Favorite Waste Reducing Products

While I don't ever think I will be a zero waste guru, I am always very happy to find alternatives to single use plastics! Wastefulness bothers me, and additionally I find it so much simpler if I can eliminate something that always needs replacing. In this little quest, I've found a few things that have quickly become my favorite ways to reduce waste.

9 Products that help me reduce waste:

Beeswax Wrap

The first item on my list is not cheap, but I feel like it's 100% worth it. To replace cling wrap, I picked up this reusable beeswax wrap. It's washable and sustainable! It works best when you warm up the wax in your hands. I don't use this very often but it's perfect for when your bowl doesn't have a lid or you need to transport some food to a party. The one downside is this wrap won't last forever, but when it's time to replace it you won't have to worry about this wrap sitting in a landfill. 

Full Circle Reusable Zip-lock Bags

These cute little bags are so versatile! Not only do I use them to store leftover food, they are great for packing lunches and for travel! I use the large size to pack my toiletries. These are dishwasher safe as well, which makes them very reusable. We don't have a dishwasher, but hand washing them is just as easy. 

(Link above is for Amazon, but I got variety pack from Grove Collaborative. If you aren't a Grove member you can use my link to sign up and get a free 5 piece gift set when you make your first order.) 

Makeup Removing Towel

Instead of using makeup removing towelettes, I started using this makeup removing towel. It works with water and definitely takes off most of your makeup. Sometimes I still need to use a little coconut oil to remove my waterproof mascara. Recently, I started using the Burt's Bees mascara and it comes right off! I've had this towel for years now, and as you can see it's been well used. 

Washable Cotton Rounds

This was such a great find! I use cotton rounds every day to apply toner, and I always felt guilty about how often I was buying them. Cotton is probably not the worst thing to throw away, but I am all about eliminating something from the grocery budget! These reusable cotton pads are made of a terry cloth material and are completely washable. Super happy with them! 

Cloth Napkins

Reducing the amount of paper towels we use was a huge victory for me! I feel very proud about that. The main reason we've been successful with that is because we have a clean kitchen towel right by the sink every day. Sometimes you still need a paper towel, but the amount we use is very minimal. Another time we are tempted to use paper towels is at dinner time. I purchased these cloth napkins and have had no problems switching from paper! We leave a small hamper by the back door to collect used napkins and dish towels. Once it's full I'll do a load of washing. It was an incredibly easy swap!

Dryer Balls

Another painless swap is to use dryer balls instead of dryer sheets! Just throw 2 or 3 balls into your dryer and run like normal. The balls help reduce static and separate your clothes for better drying. If you miss the dryer sheet smell, just add a few drops of essential oil to the balls and that really makes your laundry smell lovely!

Photo from SheThinx.com

Thinx Underwear

I just mentioned these in a Currently Loving post, but they are definitely worth mentioning again. These period underwear are a perfect way to reduce waste. I use them mainly as a back up, but some styles can hold a whole tampon worth of blood. I highly recommend doing the cycle sets, because you get a discount the more pairs you buy. (plus you'll get $10 off when you use my link) The return process could not be easier if you need to exchange for a different size. 

Silicone Straws

Almost didn't include reusable straws because isn't everyone using these now? But, I wanted to share our favorite ones. These straws come in such cute colors and couldn't be easier to clean. (Remember that's important to those of us without a dishwasher!) Our niece and nephews love picking out their favorite color when they come over, which I think is so fun. 

Reusable Produce Bags

Another really easy swap are these reusable produce bags for the grocery store! A much better alternative to those plastic baggies that are provided. I love these because they are washable and transparent enough the cashier can see what you are buying. The weight of the bag is listed on the tag so they can easily weigh your produce. 

Your Turn to Weigh In! Leave a comment below and tell me the simple strategies you have to reduce waste! Are you a big recycler, or even a composter? What swaps did you make that were easy? How about swaps that were hard?

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Favorite Waste Reducing Products

Monday, July 8, 2019

9 Ways to Simplify Your Life

It might just be me, but I crave simplicity! The world throws so much at you on a day to day basis. I think if we can uncomplicate even just one thing in our lives it will help us navigate through all the distractions. 

In my constant quest to reevaluate my life, I've made a few changes in the last year or so to simplify my life and they've worked really well. I thought I'd share a few suggestions today and maybe you can give me yours in the comments below!

Choose to give up some tv shows. 

One thing I learned about myself is that when I sit down for the evening and turn on the tv, that's it for me. I will not get up and do anything else. Most likely, in fact, I will fall asleep on the couch and have to be woken up to get into bed. Minimizing the amount of shows I watch really helped me regain the time I was spending catching up on them. 

Cancelling cable, and then subsequently cancelling our Hulu subscription made me really have to work to watch a show (like going over to someone else's house) and because of that I only watch one or two shows. There are shows I have been watching for years that I've decided to give up on for the sake of time and simplicity. I thought I would really miss them, but to be honest I haven't! 

Unsubscribe from emails. 

A personal goal of mine is to keep my email inbox at zero. Zero doesn't really happen, but I prefer to keep less than 10 emails in the inbox. That digital clutter really weighs on me, so I delete as often as I can. One way that is possible is because I have unsubscribed from hundreds of email lists! It takes some effort at first to unsubscribe from all of those emails. It's amazing how many businesses manage to get our email addresses!

By the way, when a store clerk asks for your email address at checkout, you do not have to give it to them. All you have to do is say "No, thanks!" or "I'd prefer not to give it out." I was shy about it at first, but now I say it with no problem. Your email is not required to make a purchase! 

Uncomplicate your meal plan.

I've shared my meal planning tips before! Meal planning is one of the single best things you can do to organize your week! Knowing ahead of time what's for dinner saves your brain from a lot of unnecessary stress. Even though in the past I was a pretty good meal planner, I felt like I mastered it when I uncomplicated the process. We did that by creating a list of about 30 meals and broke that down into 4 weeks. We labeled each week 1-4 and made a grocery list for that week's meals. Now we just cycle through the weeks and our meal plan is completely on auto pilot. (Plus, I don't even grocery shop myself! I use Instacart!)

Unfollow and unfriend.

If you are spending an extensive amount of time scrolling through your social feeds, one way to simplify is to reduce the number of people you are friends with or the people you follow. The fewer friends you have the fewer things will populate your feed. 

I went from following around 400 people down to less than 150. I promise if you took a minute to look through your list you'd see a lot of people you don't really care about. There are those random acquaintances, people that annoy you, and a few celebrities I promise you won't miss seeing in your feed. 

Try to use something you already have. 

This is a skill that takes some honing, but you can use it in SO many ways. For example, let's say a recipe you want to try calls a kitchen gadget or a spice that you don't already have. Before purchasing something new, try to use something you already have that can do the same job. There are very few things you actually need in the kitchen. This principle also carries over into clothing or home goods. 

It might not be convenient, but using an alternative is an excellent way to save money. Additionally, you won't end up with a drawer full of single purpose tools. There is also great satisfaction in making something work when it's not exactly easy! 

Eliminate steps in a routine.

Recently, I was cleaning out my bathroom cabinet and I noticed that I had a few skin care products that I used once in a while. It was stuff that I didn't see a dramatic difference from using, like a vitamin c serum and an eye cream that didn't really do anything. I decided to eliminate those items from my routine all together and just stick with the basics. That decision helped me to remove some clutter and help me to stick with things I can use every day. 

Think about all the routines in your life. Maybe there are a few steps, or products you can remove or stop doing. This simplification of routine can save you time and money. I can't tell you how many times I bought milk out of the sheer habit of buying it, before I realized we never drink milk! Sometimes we just get in routines that aren't serving a purpose. Devote the time, energy and money from something that isn't working to something new that will improve your life!

Clear off surfaces.

Decluttering is a huge chunk of simplifying your life. Getting rid of the old makes room for the new. The challenge is to not bring in a whole lot of new physical items. One thing I noticed when I began decluttering over 2 years ago was how much I loved having negative, or empty spaces. Decluttering is something that I still have to do periodically, but my favorite part is finding new surfaces to clear. 

Visually, it's incredibly calming and peaceful to see less. It makes room for you to showcase your favorite things. And, it's easier to keep a surface clean when you don't have to move around your trinkets! 

Consider a different hair style.

When I look at pictures of myself, I love how I look with shorter hair. My hair, though straight, likes to flip out in crazy ways when it's short. So, I basically have to style it everyday if I want it to look right. Because my mornings are so tight, blow drying and straightening my hair is not a luxury I have on most days. To simplify my mornings I've decided to give up on short hair. My long hair dries straight and it's way less maintenance. (Although it does require more shampoo!) You can also go longer in between haircuts if you have a longer hair style.

Simplify your cleaning products.

Cleaning is sort of a hobby of mine. (Lame to admit, but it's true!) I've always found it really grounding. When you like to clean it's easy to accumulate a collection of different cleaners and tools. Simplifying your cleaning cabinet to the essentials is actually really helpful! Uncomplicating these chores makes them easier to do. 

I just shared my DIY thieves cleaner, and it really is multi-purpose! I use it for 80% of my cleaning tasks. An unexpected benefit of minimizing household cleaners is that it makes it easier for your family to participate in keeping the house tidy. There is no confusion about which product to use when there are only a few options. 

Let's Chat! Let me know in the comments below if you are like me and crave a more simple lifestyle. What routines or products have you eliminated from your routine for the better? What would you say is the most complicated area of your life? 

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9 Ways to Simplify Your Life

Monday, March 4, 2019