SUSTAINABLE MINIMALISTS+

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Sustainable Minimalists

Stephanie Seferian

Creating eco-minimalist, non-toxic homes (without the extra work). Although minimalism has experienced a rebirth in recent years, the "less is more" movement has been around for centuries. Yet today's minimalist influencers have resurrected minimalism with a decidedly consumerist spin, as modern minimalism is nearly synonymous with decluttering. While there's a lot of chatter about tidying, it's radio silence and crickets when it comes to sustainability. The result? Aspiring minimalists find themselves on an endless hamster wheel of buying, decluttering, buying more, and purging again. Overemphasizing decluttering and underemphasizing the reasons why we overbuy in the first place is thoroughly inconsistent with slow living as a movement; consumption without intention is terrible for the planet, too. Your host, Stephanie Seferian, is a stay-at-home/podcast-from-home mom and author who believes that minimalism, eco-friendliness, and non-toxic living are intrinsically intertwined. She's here to explore the topics of conscious consumerism, sustainability, and environmentally-friendly parenting practices with like-minded women; she's here, too, to show you how to curate eco-friendly, decluttered homes (without the extra work).

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    The Digital Childhood

    My husband and I made a fatal error. We gave our pre-teen limited access to a screen at a developmentally vulnerable age. And then we took it back. On today's show: A cautionary tale about what happened when we eased up on our household's screen rules. Here's a preview: [3:00] My household's descent into screendom: How did we get here? [16:00] "The light went out behind her eyes" and other tween behavioral and personality changes [21:00] The four foundational harms of smart phones, according to Jonathan Heidt [28:00] Kids are highly susceptible to both conformist bias and prestige bias. That's why phones are so darn powerful [31:00] If you don't want your child to act like a TikTok influencer, don't give them access to TikTok! [32:00] The presence of screens reduces a child's interest in all other non-screen activities (and other helpful reminders) Resources mentioned: We have an aligned sponsor! Head to Duckfeetusa.com and use code MAMAMINIMALIST FOR $50 off. The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    37 min
  2. 29 OCT

    Suburban Sprawl

    While suburbia has long symbolized comfort, safety, and home ownership, its consequences reach far beyond picket fences and cul-de-sacs. From traffic congestion and environmental degradation to economic inequality and declining community life, our reverence for sprawl has reshaped how we live, work, and connect. On today's show author and developer Steve Nygren discusses how this pattern of development took hold, who benefits when we're isolated, and what better alternatives can look like. Here's a preview: [6:30] Calling out the "boundaries that box us in" [14:30] The antidote? Connect with people who have common concerns [22:00] Easy ways to live with community — not sprawl — in mind [32:00] Who benefits when we're isolated, lonely, sedentary, and sad? Resources mentioned: We have an aligned sponsor! Head to Duckfeetusa.com and use code MAMAMINIMALIST FOR $50 off. Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where We Live With Radical Common Sense Last Child in the Woods (by Richard Louv) The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (by Jonathan Haidt) Serenbe This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    35 min
  3. 21 OCT

    The Downsizing Mindset

    The downsizing mindset isn’t just about moving to a smaller home or getting rid of clutter. It’s a lifestyle that creates a habit of routinely shedding excess weight from your life. If you’re feeling heaviness and overwhelm, embracing a downsizing approach to life may serve as an act of personal liberation. Detaching from possessions often frees up time, money, and energy for what really matters. It may also release you from the societal pressure to constantly accumulate more. A downsizing mindset quietly trades excess for ease and distraction for depth. On today’s show podcaster and organizer Tracy Hoth suggests simple routines to usher in the downsizing mindset, whether you’re planning to move in the near future or not. Here's a preview: [5:00] Not downsizing anytime soon? That's A-OK! Here are two things you should be doing now anyway [10;30] If you're feeling the urge to save items for your children, keep this in mind [16:00] Revisiting the kids' artwork and awards conundrum. How much should we be keeping? [25:00] If you've got loads of "unmade decisions" in your home, here's one thing you can do right now Resources mentioned: We have an aligned sponsor! Head to Duckfeetusa.com and use code MAMAMINIMALIST FOR $50 off. The Organized Coach podcast   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    33 min
  4. Turning Up The Heat

    14 OCT • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Turning Up The Heat

    Are you seething with anger at the realization that we could be doing more to save ourselves? That corporations distracted us with recycling and metal straws so they they could continue their polluting ways? If you’re experiencing unprecedented emotions during these unprecedented times, you’re normal. Rage toward governments, corporations, or even friends and family over climate ambivalence is called eco-anger. For many of us, eco-anger is our new baseline. Eco-anger can be motivating, or it can destroy us from the inside. On today’s show author Cheryl Leutjen offers ways to transform your “fight” response from a source of burnout and stress into a catalyst for action. Here’s a preview: [8:00] It’s human nature to hyper-focus on an immediate but insignificant problem (a hang nail) versus the big one (climate change). Why do we do this? [12:00] A call for steeping in the practices that “keep you upright” [20:00] Is it time for a news diet? [22:00] Unprecedented times call for new words. Introducing ‘shadowtime’ and ‘ennuipocalypse’ Resources mentioned: Episode #156: When Green Living Gets Exhausting Earth Beyond 6 of 9 Planetary Boundaries Madness On the Brink of Eco-Apocalypse: Furious Facts, Dark Humor, and SOS Calls To Action The Bureau of Linguistical Reality Saving Ourselves (via YouTube) Book Cub is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 17! This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

    33 min
  5. 30 SEPT

    Incrementally Off-Grid

    Want to get off fossil fuels but don't know where to start? Thinking about ditching utilities but overwhelmed by the complexity? Many off-grid advocates attest that countercultural living saves money and infuses meaning into daily life. For my environmentalists listening, burning fewer fossil fuels also means you're living and breathing your pro-climate values. On today's show author and off-grid enthusiast Ryan Mitchell offers his best tips for stepping back from—but not completely abandoning—society's (fossil fuel burning) systems. And because clean energy tax credits are soon expiring, today's conversation has a special focus on installing solar panels when the time is right. Here's a preview: [4:00] It's prudent to be intentional about how you power your life. If you aren't, others will be happy to make those decisions for you, to their benefit [9:00] You can *incrementally* take back some of your power, so choose your own adventure! [17:00] Self-sufficiency 101: Lean into your natural curiosities [22:00] Thinking about solar panels? Here's what you need to know [28:00] Going incrementally off-grid will likely save you money. It was also reduce your reliance on fossil fuels Resources mentioned: Clean energy tax credits are expiring at the end of 2025 (via the Internal Revenue Service) Living Off Grid: 50 Steps to Unplug, Become Self-Sufficient, and Build The Homestead Of Your Dreams This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    36 min
  6. Incrementally Off-Grid

    30 SEPT • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Incrementally Off-Grid

    "We are used to thinking of the sun and wind as the Whole Foods of energy, when in fact it's now the Costco ... It's cheap and available in bulk and ready to go." - Bill McKibben Want to get off fossil fuels but don't know where to start? Thinking about ditching utilities but overwhelmed by the complexity? Many off-grid advocates attest that countercultural living saves money and infuses meaning into daily life. For my environmentalists listening, burning fewer fossil fuels also means you're living and breathing your pro-climate values. On today's show author and off-grid enthusiast Ryan Mitchell offers his best tips for stepping back from—but not completely abandoning— society's (fossil fuel burning) systems. And because clean energy tax credits are soon expiring, today's conversation has a special focus on installing solar panels when the time is right. Here's a preview: [4:00] It's prudent to be intentional about how you power your life. If you aren't, others will be happy to make those decisions for you, to their benefit [9:00] You can *incrementally* take back some of your power, so choose your own adventure! [17:00] Self-sufficiency 101: Lean into your natural curiosities [22:00] Thinking about solar panels? Here's what you need to know [28:00] Going incrementally off-grid will likely save you money. It was also reduce your reliance on fossil fuels Resources mentioned: Clean energy tax credits are expiring at the end of 2025 (via the Internal Revenue Service) Living Off Grid: 50 Steps to Unplug, Become Self-Sufficient, and Build The Homestead Of Your Dreams This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

    36 min
4.8
out of 5
49 Ratings

About

Creating eco-minimalist, non-toxic homes (without the extra work). Although minimalism has experienced a rebirth in recent years, the "less is more" movement has been around for centuries. Yet today's minimalist influencers have resurrected minimalism with a decidedly consumerist spin, as modern minimalism is nearly synonymous with decluttering. While there's a lot of chatter about tidying, it's radio silence and crickets when it comes to sustainability. The result? Aspiring minimalists find themselves on an endless hamster wheel of buying, decluttering, buying more, and purging again. Overemphasizing decluttering and underemphasizing the reasons why we overbuy in the first place is thoroughly inconsistent with slow living as a movement; consumption without intention is terrible for the planet, too. Your host, Stephanie Seferian, is a stay-at-home/podcast-from-home mom and author who believes that minimalism, eco-friendliness, and non-toxic living are intrinsically intertwined. She's here to explore the topics of conscious consumerism, sustainability, and environmentally-friendly parenting practices with like-minded women; she's here, too, to show you how to curate eco-friendly, decluttered homes (without the extra work).

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