My Why

Hi! This is me (photo above) ^

I’m just your average Minnesota girl who packed up her 2006 Subaru and drove it to Los Angeles to pursue her acting dream. Super average. So where does my eco friendly part come in?

Minnesota is a great state! Lots of environmental efforts and a big familiarity with the DNR and their efforts to keep non-native species out. I moved to Los Angeles where veganism is the new environmentalism and no one cares that palm trees are a non native species.

Nature is different out here and recycling is different. I LOVE to pieces that plastic bags are an extra charge, encouraging people to bring bags from home!

When I was in college, I went to an awesome lecture called Radical Menstruation. Yep. We’re going there. (Kind of) Basically, it was a super informative lecture that opened my eyes to options outside of your standard pads and tampons. (We’re getting slightly personal here, lol)—> I honestly don’t bleed enough for tampons and to be super real, pads are SO uncomfortable and are disgusting if you’re doing anything active. SO I was first introduced to the world of the menstrual cup. Omg. Game changer. It lasts for super long and is $20 on Amazon. (I have the Diva Cup)- absolutely zero waste. You wash it and reuse it. And, once you’re used to it, it’s literally the BEST. I took SO many dance classes in college and this made all of that so much better. So this was my first endeavor into discovering waste free and more eco friendly products.

Yep. A menstrual cup changed my life. Ladies, seriously-TRY ONE!

Moving on-

I moved to Los Angeles annnnnd basically just lived my life as a starving artist. I started to notice that I was buying so much Starbucks and take-out and the trash was overflowing every other day. So frustrating! I made baby steps to buy local coffee instead and bring a reusable cup sometimes, but nothing major. Just baby steps!

Then, I got into essential oils. Not in a crazy suburban Mom kind of way, although if that is you, that’s great! I liked essential oils because I could create my own products. I love it all for my DIY projects. I can make soaps and body scrubs….

Going down the Pinterest rabbit hole on DIY projects brought up a lot of waste free pins and I realized I liked the thought of trying to live better and be better about my effect on the world.

Buying stuff in plastic is out. I look for glass, especially if I can use it again! I’ve been making my purchases bit by bit for reusable and non-plastic products. Towels for the kitchen. Lots of towels (to replace disposable paper towels). Stainless steel mason jar covers for stainless steel straws to put water in and bring with me. Thermoses for coffee shop stops. Stainless steel containers to replace tupperware. Washable cloth rounds for makeup removal and toner application. Apple cider vinegar (in glass) to use as a face toner. Coconut oil (in glass) as a makeup remover and moisturizer. Norwex baby cloths for face washing and makeup removal. Plants for natural air cleaners. The list goes on and on. Blog to come with more details on all of these things and other DIY products.

Lots of purchases!!! Also I’ve changed my eating habits! A LOT less eating out! (I even made a page in my bullet journal to track days when I don’t eat out at all- coffee stops don’t count). I’ve been doing more grocery shopping and have been more aware. I found that Sprouts has bulk bins and EatalyLA has a bulk olive oil fill spot. I bring my own bags and I seek out products with little to no plastic. I’ve been hitting up the farmers market and buying produce from local people! It’s actually so nice to connect differently with the people who actually grow the product. Whenever they see I’m filling my own bags instead of taking one of their plastic ones, sometimes they give a discount!

These are all just beginnings, and they have not been easy changes. It’s a lot of mind over matter and me hauling containers and bags around and knowing I’m going to take up extra space and time when I’m filling things up at bulk bins. But, I think these are simple steps that anyone can take.

A lot of the eco friendly options I’m taking will save me money. They also save the world from a lot of trash. No more plastic bags and plastic silverware and to-go containers. And I’m getting more involved with my food by cooking it for myself and finding things I like.

This is the start of my Eco Friendly // Waste Free-ish journey! Follow along if you’d like.