In week 43 of The Sunday Spark, a poem about the loss of a faraway relative. Plus, the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils, ice cream innovation, Thriftmas, and recycled gift exchanges.
Travel packing tips to make long and short trips easier
This has been a busy travel year for me, so I’ve had a lot of opportunity to hone my packing skills. After a 10-day summer vacation with just a carry on and a backpack, I promised an update on how packing for my other trips went. Read on for an update and travel packing tips from my recent 5-day and 2-day business trips, and 16-day U.K. vacation.
The Sunday Spark – Thanksgiving and gratitude in 2023
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers. In week 38 of The Sunday Spark, a reflection on thanksgiving and gratitude. Plus: the environmental impact of rice, eco-friendly hair dye options, expanding the EV charging network, and sustainable Halloween decorations.
The Sunday Spark – School’s out … forever?
In week 34 of The Sunday Spark, I share my feelings on the lack of back-to-school activity in our house this year. Plus, a look at the cost of raising kids, stats on shrinking families, the dilemma of e-waste, and tips to reduce lunchbox waste.
12 useful tips for travelling with just a carry on
Are you a minimalist when it comes to travel packing? Or do you overpack “just in case” you need this or that? For our recent 10-day trip to Vancouver Island, my husband and I packed only a carry on and a backpack each—and we had everything we needed. To simplify packing for your next trip, read on for 12 tips for travelling with just a carry on.
Decluttering bit by bit adds up quickly
Since the beginning of this year, I’ve been a bit lazy with decluttering, so I needed a new challenge. To kick start my efforts, I set a goal to declutter 150 items by removing at least one item from five areas of my home every day during the month of June. Does decluttering bit by bit work? Let’s take a look.
6 ways to turn your junk into treasure
There’s an old saying that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. The more time I spend decluttering, the more I see the truth in that saying. But decluttering doesn’t mean filling the landfill. Read on for six ways you can turn your junk into treasure—for you or someone else.
25 simple and fun summer activities
It’s almost summer! For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice—marking the official arrival of summer—takes place tomorrow at 10:58 ET. Are you excited? To celebrate the long hot days ahead, read on for 25 simple and fun summer activities that won’t break the bank.
When progress isn’t progress – Let’s look back to move forward
The Climate Change Collective conversation continues with the ninth post in the series. My blogging pal from Smelly Socks and Garden Peas wrote an insightful post on how returning to past habits can be a way out of the mess we’ve created for our planet. This made me think that sometimes what we call progress isn’t progress at all, and we need to look back to move forward.
Life lessons we can learn from ducks
Like many creatures in the animal world, ducks are fascinating. In Surprising health benefits of waking, I discussed how stopping at the pond to see the ducks is a highlight of my daily walks in the spring and summer. Today, I’ll expand on that with some observations on life lessons we can learn from ducks.