This week has been a sweet little blend of sunshine, quiet routines, and a few things that brought me a lot of joy, plus one very happy Frenchie (thank goodness because she has been sick!). š¶ Olive has been loving her new chew sticks from Natural Farm Pet (more on that in a second), and Iāve been leaning into slow mornings, good spices, and leggings I might never take off.
Here are a few green things from my world this week that made life feel just a little lighter, simpler, and sweeter:
š£ Easter (a Little Early!) with Eben & His Girlfriend
Weāre celebrating Easter a bit early this year since Elizabeth, Ebenās girlfriend is heading home from college next week, and I couldnāt be more excited to have them both here. Weāve got a weekend of cozy spring fun planned, natural egg dyeing, of course, and yes… Iāve got a special Easter egg hunt prepped just for them. I know theyāre 18 and 24, but honestly? Youāre never too old for a little fun and tradition. And you better believe Iāve put together fully loaded Easter baskets for each of them, because festive surprises and organic chocolate never go out of style. And Jayson’s making a coconut cake, so I can’t wait!
š¾ A Chew Stick Worth Barking About
If youāve been following along, you know Olive has allergies, lots of them. So when we find a treat she loves that actually agrees with her? Itās a big win for everyone. We tried the chews from Natural Farm Pet and sheās officially obsessed. I love that theyāre single-ingredient, free of fillers, and responsibly made. She lovesā¦ well, everything about them. I hold the end while she chomps away like itās her lifeās purpose.
This one has been on my heart lately, how to slow down, not just when life forces us to, but by choice. I’ve been starting my mornings with the windows open, savoring my coffee, and reminding myself that doing less can actually be more nourishing. If you’re craving a little simplicity and peace in your day, this post is for you.
Letās talk pantry staples: I recently started using the Stella Herb & Spice Blends Complete Minis, and theyāre so good. Clean ingredients, reusable glass jars, and flavors that take even simple meals to the next level. I shared a few of my favorite ways to use them in this weekās blog, like tossing with roasted veggies or whisking into vinaigrettes.
Shoutout to Jayson for picking me up the Mondetta high-waisted leggings and seamless active tee, Iāve been living in them. Whether weāre out hiking, on the road in the RV, or just running errands, theyāre soft, supportive, and made from recycled materials. Plus, Mondetta is a B Corp, which makes me love them even more.
Wherever you are, I hope your weekend includes something soft, something simple, and something that brings you joy. Maybe thatās a walk outside, a fresh meal, a cozy book, or your pup snuggled up beside you.
And if youāre feeling inspired to make a few green changesābig or smallāknow that every little bit counts.
Starting a new garden can be an exciting and rewarding experience for a new gardener. Whether you have a spacious backyard, where you sit to enjoy theĀ best California wine, or a small balcony, creating a flourishing garden requires planning, patience, and dedication. Here are some essential tips to help you get started on the right foot and cultivate a thriving garden:
Plan your garden layout: Before you start planting, take time toĀ design the layout of your garden. Consider factors like sunlight exposure, wind patterns, and the proximity of water sources. This planning phase will help you make the most of the available space and ensure that your plants have the best chance of thriving.
Start small: It’s tempting to envision a large, elaborate garden right from the beginning, but it’s best to start small, especially if you’re new to gardening. Begin with a small patch or a few containers, so you can manage and care for your plants more effectively. As you gain experience and confidence, you can expand your garden over time.
Choose the right plants: Selecting the right plants is crucial, especially for beginners. Consider the climate and weather conditions in your region, as well as the type of soil you have. Opt for plants that are well-suited to your environment and are relatively easy to grow. Native plants are a great choice as they are often more adapted to the local climate and require less maintenance.
Prepare the soil: Healthy soil is the foundation of a successful garden. Test your soil to understand its pH level and nutrient content. Based on the results, amend the soil with organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure to improve its fertility and structure. Well-prepared soil provides essential nutrients for plants to grow strong and healthy.
Provide proper watering: Consistent and appropriate watering is vital for the growth of your plants. Some plants require more water, while others prefer a drier environment. Use a watering can or a soaker hose to water at the base of the plants, reducing the risk of disease. Water early in the morning or late in the evening to minimize water loss through evaporation.
Mulch your garden: Applying mulch around your plants helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature. Organic mulches, such as wood chips or straw, also enrich the soil as they decompose. Spread a layer of mulch around your plants, leaving space around the stems to prevent rotting.
Stay on top of weeding: Weeds compete with your plants for nutrients, water, and sunlight, so it’s essential to stay vigilant and remove them regularly.Ā Pull weeds by hand or use gardening toolsĀ like a hoe to keep them in check. Early intervention prevents weeds from becoming overwhelming.
Monitor for pests and diseases: Keep a watchful eye on your plants for signs of pests or diseases. Catching problems early allows you to take swift action to prevent the spread and minimize damage. Use natural pest control methods when possible, such as introducing beneficial insects or using neem oil.
Prune and deadhead: Regularly prune your plants to remove dead or damaged branches and promote healthier growth. Deadheading, which involves removing spent flowers, encourages the plant to produce more blooms and extends the flowering season.
Fertilize wisely: Over-fertilizing can be detrimental to plants, so it’s essential to use fertilizers sparingly and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Consider using organic fertilizers, which release nutrients slowly and improve soil structure over time.
Rotate crops: If you’re growing vegetables, practice crop rotation to prevent the buildup of pests and diseases in the soil. Rotate plant families each season to maintain the health of your garden.
Learn from experience: Gardening is an ongoing learning process. Pay attention to what works well and what doesn’t in your garden. Keep a gardening journal to track planting dates, weather conditions, and the performance of different plants. This information will be valuable for future seasons.
Be patient and don’t get discouraged: Gardening takes time and patience. Not every plant will thrive, and setbacks are normal. Learn from your mistakes and successes, and don’t be afraid to try new things.
Remember, gardening is a journey of continuous learning and growth. Embrace the process, and with dedication and care, your garden will flourish and bring you joy for years to come. Happy gardening!
Did you know that approximately 50 million Americans experience acne every year? According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, acne is the most common skin complaint in the United States. More often than not, it begins in puberty. However, the condition can still appear when you are an adult.
Puberty-related acne is typically linked to a sudden change in hormones, which occurs during adolescence. Hormonal fluctuations can lead to an increased secretion of sebum and oil, which can lead to clogged-up pores. Unfortunately, it’s the reason why pimples appear to plague young people.
However, you may still be affected by unpleasant outbreaks as an adult. Why does acne continue to happen throughout your 20s, 30s, 40s, and even later in life?
The answer is more complex than it seems. There could be a variety of causes for acne in adult life, ranging from stress to lifestyle choices. But summer is a season that tends to increase the risk of pimple outbreaks, and here is why it happens and how to fight it sustainably.Ā
The importance of packaging
Skincare has become an essential ritual, not only in terms of mental and physical self-care but also as a social expectation. People are expected to take better care of their skin because society now has access to better information regarding skin health.
Additionally, countless beauty and fashion magazines have jumped on the trends and offered insights into the skincare routine of celebrities and influencers, such as Vogue Magazine.
Unfortunately, the popular 10 steps skincare routine models that have become viral on social media present a huge inconvenience to the environment. The global skincare market size is expected to reach $145.8 billion by 2028 as people become more aware of their skin needs. Unfortunately, skin care products also bring packaging. As the market is growing, its impact on the environment needs to reduce rapidly.Ā
So, if you are considering the purchase of new acne-focused products, you want to focus on brands that are actively reducing packaging waste and making green choices.
How to choose the right green products for your skin
You can work closely with a dermatologist to determine what your skin needs. It is not uncommon for dermatologists to have a specialist brand they partner with or help design. However, they also have knowledge of other brands and can help you make a better choice for your skin health.
A dermatologist can help you with:
Identifying brands with natural ingredients
Recognizing brands that have a low environmental impact through manufacturing to packaging processes
Understanding which ingredients are best for you
Cutting down and simplifying your routine (more is not necessarily better)
It may be worth also keeping a journal of the products you use as part of your beauty routine, as makeup or moisturizing lotion could be the cause of your outbreaks.Ā
Summer skin inflammation problems
Why is your skin more likely to be inflamed in summer?
Summer is a season that makes a lot of promises but rarely delivers. You may be planning for a lovely day, so you can give your favorite light summer dress a spin. But, the temperatures can rise suddenly and ruin your plan. Suddenly, the dress feels suffocating on your skin, trapping the sweat under the surface. Additionally, you might find it hard to stay hydrated in summer. Mild dehydration is a frequent occurrence, leading to water retention, which can cause frictions against the dress fabric. You may notice red marks around the armpits, the elbows, and the waist, where light swelling can lead to discomfort. The condition is not dangerous and is often easily regulated via increasing your water intake over a few days. It can also be helpful to avoid excessive sun exposure so your body can keep its moisture. But the combination of frictions and sweat may lead to inflamed outbreaks. You can help with solutions that can soothe, cleanse, and target inflammation. You may even have everything you need already at home. Have you heard about the skin-calming benefits of using colloidal oatmeal? A mixture of water and oatmeal can work wonders on your summer skin, helping reduce problems in the typical areas.Ā
Other causes of inflammation and acne in summer can be mosquito or other bug bites. The summer heat may increase discomfort around the area where you’ve been bitten. So it gets harder not to scratch. Yet, the more you scratch, the more likely you are to tear through the upper skin layer. This could increase the risk of exposure to bacteria, dirt, or even waste products such as sweat, causing inflammation and clogged pores.
Sunscreen protection is a must, but at which cost?
Ideally, you should wear sunscreen lotion daily, regardless of the season. Yet, most people tend to skip protection in winter and focus only on the summer day. As tempting as it is to buy lotions in inexpensive family packs, you want to research the skin benefits of each lotion.
Indeed, sunscreen cream is the number one cause of acne outbreaks in summer, as it can clog the pores. Some sunscreens may also use chemicals that can irritate the skin and increase the risk of breakouts. So, you want to ensure you pick a sunscreen that is safe for your skin type. Read the label carefully to check whether:
It includes oil, which is a no-no for oily skin
It mentions comedogenic ingredients (or is not labeled as a non-comedogenic sunscreen)
You can help clear your skin naturally with this homemade skin hygiene recipe that can reduce redness and inflammation.
Dermatologists also recommend mineral sunscreens, which tend to be lightweight and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Chemical sunscreens tend to increase sweating, which can affect your pores. Select also a product that contains niacinamide, which can help control breakouts.
Your diet affects your skin
You are what you eat. Nutritionists recommend healthy foods that can address skin balance and health, such as fatty fish for keeping your skin hydrated, walnuts for reducing inflammation, and bell peppers for bringing in antioxidants. Summer is the best season for healthy salads that are packed with nutrients and vitamins.
Yet, it’s also a season for indulgence! After all, the sun is hot, so it’s the perfect weather to have ice cream at the beach. Americans consume approximately 22 pounds of ice cream every year, and the hot weather contributes to increased consumption. Unfortunately, two of the main ingredients in ice cream are tightly connected to acne outbreaks: dairy products and sugar. The yummy summer scoops in a cone could well be the cause of your frequent outbreaks. The quickest way to know is to write a journal of your daily activities and food, comparing skin health day after day. You may also want to experiment with removing some food groups from your summer diet.
Another surprising effect of the nice weather is the friendly garden party and BBQ event. With Independence Day celebrations, you might find yourself standing in front of a garden grill, preparing burgers for your guests. Prolonged exposure to the smoke could lead to buildups on your skin, which could affect its health and appearance. So, if you are a BBQ lover, you may want to take good care of your skin hygiene during and after a grill party:
Avoid touching your face while in the vicinity of a BBQ
Always wash your hands after handling raw meat or any part of the grill
Wash your face thoroughly after a BBQ to ensure you can remove fine smoke particles that may clog your pores
Let’s be real: Summer leads to excessive sweating
If you live in a region that is prone to heatwaves, you are probably familiar with uncomfortable nights at the peak of the summer. Your body sweats more during the summer than it does in winter. So, you might notice dry sweat patches on your pillow or mattress cover. These patches can also trap bacteria. The last thing you want at night is to lie down on top of a bacteria pool. While it is unlikely to put your immune system at risk if you are healthy, it could affect your skin and lead to acne outbreaks.
As a rule of thumb, you should change your bed sheets at least once a week in summer. It may even be easier to switch to daily changes during a heatwave, especially if you have sensitive, acne-prone skin.
The same principle also applies to your bath and face towels, as they accumulate dirt and bacteria.
Some ideas to reduce sweating at night:
You can place your bed sheets in the freezer for a few minutes before making the bed at night.
If you have a bed water bottle, you can also place it in the freezer during the day so it is ready to use when you go to bed.
A cold shower will increase sweating as your body experiences a temperature shock. Instead, try to take a short shower at a warmer temperature, closer to your body’s natural temperature.
Hopefully, these few ideas can help you understand and manage the unpleasant summer outbreaks. Keep your skin clean and fresh this summer with strategic and sustainable choices in terms of cleansing routines, products, and everyday lifestyle!
If you are planning on renovating your home, it might be worth thinking about what you can do to make the place, and your renovation projects, as eco-friendly as possible. This will be good for the planet, good for you and your wallet, and good for your home too.
With that in mind, letās take a look at some of the best eco-friendly renovation tips to think about when youāre doing up your home:
Use reclaimed materials
Id yous are undertaking a renovation that requires the use of materials like wood or stone, instead of using all-new, materials. See if you can buy reclaimed. Usually, it is not difficult to find reclaimed materials like wooden beams, stone slates, and tiles, and actually, a lot o the time, they look far better than anything you can buy new for the same price. This is a really good way to lower your home‘s carbon footprint while still ensuring that it looks beautiful so really, itās a win-win situation.
Reuse and reclaim
Of course, as well as buying reclaimed material for your next home renovation project, you can actually save many of the existing materials in your home and either reuses them in your own projects or sell them to someone else who is also looking to build in a more sustainable way.
So, if you are making any major changes, instead of bulldozing your walls or knocking things down without thought, try to carefully deconstruct them instead. This will enable you to save the maximum amount of materials for reuse.
Install gutter guards
If you’re planning to upgrade your gutters, one simple thing you can do to make your home more eco-friendly is to install gutter guards like the ones at LeafCo Gutters too. How does this help to boost your homeās eco-credentials? Because the more effective gutters are at keeping waterway from your property, the less likely you are to get holes in the roof or dampness in your home, which means you will not need to use more energy to keep your home warm and dry. Good gutter guards will really help with this.
Upcycle
If you are thinking about buying new furniture, perhaps because yours is a bit old and worn or not in the style you really like, then instead of tossing it in the trash, why not try upcycling it instead? A fresh lick of paint or a new piece of fabric can completely transform even the oldest most unattractive furniture, with the added bonus that your creations will be one of a kind.
If you really do not want to keep your old furniture, at the very least donate it to friends, family, or goodwill rather than sending it off to the local garbage dump.
Use low VOC paint
If you have decided that your home needs a new lick of paint to freshen it up, one very simple thing you can do to make sure your home renovations are as eco-friendly as possible, is to use low VOC paint. This is paint that does not have many of the toxic chemicals found in your average can of paint, which not only means that it is good for the environment, but it is also practically without that horrible odor of fresh paint, which means youāll be able to breathe more easily when renovating your home too. A lot of these eco-renovation ideas are really beneficial for us too.
Install insulation
If you are doing a renovation job where you need to get on the roof or modify the walls in any way, perhaps because you are converting the attic or having the property required, why not kill two birds with one stone by having insulation installed at the same time. If your home is going to be in chaos anyway, itās the perfect time to have cavity wall/ roof insulation put in place, and doing so will help to better keep energy inside your home so you can turn the thermostat down or not need to use the air conditioning unit quite so often. Thatās good for the planet, and good for your wallet too.
Buy used
When it comes to buying new furniture and accessories, antique stores, vintage shops, and goodwill should be your first port of call if you want to cut your carbon footprint, and actually, you;l find some much more interesting stuff by shopping this way.
As you can see, there are lots of simple home renovation ideas that will help to boost your homeās eco-credentials, so what are you waiting for?
One of the best ways to take care of your home while being sustainable is by reducing your energy consumption. There are several ways to do this, but one of the most effective is simply making sure that you aren’t wasting energy. This means turning off lights when you leave a room, unplugging electronics when they’re not in use, and making sure that your appliances are Energy Star certified. You can save a significant amount of energy (and money) by taking these simple steps!
2) Recycle and reuse materials.
Another great way to take care of your home while being sustainable is to recycle and reuse materials. This means looking for ways to repurpose items that you would normally throw away. For example, you can use old bottles as vases or jars, cardboard boxes as storage containers, and even newspapers as packing material. By recycling and reusing materials, you’re helping to preserve the environment and saving yourself some money! Additionally, it’s essential to ensure that you’re recycling any materials that can’t be reused. This includes plastics, metals, and glass.
3) Use green cleaning products.
If you’re looking for ways to take care of your home while also being sustainable, green cleaning products are a great option! These products are typically made from natural ingredients and are much better for the environment than traditional cleaning products. Additionally, they often work just as well (if not better) than their chemical-laden counterparts. So, if you’re looking to make your home a bit more sustainable, ditch the traditional cleaning products in favor of green alternatives!
4) Have regular maintenance done
One of the best ways to take care of your home is regular maintenance. This includes changing the furnace filter, checking for leaks, and cleaning the gutters. Having your electrical contractor or plumber get routine maintenance done, you can prevent minor problems from becoming big ones (and expensive to fix)! Additionally, it’s essential to make sure that you’re keeping up with any repairs that need to be made. This might include setting a loose doorknob or patching a hole in the drywall. By taking care of these things right away, you can avoid more significant issues down the road.
There are several ways to take care of your home while also being sustainable. By following these tips, you can positively impact the planet while also taking care of your own home!
