Meredith Tested

We’ve come up with a daily family rhythm while we’re self-distancing at home to keep our community safe. It has visual icons and corresponding labels. Whether you call it a daily rhythm, schedule, flow or agenda, it all boils down to the same thing: a reminder of how to keep putting one foot in front of the other during challenging times.

I keep writing and deleting the introduction to this…

We’re in the Burlington Free Press!

In May, journalist April McCullum came to visit my family and my home on an average weeknight. We walked around the house while my kids ran and played under our feet. We ate dinner and made school lunches for the next day. It was a relaxed meeting though my husband and I were slightly worried we overwhelmed April with information and stories. Thankfully April was able to sift through the…

5 no-cost ways to go zero waste

Buying high-quality items that will last a long time is important but the prices add up quickly. Joining the “trend” of going zero waste can be expensive, but there are lots of ways to have an impact on our home environment and the planet without spending a penny.

1. Use what you have

You may have heard this a million times but it’s true. Do you need a shiny plastic free bento box or a fabulous l…

Building a Capsule Wardrobe for Kids

Kids’ clothing can get overwhelming fast. Here I’m sharing my tips on creating a capsule wardrobe for your children. I’m happy to say that this system for creating a simplified, mix-and-match clothing collection for my kids works for us. One of the reasons it works well is because it allows for tweaking, changing our mind, updating. It also has parameters to keep me in check should I ever go…

Toys My Kids Play with Everyday

If you follow me here or on Instagram, you might know that I’m attempting a “no buy year,”which has proven to be interesting and challenging. There haven’t been a lot of “new” things coming in — not that there were before, either — so I’ve been able to see what my kids actually play with. Even when they have gotten something new as a gift, they tend to go right back to these staples. This is not…

Get Real About “Reuse”

As a kid I learned about the “3 Rs” of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. When I decided to attempt a zero waste home, I learned about Bea Johnson’s “5 Rs” of her zero waste home: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot. I also like Kathryn of Going Zero Waste’s modification to this rule.

Reusing an item is a great way to cut down on your household clutter, your waste/garbage and help the earth.

If you…

Meredith’s Favorite Things

I’ve written this as an email, Instagram DM, Facebook message, and text so many times I thought it deserved it’s own post. I might be doing a “no buy year” but that doesn’t mean I can’t give out my advice on how to spend your cash!

There isn’t one special magical *thing* anyone needs to be more eco-friendly and reduce waste. There are easy and free ways to reduce your daily impact and use of…

We’re two months into my no buy year and … it’s harder than I thought. WAY harder. Like, crazy hard. I think partially because my expectations were out of whack. I really thought it was going to be challenging but ultimately, I’d breeze through it.

I’m two months in and I still find myself eagerly opening sale emails and browsing for a moment (or several moments) before I catch myself.

Later in…

Meredith’s “No Buy Year”

Around this time in 2015 I shared that I was going to attempt a zero waste home. I was met with a lot of support and I’m so grateful for the online and real life community of friends and family helping me along. It might be glaringly obvious if you know me, but I like taking on challenges with strict parameters for specific time limits. I do well when I take things really (too?) seriously and aim…

Zero Waste Grocery Store Challenge: Hannaford Supermarkets

I’m finally back with another installment of the experiment known as the Zero Waste Grocery Store Challenge. 

Let’s recap just a bit.

-East: I’m profiling Trader Joes’, Costco, Hannaford Supermarket, and Wal-Mart. -South: Manuela from Girl Gone Green will be going to Aldi, Publix, Thrive, and Wal-Mart. -Midwest: Celia from Litterlesss will be taking you to Kroger, Jewel-Osco, and Wal-Mart. -West:…

Chia Flax Crackers – Gluten Free, Nut Free, Egg Free, Zero Waste Friendly

These crackers are on heavy HEAVY rotation at our house. I’ve been into making my own crackers since… well, since I discovered that you can make your own crackers so easily. Seriously though, whether you’re gluten free or gluten-full, I highly recommend making crackers at least once. Shout out to this recipe for introducing me to the ease of gluten-free cracker making.

This new recipe was one of…

Sweet Potato Muffin Tops

These zero-waste muffin top cookies are toddler (and baby, if you omit the honey) approved. We try to keep these as more of a dessert treat in our house but they would also be great for breakfast or a snack on the go. Sweetness comes from banana and dried fruit instead of sugar, though you can add honey for an extra sweet kick. I usually make two batches at once because these tend to disappear…

Road to minimalism: FREE Workshop (Vermont)

Whether you’re interested in decluttering to make your life easier, are curious about this “trend, you’re invited to a FREE workshop and discussion. Maybe you have already started decluttering or even are a seasoned veteran with a well-worn copy of Marie Kondo’s Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, we could all use some IRL support!

We can share our tips and tricks, and share what areas and things…

How to get “rich girl skin” the all natural, zero waste and inexpensive way

This post is years in the making. I’ve chased clear, even-toned skin my whole life. I remember telling a woman my mother knew who was a seller of a popular skincare line when I was a teenager that I was looking for moisturizing and “plumping” products. She laughed and said I didn’t need those products for decades yet. In my head I thought “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” but I…

Current Natural Deodorant Routine + Advice for Friends

If you’ve been hanging out with me for a while you may have seen my original post all about aluminum-free deodorants where I rank the ones I’ve tried. I also posted an update where I specifically mentioned what I was using at that time.

It’s been a while so I wanted to share yet again. Please note that I’m a few years into my switch to natural deodorant and at this point I find that a lot of them…

The Zero Waste Grocery Store Challenge: Trader Joe’s

When you decide to reduce your waste in your home, office, school or wherever, you may notice as many of us do that a huge source of daily garbage is …food packaging.

This summer I’m teaming up with a dream squad of bloggers to show you how we shop at conventional stores while still reducing waste.

Kathryn from Going Zero Waste Andrea from Be Zero Manuela from Girl Gone Green Celia from Litterless