January 4, 2020 Steal this resolution: one box in, one box out For the new year, I'm trying this new idea. Any packaging that enters my home must now be filled up with old stuff, and given away. Read More 1.7k 40 Comments April 14, 2017 Egg-cessive gift giving: Is Easter the new Christmas? In my humble childhood experience the Easter Bunny brought chocolate, candy, and perhaps a few small toys — all of which are the appropriate size to fit in a basket. An actual basket! Not a toy bin, not a kiddie pool — a basket. What's next? Children sitting on the lap of a man in a bunny suit asking for the trendiest toy of the season? Once we start down this slippery slope of excessive Easter gifts where do we draw the line? Read More 9.0k 22 Comments January 5, 2015 What happened when I made a resolution to not buy anything new for a year My resolution this year was The Compact, defined by Wikipedia as "a social and environmental movement whose members promise not to buy anything new for a year." So here’s how my Compact experience went… Read More 4.2k 34 Comments December 17, 2014 When you gotta shop big: 4 corporations for ethical consumers Where is the ethical consumer supposed to shop when they don't have the time (or funds) to hire a local artisan? Offbeat sponsors are a great starting point, but here are some additional companies worth checking out… Read More 3.6k 38 Comments September 15, 2014 How do you support small businesses when your budget is even smaller? I have a small budget. And while my heart screams "Buy that $15 artisan sandwich!" my wallet says "If you want to make rent, go for the mass-produced sandwiches that are only $5." What are some ways to help support my small business community, when my budget is even smaller? Read More 2.8k 15 Comments March 12, 2014 Make compromises within a relationship that don't mean sacrificing your values I had a lot of time to fantasize about my future and prospective living situations, and the idea of a vegan, eco-friendly, ethical household was appealing to me. So when I met my now-fiancée and the topic of moving in together came up, it was apparent that some compromises were going to have to be made on someone's end. The compromises didn't come without some heated discussions. While having these conversations with my fiancée, it occurred to me that a lot of my choices that tried to incorporate ethical consumerism were a lot about boycotting. I decided that from now on, instead of focusing exclusively on cutting things out of my shopping list, I'll do things that support causes I believe in instead. Read More 123
1.7k 40 Comments April 14, 2017 Egg-cessive gift giving: Is Easter the new Christmas? In my humble childhood experience the Easter Bunny brought chocolate, candy, and perhaps a few small toys — all of which are the appropriate size to fit in a basket. An actual basket! Not a toy bin, not a kiddie pool — a basket. What's next? Children sitting on the lap of a man in a bunny suit asking for the trendiest toy of the season? Once we start down this slippery slope of excessive Easter gifts where do we draw the line? Read More 9.0k 22 Comments January 5, 2015 What happened when I made a resolution to not buy anything new for a year My resolution this year was The Compact, defined by Wikipedia as "a social and environmental movement whose members promise not to buy anything new for a year." So here’s how my Compact experience went… Read More 4.2k 34 Comments December 17, 2014 When you gotta shop big: 4 corporations for ethical consumers Where is the ethical consumer supposed to shop when they don't have the time (or funds) to hire a local artisan? Offbeat sponsors are a great starting point, but here are some additional companies worth checking out… Read More 3.6k 38 Comments September 15, 2014 How do you support small businesses when your budget is even smaller? I have a small budget. And while my heart screams "Buy that $15 artisan sandwich!" my wallet says "If you want to make rent, go for the mass-produced sandwiches that are only $5." What are some ways to help support my small business community, when my budget is even smaller? Read More 2.8k 15 Comments March 12, 2014 Make compromises within a relationship that don't mean sacrificing your values I had a lot of time to fantasize about my future and prospective living situations, and the idea of a vegan, eco-friendly, ethical household was appealing to me. So when I met my now-fiancée and the topic of moving in together came up, it was apparent that some compromises were going to have to be made on someone's end. The compromises didn't come without some heated discussions. While having these conversations with my fiancée, it occurred to me that a lot of my choices that tried to incorporate ethical consumerism were a lot about boycotting. I decided that from now on, instead of focusing exclusively on cutting things out of my shopping list, I'll do things that support causes I believe in instead. Read More 123
9.0k 22 Comments January 5, 2015 What happened when I made a resolution to not buy anything new for a year My resolution this year was The Compact, defined by Wikipedia as "a social and environmental movement whose members promise not to buy anything new for a year." So here’s how my Compact experience went… Read More 4.2k 34 Comments December 17, 2014 When you gotta shop big: 4 corporations for ethical consumers Where is the ethical consumer supposed to shop when they don't have the time (or funds) to hire a local artisan? Offbeat sponsors are a great starting point, but here are some additional companies worth checking out… Read More 3.6k 38 Comments September 15, 2014 How do you support small businesses when your budget is even smaller? I have a small budget. And while my heart screams "Buy that $15 artisan sandwich!" my wallet says "If you want to make rent, go for the mass-produced sandwiches that are only $5." What are some ways to help support my small business community, when my budget is even smaller? Read More 2.8k 15 Comments March 12, 2014 Make compromises within a relationship that don't mean sacrificing your values I had a lot of time to fantasize about my future and prospective living situations, and the idea of a vegan, eco-friendly, ethical household was appealing to me. So when I met my now-fiancée and the topic of moving in together came up, it was apparent that some compromises were going to have to be made on someone's end. The compromises didn't come without some heated discussions. While having these conversations with my fiancée, it occurred to me that a lot of my choices that tried to incorporate ethical consumerism were a lot about boycotting. I decided that from now on, instead of focusing exclusively on cutting things out of my shopping list, I'll do things that support causes I believe in instead. Read More 123
4.2k 34 Comments December 17, 2014 When you gotta shop big: 4 corporations for ethical consumers Where is the ethical consumer supposed to shop when they don't have the time (or funds) to hire a local artisan? Offbeat sponsors are a great starting point, but here are some additional companies worth checking out… Read More 3.6k 38 Comments September 15, 2014 How do you support small businesses when your budget is even smaller? I have a small budget. And while my heart screams "Buy that $15 artisan sandwich!" my wallet says "If you want to make rent, go for the mass-produced sandwiches that are only $5." What are some ways to help support my small business community, when my budget is even smaller? Read More 2.8k 15 Comments March 12, 2014 Make compromises within a relationship that don't mean sacrificing your values I had a lot of time to fantasize about my future and prospective living situations, and the idea of a vegan, eco-friendly, ethical household was appealing to me. So when I met my now-fiancée and the topic of moving in together came up, it was apparent that some compromises were going to have to be made on someone's end. The compromises didn't come without some heated discussions. While having these conversations with my fiancée, it occurred to me that a lot of my choices that tried to incorporate ethical consumerism were a lot about boycotting. I decided that from now on, instead of focusing exclusively on cutting things out of my shopping list, I'll do things that support causes I believe in instead. Read More 123
3.6k 38 Comments September 15, 2014 How do you support small businesses when your budget is even smaller? I have a small budget. And while my heart screams "Buy that $15 artisan sandwich!" my wallet says "If you want to make rent, go for the mass-produced sandwiches that are only $5." What are some ways to help support my small business community, when my budget is even smaller? Read More 2.8k 15 Comments March 12, 2014 Make compromises within a relationship that don't mean sacrificing your values I had a lot of time to fantasize about my future and prospective living situations, and the idea of a vegan, eco-friendly, ethical household was appealing to me. So when I met my now-fiancée and the topic of moving in together came up, it was apparent that some compromises were going to have to be made on someone's end. The compromises didn't come without some heated discussions. While having these conversations with my fiancée, it occurred to me that a lot of my choices that tried to incorporate ethical consumerism were a lot about boycotting. I decided that from now on, instead of focusing exclusively on cutting things out of my shopping list, I'll do things that support causes I believe in instead. Read More 123
2.8k 15 Comments March 12, 2014 Make compromises within a relationship that don't mean sacrificing your values I had a lot of time to fantasize about my future and prospective living situations, and the idea of a vegan, eco-friendly, ethical household was appealing to me. So when I met my now-fiancée and the topic of moving in together came up, it was apparent that some compromises were going to have to be made on someone's end. The compromises didn't come without some heated discussions. While having these conversations with my fiancée, it occurred to me that a lot of my choices that tried to incorporate ethical consumerism were a lot about boycotting. I decided that from now on, instead of focusing exclusively on cutting things out of my shopping list, I'll do things that support causes I believe in instead. Read More 123