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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas

11/30/2019

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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
It's no secret that we as a human race have royally messed up our duty as keepers of this planet. Thankfully, we have become more aware as of late the mistakes we have made, and there are strides being taken in rectifying these mistakes! Saying no to a straw? Easy! Bringing my own bags to the supermarket? Done! Being eco-friendly and waste-free during Christmas time? Ummmm....?
With Christmas being the most wasteful time of the year, it is super important to have a game plan in place, so you can be eco-friendly year round! It really is possible to be waste-free during the Holidays.
Keep reading for my tips on being waste-free all Christmas long!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
Gift Wrapping;
Did you know that we generate an additional 7 million pounds of waste between Thanksgiving and New Years Day? My Mom and I both have in our homes containers overflowing with gift bags, boxes, and tins. Every Christmas we put gifts in these, and then after all the presents have been opened, we pick our way through the debris reclaiming our individual bags and boxes, take them back home, and repeating next year! It seems crazy to throw away perfectly good bags and buy more every year.

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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
​I will be the first to admit that there is something deeply satisfying about tearing open wrapping paper like a little kid hopped up on pixie sticks and Mountain Dew! So whatever presents aren't placed into a reusable bag or box, we wrap with newspaper and junk mail. It's actually pretty cute! And bonus, we don't need to write who the present is from-everyone will already know! 

A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
Food and drink;
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I do not personally eat 100% vegan, although I do recognize how important it can be, and about 90% of my cooking is vegan. I do love eggs, but only the Certified Humane eggs! Make sure your eggs are certified humane, and free range or pastured. Cage free eggs, although better than nothing, are not ideal-chickens although not kept in cages, are usually not let outside and are kept in a very cramped spaces. Remember it's about a good life for us, and for our animal friends.
So why not try a couple vegan recipes out this Christmas?
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
Starting with my Vegan Christmas Eve Ice Cream Hot Cocoa (pictured above), it's sure to be a hit!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
There is nothing better than my Vegan Caramel Apple Oatmeal on a cold winter morning!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
My Organic, Vegan, and Fair Trade Peanut Butter Cups make great gifts and holiday treats!

Check out my Pinterest board for some of my favorite vegan recipes.
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
Gifts;
​When giving environmentally-conscious gifts, there are many avenues we can take.
Do we give gifts that will help the recipient reduce their carbon footprint? Do we give gifts that just with their being made make the world a better place? Do we give gifts that have been recycled/upcycled? Yes, yes, and yes! So check out these 14+ gifts hand picked by me, that will make everyone on your list, as well as Mother nature, smile.


1. Soda stream.
We absolutely love our Soda Stream. My parents got it for us for Christmas last year and we have used the crap out of it! Nick is a pretty big pop drinker and I have tried to get him to cut back on it-for his health, to save money, and for environmental purposes. The Soda Stream takes regular tap water, and turns it into delicious fizzy water, making it the perfect gift for any Le Croix lovers on your list. Just do what I do and add a squeeze of lemon juice, or any other fruit to it. You can also buy concentrated syrups that taste just like your favorite pop flavor. They contain no high fructose, and one bottle of the syrup will make 9 liters of pop! And is your CO2 tank empty? No need to throw it out and buy a new one, just take it to Bed Bath and Beyond where they will fill it back up for a cheaper price than buying a new one!


A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
2. My book!
Ok maybe a paperback book isn't necessarily eco-friendly, but the Kindle version is! This book is great for a new graduate, someone you know who wants to start living better and bolder or traveling the world, or anyone who wants to create their Dream Life!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
3. Environmentally friendly toothbrush.
A bamboo toothbrush makes a great stocking stuffer, and is a great way to educate your loved ones about how in the United States alone it is estimated that 1 billion toothbrushes are thown away every single year, creating 50 million pounds of waste annually! And considering the fact that plastic (including those 1 billion toothbrushes) never breaks down, a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush is a great thing to use!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
I love Francesco Palmieri because they have a wide range of eco-friendly products, including these colorful bamboo toothbrushes. And use my code RECYCLE to get 20% off!
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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
4. Re-usable feminine hygiene products.
Another great stocking stuffer for the ladies on your list is re-usable pads (from Ursa Major Mama on Etsy)! Ok I know it's not the most fun subject, but look at how cute they are!
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5. Re-usable glass straws.
How about some Strawesome re-usable glass straws for everyone you know!
6. Re-usable water bottles.
7. To go coffee mug.
8. Beeswax wraps.
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9. T-shirt pillows.
My handmade t-shirt pillows are up-cycled- made from old t-shirts that I find at thrift stores and garage sales. Plus 10% of everything I make goes to multiple charities that are changing lives. Check out all my pillows and then send me an email (volkejessica@aol.com) telling me which one you want so I can ship it out to you before Christmas!
​10. A french press. 
11. Fair-trade coffee.
12. Live plants.
13. Re-usable coffee sleeves.
​(I bought a bunch of these for all the coffee drinking ladies on my Christmas list!)


A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
14. A bracelet that helps save the turtles.
How about a beautiful bracelet made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, 100% post-consumer recycled glass bottles, including less than 5% reclaimed ocean plastic and glass? And what if that very same bracelet funds the removal of one pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines?! Yeah, 4ocean is an amazing company that sells not only recycled bracelets, but also single-use alternatives, such as straws, shopping bags, water bottles, and tumblers. Every item you purchase from them helps pull one pound of trash from the ocean.

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A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
Some more ways to ensure waste-free and world changing Christmas​ gifts this year and every;

- Shop thrifts stores and garage sales.
Not only will you find super unique and cool things that are crazy inexpensive, but you are keeping things from going into landfills, and stopping new products from being made. 

-Give sentimental gifts.
Sentimental gifts will be remembered much longer than some gadget you picked up at Wal Mart last minute.


-Shop small businesses.
When you purchase from small businesses, you change the world.

-Shop local.
Less shipping equals more eco-friendly.

-Purchase my handmade gifts.
​10% of my profits go to world-changing charities, and a lot of my products are up-cycled. Check out all my products and then send me an email (volkejessica@aol.com) telling me what you want so I can ship it out to you before Christmas!


-Give experiences.
Experiences are some of the greatest gifts you can give. 
​Seeing a movie together, concerts, a picnic, a lunch date, use your imagination!

-Buy from Etsy.
Etsy is one of my favoritest places ever to shop for gifts! You are purchasing items from small businesses, you can find lots of vintage things on there, everything is so cute fun and unique, and last but not least, Etsy offsets 100% of carbon emissions from every delivery!


A Very Merry Waste-Free Christmas
​This year make the holidays more about the experience and feeling than about gifts.​ It will feel good, trust me. <3
P.S. These dreamy Christmas pictures are from the amazing Rockin' Red Photography.
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***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, and this post may contain some of these, and other affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of the amazon links, or some of the others, this blog receives a small commission. Amazon has no input on what I link, and I only link to products that I like, or trust. The price when clicking through my link is the exact same as any other path you use to find your way to Amazon or the other sites. Thanks for your support!***
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Peace Love and Waste-Free Christmas
Jess <3
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My Summer 2019 Thrift Store Haul

6/14/2019

1 Comment

 
My Summer 2019 Thrift Store Haul
By now you guys all know what a fashion-cheap-sta I am (did I just make up a new word right now, or is this already a thing?!). I love clothes, shoes, accessories, and hair and makeup, but I also am all about saving (and making and investing) money! 
I am not the most comfortable person in front of a video camera, but I really wanted to make a haul video for you guys, my own kind of haul video-a thrift store haul video!
So check out my Summer 2019 Thrift Store Haul video below, with pictures following.


I hope you guys liked it! I wasn't tooo awkward in front of the camera was I? If you enjoyed it please give it a like and subscribe to my Youtube channel thaaanks!
And a very special thank you to Rocco for his adorable appearance!


My Summer 2019 Thrift Store Haul
The $54.90 Akira skirt that I nabbed for only $3.00.
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My Summer 2019 Thrift Store Haul
My $1.00 clip on earrings that I am obsessed with!
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Shop my earrings here-they're not $1, but still great deals!
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My Summer 2019 Thrift Store Haul
 My $.50 cardigan that matches perfectly the Bob Dylan pillow that is for sale on my Etsy Shop hint hint.
My Summer 2019 Thrift Store Haul
Who doesn't love espadrilles? And for only $2.00, I'm obsessed!
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My Summer 2019 Thrift Store Haul
I got this whole thrift store haul in one fell swoop at my favorite thrift store while visiting my family in Ohio last month. My Mom flew me back to attend our family reunion, but I made almost a week long event of it. I had a marvelous time seeing all my relatives, and my parents and I had the most wonderful time eating at little local diners, and shopping at antique stores, flea markets, and thrift stores. My wonderful Father footed the bill for this thrift store excursion (as well as all my food), he's just the greatest!
You can see me in my black and white $3.00 dress above, with most of my crazy cousins (there's a few missing, there's I believe 31 of us)!
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My Summer 2019 Thrift Store Haul
And all that for about $12.50! Aren't thrift store finds just the greatest?! 
So what are you waiting for? Grab a twenty dollar bill and some friends, and head out to your local thrift store to stock up on your new (used) summer wardrobe! 

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Peace Love and Thrift Stores
Jess <3
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World Changing Wednesday; Ten Disposable Items to Ditch

2/6/2019

2 Comments

 
Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them
Lately I've become kind of obsessed with taking a good hard look at my environmental impact. My family has always been into recycling and various other earth friendly practices, and so I in turn have always recycled, and try not to be too wasteful. However lately, I've decided that I can do more! Here's why;
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Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them
This!
We found this, and plenty more trash that had washed onto shore while in Vietnam a couple months ago. Human trash is threatening our oceans, our environment, our animals and sea life, and our own health!  Over 100,000 marine mammals and 1 million seabirds die from plastic pollution every year. Yes, disposable plastic products make life simpler, but at what cost?! We are destroying our planet! And ourselves. Are we that lazy, that convenience is more important than the well-being of ourselves, our children, and this planet?
I say no more!
I have embarked upon a journey! T
o stop using as many plastic and single-use items as I possibly can, and instead, start using reusable items whenever possible! Follow me and join me on this fabulous journey, and we will find ways to work these items into our everyday life, without spending a ton of money, without inconveniencing ourselves, and maybe even saving some money! We will take that one extra step, and make a huge impact!
Together we will save this planet!
​So here I have for you ten disposable items to ditch today, and the alternatives to replace them, forever!
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Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them
#1. Plastic shopping bags
When I was in China in 2008, I found these adorable little reusable shopping bags. I had never seen anything like it in the United States at the time, and it took a couple years before they started to catch on, but I am glad that they finally did! 

​This is definitely one of the most popular, normal, and socially acceptable item on this list. If you want to start small, this is a great one to start with!
Reusable shopping bags are super easy to find, and they are super cheap! You can find cute ones at craft stores and novelty shops, or plain ones at any grocery store. If you shop at Target, they will give you five cents off for each reusable shopping bag you present and use at checkout! Yes! Keep a few in your purse and the rest in your car, so you always have them with you when you stop at the grocery store.


Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them
While you're at the grocery store, you might also need...
#2. Plastic produce bags
I buy a lot of produce, as I'm sure you do. Every week the husband and I roam the produce aisle and buy a large amount of fruits and veggies. I have not personally bought reusable produce bags yet, since I have only recently started this journey and can't afford to buy all the reusables at once- So I decided to make my own! I made this cool, reusable produce bag out of an old t-shirt!
To make your own re-usable produce bag out of a t-shirt for free, cut the t-shirt into a tank top and cut the neck off, then turn it inside out and sew a straight line at the bottom of the shirt. Or you can do like I did, and cut strips with knots at the top and then without turning the t-shirt inside out, sew a straight line right above the knots. You will have the most stylish produce bag at the grocery store! Keep this bag with the rest of your reusable shopping bags in your car.
Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them
#3. Coffee filters
I know I am not the only one who loves to sit at home on my porch (or couch, or desk...) and drink coffee. If you are brewing your own coffee at home, then you are already saving money, and fighting against single-use items by skipping the disposable cup, lid, stirrer, sleeve, etc. at your local coffee shop. However, there is still a single-use item that you are using every time you use your coffee mate. The coffee filter! My mom gave me my own reusable coffee filters for Christmas a couple years ago, and I am loving them! By using a reusable coffee filter every day you are saving a good amount of money by not having to purchase packages of disposable filters every month. I love my organic Coffee Sock!
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Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them
Speaking of coffee...
#4. Disposable Coffee cups

Construction workers have known it for years, put your coffee in a thermos (or travel mug)!
Reusable coffee mugs come in every shape, size, color, pattern, and style! Buy yourself one, and use it! Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Peet's all offer discounts if you bring your own reusable cup, as do many other local coffee shops! Saving money, and saving the planet...score!

While on the subject of beverages...
#5. Water bottles
Using planet destroying plastic disposable water bottles is an absolutely crazy notion in my opinion. Don't be crazy, opt instead for a re-usable water bottle! I have a few, and I take them everywhere with me. While carrying your own reusable water bottle, you can also skip the disposable cups at fast food restaurants! 
Bonus! If you purchase your water bottle from 4ocean.com you will help pull one pound of trash from the ocean!
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​Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them​
#6. Plastic straws
I am absolutely loving my new reusable drinking straws from Strawesome, and Francesco Palmieri so much, I'm ashamed I didn't start using them years ago! I have bought one for me, my husband, and gave one to my mom. I will probably start giving these as gifts!
Plastic straws are so small, do they even cause any harm? That would be a big fat yes! Millions (MILLIONS!) of plastic straws are thrown away each day! Let that sink in! And one plastic straw takes at least 200 years to break down, but plastic doesn't actually decompose, it just gets smaller. And! It's toxic! Plastic straws send toxins into your drinks. Guess where they go next? Yep! Into the cells of your body. Enjoy that with your glass of water! Plastic straws are littering the ocean, washing ashore (like the one I found in Vietnam above), and have been found stuck in the nostrils of poor sea turtles. That does it! I am done with plastic straws!
​ My glass drinking straw (with a lifetime guarantee!) is so enjoyable to drink out of, when I'm drinking something really cold, the straw gets cold too, and it just tastes better than plastic straws! Read my complete blog post about these great glass straws from Strawesome!

Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them
Webmasters Earn Money Here!
I believe in this product so much, that I actually became an affiliate with Strawesome, trying to help them sell as many re-usable drinking straws as possible! Click the banner above to buy your own beautiful re-usable glass straw, or click the link above to become a Strawesome affiliate! 
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​Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them​
The glass straws from Strawesome are a bit pricey, so I have also found some much more affordable reusable straws. The reusable rainbow colored metal straws from Francesco Palmieri on Etsy are absolutely incredible! And costing only $3.55 each, you have no excuse not to have several! Plus, use coupon code RECYCLE for 20% off! I have several different ones in different colors that I carry in my purse in the adorable draw-string bag that you can also purchase from his Etsy Shop.

Speaking of drinks... 
#7. Anything restaurant related
I work in the food industry and goodness gracious you can not even imagine the amount of things wasted here-especially single use items! I am talking disposable chopsticks, spoons, forks, knives, to go containers, to go cups and tons of little plastic dishes with plastic lids for sauces and small items!
There are several different facets of this thing, and thus several ways you can go about eliminating the use of these items. 
The first facet is delivery. With the rise of food delivery services such as zifty and doordash, the use of disposable items are skyrocketing! Try to eliminate having food delivered to you as much as possible! The styrofoam containers, plastic utensils, and all the little sauce packets, I shudder! If you do have food delivered from somewhere, tell them either on the phone or on the app you're using that you do not want any sauce packets or plastic utensils. Also, look for restaurants that are more eco-friendly and use paper and cardboard instead of plastic and styrofoam. For example at my work, we do not use plastic bags, we use brown paper bags, and we do not use styrofoam containers, we use recycled cardboard boxes. 
Next up we have take out. We have this awesome guy Josh, that orders food from my work at least once a week. We all know who he is, and we all know not to use any single use item for his order! When he comes to pick up his food he brings with him a glass tupperware container and lid, hands it to us, which we hand to the cooks, and they put his food in the container! We don't give him any plastic utensils, and we don't put his container in a bag-he brings his own!
Eating in. When eating in at any restaurant whether it be fast food or dine in, it is important to be prepared! I carry my Francesco Palmieri drawstring bag in my purse with me everywhere I go. This bag contains a set of reusable chopsticks, and my reusable straw. I don't carry any utensils because I don't eat at restaurants that use plastic utensils.


Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them
#8. Feminine hygiene products
Yes I am talking about pads! And how perfect and absolutely adorable are these reusable cloth pads from the Etsy Shop Mama in the Moonlight! I am obsessed!
These soft, absorbent, and beautiful handmade moonpads come in all sizes and designs. A
re you tired of using crunchy bunchy disposable pads full of chemicals? Then shop around and see what many women are discovering to be completely revolutionary: a fun, chemical free, and comfortable moontime! Not to mention how much plastic you will be saving from being thrown away, oh and the money! The average woman spends $150-300 a year on pads and tampons-go buy yourself something nice with all that money you're saving girl!
And is it just me or is this another perfect gift to give all the ladies in your life?!


​Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them​
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Don't forget to follow them on Instagram to see more adorable pictures like this one!
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​Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them​
What if you don't like pads and prefer tampons? How about an eco menstrual cup? I haven't used one yet, but I have several friends who have and absolutely love them! No more waste, no more spending money on tampons, and no more toxins sitting inside your body!
Pssst use the code RECYCLE for 20% off your eco menstrual cup!
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#9. Paper towels

Don't even get me started on paper towels! You buy these things, just to turn around and instantly throw them away! My mom (and now me) would cut up our old shirts for use as rags. After wiping up a spill, you can just rinse it off, and wring it out! Imagine how much money you will save after cutting paper towels out of your budget!


​Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them​
#10. Your toothbrush
In the United States alone it is estimated that over 850 million toothbrushes are discarded every year. Yikes...
Bamboo toothbrushes, while still disposable (I don't think anyone wants to use the same toothbrush for the rest of their life!), are actually compostable! Compostable means that a product is capable of disintegrating into natural elements in a compost environment, leaving no toxicity in the soil. Usually in only about 90 days! 


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I got this super cute rainbow compostable bamboo toothbrush from the same Francesco Palmieri Etsy Shop that I got my reusable straws from.
I have to tell you that I am loving this company! All their packaging is made from recycled paper, they only use all natural ingredients, and they try to keep everything zero waste!
On their Etsy Shop they have these toothbrushes, the straws I have on here, and some essential oils. On their website you can find all that plus the menstrual cups mentioned above, their own natural skin care line, and a bunch of other cool stuff (eco friendly pencils say whaaaa?!!).

Oh, and I have a coupon code for you! Use the code RECYCLE for 20% off!
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Ten Disposable Items to Ditch and alternatives to replace them
The earth is all of our responsibility, let's get started today!
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***This post contains some affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of the links, this blog receives a small commission. Also, I received some of these products for free in return for my feedback on this post. As always, I keep my opinions honest on all products, regardless of them being affiliate related, or given to me for free.***

​Peace Love and Mother Earth
Jess <3
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    I'm Jessica!

    I've traveled all over the world, but Ohio is where I call home. I'm a lifestyle & travel blogger, and author. I love setting goals, reading, and snuggling up with my fur babies. I can usually be found at my local thrift store, or in the hammock in my backyard.

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