription box full of sustainable products is also a fun and easy way to start green living.

Make Your Own Cleaning Products

Last year, one of my personal New Year’s resolutions for 2021 was to learn how to make my own all-natural cleaning products—and I met my goal. When you have children, you start to wonder about all the hazardous ingredients that are used in every day cleaning products—including laundry detergents, and you become determined to use safer alternatives.

Fill Your Home With Plants

The inside of your house is actually 3-5 times more polluted than the outdoors because there isn’t enough ventilation. And although studies show that houseplants don’t do much to filter toxins, they certainly do increase oxygen levels—which is very beneficial to have in bedrooms. If you’ve never owned a houseplant, start with a Pothos (those long vine looking plants). They’re easy to care for, and even easier to propagate!

Minimize Food Waste

A sustainable New Year’s resolution that should be on everyone’s list is learning how to minimize food waste. These days, fresh produce in the fridge often takes a back seat to fast food because we’re too tired to cook by the time we get home. As a result, whatever you have sitting around in your fridge eventually spoils and has to be tossed out. So make a goal to learn how to meal prep, freeze unused portions properly, and shop with a meal plan in mind.

Choose Sustainable Fashion Over Fast Trends

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to purge my closet, donate outdated clothing from fast fashion brands, and create a minimalist wardrobe with healthy, organic and sustainable fabric. When you shop sustainably, you’re supporting a small business that sources ethically made clothing, and you’re putting on organic fabric that’s hypoallergenic because it didn’t require the use of pesticides. So For 2022, make a goal to shop from a sustainable fashion brand each month, and watch your wardrobe and confidence transform! P.S. check out 337 Brand which has the cutest eco-friendly leisurewear for everyday that you will love!

Switch To Vegan Beauty Products

Make 2022 the year that you swap conventional beauty brands for vegan alternatives. A ton of beauty companies still resort to animal testing, which is cruel and unnecessary. Plus, many of the chemicals used in creating certain beauty products aren’t healthy for us to use. If you need some recommendations for vegan skincare and cosmetics brands, check out my sustainable brand directory!

Purchase Compostable Products

You won’t believe how many products are compostable these days! Stuff like phone cases, fashion accessories, utensils, mailing supplies, personal care products and more, are all available in compostable and biodegradable options. These plastic alternatives minimize landfill waste, save marine life, and are ultimately much healthier for you. So this year, strive to purchase more compostable items that are better for the environment!

Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Make an effort to reduce your carbon footprint and utility bill at the same time, by making some mindful changes around your home. Swap out those energy draining light bulbs, conserve water, install a tankless water heater and maybe pop some solar panels onto your roof if you happen to be a home owner. Making gradual changes to your home will save you a considerable amount of money, and you’ll be reducing carbon dioxide emissions which contribute to climate change.

Take Care Of Your Physical Health

And by that I don’t mean lose weight (no body shaming in this New Year’s resolution). What I mean, when it comes to this particular goal, is that we must take care of our physical health by keeping toxins out of our bodies. So if you smoke, this can be the year that you commit to quitting. If you drink out of single-use plastic water bottles, you should switch to a reusable bottle and avoid all of the carcinogens that disposable bottles leach out. Be mindful of what you place into your body, and you’ll improve your overall health.

Declutter Your Home

Clutter affects our mental health—it overstimulates us, increases stress, makes it hard to focus, and makes us less productive. A cluttered home also forces us to spend more money because we can’t find items that we need; and that just leaves us with more junk because all we’re doing is buying duplicates. So this year, set a weekend aside each month, and focus on decluttering an area of your home that makes you feel overwhelmed. It’s a great way to reduce waste and stress! And if you don’t know where to begin, I recommend ”Decluttering Your Life” by Sabrina Godwin.

What are some of your sustainable lifestyle goals for the new year?

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Sustainable Living

How To Keep Cool At Night For Better Sleep

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8 Solutions To Minimize Night Sweats And Insomnia On Hot Summer Nights

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Are you a ‘hot’ sleeper looking for ways to cool down your body so you can sleep better? You’re not alone!


Whether it’s a hormonal disorder, sleep disturbance, co-sleeping with the kids, or simply a heat wave during a hot summer night, the human body can produce a lot of sweat while we sleep, and it’s incredibly uncomfortable and feels downright gross.

The worst part is that night sweats disturb our sleep cycle. You might finally fall asleep and wake up 2 hours later feeling dehydrated and drenched—like you’ve been trapped in a sauna all night. It can literally happen to anyone—especially those experiencing hormonal changes like giving birth, menopause or other medical reasons.

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Still some people don’t have the convenience of a central air conditioning unit—or they live in hot states like Arizona where a two story house can trap a ton of heat even with the air conditioning unit running.

Regardless of the reason—you’re sweating, and you need a solution—fast! Luckily, I’ve got some for you. Some may work, others might not. But most of these changes/additions to your bedroom and sleep routine might cool you down and help you stay asleep all night long.

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Rub Aloe Vera Gel Into Your Skin

Have you ever rubbed aloe Vera gel onto your skin after being out in the sun for too long and it felt so nice and cool to the touch? You can do that right before bed as well. But instead of pre-packaged aloe Vera gel that might contain some extra chemicals, buy an all natural Aloe Vera plant (pick one or two up at Lowe’s, Home Depot or Walmart).

Just break off a leaf and rub it onto your face and body. It’ll feel very refreshing and cool to the touch—especially if you have the fan going. While these plants don’t regenerate, they do repopulate by growing new baby leaves! Hence, this is a wonderful sustainable plant to own in your home!


Change Up Your Mattress

This second tip for cooler sleep isn’t ideal for everyone, but believe it or not, you can get a cooling memory foam mattress that’s infused with green tea and cooling gel for under $500. The cooling foam conforms to your sleeping position and regulates temperature all night long—minimizing night sweats and improving your sleep.

Brand: Zinus

Add A Chilled Mattress Topper

Don’t want to invest in a new mattress? No problem! Try adding a chilled mattress topper to your bed. This system works by circulating chilled water through a PVC vinyl mattress cooling pad which removes body heat and cooling you down throughout the night. After your body heat is absorbed by the water, it’s returned to the Mattress Cooler and is recirculated. Pretty cool and innovative.

Brand: Mattress Cooler

Consider A Memory Foam Gel Pillow

Weekender

The right kind of pillow can make a difference when it comes to perspiration. The gel memory foam pillows work by regulating temperature, dispersing heat and promoting airflow, which keeps you a lot more comfortable throughout the night. Plus, the memory foam conforms to your head and shoulders.

Freeze Your Pillow Cases Before Bed

Whether your pillow cases are made of organic cotton, moisture-wicking bamboo fabric or even silk, throw them into the freezer for a little while prior to bed time! The cold feeling won’t last all night, but it’ll be a cool way to drift off to sleep.

Brand: Vegan Silk

Wrap Yourself In A ‘Cooling’ Blanket

There are all sorts of “cooling” blankets out on the market that work by absorbing body heat—and bamboo fabric cooling blankets are by far the best! They’re cool to the touch, breathable and feel like silk. So in addition to linen/cotton bedsheets, go ahead and add this blanket to your bedding!

Brand: Dangtop

Try A Full Body Cold Compress

You can kill two birds with one stone if you suffer from back pain or other body aches in addition to night sweats. Large cooling gel pads such as Magic Gel are an excellent way to get much needed sleep while getting rid of inflammation.

Magic Gel

Add An Evaporative Cooler Into Your Room

Evaporative coolers are portable air conditioners that work wonders when it comes to cooling down small spaces—and they’re perfect for bedrooms. In addition to cooling you down, evaporative coolers also work as humidifiers and air purifiers. Simply fill up the water tank and add some ice packs (which are typically included), and ta-da! You’ve got up to 8 hours of crispy cold air circulating around your room as you sleep!

Brand: AGILLY

How do you keep cool at night during hot summers? Share your tips below!

Health & Beauty, Sustainable Living

10 Zero-Waste Handbag Essentials

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10 Sustainable And Eco-Friendly Must-Have Items For Your Purse!


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Are you looking to extend your zero-waste lifestyle beyond your home? Would you like to make your travel and outings more sustainable and eco-friendly? Well, it’s actually quite easy—especially if you have a handbag! And in this article, I’m going to show you all of the best zero-waste items that you can keep in your handbag, and utilize on your outings while reducing your carbon footprint.

Keep in mind that you do not need all of the items that I’m going to recommend. They are simply what is inside of my zero-waste purse. I personally love really large purses because I have kids and I need to store some items for them as well from time to time—so having a big shoulder bag is really handy for me. And for that reason I enjoy bags that are made of a linen/cotton blend because they stretch and are perfect for outings like the beach and road trips.

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However, there are times when I prefer to be more of a minimalist and choose a smaller purse with less items—like when I’m shopping alone or doing a lot of walking. But, no matter how I choose to accessorize, I always have to have two main zero-waste items with me at all times: a reusable water bottle and reusable straw. I live in Florida where the heat is insane during the summer months, so those are two must-have items.

I hope the zero-waste travel items below inspire you to create your own zero-waste handbag kit! I myself am always looking for new products to add that can help me become more sustainable outside of my home.

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Zero Waste Handbag Essentials

  1. Reusable Water Bottle

I have several reusable water bottles that I use depending on where I go and what I am doing. I have one that specifically fits my jogging stroller, a large one for the gym, and a pretty teal one by Hydrapeak that I take with me when I am running errands—that’s the one that’s constantly in my purse. It’s made of stainless steel and it’s insulated, so it does a great job of keeping my water cold—especially during the hot summer months. So when choosing a reusable water bottle for your hand bag, go for anything that’s zero-waste like stainless steel, titanium, copper, silicone or glass.

Now Designs


2. REUSABLE COLLAPSIBLE COFFEE CUP

If you’re a coffee lover like me, then you probably own a reusable tumbler, and use it on your commutes (most likely in the mornings). And again, if you’re like me, you probably accidentally leave it in your cup holder where the remaining remnants spoil over night. We’ve all been there. That’s why I love these new collapsible silicone coffee mugs that have recently become popular. Once you’re done drinking out of it, you can squash it and throw it into your handbag right away so you don’t forget about it. Some even come with reusable straws, and are much more convenient for park outings or camping trips than bulky tumblers.

TripsGeo

3. Reusable Straw

I added a reusable straw to my zero-waste handbag kit about two years ago. In fact, switching to reusable straws was my very first step to a greener lifestyle, and it progressed from there. I remember that video of a helpless sea turtle with a plastic straw in his nose and that was it for me.

FinalStraw

With that said I tried a lot of reusable straws (stainless steel, silicone, glass and bamboo), and each one has a unique aftertaste—and I prefer to drink out of stainless steel straws with silicone tips (because accidentally hitting your front teeth with a metal straw hurts A LOT). If you’re not sure what kind of straw is best for you, check out my article on the best reusable straws of 2021. Having these in your handbag allows you to avoid plastic straws whenever you eat out and it’s certainly a great feeling to know that you didn’t contribute any single-use plastic to the landfill.

4. Reusable Travel Utensils

Yes, I carry around reusable cutlery in my handbag for two very important reasons. The first and obvious one is that if I am eating out or traveling, I don’t have to rely on plastic utensils which are sometimes wrapped in even more plastic. The second reason is germs. I don’t care how sanitized restaurant utensils are—I refuse to put something in my mouth that thousands of other people have put into their mouth. It’s just not happening.

Topbooc

So because of these reasons, I purchased a stainless steel travel utensil kit. And depending on your preference, you can buy one as well—they have kits made of stainless steel, bamboo, wheatgrass, rice husks and titanium. You can check out my article on best travel utensils if you’re interested in adding this to your zero-waste handbag!

5. REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS

In order to be an eco-conscious and mindful shopper, I use reusable shopping bags. This helps me avoid the need to use plastic bags, and reusable bags are more durable (plus you can fit more items inside). A lot of people like the idea of using reusable shopping bags, but most (especially men) don’t actually put this idea to use. That’s because they think that reusable bags are too “bulky”, but what they don’t realize is that many reusable bags come in foldable compact designs that can fit into your back pocket, and then unfold into large capacity bags that can hold up to 40-50 pounds. I use LuckyTreyvon bags (pictured below) and they are incredibly, incredibly awesome! Not to mention have the cutest designs. I got these in a pack of 6 and they easily fit in my handbag.

LuckyTreyvon

6. Reusable Tissues

One of the newest additions to my zero waste handbag is a reusable tissue kit. I was given a LastTissue kit for Christmas last year and it’s the coolest and cutest product ever. It consists of 6 organic cotton tissues that are housed in a dishwasher safe silicone container. The tissues can be re-washed up to over 400 times and they’re completely non-toxic. They feel a little stiff at first, but after a few washes, they soften up. It’s a great way to save trees and money. You can also purchase cloth handkerchiefs and store them in a small coin purse or used mint tin.

LastTissue

7. ZERO WASTE DEODORANT BAR

One of my ‘must-have’ hygiene items is a spare zero waste, natural deodorant. If you’re like me and use natural deodorant, you know that a major side effect of switching from traditional deodorant is sweat and body odor—so having a travel size deodorant in your handbag is very useful. Many people carry around disposable deodorant wipes, but those (even if they are labeled biodegradable) are not zero waste. They may be eco-friendly because they eventually breakdown, but they’re not zero waste—and that’s our goal for this zero-waste handbag kit.

Ethique

8. WOODEN SUNGLASSES

Polarized sunglasses are a must-have item—especially for driving. I have a pair in my purse at all times, and one extra pair in my glove compartment. And lately I’ve been really liking wooden [bamboo] sunglass frames. I don’t know about you, but in the past I’ve gone through a bunch of sunglasses because I’d either break them or lose them—they’re like socks, they just disappear. And they were all cheap plastic. That’s why wooden sunglasses are so much better to own—especially sustainable ones made from bamboo. If you loose them or they happen to break, just compost the frames!

Cloudfield

9. REUSABLE PERIOD PADS

We’ve all been there—running errands or at work and Mother Nature decides to crash the party earlier than expected. And of course we realize that we forgot to pack some period protection. Well, if you haven’t given reusable period pads a try yet, you really should consider it! When it comes to landfill waste, menstrual products as just as bad as baby diapers and single-use plastic water bottles that never biodegrade.

Teamoy

And the majority of reusable period pads contain charcoal bamboo layers which absorb twice as much as traditional menstrual pads—without the harsh and toxic ingredients. And if you’d like to know more about zero-waste period products check out my article on best zero-waste period starter kits! These reusable period pads are so great to have in your handbag and they come with a super cute storage pouch.

10. REUSABLE MINI BENTO BOX

There are times when I am eating out and don’t quite finish my meal—and the same goes with my kids. And in those situations, we used to take our food home in styrofoam to-go boxes provided free of charge by the restaurant. And now I realize just how unnecessary and wasteful it was to use those single-use containers. So when bento boxes started becoming popular a couple of years ago, the idea of using one as a to-go box really appealed to me. And the good news is that bento boxes come in all kinds of sizes, so you can get a very small one that fits right in your handbag and is incredibly light weight. They also make perfect on-the go snack containers for you or your kids (and they contain dividers which is awesome!).

LunchBots

Do you have any of these items in your handbag? What zero-waste items would you add?