Buy Good

I love shopping. I love shoes and clothes and all the things. But the older I get, and the more I see how wasteful human beings are, the more I want to shop responsibly and consume less.

I don’t need all the things. But I do love all the things. And I don’t have to give up my passion for shopping if I want to commit to be more environmentally friendly.

How do you “buy good” when it comes to consumption?

Be Resourceful

• Buy reusable bags and stop purchasing bags from stores. Don’t even use the produce bags, but your ow produce bags made out of recycled material.

• Shop for what you need. Be mindful of the waste you’re creating. Buy in bulk if you can. Limit the wasteful packaging and limit the food you buy so that you’re not throwing it away.

• Grow your own food. If you’ve got the time and ability, there are a lot of fruits and vegetables that are easy to grow. I’ve always wanted to have a garden. The food is fresher and amazing for mother nature!

• Hit up a farmer’s market. I live in California, we have really good produce everywhere. Farmer’s markets have endless options for the best fruits and vegetables. It’s also supporting small business in your community!

Shop Sustainable

• Find brands that offer eco friendly sustainable fashion. Yes, it’s more expensive. But the pieces usually last longer and better yet, the process of making them is environmentally friendly. Recommended brands: Levi’s, Alternative apparel, Pact, H&M Conscious, Eileen Fisher, Reformation, Patagonia, Columbia, Athleta

• Shop vintage/thrift store. Buy clothing that has already been used. Personally, I love the quality of pieces that were made 10-20 years ago and if they’re in good shape, dry cleaning makes them good as new. I’m also a big fan of a good deal! Recommended Shops: Poshmark, eBay, Goodwill, etc.

• Clothes share! Host a swap! A lot of us have clothes that don’t fit, styles we are over, or pieces we just don’t wear and never did. Share with your friends! Get together and exchange what you’re not wearing.

Be a Leader

• Be a resource. Do your research. Teach your kids about sustainability. Be a champion for Mother Nature. Help guide the next generation to take care of the world.

Sustainability and being environmentally friendly is no longer just for hippies. It’s our job to start taking better care of the world around us. We are losing valuable resources we will never get back. Climate change is real. Animals are dying. The rain-forest is depleted. It’s really cool, and really important to buy good.

Happy Shopping Sequins!

All the things.

I’m a big fan of things. I genuinely try the live simple lifestyle but in all reality, I like my things. 

For the past two months, I’ve lived in corporate housing. I put all my things in storage and have lived out of two suitcases for 60 days.  

When I started this journey, I was convinced I’d Immediately realize how much I don’t need and finally embrace minimalism. I’d become super enlightened and learn to make 182 outfits out of a white t shirt and jeans. I’d grow to wear simple staple jewelry and two pairs of shoes and just be endlessly chic.

That is not what happened. I am not chic. I do however thrive off wearing the same version of an outfit over and over. That is my lane. 

Fashion aside though - there’s a darkness’s to this all. 

Hard truth? I miss my stuff.  

While it has been pretty easy to get by with minimal outfits and shoe selections, I miss my photos, kitchen goods, bedding, the whole damn kit and kaboodle. 

Oddly, it makes me feel more thankful for the things that are mine. Not the stuff that clutters up my space, but the things that remind me of all the experiences and people who make me whole.

From the photos I print of all the places I’ve been to the plates that were my parents first set they ever owned - I like having things that make me feel at home. 

I will never be able to exist as that woman you read about who has a rug, a vintage couch and a Levi jacket from 1984 and just is happy and whimsical. I can’t live off 3 things.  

Things aren’t all bad. Things are to be held onto very tightly when they are the right things. 

I’d say continue to strive for minimalism, but in a new way. Minimize the clutter. But maximize the things in your life that give you joy. It’s not about having all the things, just all the things that make you feel something special.  

Cut yourself a break if you’re like me and minimalism just isn’t going to be an all in commitment.  

This Christmas, I hope Santa brings you all kinds of goodies. And I hope that while you enjoy some of the things that are superficial, I hope that you remember the things that aren’t. 

None of the Things

I often speak in absolutes.  I want all of the foods.  I need all of the things.  But recently I've started realizing - I could probably do with less of the things - maybe just have some of the things and focus more on the experiences.

I've always had lots of things.  Clothes, shoes, technologies, accessories, home goods - I'm telling you - all of the things.  And the more I move - the more I discover new things I didn't know I had.  Clothes with the tags still on them that I purchased 3 years ago.  Shoes new in boxes that I bought a year ago.  A fancy running watch I wore probably a handful of times and then exchanged for the latest greatest Fitbit.  You get the point.  I own all the things and I'm basically a hoarder. 

So I started trying something new.  Every time I move I make a conscious effort to get real with myself about the things I own.  If I haven't worn something in 2 years, it goes in the donate pile.  When I moved from Arizona back to California - I donated 8 trash bags - yes those would be full size trash bags - of clothing.  I was also able to sell 2 full bags and make a profit of $300.  But being able to easily give away 8 big bags of my clothes - mind you this was the first time I cleansed so I was truly only getting rid of things I could easily part with - and I was still able to fill 8 bags.  The second time I cleansed - I was able to donate 3 more bags.  Realizing the amount of stuff I owned that was of no importance opened my eyes to how much money I was wasting on things.  Things that could instead be experiences.

I always talk about my bucket list.  And a lot of my bucket list items are expensive.  They're exotic trips, tickets to the biggest events in sports, meals at some hard to get into restaurants.  And I started to think - are the things I own worth giving up the bucket list experiences?  For me - they're not.  I don't need a new outfit more than I need a plane ticket to Maui.  I won't get more happiness from an expensive haircut than I will from going to the National Championship football game.  I'll absolutely enjoy drinking wine in Italy more than that expensive kitchen table I've been eyeing. 

Mind you I've also never had time for experiences before.  A lot of my bucket list items were checked off because of work trips and work experiences.  But now that I've made a commitment to a work life balance - I've got all this time to do things and not a lot of extra cash to make it happen.

So I changed my focus.  I'm a conscious buyer now.  When I'm shopping, when I'm out with friends, basically when I'm doing anything I'm asking myself is this a need or a want?  If I don't spend $50 on this - can I put it towards my next experience?  And while I'm not ready to book my South African Safari, I am closer than I was six months ago.  And if I continue on this path - I'll be able to continue checking off bucket list items.  And for me - those experiences are what make my life feel so full.  It's not the shoes and clothes and fancy kitchen items I'll remember - it's the feelings I'll get from being able to adventure.  It's the relationships I'll build on unforgettable trips.  And it's witnessing sports history, laying down on the field at Alabama - and it's getting uncomfortable and growing doing things I never thought I could.  Keep all the things - I want all the experiences.