My Sustainability Journey (updated)

Sustainability in general takes on a lot of different forms, and with the slow progression of this movement here in the states, I feel like it's easy to see what everybody else is doing and wanting to do it all. What I've learned however is that it's kind of impossible to do just that. You kind of have to find out what works best for you, and so this post is going to highlight what I've learned and which habits that I try to implement on the daily.

Sustainable fashion is a respectable choice, but with me knowing my own shopping habits, this is something that can go in two different ways: buy clothes from more eco-friendly brands, or just cut down your shopping habits in general and find things secondhand. When I first started decluttering my own closet, I knew I wanted to make some changes, but I wasn't sure which route would be best for me when it came to being more sustainable.

Buying things from secondhand shops first is something I value a lot more today, but at the same time, there are certain brands I continue to support that aren't sustainable- Aerie/American Eagle is one of those brands. I've been using and wearing their undergarments since high school, and over time, I've noticed that the quality of their clothing is getting better (plus a lot of what they have is super comfortable). I also love how I can easily find things there that actually fit my body type. Mind you, I do own one bralette from Organic Basics, but other than that, Aerie has and will continue to be part of my life. 

I think what's stuck with me since hearing about this topic is to just produce less waste in general. I've always loved different bath and skin care products like lotion, hand soap, body wash and face masks (and I do get good use out of these things), but for the past couple months, I've been downsizing and decluttering a lot of this one category of items. I still love these products, but I don't need two or three boxes full of them. With that being said, I now only have one small box of hand lotion and sanitizer, and only a couple bottles of shower gel for me to use. I do also have a small collection of face masks which I know I'll love for if I ever want to pamper myself. 

I make my lunches most of the time for work, so because of that, it just feels like second nature to use your own lunch box instead of using plastic bags. I've been doing this for years, but another step I've taken recently is to not use any single-use plastic baggies for snack foods. Instead, I'll use Tupperware containers that I can wash and use again, and with that, I also try to use eating utensils either from my kitchen drawer or just bring my bamboo utensil set with me. 

So overall, I do think it's good to have awareness for the environment in general, even if you're not following or doing exactly what everybody else is doing. What matters is that you're trying, and while each of us may have our own goals and rules, the last thing we should be doing is judging or shaming others for not doing enough, or for not being able to do it all. We've come a long way as a society, and there's definitely nothing wrong with being active in caring for the environment. We're the ones living on this earth, so I personally am all for living a more sustainable lifestyle in ways that work for us. 

Eating Disorders, Thyroid Issues and Food Intake

Whether if you struggle with compulsive/impulsive eating, thyroid issues, obesity, anorexia or any other health issue, the relationship we have food does play a part in how we take care of ourselves. I know that for some, there’s just not a lot that can be done to gain or lose more body fat. I know that some conditions need a different solution all-together, and food won’t be the answer to that. For me however, the problem was with food.

Hypothyroidism exists when your metabolism can’t keep up with the natural flow of your energy, so the process of burning calories takes a little more time. I had to get radiation done in order to remove my thyroid, but before I went through that process, my parents had me eating a lot of snacks in order to gain weight. I can somewhat remember being pulled out of class just so I can get some sustenance, whether if that was with a pudding cup or something else that was prepackaged.

One strange symptom that I remember having with this issue was excessively loud hiccups. Part of me thinks I’ll never understand why that happened, but if I had to guess, it might have been because of the lack of air I was getting the larger my thyroid became. It was almost like I had a lump in my throat, and as much as I tried to take slower breaths or drink more water, these two things only seemed to temporarily fix the problem.

Recovering from the radiation took about two weeks, and during that time, I was at home instead of at school. Once I entered high school however, I got my first taste of reality (pun intended) when it came to compulsive behavior. My habits of eating too much were a subconscious factor of what I was experiencing before my thyroid was removed, so this did take a bit of time for me to unlearn.





I think what has always made feel a little self-conscious at times is the size of my stomach. I remember one time a few years back when a lady asked me if I was pregnant. I told her no, but thinking about this now, I feel like this is something I can either learn to embrace or just continue to worry about. If I really wanted to lose my stomach fat, I could, but in reality here, I’m content with what I’m doing for my health right now by getting enough protein, fresh fruit and vegetables. My body is not perfect and that’s okay; I have no intention of living up to another person’s definition of outer beauty anyways.

The Four Benefits of Minimalism

When I first started out with my journey, my closet was the first step I took. Since then however, I've decluttered more of what I've found wasn't necessary to me personally. Obviously minimalism is going to look different for everyone, but what I want to share today is four ways that make life easier because of this.

1. Less to clean and organize. Cleaning for me isn't the most fun thing to do, but I don't like to complain either. With me owning less stuff to move around or reorganize, I don't have worry about the task taking more than an hour. In fact, I'd say it takes a little less than an hour for me to clean and dust my bedroom and bathroom alone.

2. Less stress. Sometimes when you have too much stuff, that can lead to a sense of overwhelm, and the reason for that is simply because the clutter we have is a representation of any delayed decisions we've made. If you can simply schedule in the time to declutter at least one section of your home (whether if it's a counter top, desk drawer or closet), you'll notice the benefit of less stress right away. Now of course, decluttering is always a good first step, but in order to stay on top of that, you also have to maintain and control the amount of clutter you bring in afterwards.

3. More time for what actually matters. With the way life is sometimes, it can be a little chaotic and unpredictable, but when you come home after a busy day, would you rather enter a home that's clutter free, or a home that's messy and disorganized? I personally feel that our homes should be a calm and inviting space so that we're not distracted and more focused on the people in our lives. In the end, life shouldn't be about "hoarding" or saving up stuff for the rest of our lives, but more about living in the present moment and appreciating the relationships we have. This is something that has resonated with me in the last couple months, and I honestly value this a lot more now than I did in my earlier 20's.

4. More time in general. When you learn to say no to what doesn't add value or spark joy in your life, you can automatically gain more time to yourself. One thing I've learned is that while nobody in this world is perfect, it is okay to put some distance between whichever relationships are negative or not beneficial to you. The same can obviously be said for clutter. Our lives are not infinite, but at the same time, we shouldn't have to spend copious amounts of time worrying about things that won't get us anywhere, or about certain people who drain our energy. Spending your time in a way that matters to you and makes you feel good is what's most important, so once you've gained that extra down time after the detox process, it honestly makes a big difference.

10 Things You Can Declutter Today

1. CDs/DVDs- I used to be a big collector for this one group of media, but since I have a phone and computer with no disc port, I just find it easier to look up music through Spotify, YouTube or even iTunes. Now if you have a CD or DVD player and get good use out of it, then by all means keep it. I’ve just found that for me personally, I’d rather not have that type of clutter in my space.

2. T-SHIRTS - Pairing down my big collection of t-shirts was probably the hardest thing for me to do out of anything else when I first got started into minimalism. I had nearly 50 or 60 of them, and because a lot of these were sentimental, it was a little challenging for me to let go of them even though I’ve only ever worn them once or twice. So if you simply have too many t-shirts and you’re not getting around to using all of them, it might be worth decluttering the ones you’re not wearing as often. 

3. BOOKS- The older I get, the more I realize that I just don’t read as much as I used to- plus my taste is starting to change a bit. I do still like to read on occasion, but my collection now is only comprised of ones that I know I love and can read again and again. I'm hoping to add a couple more eventually, but I do plan on being intentional with that. It’s a process for me, trying to find books that capture my interest and aren’t repetitive with their story lines, so at this point in my life, I’m open to anything except romance novels. 

4. THROW PILLOWS- I don’t know if anyone else is slightly peeved by this, but even though I did try getting into it for a short period of time, most throw pillows just seem to take up space. I especially don’t like having a bunch of them on my bed as I like to have enough space to actually sit or lay down. I myself only have two throw pillows, but I don’t keep them on my bed. I only have one on a decorative chair, and another one sitting on a bench that I use to store my winter robe and blankets. 

5. CLOTHES- I believe this is a fairly obvious category that anyone could tackle on the first round of decluttering. Now I know I’m not an exception to this rule either, but because I have a capsule wardrobe system in place, I feel like I have enough clothes to last me for a long while knowing that everything fits and that it’s something I love. If you’re just starting out however and want to free up more space, I would recommend that you evaluate what it is you turn to the most often and go from there. 

6. EXTRA LINENS- To me at least, it seems as if we hold onto too much or accumulate to many duplicates of this one item, and as I get older, I find myself questioning if this is something that’s actually necessary. When you think about it, does one person need a dozen bed sheets, or does one family really need twenty towels? I know that perhaps it’d be better to hold onto those extras for when guests come or if something happens (like a spill or leak), but what are the chances of that actually happening, especially if your current home is in good condition? Now if you honestly plan on using up those old towels you have until they fall apart, then by all means do so, but for me at least, I just find that they take up a lot of space. 

7. STATIONARY/DESK SUPPLIES- I find it funny how some girls think that they need everything on their desk to be cohesive or matching, like this will help them to be more productive. I’m not saying this as a negative thing by any means, but when you really think about it, do you honestly need that pink stapler and tape set, or that stack of notepads with owls on them? How many binder clips or sticky flags does a person need if they’re only there for aesthetic purposes on your calendar or planner? Knowing how I am now with my productivity habits, I only need a couple journals/notebooks, a couple stacks of pens so that I don’t run out, some pencils and also some sharpies. I also have some cardstock paper for if I want to make homemade cards for a birthday as well as regular white, unlined paper. Now of course, I also have my own tape holder, but I might get rid of that at some point since I hardly ever use it. 

8. EXTRA BATHROOM SUPPLIES- this list for this category is honestly so broad, but this could be anything from duplicate shampoo bottles, cans of hairspray, hair tools you don’t use often, hair elastics, bobby pins, body care products, travel size products, etc. Sometimes little things like that can accumulate f you haven't used them or have neglected to use them. So if they’re just sitting around and haven’t been touched in a year or so, you might want to consider recycling them or donating them if they haven’t been opened yet. 

9. SEASONAL DECOR ITEMS- So as much as I like getting festive for different holidays, I do feel like it’s easy to get carried away with the fall DIYs, Thanksgiving centerpieces and Christmas or Halloween gear. I honestly can’t remember the last time I bought myself anything festive to add to my bedroom, but if there’s anything that I haven’t decluttered, it would be a painting of Santa that my uncle made for me a while back. This would probably be the only festive piece that I’ll keep because it’s sentimental as well as this light up Jack-O-Lantern that you can plug in, but other than that, I’m not really one to go all out for the holidays. 

10. FANTASY SELF ITEMS- This is a concept that’s fairly new to me, but it makes a lot of sense once you put it into perspective. Sometimes, we’ll buy certain items in hopes that it’ll give us motivation to push on with any new goals we try to set for ourselves. Say that you’re wanting to get more into painting, so you decide to go online and do a bunch of research on different brush sets. Will those brush sets add value to your life or get used once they’ve arrived to your house, or are you just trying to justify the goal itself in hopes that it’ll inspire you? This is a mindset that I’ve had on occasion, but in those instances, they were more experience based instead of material based. If you ever find yourself buying items of this category that will only add to your existing clutter, then you might want to consider taking a step back and being honest about what hobbies you do take value in and genuinely want to pursue. You could always write down these things then take a look at that list. Which hobbies seem tangible or practical for you to pursue right now? Which interests do you already have, and do those interests seem to be enough? 

One thing that I’ve noticed with other minimalism lists like this is that people will take them personally or justify why they don’t want to get rid of something, so if you come across this and have that same reaction, then that’s okay. The purpose of this list is not to tell you what to do or what you can/cannot keep, but more of a guide for if you need a little help in knowing where to start. Minimalism is going to look different for everyone. Find out what works for you and keep the things that you love and get value out of. 

Movie Review: Green Book

After finishing this movie ten minutes ago, I'm stuck with this one thought that really makes me question humanity. If we were to treat other white people the way we treat those of a different race, would we finally come to an understanding? It's no secret that our founding fathers were immigrants, and yet, they're dead now and only get recognition from textbooks or musicals; we don't seem to care beyond that. So whether if you're black, Hispanic, Jewish, Islamic, Japanese, Asian, etc... The color of our skin should not matter; labels should not matter. It's one thing to mark down your race on a sheet of paper for a doctor to review, but it's another to look at a person's ethnicity or skin color and act like they're not equal to those who are white. 

Focusing on the movie alone, I highly enjoyed the story, music and humor. The actors did a great job with their roles and the plot was easy to follow. The movie does a great job of highlighting the reactions of others as Don Shirley enters the room, ready to take his seat at the piano and play on it. I would give it a solid 10 out of 10. 

I feel like anybody of nearly any age can appreciate this movie and take it for exactly what it is. If you don't want your kids to watch a movie about racism simply because there's profanity, then at least consider having them watch the movie when they're old enough to understand the message. I personally believe that kids at the age of seven (at the least) should know what kind of reality we live in because that'll help them to navigate through this thing we call life. Our world is very diverse already, and while some diversity can be a good thing, it can also lead to conflict. 

So to put my review simply, I appreciate Green Book for what it is. I appreciate movies that remind us of how we should treat other people and to be better than we were when race first became an issue hundreds of years ago. I just wish it still wasn't an issue now. 

How to Build Your Own Capsule Wardrobe

Does your wardrobe fit your lifestyle? Which essential pieces are you missing, or what do you have too much of? Are your clothes of good quality, and do they serve more than one function? These are probably the biggest questions to consider when you start to build your own capsule wardrobe. With all the different guides that you see on social media and YouTube, I feel like this concept can be a little overwhelming, so I hope that my tips and advice is helpful to you if you’re wanting to get started, but don’t know where or how to start.

FUNCTION
There are two ways to define this when it comes to fashion and style. The first way function is implemented is through your lifestyle and which clothes you turn to for certain events in your life. Are you someone who enjoys entertaining or going to parties? Are you someone who goes to the gym often? Are you someone who enjoys the occasional dinner out or late-night concert? Whatever events you attend- and of course, your profession plays a role in this as well- your wardrobe is something that I think should reflect that.

Dressing for your job all depends on your company’s dress code policies. If you work in an environment where the dress code is business casual, then that’ll give you a little bit of an advantage when it comes to playing with style. I used to work at a grocery store where I had to wear the same thing every day which made getting dressed very easy. Nowadays with me working at a thrift store, I tend to keep my uniform business casual as well as comfortable. This means I have to wear sneakers because I’m on my feet for long hours, but at least I get to have some fun with my outfits.

With the way my closet is spread out, I have two capsules within my overall wardrobe: one for spring/summer and another for fall/winter, and I have an even mix of basics and trendy pieces in each one. This allows me to get maximum wear out of what I have, but if I ever feel like wearing something more trendy, I have enough options for that as well. My lifestyle is pretty relaxed, so whenever I’m not at work, I’m usually at home in shorts or sweatpants and a t-shirt. This brings me to my second point when it comes to function. Once you’ve thought about your lifestyle and how that reflects your current wardrobe, think about what essential or functional pieces you’re missing. You’ll obviously need to declutter first if you have too many clothes to begin with or if it feels like you have nothing to wear.

VERSATILITY
When you really think about it, we wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time. Half of what you might have accumulated over time in your own closet may not have been touched since two or three years ago, or maybe even longer than that. Once you pair down and declutter what’s not working for you anymore, you’ll be able to see what’s missing. If not however, then consider working with what you currently have. Can you dress up or dress down a certain shirt that you’ve saved? Can you think of more than one function for a certain dress you love? Once you’re able to see the versatility in what you already have, you’ll get a good idea of where to start when you go out shopping. With that being said however, I feel like it’s best to make a list so that you don’t go overboard or buy things that aren’t within your budget.

QUALITY
Keep in mind that when you’re shopping, quality doesn’t always mean more expensive, but at the same time, everything in life is going to cost something. You can easily find good quality clothes at thrift stores, especially in places like Goodwill or Graceworks for example.

Clothing that’s made of cotton, leather or wool for example will typically last longer than something that’s made out of nylon, polyester, rayon, acrylic or spandex. Any combination of these fibers in clothing may seem to hold well for a short period of time, but if you wear it out to where it becomes see-through or has gaping holes, then it’s not good quality. Now I understand that with the rise of slow/sustainable fashion on social media, people are becoming more conscious or aware of the mistreatment of animals, the environment and even humans when it comes to how clothes are being produced. This is something that I myself am aware of, but I personally feel like there’s more than one way to live a sustainable lifestyle besides buying things from more eco-friendly brands that aren't within one's budget.

The quality of our clothes last longer when we take better care of them. If you’re someone who wears t-shirts a lot, consider wearing it two or three times before tossing it in the dirty load to be washed, especially if there aren’t any stains or odors on it. If you have a lot of sweaters but not enough closet space, consider folding them up instead of squeezing them into your wardrobe with the hangers on. If you notice that your favorite pair of pants has a rip in it, consider hemming it up yourself instead of just throwing them away or donating them. Another way to improve the quality of your clothes is to just use them up until they fall apart. Whatever it is you decide to do, there’s really no right or wrong way to go about it because in the end, most clothing items just don’t last forever.