Posted in Gift Guide, Uncategorized

The Conscious Consumer’s Simple Guide to Gift Giving

*Sharing Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales on my favorite conscious brands and products after the original post (scroll down). -XO -Amber

Hello lovelies! Below you will find my 2021 Conscious Consumer Shopping Guide. Intentional ways to make a huge difference with your purchasing power. It brings me so much joy to put this guide together each year–and HOPE, because each year there are more and more amazing companies and concepts adding value  (think ethically-sourced, fair-trade, sustainable, social impact-type gifts and companies that you can feel super good about supporting and receiving), so I am getting it up early, and hoping you will help me add to the list as we go along! Email me if you need a direct link to a product. Happy to share! xo

I love that consumers are becoming more aware of the power their purchases hold! We vote every day for the type of companies we want to see more of in the world, simply by what we choose to spend our money on. Here are some ideas on making more conscious purchases this upcoming holiday season:

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1. Support your Local Movers & Shakers! Everyone loves a home-town goodie, especially handmade or one-of-a-kind, all while supporting a small business owner! Be sure to leave a comment with some of your favorite small businesses so we can share the love!

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2. Shop certified B Corps that are using business as a force for good! These are companies that have amazing product solutions, while also thinking about the planet and communities.

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“B Corp Certification is the only certification that measures a company’s entire social and environmental performance. The B Impact Assessment evaluates how the company’s operations and business model impact its workers, community, environment, and customers.”

My favorite B Corps include Beautycounter, Everyone Products, Patagonia, Athleta, Klean Kanteen, and more. You can search for other Bcorps here. When shopping, you can also look for this logo:

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3. Select “Buy one, Donate One” Models. Such as Toms Shoes, where for every purchase of shoes made by a customer, Toms (another certified BCorp, by the way!), donates a pair of shoes to someone in need. They also have new “Giving Partners” where you can choose your style and corresponding cause. Pretty cool!

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4. Choose Companies with a deeper social impact! There are some really neat companies out there creating freedom and opportunities, specifically for women artisans around the world, as they develop beautiful products and build profitable businesses!

Check out the gorgeous accessories and home goods from Noonday Collections  a fair-trade federation member, and Bcorp, who provides no-interest loans and partners with Artisans around the world using indigenous materials and traditional skills to create modern, fashionable designs.

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Another favorite socially-conscious company is SariBari, which helps create economic freedom for women rescued from human- and sex-trafficking in India. They have amazingly beautiful products, particularly their Christmas Stockings and their Bags of all sizes and patterns, handcrafted by the women artisans.

Sari Bari Arotun Bucket Bag

5. Think Sustainably! Ditch presents that are one-time use items, especially plastic junk, and opt instead for items that can be used and enjoyed year-long. See my blog post here for some fun themes!

You can also find really need products that have been made out of recycled materials, like the amazing Rothy’s Shoes, made out of old plastic waterbottles! b013f683-f84b-40b9-bf5b-bc85bb37f9b4_EB-Right.20191028220250297

Don’t forget about eco-friendly gift wrapping, as well–minimize the amount of wrapping, choose recycled and recyclable materials, or reusable bags. Love the ideas shared here on the “EcoCult” site.

6. Give the gift of Health while supporting really cool businesses! There are so many great health-supporting gifts out there:

A gift set of nontoxic cleaning supplies–two of my favorite companies are Branch Basics  (reach out if you want a discount code) and Humble Suds. The ingredients are safe and amazing, and they get the job done, with beautiful packaging too!

A customized clean-beauty gift box. Happy to create one for you with my favorite clean and safe brands, or you can shop my Beautycounter link here, for gorgeous gift sets and only the best ingredients from a certified B Corp, with a whole wing of the company dedicated to advocacy and changing the beauty industry for the better!

Other Ideas: 

  • Gift Experiences instead of Stuff
  • Make a Donation to a Worthy Cause in Someone’s Honor
  • Provide a Service for Loved Ones as Your Gift
  • If you Shop Amazon, make sure to use the Amazon Smile link and designate a nonprofit you wish to benefit. Same full website and products, but Amazon gifts a portion of your purchase to charities!

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Here are a list of great Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals happening for companies and products that have health, wellness and sustainability as a priority (listed in alphabetical order). I will continue to update as sales pop up on favorite brands!

  1. COMING SOON!

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Am I missing one of your favs? Do share! And let me know if you see deals for Rothy’s, Native, Primally Pure, or Cote Nail Polish, please!

*Affiliate link. As an educator, I may receive a small commission for your purchase. 

Posted in Conscious Consumer Gift Guides

A Mother’s Day Conscious Consumer Gift Guide

Hey all! Springtime is here (well, not really here, here–we are still getting snow in CO). BUT Mother’s Day is upon us, and I always love sharing some gifts that not only make our loved ones feel special, but also make a positive impact in the world. The small makers, sustainable upgrades, fair-trade and female-empowering, and clean and safe options! Especially for the mamas. PLEASE, if you are gifting household, beauty or personal care products, make sure they are safe and healthy for yo momma. xo

Highlighting some current favs below. Reach out with any and all questions and let me know if you purchase one of these ideas for your mama or yourself! -Amber

PS, have an idea for a gift to be added to the Make Simple Happen guide? Contact me!

1. Beautycounter Body Care: Safe and Luxurious Body Care, in newly upgraded sustainable packaging. Give mom the gift of relaxation without harmful chemicals. Favorites include: Luminous Hydration Body Oil in Citrus Rosemary, Melting Body Balm, and the Sugarbuff Body Polish in Lemongrass

Award-winning products, Leaping Bunny Cruelty-free certified, free of 1,800 known toxins and carcinogens, Environmental Working Group (EWG) Certified, and a registered B Corporation that’s women led and owned. Yes please! I’ve been advocating with this amazing company for more than 3 years. And you know what led me to it? Wanting safer products for my momma after a cancer diagnosis. And I can’t stop, wont stop, until all products are safe for us, and we don’t have to watch our loved ones suffer from disease and illness at alarming rates in this country. I know we can do better and I’m so encouraged by the progress made and the shifts in the industry already happening!

2. Hand-poured Terra cotta Tripod Candle:

These Refugee-made wax candles from the nonprofit Preemptive Love, include beautiful terra cotta tripod containers (REFILL them and keep em going!), Soy candles fragranced with phthalate-free essential oils, wooden wicks, and the best part, besides how cute they are–Every candle provides relief and jobs for families fleeing violence around the world.

3. Mama Sweatshirt from Ollie and Penny

Handmade from Ashley in California, order this soft and cute sweetshirt from her Etsy shop and share your support of small female makers. I loved this coloring and font combo so much, and how it can work for a “comfy-at-home” or “out on the town” option.

4. The Eclipse Earrings

I love everything I own from Threads Worldwide–the quality, beauty, and especially the stories behind them. This pair of earrings jumped out to me–made from upcycled bullhorn, bone and wood, each pair is handcrafted from women in Vietnam through a fair-trade workshop that creates jobs and independence.

5. Plant Lady Sun Hat from ModParty on Etsy

Super cute sun hat for your favorite plant lover. Comes in a variety of styles from a female maker on Etsy with 5-star reviews. Double bonus–sun protection! Pair it with your favorite mineral sunscreen (suggestion: Beautycounter’s Daily Sheer Defense).

6. Handwoven Plant Basket

Speaking of PLANTS!

Not only do plants look gorgeous for decorating, but there are several varieties that have been linked to detoxing the air! My favorites are Peace Lilies, Spider Plants, Ferns, and Aloe Vera plants. (and lucky for moms that don’t have a “green thumb”, these varieties are also easy to keep alive!). Read more about how to reduce your toxic load through plants in my post here.

Other ideas:

Buy your flowers from your local Farmer, which promotes seasonality, sustainability, and shopping local (stat: over 80% of all flowers sold in this country were imported–“We can’t possibly care about climate change and global emissions while demanding year-round flower availability”). Shop Local and In-Season Instead: You can locate your local flower farmer here.

Poetry! I am especially into Morgan Harper Nichols, and anxiously awaiting her new book “How Far You Have Come”, which should arrive before Mother’s Day. You can find her work, and really beautiful gifts on the Garden 24.co shop.

The Perpetual Calendar!!! Everyone needs one of these for birthdays and anniversaries!

Product Free Gifts: Foot rubs, hikes together, cooking together, cleaning her house for her, planting a garden for her, HUGS after Hugs (especially after a year of very limited or nonexistent hugs).

BE well, loves!

-Amber

Posted in Staging and Design

Staging & Design

Snapshots from a staging project in Denver’s Park Hill Neighborhood

This beautiful Park Hill home just hit the market today, and I wanted to share some of my photos and favorite parts of the staging & design project. With a Mid-Century-Modern vibe and super fun second-hand finds, I had so much fun creating each room!

The sellers already had this gorgeous long entry console, that I asked to leave for staging, because it was just so dang pretty! Folding in some extra art work and this gorgeous curved top wall mirror–it brought some great height, brightness & openness to the space. Mirrors are great for making spaces look extra big!
I love that oil and watercolor paintings are making a comeback.

Hello Studio McGee! We see you. Thanks for making landscapes and painted portraits super cool and mainstream again. We are here for it! I folded in many of these beautifully framed canvases throughout the house. They look rich and bold, but are super reasonably priced from Target!

These rooms were so naturally bright with the big windows and original wood floors. The buyers did an amazing refresh of this mid-century home, keeping the character and the white walls, but we wanted to add some warmth and color–bring in the RUGS! I always start with the rugs and/or art work, and then build the room around them. This area rug was a Facebook Marketplace score for me. Brand new and under $50. The Project 62 abstract framed canvas art was a Goodwill thrift store score! P.S. Check out the “Before” of this previous office turned additional bedroom:

My sellers had the coolest style to begin with, and some amazing period pieces handed down through the family. It made the staging job extra fun–like this fabulous dining set which was the seller’s grandmother’s. I brought in the living room furniture with a focus on making sure everything flowed well and had a cohesive feel.
The Sellers wanted the first impression to WOW people as they walked into the great room. So we swapped out the focal points of the mantle and fireplace area to showcase art and greenery and a little sitting area. The fireplace screen was removed, and this beautiful birch wood from a shop on etsy added instead. So pretty!

Thanks for following along with this fun journey. Reach out for any design and staging needs of your own. Would love to help! And follow me on the “LIKEtoKNOW.it” app for sourcing and product info! https://www.liketoknow.it/Make%20Simple%20Happen

Posted in Uncategorized

Hello & Welcome!

Currently most of my content is shared on my MakeSimpleHappen Instagram Page, but check back often for new posts and projects. I’d love to connect with you for your design, staging, or home organization needs–fill out the form below to shoot me a note. -Amber

Posted in Budget Savers, DIY & Design, Organization

Fixin’ Up This Old Home–A DIY Journey

I’m Amber~ it’s been so fun to connect in this space. Thought I would create a quick intro post for new friends. I’m a native to Colorado, but the hubs and I spent almost a decade moving from coast-to-coast, where we lived in teeny tiny spaces, so we could be right in the heart of some favorite areas of the city. (Both San Diego and outside of Washington D.C. in NOVA). I think that’s where my love of design & organization really bloomed. ⁣

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We only recently become official homeowners (to both the house and the garden—my happy, happy place!!) where we are DIY-ing our way through updating an older 70’s home, and soaking up those early childhood years with our sweet littles. 🧑👧⁣

It’s not some glamorous new build or extravagant space, by any means—which I actually really take pride in—but it IS a place that feels like home 🏡. I’ll be sharing some fun projects and updates here along the way–especially the deals and steals and budget-friendly upgrades! Thanks for joining me 🌸🌸⁣ (PS–would love to connect over on Instagram too. Find me @MakeSimpleHappen).

First up: The Entry Closet Turned DIY MudRoom:

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Finished the refresh of this use-to-be entry coat closet which now flows so much better and is the perfect drop zone for All.the.Things. (you know: mail, backpacks, coats, shoes, keys, sunscreen, umbrellas…).  I wanted to make it both super cute AND functional!

Best part, the only new purchases were a small can of #sherwinwilliamspaint, the bench, coat hooks and a larger road, sticky wallpaper decals, and the front door wreath from @hearthandhand_target ! All in all, under $250. Love when projects are easy and low cost. 🙌 ⁣ (Btw, I try to have direct links to products over in my LIKE.to.Know.It profile)

The labor of love was definitely my husband sanding down that solid front door to its original color. (Looks sooo much better. May want to paint it black, and then he will kill me 😂). Otherwise, even the individual tile decals were done in less than an hour. ⁣

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As for organization, I tried to have a special spot for all the little things we grab on the way out for a fun adventure (or things we bring back home with us!). Baskets are gold for the cute factor and keeping organized, right?! ⁣

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I’m almost out of projects ‘round here. So quarantine better end so I can come to your homes and organize and style! #YesPlease! Xoxo

Links to other DIY updates to come…

 

Posted in Healthy Home, Nontoxic Lifestyle, Organization, Uncategorized

Creating a “Shoe-Free” Home

If you have followed me for a bit, you know that this is one of the FIRST things I advocate for when trying to create a cleaner, more organized, and most of all HEALTHIER home. (And it happens to be the question I get asked the most frequently, too!).

There are so many good reasons to leave the shoes at the door–the biggest being viruses, bacteria, waste, herbicide and pesticide toxins, heavy metals, and dirt & grim, in general, which Medical studies show are very common on the bottom of your shoes, AND can live there for several days. A friend shared an article today about the corona virus and how it can live on your shoes for up to 5 days. So there ya go! YUCK.

The good news is, you only need 4 key things to make a Shoe-Free House happen!

For EACH Entrance:

1. Rug or Mat to wipe shoes off when you immediately enter.

2. A Shoe Rack/Basket/Tray to store your shoes in an orderly way.

3. A organized corner to store the “goods”.

This is important, because if you come in through the garage one day, the front door another, or in-and-out from the backyard when playing or gardening, you’ll need a spot at each entrance to kick off the shoes right away. It defeats the purpose if you walk through the house to get to the spot where your shoes are stored.

4. A commitment from the members of the house to make it a habit.

It may take a few kind reminders but after a week or so, everyone will be in the groove of kicking off their shoes as soon as they walk through the door. If you aren’t used to bare feet at home, you may want to stick some socks or indoor slippers nearby for family members to slip on. 🙂 I have found this especially true for guests–like when my in-laws come to visit. After a bit, they got used to packing a pair of their own socks to bring along when coming over.

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First Step: Prep

To start out fresh, spend an afternoon doing a deep clean on the hard surfaces and carpeted areas of your home. (Sweep/Vacuum, and wash). Dont forget to throw the mats and rugs in the washer, as well.

We love Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner for a safe and effective option. For other hard surfaces, a mixture of White Distilled Vinegar with warm water and (optional) a few drops of DoTerra’s Lemon Essential Oil for extra disinfecting power and a great scent. Remove all the rugs and move the furniture to do a full-floor clean! This helps with the motivation to keep them clean and free of outside germs.

Second Step: Procure your supplies

Here are a few of my favorite options (click the photo to shop the images):

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3-tiered expandable shoe rack from Wayfair

Target Iron Shoe Tray
Iron Boot Tray by “Smith & Hawkin” from Target

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Shoe Tree from The Container Store

 Third Step: Find a corner or closet near each entry and set up your shoe storage zone!

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This doesn’t have to be fancy. Just make it work for your family. I like to have a rug immediately in front of the door, and then a tray, rack or basket next to it where we can easily and neatly store the shoes. Some friends have a closet or a cupboard where their shoes fit in. Awesome. Once the bin fills up, it is time to store some pairs in the bedroom, or distribute to the other “shoe storage zones” around the house. You’ll probably find you have to sweep and vacuum less, too!

Have an outdoor pet? You can add a hanging towel nearby to wipe their paws as they come back in the house. (Norwex would be my preference with natural antibacterial qualities). Because they typically don’t go with you to public spaces like stores, restaurants and public bathrooms, their paws won’t carry nearly as many germs as the bottom of your shoes, so even if you have a pet that comes and goes from the house, having your family remove their shoes is one BIG win in the health and cleanliness column. Whoohoo!

You’re done!

 

Posted in Family Daily Wellness & Checklists, Family Health & Wellness, Simple Habits

Focus On Your Well-Being, Loves!

Writing you during the Covid-19 home lockdowns with some free resources and encouragement to look after your well-being! I know it is hard to try and figure out a “new normal” and balance, transitioning to perhaps working from home AND helping your kids learn from home, too. Take solace in the fact that we are all in this together–lean on one another, have extra grace with yourself, and focus on what you can control! (and might I suggest having some general wellness “goals” for the day, rather than hour-by-hour rigid rules).

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Free Wellness Printables:

I usually am pretty scheduled and like to keep to a detailed routine, but right now, I am ramping up the grace and flexibility. It’s what we all need most!

I am however still being very intentional with minding our health & wellness. Making sure we are taking care of our:

  • physical
  • emotional
  • mental
  • spiritual
  • & healthy home needs each day.

And because it helps keep a little bit of normalcy, we’ve been filling in a daily checklist that we all work to create together (a very loose “schedule” filled in with our won goals, and whatever amazing resources are available online that day! Today was free beginner karate class, a behind-the-scenes at the zoo, and a drawing class!). These templates have been a great guide for our family, and wanted to share them with you, as well.

You can use the editable template and personalize it to your/your family goals, or the pre-filled template for some examples in each category that might help guide you.

 

(Free download! Includes the “Daily Checklist” and “Daily Wellness Goals” worksheets). Let me know how they work out for you! And please share with friends & family, tagging Make Simple Happen.

I love the advice from many, many educators out there: “At the end of all of this, your kids’ mental health (and yours too!) will be more important than their academic skills. And how they FELT during this time will stay with them long after the memory of what they DID during these crazy months. So keep that in mind, every single day.”

Lots of love to you and your families! This too shall pass.

xo

-Amber

Posted in Healthy Home, Nontoxic Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Healthy Home Spring Cleaning Challenge

Hello! I have been wanting to write this post for a while, and NOW seemed like the perfect time to kick it off, with mostly everyone at home and perhaps even with some extra time on our hands.

Spring Cleaning:

Focusing on what we do have control of right now, and enjoying the safety and comfort of our home, our family has created some household goals for spring cleaning and organization! I wanted to put a little extra love out in the world, so I’ve created free worksheets that go along with it. Simply download the empty templates and personalize them, or use the already completed task sheet we are following in our home. (You are welcome to tag “MakeSimpleHappen” and share with friends as well!).

 
(Free Download with a bonus section on Larger House Project Goals, and two “Big Impact” project ideas from me!)

Healthy Cleaning Tips

MakeSimpleHappen Cleaning Bin

I have spent the last several years transitioning our household over to safer, more natural products, and some DIY cleaners as well.

Many times warm water 💦 ,basic soap, and a good scrub, are ALL that is needed to give a deep clean and protect from nasty germs—hands included. So PRETTY PLEASE don’t bring back the yucky harsh chemical cleaners 🚫 (the coronavirus has shown to have a lipid barrier and proteins, which can be broken down by regular soaps, if washed long- and well enough! Isn’t that reassuring?).

Household Basics for Cleaning_MakeSimpleHappen

There are some fabulous resources out there (👇) so I won’t go into too much detail, but here are our “always have on hand” basic household items for cleaning:

  • Distilled Water
  • Distilled White Vinegar
  • Baking Soda
  • Castile Soap (Dr. Bronner’s is our fav)
  • Rubbing Alcohol (or a cheap vodka works too!)
  • Hydrogen Peroxide (if you can find it right now)
  • Reusable Brushes and Rags (Full Circle Home is our fav for these items)
  • Norwex Cloths (Especially the Dusting Mit, Window Cloth, and Enviro Cloth–you can get all three in this set here).

Favorite Safe Cleaners:

Humble Suds  I especially love the All Purpose Cleaner, Scour Cleaning Paste and Laundry Soap. Use code MAKESIMPLEHAPPEN for 15% off your orders.

Branch Basics is also wonderful for safe and effective cleaning. Their concentrate lasts quite a long time and makes a wide variety of cleaners for around the house. Get $10 off your first purchase using my link.

DoTerra OnGuard Concentrate is great when we need to do a deep “disinfect” (I’ll mix it and spray on door handles, light switches and other frequently-touched surfaces after someone comes home with a bug 🤒), and for surfaces like our yoga mats!  Below are the DoTerra oils I keep on hand for cleaning, as well:

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The @EWG has a great “Guide to Healthy Cleaning” and does the research for you on toxicity, giving “grades” for products. The “🅰️“and “🅱️“s are the safest. 🌱

https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners

Happy Cleaning! Reach out with any specific questions and let me know how your spring cleaning goes!

-Amber

Posted in Clean Beauty, Clean Swap Your Personal Care Products, Health & Wellness, Healthy Home, Nontoxic Lifestyle, Simple Habits

Simple & Impactful Ways to Reduce your “Toxic Load” this year!

Welcome! Ready to take some steps to create a more low-tox lifestyle? And, I am talking “Progress over Perfection”, DOABLE and maintainable action steps.

After all, the number one “push back” I get for starting this journey (ie: cleaning up our homes and products, and limiting the number of preventable exposures to toxins on a daily basis), is NOT KNOWING WHERE TO BEGIN. I often hear “I know I should be more careful, but I just feel overwhelmed with the process. What do I change first? How would I possibly do an overhaul of my house and all my products…and won’t that be super expensive?”

I get it! I’ve been there myself, so I have put together some tips of how a REAL people, on an ordinary budget, can make simple clean swaps towards a healthier home. 

You can read more about my personal wellness journey here…

Yes, there is a lot of scary information out there. BUT, the encouraging thing to remember is we are actually in control of so much when it comes to what we buy and what we use in our home and in/on our bodies. Let this feel EMPOWERING to you! Each time you shop, you make a conscious decision for which products you let in your house, and the type of companies you support with your $. Furthermore, as the demand from consumers increases for healthier options, availability of items has increased (HELLO–have you seen my TJMaxx finds!), and prices have started to go down. There is hope! The future is looking brighter.

Below I have detailed some changes that will give you your biggest bang for your buck and categorized them as “Quick Fix” (ie: immediate, simple changes), and “Clean Sweep” (for a larger overhaul and a really awesome long-term health benefit!). You’ll find that many of these are also sustainable, money-saving, goodies, as well.

Canva - Brown Coffee Table on Green Area Rug

Perhaps you start off with a one-per-month goal! Are you an overachiever, than by all means, check them off quicker than that– Go, baby, go! 

Also: You may find that the timing for some of these swaps is more natural for when you are running out of a product, or need to upgrade. This is certainly a low-waste way to go! Use up the old, and then opt for a healthier version. I also like to add items to my wish lists for special occasions like Birthdays, etc. which gives people some fun gifting ideas.

Month 1: Say “No” to Plastic!

Do a quick internet search and you will find tons of information on the health dangers tied to plastics–from cancers to thyroid, hormone and fertility issues, even BPA-free… plastics are no bueno.

“Quick Fix”: Switch to a reusable AND plastic-free waterbottle!

Klean Kanteen

I kick off with this item because as we make health goals (particularly at the start of a new year), they usually include some mix of working out and drinking more water. While we are doing a GOOD thing for our bodies, let’s not negate it by placing that water in a plastic waterbottle. Bonus, your new stainless steel waterbottle will double as a hand weight to build strong muscles–because they aren’t light…but they do keep water fresh and cold, if you like it that way, and you won’t have harmful chemicals leaching into the liquids you consume.

MakeSimpleHappen-approved brands include: Klean Kanteen (which is a certified Bcorp doing good things for communities and the earth, so extra bonus!), Yeti and Hydroflask, are also great.

Snag 25% off your purchase on Klean Kanteen products using this link: https://www.talkable.com/x/KZdJ67

Clean Sweep: Eliminate plastic food storage all together. 

Plastic Free Food Storage

My favorite brands pictured above include:

Plastic-Free Containers: (stainless steel and glass are the best options) Pyrex and Wean Green, and good ‘ole mason jars.

Food Wrap Substitutes: Etee, Bees Wrap, and Lily Bee Wrap, or food-grade silicone stretchy toppers, such as ModFamily.

On-the-go snack and sandwich bags: Stasher Bags (food-grade silicone–you can put them in the dishwasher, freezer, or even boil them!) and Lunch Skins, which have reusable cloth and recyclable options.

Bento Boxes–we are huge “Yum Box” fans! (All materials are food-safe, BPA-Free, Phthalates-free and are CPSIA and FDA compliant)

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Snag a 20% discount using my MakeSimpleHappen link: https://www.yumboxlunch.com/ and code “TRY20”

Psss…You can even upgrade your skin care to more sustainable plastic-free options. My favorite Countertime line from Beautycounter, is all in beautiful sustainable glass bottles!

Beautycounter's Sustainable Packaging

This means the products are better for your health–no yucky plastic chemicals leaching into the lotions you rub onto your skin–and better for the earth, as it makes the packaging much more sustainable. Beautycounter has been a certified B corp since its founding, with the larger picture of safety, advocacy, and sustainability in mind!

Month 2: Ditch the “Fragrance”

Quick Fix: CLEAR OUT THE SCENTED CANDLES AND AIR FRESHENERS

Yep, that’s right. The synthetic scents in these bad boys are known endocrine (hormone) disruptors, and can be super toxic for your health. In fact, scientists are beginning to refer to synthetic fragrance as the “new secondhand smoke” because it is just that bad for you. Opt instead for diffusing a pure essential oil (I personally love DoTerra for it’s purity, sourcing, and disclosure of ingredients), or adding some fresh flowers in your decor.

Diffusing Essential Oils

Clean Sweep: GO FRAGRANCE-FREE EVERYWHERE!

Whether it is the hand soap in your guest bath, the dryer sheets in your laundry room, or your favorite body lotion, ditching the synthetic scents (i.e. “flavors” created in a lab, versus naturally occurring in mother nature) can save you from exposure to HUNDREDS of potentially dangerous chemicals, and endocrine-disruptors.

Where do you start? When reading labels, check for the ingredient listed “fragrance” or “Parfume” or “Perfume”. (A really helpful app is “Healthy Living” by the Environmental Working Group–scan your products and they will let you know the toxicity rating and also if it contains Fragrance, or check out the EWG’s full online database.

Because of a loophole in our personal care laws, companies are not required to disclose the ingredients they use for fragrance. The average scent consists of 12 separate chemicals, with little safety data, and what data we do have, shows that these chemicals are endocrine disrupting and carcinogenic. Oh ya, and back to plastic, manufacturers add tiny plasticizers called “phthalates” to the fragrance to help the scents stick to your skin and clothes longer, which adds even more hormone-disrupting chemicals in the mix. Yuck.

Clean Ingredient Bath Brands

Some of my favorite, truly honest brands, when it comes to safety of ingredients and transparency for consumers are Beautycounter,* Everyone (EO) products and Alaffia, which all use pure essential oils and plant-based scents for their products, and disclose the ingredients fully on their labels. The photo above is what’s in my kids’ bathtub right now.

PSSS: Maybe you still love a traditional body spray/eau de parfume. These can be REALLY scary, but there are some safer brands popping up like PHLUR and HENRY ROSE!

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Save $5 on Henry Rose Transparent Eau De Parfume when you spend $20 by using my link. I recommend the Discovery set! http://fbuy.me/v/makesimplehappen

Month 3: Pay Attention to your Personal Care Products

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I could really write a novel about this area. For now, PLEASE do yourself a big favor, and check out my post on Why you need to be your own Personal Care Product Advocate

Quick Fix: Out with the Old & Expired!

It’s an easy way to start slimming down products that no longer serve you. Typically makeup and skin care have a shelf life of 2-years or less. So if you have items in your makeup bag or bathroom cabinet you KNOW have been there longer than that (or anything has separated or changed texture or color) put them in the trash!

Many products have a PAO stamp (Period after opening), with a time frame listed. This is how long the product will stay fresh after you have broken the seal. You might find it on the packaging itself, or the original packaging box.

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Clean Sweep: All that Toxic Crap Must Go. Start with what you use EVERY Day.

The average adult uses 12 personal care products per day. Make a list of everything you use, starting with your shower in the morning, all the way to when you turn off the light for bedtime (think shampoo, soap, toothpaste, face lotion, body lotion, chapstick, hairspray, deodorant… Wear makeup? I bet you have even more than the 12 items—I do, too!).

12 products–12 months. Start with making a clean swap for 1 product per month. I began with my body lotion and my face lotion, because they covered the largest surface area and stayed on the longest, as well as my mascara and lipgloss, because I used them everyday and they were near my eyes and mouth, in addition to the absorption factor! Then, as I ran out of something, I replaced it with a much safer alternative.

Major Toxic Ingredients to Avoid: It’s hard to narrow it down, but these are the items most often linked to cancers, autoimmune diseases, and infertility: “Fragrance”, Parabens, Phthalates, Formaldehyde, and Triclosan.

Beautycounter Flawless in Five Clean Beauty

Resources–because there is a lot of false marketing out there, and “natural”, “organic”, “plant-based” are slogans that sometimes don’t match up to what is in the bottle.

  1. Use the EWG Skin Deep Website or “Healthy Living” app for a nonprofit third-party rating of personal care products. Green means GO (safe), yellow means use with caution, and red means avoid completely!
  2. Beautycounter’s Never List. Use this a resource for what really means “Safer” and “Cleaner”. Beautycounter has set the standard for intentional ingredient selection (they ban 1,500 dangerous toxins, chemicals and irritants), along with continual screening for contaminants such as heavy metals, which are quite prominent in pressed powder makeup like eyeshadows, blush, bronzer, etc. This is a great place to shop if you don’t want to worry about having to decipher labels, because they have done the work for you. Message me if I can help. I advocate for this brand because I love the transparency, the advocacy in DC for better laws, and amazing performance that doesn’t make me miss my conventional stuff one bit!

Month 4: Clean Up your Indoor Pollution

Quick Fix: ADD MORE INDOOR PLANTS

Not only do plants look gorgeous for decorating, but there are several varieties that have been linked to detoxing the air! My favorites are Peace Lilies, Spider Plants, Ferns, and Aloe Vera plants. (and lucky for me, they are also easy to keep alive!).

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“So, how do houseplants clean the air? Plants absorb some of the particulates from the air at the same time that they take in carbon dioxide, which is then processed into oxygen through photosynthesis. But that’s not all—microorganisms associated with the plants are present in the potting soil, and these microbes are also responsible for much of the cleaning effect.” Read more…

Clean Sweep: BECOME A SHOE-FREE HOUSEHOLD

Why? In a nutshell, your shoes tract in a ridiculous amount of BACTERIA: (421,000 units and 9 different strands, to be exact). In a study by the University of Arizona, researchers found 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside of the shoe, including E. coli, meningitis and diarrheal disease; Klebsiella pneumonia, a common source for wound and bloodstream infections as well as pneumonia; and Serratia ficaria, a rare cause of infections in the respiratory tract 🤢.

Additionally, herbicides/pesticides, heavy metals–like lead–and feces, all get tracked in by shoes. SO, leaving them at the front door, instead of bringing all of that crap into your kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms, is a much better plan! (Plus, it means less sweeping and vacuuming!). 

Shoe Free Zone

We have a designated shoe zone by each entrance. It makes it easy to keep the shoes organized and kicked off right away, instead of walking through the house to the place you store them.

Month 5: Make the Switch to Safer Cleaning Products

Quick Fix: Get rid of anything that is “Antibacterial:

Why: They have been proven to NOT work better than plain soap and warm water, or plant-based cleaning agents, and they are linked to creating antibiotic-resistant superbugs, along with exposing you to nasty chemicals. TRICLOSAN is often found in antibacterial soaps, toothpastes, and cosmetics–it’s an antimicrobial agent to prevent bacterial and fungal growth. Triclosan’s chemical structure has striking similarities to thyroid hormones and to several known endocrine disruptors including diethylstilbestrol (DES) and bisphenol A (BPA). Triclosan will be listed as an active ingredient on any product label, since it is considered a pesticide.(3) BCPP.org Avoid “anti-microbial” soaps, toothpastes and other products claiming to be antimicrobial and containing triclosan or 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol.

Clean Sweep: Switch Over to all Safer Cleaning Products for the full house!

Safe Cleaning Products

Along with the personal care industry, there is a huge lack of regulation for the Cleaning Supply market in the U.S. Companies aren’t required to disclose full ingredients, products don’t need to be tested before bringing them to the marketplace, and there are a whole lot of scary toxins, irritants and chemicals. Learn more here.

Make Simple Happen approved products:

Seventh Generation–this is a great place if you are just starting off with safer cleaning products, laundry detergents, dish soap, etc. because they will be “greener” and safer than MANY other options (they aren’t perfect, some products still contain a few irritants like SLS, but it is still a safe option!), and you can find them at your neighborhood grocery or Target store. They are also a great business model and certified BCorp.

Branch Basics–snag a starter kit of everything you need to clean your full house (bathrooms, kitchens, mirrors, etc), without any dangerous ingredients. Their starter set also makes an amazing gift. Add it to your wish list for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day!

Grab $10 off your purchase using my link: http://branchbasics.refr.cc/makesimplehappen

Humble Suds–Colorado friends, this local company is amazing and offers delivery, and refil stations around town. I am loving the All Purpose Cleaner.

Make your own cleaners! So many safe ingredient recipes on the web, using baking soda and white vinegar. I love to use DoTerra’s OnGuard Concentrate and Dr. Bronner’s Castle Soap, and make cleaners for around the house, with glass spray bottles found on Amazon.

Recap:

  • Limit Plastic (especially plastic that touches your food and water)
  • Add Purifying Plants into your home (Ferns, Aloe, Snake plants, Fiddle Leaf Figs, and Peace Lilies)
  • Ditch the Air Fresheners and Candles, and Opt for an Pure Essential Oil Diffuser instead (note, these are not oils you buy over the counter. DoTerra or Young Living would be much safer for purity and disclosure of ingredients and sourcing).
  • Swap out dangerous cleaning products for safe and effective plant-based options.
  • Ditch the toxic makeup and skin care, and choose companies who screen for dangerous ingredients (including contaminants like heavy metals), and have a safe rating through the Environmental Working Group.

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*Affiliate links are included, and when you shop those items, I may receive a small commission, which helps support this blog. Thank you.

Posted in Back to School Wellness, Family Health & Wellness, Uncategorized

Sustainable & Healthy School Essentials!

Sharing some of our favorite SUSTAINABLE Waste-Free (ie: reusable, recyclable and/or compostable) School Favorites, particularly for lunch and snack, for this new school year… or whenever you are on-the-go with your littles. I happen to also own a Yumbox for myself–it’s like my personal Smorgasbord away from home!

Sure, you invest a little more $ up front on reusable options, but I assure you, you save lots of money in the long run , and provide your kids with healthier non-plastic options, while simultaneously helping mother earth 🌍! 

P.S. I added lots of promo codes for even more savings. Scroll down…

Sustainable Lunches

Our family’s purchasing decisions come down to the following criteria:

1. Safety (clean & safe ingredients and/or materials for our bodies and endocrine systems. That means no known carcinogens and hormone-disrupting chemicals),

2. Ethics of the Company (Transparency of the ingredients, and ALL of them, Sustainability efforts for packaging and products, Certified BCorps, and Certified Leaping Bunny–cruelty free, are a bonus! I will always support these companies first).

3. Likability. We actually have to use and love the products before I will invest in additional options, or recommend to friends and family!

Here are our most favorite On-the-Go Kid Essentials:

  1. Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Waterbottles--Super Durable, fun patterns, and a really cool Bcorp and sustainbility-focused company.
  2. YumBox bento boxes–All food safe materials, BPA-free and phthalate-free. And they are easy to open for littles, everything stays in their individual compartment without leaking, and you can throw the trays in the dishwasher! LOVE ours. They also fit in almost all popular brand lunch bags, with a flat icepack and a little room to spare. Use code “Try20” for 20% off your first purchase online.
  3. LunchSkins Dishwasher-safe reusable bags can be used again and again (I personally like the zipper tops, over the velcro), and their recyclable/compostable paper bags are easy to use once and toss responsibly. This is good for super little ones who may accidentally lose or toss the reusable ones 😉 Use code “2019LS” for 10% off online. You can also find them at Target!
  4. Stasher Bags!  The coolest sealable food-grade silicone reusable bags–they come in many fun sizes and colors AND are dishwasher safe on the top rack. We have obsessed over these for a long time now. Bonus: A women-owned, certified BCorp and of member of “1% for the Planet” (1% of all sales go to high-impact non-profits that protect our oceans).

There are so many great alternatives to one-time-use ziplocks and paper sacks in the marketplace these days—let’s make this school year a much more sustainable and healthier one for all! 👌👌👌⭕️⭕️

Reach out with any questions! Much love, Amber