Discussing Clean Electricity and Energy Justice with Olivia Nedd of Vote Solar

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Discussing Clean Electricity and Energy Justice with Olivia Nedd of Vote Solar

We’re passionate about our environment and care deeply about providing a safe, healthy, and equitable planet for all. One of the ways that we can work towards this goal is by focusing on large-scale advancement of clean energy to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels that pollute our land, poison our communities, and overheat our planet. In this post, I’ll introduce you to a clean electricity advocate, Olivia Nedd, who is the Policy Director of the Access & Equity Program for Vote Solar who will speak to the importance of why we need to bring all races and incomes along in this energy shift. We’ll also talk about the US’s electricity sources and environmental racism, and how you can make a change for the better.

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Researching a Sustainable Kitchen Countertop and Why I Chose Marble

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Researching a Sustainable Kitchen Countertop and Why I Chose Marble

Countertops are major workhorses and one of the biggest design elements in a kitchen. So, there’s a lot of thought that goes into the material, style, and design of them. But you know me, I have to research even further. In addition to picking a pretty countertop, I factored in the environmental footprint, worker health, land reclamation of the quarry, and the way it fits into a historic home. Ready to get into it? Let’s!

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Choosing The Most Environmentally Friendly Cooktop - Weighing All(!) of the Considerations

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Choosing The Most Environmentally Friendly Cooktop - Weighing All(!) of the Considerations

With concerns for our planet and the folks that experience climate injustices, we’re all making purchasing decisions with ethics in mind. Appliances are no different. Electric and induction cooktops are becoming a popular environmentally friendly option, but I'm taking a hard look at all of the considerations to make the most conscious choice.

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Talking Old Houses, Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, and Historic Preservation on the True Tales From Old Houses Podcast

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Talking Old Houses, Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, and Historic Preservation on the True Tales From Old Houses Podcast

I sat down with Stacy of the blog Blake Hill House who runs the podcast True Tales From Old Houses to record an episode! We chatted about old homes, energy efficiency, sustainable improvements, modern upgrades, old window efficiency, and weighing the pros and cons of green updates like solar panels. This was a great conversation because I got to share some things that I’ve never discussed in much length on the blog or on Instagram. You’ll definitely want to listen! And I guess I’m overly chatty because Stacy had to split up my interview into two parts! In part two, I chat more about my experience living in a designated historic district, so stay tuned for that.

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An Eco-Friendly Christmas Tree that Looks Like a Real Tree and Smells Like a Real Tree

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An Eco-Friendly Christmas Tree that Looks Like a Real Tree and Smells Like a Real Tree

I’ve been brainstorming how to have a pretty, smelly, and green Christmas tree in my home without the ecological guilt of cutting down a living tree. And you know what, I found it! I made my own tree with real tree branch scraps so it has the same look and same delicious smell as a real tree. Oh I’m smitten!

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What To Do With Pumpkins After Using Them As Seasonal Decor

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What To Do With Pumpkins After Using Them As Seasonal Decor

Pumpkins and gourds are classic decor during the fall season, but please don’t put them in the trash when you’re done admiring them! When put in the trash and sent off to the landfill, pumpkins (and all other food materials) they create nasty greenhouses gasses. Instead of letting them become a negative, turn them into a positive with a few ideas I’ve outlined below.

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My Takeaways from the Green Homes Tour - Both Good and Bad

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My Takeaways from the Green Homes Tour - Both Good and Bad

I went on the San Diego Green Homes Tour this weekend, which is a two-day ticketed event that allows folks to explore “green” homes all over the San Diego region. The goal is to spread awareness about environmentally friendly design to homeowners, designers, or just curious humans - it was open to all. The houses range from being showy multi-million dollar new constructions in beach-front communities, to small semi-homesteads with modest DIY improvements.

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Trash Pumpkin: Making Seasonal Decor Out of Literal Garbage

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Trash Pumpkin: Making Seasonal Decor Out of Literal Garbage

I’ve never been too big on decorating for the holidays. Sometimes I’m into it, but I mostly get tired of the tchotchkes and want my home to be clutter-free again. Partly I don’t like the look, but I also just don’t like buying decor that’s cheap and will ultimately end up in the trash. BUT! Enter trash pumpkin. The decor that literally takes rubbish out of the bin and keeps it out of the waste stream.

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Learned Something New: Sustainable Straw Bale Home Construction

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Learned Something New: Sustainable Straw Bale Home Construction

Over the weekend I attended an event to learn about straw bale home construction - a sustainable building material that benefits the planet instead of hurting it. The organizers also talked about regenerative agriculture, permaculture, and ethically sourced mezcal. It was really cool, and I want to share just a little bit of what I learned about a unique construction material with you!

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The Goals for My Front Yard Garden - For the Love of Water, Food, Bees, and Flowers

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The Goals for My Front Yard Garden - For the Love of Water, Food, Bees, and Flowers

I have lots of front yard gardening posts to share with you so I’m breaking them up into a few pieces. In this one, I want to share with you the goals for our front yard landscape. A a serial over-thinker, you can bet that I had multiple goals that I thought long and hard about when planning what to plant to replace our pathetic front yard. From trying to save the planet to wanting to enjoy all the pretty things, here are my garden goals.

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Sustainable Travel Tips and Essentials from a Minimal Homebody

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Sustainable Travel Tips and Essentials from a Minimal Homebody

If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably noticed that I've been traveling quite a bit lately. I'll admit that it feels odd for such a serious homebody to be out and about so much, but, while I do miss home, I've found ways to make traveling easier.

I've collected a few of my favorite travel essentials that I recommend to everyone. Now, this isn't going to be a round-up of travel gimmicks that give you more stuff to carry around. I like to travel as minimally and as ecologically as possible, so here it goes!

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I Installed a Clothesline!

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I Installed a Clothesline!

The more I dive into the low-waste, environmentalism, and energy conscious worlds, the more I think about alternatives to basically everything I do. I also have dreams of being a homesteader and recluse. So, a project I did last fall was install an exterior clothesline!

Air drying clothes is a great way to save on energy when doing laundry and I’m the perfect candidate for air drying clothes in my sunny San Diego climate. Plus, sunshine is the nature’s bleach. So, why not?

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