With every passing day, it seems our world could self destruct at any moment. Our survival depends on respectful dialogue and finding common ground. Why is that so difficult? Along with the need for common ground, this week’s edition of The Sunday Spark has a couple of solar energy good news stories, my new word of the week, and simplifying life by carrying less stuff.
Understanding the Diderot Effect can simplify your life
Are you familiar with the Diderot Effect? Even if you don’t have a name for it, you’ve likely experienced its effects. It’s a common side effect of a consumer culture that conditions us to want new things, even when our old things are perfectly fine.
Read on to learn about the Diderot Effect and get tips on how you can control its impact on your life.
Throwback Thursday – Simplify travel by packing light
Are you tired of lugging heavy suitcases through airports? Today’s Throwback Thursday post from 2023 will help you simplify travel with tips for packing light.
August 2025 goals update – How did I do?
After the extreme heat of summer, cooler days and nights of September are a welcome change. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Before we officially close the book on summer, let’s look at my August 2025 goals update.
A Prince Edward Island farewell
This week, we made the 1,800 kilometre drive to Prince Edward Island on Canada’s Atlantic coast to get our daughter Colleen moved and settled in her new home. Instead of my usual Sunday post, today I’ll provide a glimpse into this heavenly corner of the planet.
Inspiring reads in my August 2025 blog roundup
September is here and my favourite season is just around the corner. Along with a summary of my writing activity last month, my August 2025 blog roundup has terrific posts on what we can learn about simple living from a camping trip, letting go of anger and bitterness, and not letting the world fill our time.
The Sunday Spark – Let’s keep things in perspective
As a long-suffering Toronto Maple Leafs fan, I know disappointment. But hearing that a player feared for his family’s safety after this year’s playoff run was a reminder that we need to keep things in perspective. Learn more in this week’s edition of The Sunday Spark, along with toy trends, plant-based leathers, and simplifying life with vertical storage.
Choose the right influencers for your life
Who do you allow to influence you? In our consumption-driven society, the term influencer has become synonymous with consumerism and keeping up with the Joneses Kardashians.
Today’s post explores the rise of influencer marketing, and how you can reject it and choose the right influencers for your life.
Celebrating 3 years of climate change awareness and environmental education
Three years ago today, I published the first post for the Climate Change Collective—a group of bloggers dedicated to bringing awareness to the impact of environmental issues on our lives. To celebrate three years of climate change awareness, today’s post looks back on the terrific content our group has published over the last year.
The Sunday Spark – If there’s no afterlife, how would you live?
A terrific blog post earlier this week has me pondering the afterlife, and whether I’d live differently if I learned that heaven and hell don’t exist. Read my thoughts on the afterlife in this week’s edition of The Sunday Spark, along with an update on solar panel windows, and reasons to wash clothes less often.