My Favorite Books About Minimalism That Don't Have "Minimalism" in Their Titles

Tags: Minimalism; Zero Waste

For whatever reason, my favorite books with minimalism themes do not come from the traditional minimalism genre that is sweeping the nation right now. I bet there are a lot of books out there that have a minimalism theme that one would not find by using the search term "minimalism". Here are four that I have stumble upon, in alphabetical order:

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz

 


Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste by Bea Johnson

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Zero-Waste Restaurant-Kit Ideas

Tags: Zero Waste

From fast food to fancy food, there's always an opportunity to go zero waste when eating out. 

I keep a two-person zero-waste restaurant-kit in my car to take into restaurants, coffee shops, and juice/smoothie shops in order to avoid disposable cups, cutlery, napkins, and to-go boxes. I usually take the whole kit in each time and then just use what I need for that particular restaurant. 

Putting together your own kit can be fun, but there are a few things to keep in mind in order to have a system that works. Here’s my kit and my tips for each piece. I also have tips for those that don’t use a car at the end of this post.

Cup

My favorite "cup" is the Klean Kanteen Insulated Wide water bottle with the leak-proof lid plus the Café Cap. This water bottle is easy to fill and will work for both hot and cold drinks. The Café Cap is great for one-handed drinking in the car and the leak proof lid is great when you have to put your cup in a bag. I also like that this cup is easy to clean – no bottle brushes or straw brushes required!

Utensils

My favorite utensil is the Snow Peak Titanium Spork. Using just a spork keeps my kit as minimal as possible, but feel free to use whatever cutlery you like best. If you want to just throw some forks, spoons, and butter knives from you silverware drawer, go ahead! Here are some other ideas for compact cutlery. 

Cloth Napkins

Not much to say here. Use whatever works for you. I found some napkins at an estate sale and have also bought some online.

Dirty Utensils and Napkin Storage

Once you’re done eating, you’ll want to put your dirty napkins and utensils somewhere until you get home to clean them. I use a reusable zipper bag, but you could use some other type of bag or container, or even just wrap them up in a napkin or dish towel.

To-Go Boxes

It’s important to get a leak-proof box. I like this U-Konserve container, because I can store all my clean sporks, napkins, and bag inside it if I want to. The U-Konserve also fits in my reusable zipper bag if needed. Another one I like and use is the To-Go Ware carrier.  It has two compartments, which is convenient for keeping foods separate.

Kit Storage Bag

You’ll want to keep all you items in a large reusable bag to keep them organized and portable. I have two tips for the storage bag. First, it makes it easier to use a bag with a flat bottom –then things will stay where they are and won’t roll around in your car as easily. Second, get a bag that is easy to clean. If you want, you can also use an insulated bag to keep your leftovers warm on the way home. 

If you don’t use a car to get around…

If you don’t use a car, I suggest getting everything above (for one person), expect the kit storage bag and To-Go Ware carrier. You can put your napkin, utensil, and dirty utensil bag in the U-Konserve when it’s clean. Then when you have leftovers for the U-Konserve, you can put the napkin and utensil in the dirty bag. These items can be kept in your messenger bag or backpack without taking up too much room. You can use the Klean Kanteen with the leak-proof lid as your water bottle and just empty it if you want to buy a fountain drink, coffee, tea, juice, or smoothie.

Some nice extras to have…

Depending on what you eat or your preferences, you can keep other things in your kit like reusable chopsticks or a reusable straw.

Dealing with some social aspects…

A good tip about going zero-waste in restaurants comes from Terry at My Life Without Plastic: Let your server know right away that you are dining waste-free. Let them know you do not want a plastic straw in your drink, because many servers put straws in drinks without asking first.

You can do it!

I know it may feel awkward to think about dining out like this. You may worry that people will stare at you for bringing your own napkins or something. In my experience that has not happened. The only thing that does happen consistently is that servers will comment on my to-go boxes, especially my To-Go Ware carrier, because they think they are so cool. This especially happens when I have servers that have connections to countries in Asia…they always tell me about how they have these same boxes (often called tiffin carriers) and tell me how they are used there. I love it!

Three Tips for Getting Rid of Sentimental Items

Tags: Minimalism

There is nothing wrong with keeping sentimental items, but when they start to take up a lot of space, become a hassle to move from one home to the next, keep us stuck in the past, or otherwise get in the way of our goals, it is time to consider getting rid of them. 

Getting rid of sentimental items can be a very painful process. It can feel like we a losing a part of ourselves. If you have the courage to do it, though, I have some tips for making the process easier and perhaps even meaningful.

Tip #1 – Digitally Document Your Item

Take pictures of your item with a digital camera from every angle or scan it on a flatbed scanner if it is a document, photo, or letter. Take a video of your item where you talk about how you came to have this item and what it means to you. Write a narrative about your item and what it means to you. Keep these digital files in the same place on your computer where they will not get lost and make sure you have a good file back-up system. Doing this, you may find comfort that you can always go to your computer to see and remember your item. 

Tip #2 – Give Your Item to Someone Who May Appreciate It

I am not a big proponent of cluttering someone else’s life with your stuff, but everyone is on a different path and minimalism is not for everyone. Maybe someone else would really appreciate your item. Given to the right person, you can rest assured that your item is safe and being appreciated by someone else.

Tip #3 – Ceremoniously Burn or Bury Your Item

This can be a good way to symbolically let go of the past. Many people burn letters or bury old trinkets. My caveat on this is to be responsible and do not do something that is going to harm the environment. If your item is not 100% biodegradable and/or inert, consider other options for getting rid of it.

Revitalize an Old Wood Cutting Board

Tags: Zero Waste; Health

Wood cutting boards can last a long time if they are well cared for. One study even indicates that they may harbor fewer bacteria than plastic cutting boards. A wood cutting board needs to be kept dry to prevent molding and warping, though. Sealing a wood cutting board with spoon butter can also help make it last a longer. 

Preparing an Old Cutting Board 

Sanding down the old cutting board is the first step. This gets rid of layers of food, grease, old spoon butter, and mold. I used this rough wood sanding block made out of recycled glass.

Removing a layer of mold on the bottom:

Sanding “after” shot with the sanding stone:

The process of removing the old layers can be messy and require strength, if the layers are thick and embedded. I suggest using a wet stone and washing and wiping off the gunk as you go along. 

Making the Spoon Butter 

Now we make the spoon butter. Traditionally, spoon butter is made with beeswax and mineral oil. Mineral oil is a petroleum product and petroleum products are not biodegradable, so I wanted to figure out if I could use vegetable oil instead. I settled on coconut oil for its shelf stability and antimicrobial properties. 

Plant-Based Spoon Butter 

4 parts extra virgin coconut oil

1 part candelilla wax (or beeswax)

Put the ingredients in an old glass jar. Alternatively, place in a glass bowl. Boil some water on the stove in a saucepan. Create a double boiler by placing the jar or bowl in the boiling water. Stir or swirl around until everything is melted and clear. Set the mixture aside to cool.

Applying the Spoon Butter 

Thoroughly clean and dry your cutting board. Once the spoon butter is cooled used a clean cotton cloth to buff the spoon butter onto the cutting board.  

Leave the spoon butter on the board overnight then remove the excess with a clean cloth. Now your cutting board is sealed and beautiful!

Here's our sealed board:

Store the leftover spoon butter in a cool, dark place. Discard after one year or if it starts to smell bad.

Repeat the process of sealing and/or sanding as you deem necessary over the lifetime of your board. If your board starts to smell bad, it might be time to sand off a layer and reseal, otherwise, you can just add another layer of spoon butter.

Resources:

How to oil and Maintain Wood Cutting Boards in 5 Minutes a Month

P.S. I stumbled upon this recipe after the fact, so I didn't try it. It seems that someone had the same idea as me, though!