Seeking the simple life, time to begin.

Corrine Bruning

So, I’m giving another shot to this whole blog process for a number of reasons. First off, I want to be a better writer. You write in college and in school, and your writing gets judged, edited, you move forward. I’ve always been in advanced writing classes, but I feel like my creative writing has never been pushed and satisfied. My Dad wouldn’t say this, but somehow being categorized as smart and funny as a kid (my brother was the artistic and sporty one) kind of kept me focused on those two aspects of myself. I have friends that are extremely creative and would love to allow myself to be so too.

The other reason I want to start writing again is that I’ve been doing tons of research on topics like minimalism, toxic-free living, intentional communities, self-sufficiency, conflict resolution, anti-racism, feminism, and so much more. Sometimes, the answers to the questions I pose are easy to find, but so many times I can only find snippets of an answer.

Take this weekends research question as an example:

How do I organize and minimize my paper and my mementos (photo’s, news clippings, awards) to have only what’s essential?

I go to some sites, and they are more of your Martha Steward types that want you to keep everything, have big houses where you store your crap you don’t use, and wear mom jeans. It’s not de-cluttering if you just keep crap. A lot of the minimalist sites don’t necessarily mention what to do with these items either. How do you go through all of the pictures and keep what’s necessary? My goal is to be able to be mobile with what I have. If I have mementos and pictures, I want them to add to my life. If I’m taking pictures of my family, of kids, how can I capture the pictures so they can look at them in the future? Do the people who live in Tiny Houses, and who supposedly have more expansive lives because of their living situation, have a closet full of scrapbooks?

I want to answer some of these questions, and document my process for those who are interested in living a more minimalist lifestyle. I also want to share what works well from me, what interesting research I’ve found, and more. Last, I’d love to connect with others who are interested in deeper and more simple living, so that we can learn from each other, and support one another.

I’m going to go room by room, clutter zone by clutter zone and share the craziness with you. I know there are others out there who also have this level of clutter, so let’s connect! Here will be my process:

Weeks 1 & 2: Paper (important documents, research, magazines)

Weeks 3 & 4: Mementos (Paper, old letters, tickets, etc)

My goals :

Non-toxic/ Environmentally friendly solutions (including minimizing most uses of plastic)
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
End goal of items that are kept, are useful, organized, and easy to maintain

More goals may be added or described in more detail as I get knee- deep in the process. But it’s always good to start somewhere.

Green Tips

Buy Green Office Supplies

“Green” doesn’t necessarily mean “good” when it comes to so-called green office supplies. To help your office green up, consider durability, natural resource and energy use, recycled content and recyclability, toxicity, biodegradability and packaging before you purchase supplies. You can also set up a reuse system for the supplies you already have. For more tips on green office products, check out this article.

Check Out This Template for Action

Scientists say a global warming “tipping point” in the Arctic seems to be happening before their eyes. Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is at its second lowest level in about 30 years. These news flashes are just some of our climate’s changes happening daily. You and your kids can help. Read more here, and then check out Climate Generations’s Take Action! Guide, which offers hands-on activities for grades 3-12.

Unplug to Avoid Phantom Load

Did you know that you have electronics in your home leaking electricity—electricity that you pay for—24 hours a day, 7 days a week? The power drain is called “phantom load,” and it is a big problem with a simple solution.

The easiest strategy is to use power strips to cut the power to your electronics. When you turn off a power strip, it stops phantom load leaks. Start with your entertainment center and home office where you can find the biggest leaks: televisions, game consoles and computers. Make sure your power strip is located in an easy-to-reach place so you can easily turn it on or off. Set up a power strip as a charger station where your family can plug in all their cell phones, PDAs and music players. Most importantly…turn it off when you’re not using it!

Start a Neighborhood Eco-Parent Group

We all want to do the best for our children, especially when it comes to protecting their health and the environment in which they live. Sometimes, knowing the most effective ways to do this can be confusing and challenging, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. Consider starting an eco-parent group in your neighborhood to learn alongside other parents. This article offers some tips.

Reduce Paper Waste at the Office

Office paper is highly recyclable, but reducing or preventing paper waste is even more cost effective than recycling. Some ideas for reducing office paper waste:

Double-sided copying and printing.
Reusing paper. Keep a collection box by the copy machine for bad copies so the second side can be reused.
Make use of electronic communication.
Use smaller cover sheets or eliminate the cover sheet all together.
Reuse items from old packaging.
Reuse materials in-house, through clients, customers and consumers.
Consider buying the most environmentally-friendly paper (100% post-consumer recycled) to stock in your printers, copiers and fax machines.

Check out our full article Green Your Office for more great ideas.

Use Reusable Gift Bags

Americans produce 25% more trash during the holiday season, including about 2 million tons of wrapping paper that use an estimated 30 million trees per year! Eliminate your gift waste with creative packaging ideas like making your own from reclaimed fabric!

See our full list of ideas for a No Waste Holiday!

Learn from Woodbury

Is it possible for one of the fastest growing cities in Minnesota to be sustainable? The City of Woodbury has committed to try. Since adopting its initial Sustainability Resolution in 2006, the City has progressed toward becoming a sustainable community through several initiatives. You can read more about them in here. Can your city follow suit?

Start Backyard Composting

Did you know that the average Minnesota household throws 15 pounds of compostable materials into the trash every single week? Composting is an easy and simple way to have an immediate personal impact by diverting trash from the landfill or incinerator. Backyard composting takes leaves, grass clippings, veggie scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, and tissue and turns them into valuable compost that reduces the amount of water and fertilizer required for your yard and garden, improves soil quality and supplies essential nutrients for plant growth.

Learn more!

Purchase Sustainable Lumber and Wood Products

Minnesota’s forests are vital to the state economy and environment. The Minnesota wood products industry provides employment to rural communities and serves markets throughout the world. As global trade in forest products grows, forest certification has emerged as a mechanism for consumers to identify wood products produced from sustainably managed forests. Nearly 50 different companies in Minnesota manufacture and market certified products. Retailers and distributors sell a variety of lumber, paneling, and decking products. Numerous local paper and printing companies also offer certified products.

More info here!

Go Green with Cloth Diapers

An average child will go through 8-10 diapers a day until the age of 30 months. That’s about 8,000 diapers, and a cost of about $2,500! A good set of 20 cloth diapers will cost an average of $350 and can be used for future children or even resold. Cloth diapers save you money and keep a significant amount of trash out of the landfill or incinerator.

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Seeking the simple life, time to begin.

How Our Food Choices Effect the Planet

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