Stephanie Marie Seferian's Blog, page 28
March 17, 2022
The Best Things Are Free: Story Time
The best things in life are free, or so they say. And for moms and dads everywhere, one of the most enjoyable (and free!) aspects of parenting is story time.
With this episode the podcast kicks off a new, limited series that dives deeper into the best free things in life. In honor of World Storytelling Day on March 20, I speak with co-founder of Once Upon A PJ Britt Gage about practical ways we can get the most out of story time with our children. Britt argues that, with a few simple tweaks, we ...
March 15, 2022
Managing Just In Case Clutter
We all do it: We keep items around “just in case” we need them in the future. And while there’s certainly nothing wrong with holding onto things you’ll definitely use again, there’s a threshold in which just in case clutter gets to be too much and goes too far.
Today I speak with Krista Lockwood, host of the Motherhood Simplified podcast. Krista argues that there’s a difference between being adequately prepared versus impractically prepared, and impractical preparedness often comes at a detrimen...
March 10, 2022
Everything Eco-Minimalist Birthdays
Want to throw a birthday party for your child that’s light on waste but heavy on fun? Does a present-light party intrigue you but you aren’t sure how to pull it off?
Today I’m answering listener Gretchen’s question about how eco-minimalists do kids’ birthday parties. I’m first describing how such celebrations look in my house; I also offer practical alternatives for goody bags, single-use decorations, and more.
Here’s a preview:
[5:00] 5 reasons why you may want to consider a gift-free or gift...
March 8, 2022
What’s Good For Us Is Also Free
Despite all the advances in modern medicine and despite all the good advice (ahem … diet and exercise), chronic disease and obesity rates are rising. While there are indeed many reasons, two of them include the reality that products of convenience have engineered out the need for exercise and higher standards of living prevent us from abiding by tried-and-true simple living principles.
Today I speak with Dr. Vimal George about the ways in which overconsumption affects our health and happiness. I...
March 3, 2022
Getting Your Partner On Board
“How do you get family members on board with minimalism? I’ve heard from so many of my friends and family about how they would love to embrace minimalism, but their partners don’t want to. It seems to create a lot of animosity in relationships … What are your thoughts?”
Living harmoniously with another human being requires constant dialogue and compromise. It’s no surprise, then, that when one person adopts a minimalist lifestyle the maximalist in the relationship feels uneasy.
I’m married to ...
March 1, 2022
How To Find Quality Clothes
If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you’re likely well-versed in the benefits of slow fashion. But where do you find clothes worthy of keeping for the long haul, and what specifically should you be looking for when shopping?
On today’s show we are continuing our fight against the fashion industry’s transition to single-use clothing by discussing the nuts and bolts of intentional clothes shopping. Lindsay Christinee, journalist and founder of The Wellness Feed, joins the convers...
February 17, 2022
What’s In The Build Back Better Bill
When it comes to our future, climate scientists paint vastly different projections than politicians. (Think: extreme weather events, toxic air, entire nations under water, and major humanitarian conflicts over food and water.)
Politicians paint much rosier pictures: electric vehicles, new industries, and better jobs, all made possible by investments into clean energy.
President Joe Biden’s signature bill – the Build Back Better Framework – is a monstrosity of legislation with ambitious emissions...
February 15, 2022
Reducing Home Toxins (Without Spending $$)
Too often, conservations about reducing home toxins center themselves around replacement: Get rid of your mattress and buy a new one. Toss your plastic Tupperware and replace with glass. And that plastic shower curtain liner? It has got to go.
But replacing items that are in otherwise fine working order wastes money; it wastes environmental resources, too.
Today I’m speaking with environmental engineer (and podcast host!) Emma Rohmann. Emma offers her practical and impartial voice to the low-tox...
February 10, 2022
Ugly Fruit, Misshapen Veggies
Food waste is clearly an environmental problem: In the United States alone, Americans throw away approximately 63 million tons of food each year.
Enter the ugly produce market. For-profit companies selling misshapen fruits and vegetables argue that they are saving perfectly healthy food from becoming waste. Consumers, too, who subscribe to such services believe they are acting both nobly and ethically. But is any of this true?
On today’s short and sweet episode I’m answering a listener’s questio...
February 8, 2022
Keep The Memories, Lose The Stuff
Your boxes of photos, family’s china, and even your kids’ height charts aren’t just stuff. These items are attached to a lifetime of memories, and letting them go can be scary.
The reality is that people don’t miss stuff. They miss the people and memories behind their stuff, and keeping certain items in the right quantities can memorialize our loved ones and their unique life stories.
On today’s show I speak with featured cleaner on Hoarders and host of the Emmy-nominated Legacy List Matt Paxton...
