Why I Started Buying Handmade Home Stuff (And You Should Too)
You know that moment when you realize you're surrounded by the same mass-produced junk as literally everyone else? I had that epiphany about two years ago when I was at…
My Cleaning Cabinet Confession: Why I Ditched Chemical Cleaners (And You Should Too)
I'll be honest – I used to be that person with a cleaning cabinet that looked like a chemistry lab exploded. You know the type. Bleach for this, ammonia-based stuff…
Why I’m Obsessed with Rooftop Gardens (And You Should Be Too)
Last month I finally convinced my building manager to let me check out the rooftop – you know, that mysterious space above our apartments that nobody ever talks about. What…
Turning My Austin Apartment Into a Green Play Space Without Breaking the Bank
When my sister called me last spring to say she was moving back to Austin with my three-year-old nephew, my first thought wasn't "yay, family time!" It was more like…
How I Went From Takeout Queen to Actually Caring About My Environmental Impact (And Why It’s Harder Than Instagram Makes It Look)
I'll be honest – the moment that really got me wasn't some inspiring documentary or perfectly curated zero-waste Instagram post. It was standing in my tiny Austin apartment kitchen at…
My Apartment Balcony Garden Experiment: What I Learned About Growing Food in Small Spaces
So here's the thing about renting in Austin – you start dreaming about growing your own food when you're spending half your paycheck at Whole Foods and the other half…
Why I’m Ditching the “Buy, Use, Toss” Mentality (And You Should Too)
I'll be honest – I used to be the poster child for wasteful consumption. You know the drill: buy something on Amazon, use it for a few months, toss it…
That Time I Started Composting Because My Trash Can Wouldn’t Stop Judging Me
I was standing in my tiny Austin apartment kitchen one Tuesday night, peeling potatoes for what was probably going to be mediocre mashed potatoes (I'm still working on my cooking…
How I Learned to Throw Actually Sustainable Parties (Without Going Broke or Boring My Friends)
You know what's weird? I used to be that person who'd throw a party and generate enough trash to fill my entire dumpster. Paper plates, plastic cups, decorations from the…
How I Went From Plastic-Obsessed to Actually Caring About All That Ocean Garbage
So there I was last summer, walking along South Padre Island with my college roommate who was visiting Austin, and I literally stepped on this crushed water bottle that made…
My Journey from $40 Face Creams to Kitchen Counter Skincare (And Why My Skin Has Never Been Better)
So here’s the thing about working at a nonprofit – you learn to get creative with your budget pretty quickly. I was dropping like $40 on a single moisturizer from…
How I Broke My Shopping Addiction (And Why My Trash Can Changed Everything)
I was standing in Target last week – you know how it is, you go in for toothpaste and somehow end up with $87 worth of stuff you didn't know…
How I Learned to Travel Without Completely Wrecking the Planet (A Broke Millennial’s Guide)
Okay, so I need to confess something that's been bugging me for years. Every time I see those Instagram posts of people jet-setting to Bali or Iceland or wherever, I…
How I Learned to Actually Enjoy the Holidays Without Trashing the Planet
Last December, I was sitting on my apartment floor surrounded by what looked like a small mountain of wrapping paper, plastic containers from takeout Christmas dinner (because cooking for one…
How I Ditched My Car for Bikes and Carpools (And Why My Wallet Thanks Me)
You know that moment when you're sitting in traffic at 8 AM, watching your gas gauge drop while breathing in exhaust fumes, and you think "there has to be a…