“I like it when a flower or a little tuft of grass grows through a crack in the concrete. It’s so (effing) heroic.” George Carlin

Are you ready to learn how to let go of stuff, spend less, live more and find the satisfaction of enough for today?  

Recycle all those other self-help books — this is the only one you will need. The secret to a true, deep happiness can be found in these beautifully personal stories from ordinary Americans. You will be genuinely inspired after reading this book. GET SATISFIED: How Twenty People Like You Found the Satisfaction of Enough will help you find joy in a place that you might have forgotten to look: your own life.Get started right now! 

It’s very easy in the current day and age to get frustrated about the state of the environment, society and even the government’s role (or lack thereof) in protecting consumers and the planet we live on. In a world as big as ours is, it’s not hard to feel disempowered and to lose sight of the fact that making even small changes in your life can have a big impact. However, if you spend money at all, and we all do, you have the power to make a change. It’s important to keep in mind that, always, the power to change a consumer society lies with the actual consumers, especially those who move beyond that society’s addictive consumerism.

Money Talks.

Environmentalists, postconsumers, anti-consumers and the entire community of people who want to see change are often uncomfortable with (or even aggressively opposed to) the quote “money talks.” Why is that? Because the vision that all of these people (and, of course, we on the Postconsumers team) have is a future that is less driven by money and consumption. That’s a great vision. We obviously embrace it here. But the world doesn’t change because a small group of people want it to. Sometimes, to defeat the beast, you need to understand and even dance with the beast.

There is a reality in the western world, and that reality is that money begets power. This is true on both small and aggregate levels.

We’re big fans of Gary Hirshberg, the chairman, president and “CE-Yo” of Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt. While Hirshberg has taken some heat in recent years for partnering to sell his product in Walmart, we actually applaud him for realizing that you can’t win the game by refusing to get onto the playing field. Said Hirshberg in an interview with Smart Planet,

“I used to run nonprofits, and I had zero economic power. In my 20s I became aware of my impotence as a change agent. I realized then–if you want to, if you want to, change the way the world operates, you need to marshal your economic power.”

Does that quote make the idealist in you cringe? It’s understandable if it does. And certainly Stonyfield can’t claim to be the same “all good, no bad” organization that it was when it was small and local. But when you compare it to other mass food production companies, it’s doing more good than bad. At the end of the day, if the standard is going to be “only a perfectly sustainable, locally-produced product using only clean energy,” then not many people will be joining in the fight. But Hirshberg makes the most important point – if the financial power of everybody is harnessed, we can demand change.

What Can You Do?

Hirshberg also once said in an interview in the documentary Food, Inc.: “You vote every time you make a purchase.” This is not only true, but it’s especially true in an era when corporations have more power than Congress.

When you go to a big box store and buy an item that is organic, made from sustainable sources or socially conscious, you tell that big box store to stock more kinds of those products and that you’re not willing to be a part of the over-consumption process. When you skip the big box stores and cheap merchandise altogether, you send the message that priorities are changing.

The same is true with whom you choose for your energy provider, your daily transportation options and so many other things.

But you have to find your own line of comfort. Maybe you’re not ready to entirely let go of the lower prices of mass-consumption items (though you may be surprised at how competitive more localized prices can be). Maybe you’re not ready to entirely give up buying tons of “stuff.” How can you get started with these changes?

Ask yourself every time that you’re in a checkout line at a store, “Is my money really being used as a vote for how I want the world to look?” If you’re comfortable with the idea that it is, check out! If not, take a moment to think about how much is enough for today.

Remember, you have the power to change things. And it’s only when individual (post)consumers as a group vote with their dollars to change things that true change will happen.

Agree or disagree? Tell us about it. Comment below or tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.

Are you ready to learn how to let go of stuff, spend less, live more and find the satisfaction of enough for today?  

Recycle all those other self-help books — this is the only one you will need. The secret to a true, deep happiness can be found in these beautifully personal stories from ordinary Americans. You will be genuinely inspired after reading this book. GET SATISFIED: How Twenty People Like You Found the Satisfaction of Enough will help you find joy in a place that you might have forgotten to look: your own life.Get started right now!  –Alexandra Paul

Photo Credit: nateOne via Flickr

For many Americans, it’s hard to believe that, globally, there is a water shortage crisis and it’s entirely possible that water is about to become a fought for and sought after resource. That’s because, in America, water still remains abundant and available and ready to be unfortunately wasted and over-consumed. In fact, when the average American takes a five minute shower, he or she wastes more water than an individual living in a slum in a developing nation uses in an entire day. The water shortage is real, and it’s already being felt by people across the globe.

At Postconsumers, in the past we’ve found that people understand the realities of how climate change and environmental concerns are really having an impact when we put them in the context of everyday “luxuries” that Americans frequently enjoy. For example, we know that many people really started to think about the climate shifting when we pointed out that climate change may make daily morning coffee a luxury for the rich. So, while the possibility of true global conflicts over water may be more than many people can digest on a first reading, talking about how the water shortage will impact something that lots of us love is a much easier way to put things into perspective.

So, if you like beer or whiskey, this article is for you. In the near future, prepare for the global water shortage to put an early last call on your party plans.

Beer: Are You Prepared for It To Be Priced Like Wine?

Globally, the international beer business is a $300 million dollar business. But beer prices may find themselves climbing as the massive water footprint left by the beer-making process becomes increasingly difficult to fund. Water is used profusely in the process of beer brewing. Firstly, the hops and barley need to be grown, using the essential plant nourishment of … water. Then, of course, there’s the actual water needed to brew the beverage. One consultancy estimates that it actually takes 300 liters of water to make one liter of beer. Beer companies, in fact, are already gearing up to prepare for the water shortage. While companies like MillerCoors are working with in-house water savings measures, the reality is that almost 98% of the water footprint of beer happens before it makes its way into the brewery. That’s to say that the agricultural process of growing the barley and hops requires massive amounts of water. So many beer companies are teaming up with the farms that provide their raw ingredients in order to work together to find more water-efficient ways to grow.

There’s a potential upside here, and that’s that the partnerships between beer companies and farmers may begin a cutting edge process of learning to grow abundant crops with better water conservation. Those practices can then be applied to other areas of farming.

However, even with water conservation efforts, the cost of producing beer is increasing as a result of the growing water shortage and the price of beer continues to rise. For the last two years, beer prices have increased 3% to 5% per year. It doesn’t appear that water is going to get any more abundant, and that means you can extrapolate the math out to see that, soon, beer may not be the cheap party fix you’ve come to know and love it for.

Whiskey, Whiskey, Down the Hatch

Scottish whiskey makers (known by whiskey drinkers as the best whiskey makers) are no strangers to having the stills go dry due to drought. However, with a rising demand for whiskey and the entire process of producing the mash required for whiskey reliant on water, whiskey makers have tried everything from making more water-efficient processes to diluting the alcohol content in their whiskey (though that simply means more water per bottle of whiskey). That, of course, raises the question, would you drink a more diluted product if it were better for the planet, or would you be willing to pay an even more expensive premium for quality liquor?

A Real Life Example

On a recent day, a local whiskey maker in Pennsylvania posted this to their Facebook page.

Nothing like a $9,000 water bill to ruin a perfectly good day.

The whiskey maker? It’s a small, family-owned business sold primarily locally.

Water shortage in the world is a real problem, and certainly the impact of it is far bigger (and more damaging, and more important) than the booze that we drink. But thinking about water and our indulgences is often an easier way to understand that the problem is real and definitely happening.

Have a fact we missed about the water shortage and liquor? Tell us about it. Comment below or tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.

Are you ready to learn how to let go of stuff, spend less, live more and find the satisfaction of enough for today?  

Recycle all those other self-help books — this is the only one you will need. The secret to a true, deep happiness can be found in these beautifully personal stories from ordinary Americans. You will be genuinely inspired after reading this book. GET SATISFIED: How Twenty People Like You Found the Satisfaction of Enough will help you find joy in a place that you might have forgotten to look: your own life.Get started right now! –Alexandra Paul

Photo Credit: Cambridge Brewing Co. via Flickr

Showering. We all have to do it, and (most of us) seem to enjoy it. But the global water shortage is a very real predicament even if it hasn’t been entirely felt in the United States yet. And it’s not just the global water shortage that should have you taking a second look at your home showering practices. Energy resources and product toxins all play a role in the carbon footprint left behind when we shower. What are five great ways to be more eco-friendly when you take a shower? Here are our tips!

Shower Short – and Less Often!

How many times per day and for how long do you shower? While in recent decades, it’s become considered “normal” for many to shower several times per day, be sure to keep in mind that as recently as the 1950s many children (and even adults) only bathed weekly. We’re not suggesting that you cut down to only one bath or shower per week. The reality is that hygiene expectations have changed along with the times. What we are suggesting is that you evaluate if you need two-to-three showers per day or not and how long you need to stay in the shower. Less is more. Less is more!

Turn Off the Hot Water

Again, nobody’s advocating that you limit yourself to only entirely cold showers! Hot showers feel good. They also, though, are bad for your skin (they dry it out) and they use a significant amount of fossil fuel to heat the water (unless you are a rock star with a solar or alternative energy powered hot water heater). You may be surprised after you try it that a lukewarm shower is actually just as relaxing. Of course, when you need one, indulge in a hot shower. Just understand that steaming hot water for thirty minutes per day has a significant impact on both the water shortage and the energy shortage.

Consider Rain Water Collection

If you live in an urban environment, it may not be possible. And even in some non-urban environments, rain water collection is actually illegal. (Yes, that’s true). But in many areas of the country, you can reduce your carbon footprint by using your own collected rainwater as your water source. Among the benefits of this, you’ll develop a more intimate relationship with understanding how much water naturally happens in your environment and how precious it really can be. You’ll also likely save on some of your water bills! Just make sure that you know the laws and stipulations of where you live. Rain water isn’t always a public resource that you can privately use.

You Don’t Need a Clean Towel Every Day!

Unless you are using your towel to physically remove mud from your body, you don’t need a clean one every day! Think about it logically – you are using a towel to dry off your newly cleaned body. The towel itself is not getting dirty in the process because you have gotten clean prior to using the towel! However, in many American households the standard is to use a towel, throw it in the laundry and then use a clean one the next time. Every time you do that, you increase both your water and energy footprint when your laundry loads are unnecessarily large. While everybody has to find their own comfort-zone with how often they need a clean towel, we think once a week is substantial.

What Else is On in the Bathroom While You Shower?

Yes, you need to have a light on, and we don’t question a shower radio, but how many electrical appliances do you really need to have on while you’re showering? Do you need the vanity mirror light on as well? What about the bathroom vent? Does your electric toothbrush really need to still be charging? Just because you’re in the bathroom, it doesn’t mean that everything in the bathroom needs to be on, using up energy resources.

Being clean of body is important, but keeping a clean planet is equally important. Do what you can to keep both you and your home (planet) clean!

Are you glad (or maybe disappointed) that we didn’t suggest group showers? Have an idea on how to reduce waste during shower time? Tell us about it. Comment below or tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.

Are you ready to learn how to let go of stuff, spend less, live more and find the satisfaction of enough for today?  

Recycle all those other self-help books — this is the only one you will need. The secret to a true, deep happiness can be found in these beautifully personal stories from ordinary Americans. You will be genuinely inspired after reading this book. GET SATISFIED: How Twenty People Like You Found the Satisfaction of Enough will help you find joy in a place that you might have forgotten to look: your own life.Get started right now! 

Photo Credit: PhotoAtelier via Flickr

“Water is the driving force in nature.” Leonardo da Vinci

Are you ready to learn how to let go of stuff, spend less, live more and find the satisfaction of enough for today?  

Recycle all those other self-help books — this is the only one you will need. The secret to a true, deep happiness can be found in these beautifully personal stories from ordinary Americans. You will be genuinely inspired after reading this book. GET SATISFIED: How Twenty People Like You Found the Satisfaction of Enough will help you find joy in a place that you might have forgotten to look: your own life.Get started right now! 

There are parts of helping to preserve the planet that you can control as elements of living a Postconsumer lifestyle, but there are also parts that may be happening regardless of the small but ultimately highly important changes in our lives that we all need to make. Two of those potential inevitabilities are the phenomena of peak water and peak soil. It’s entirely possible that you’ve heard these terms tossed about without ever giving real thought to what they mean or the science behind them. If that describes you, then this is the read for you! And if it describes somebody that you know, then this is a great piece to pass along to them (hint, hint!).

So, what are peak water and peak soil? Are they even real things? And what can we do to manage them? Let’s take a look.

The Origin of the Term: Peak Oil

Of course, it shouldn’t necessarily be surprising that it wasn’t the most vital of natural resources (water and soil) that launched the discussion of “peaks.” It was, in fact, oil. Peak oil, quite simply, is the point at which the maximum amount of oil extraction from the earth has occurred, after which point it will be in a terminal decline. The formula for determining peak oil was actually created in 1956, which somewhat obviously leaves one wondering why alternative energy sources haven’t been a priority since it was first confirmed that oil production would at some point peak and decline. But we are not here to judge! While there have been several attempts to narrow down when peak oil will occur, the most frequently used operational one at this point is 2015. However, 1995, 2008 and other now-past dates have all been targeted at one point or another.

So, now, understanding how peak oil originated and subsequently became a large talking point, we can move on to peak soil and peak water.

Peak Soil: It’s Like Peak Oil But Worse

To be fair, we just stole that subheadline! Not surprisingly, peak soil refers to the point at which we will have reached a moment where we no longer have enough fertile soil to sustain the world’s populations. What do we mean when we say “sustain the world’s populations?” We mean grow food and provide pastureland so that people can meet the basic life requirement of eating. According to Resilience.org, at present the world is losing soil at a rate of twenty times faster than it can replenish it. At the same time, the world’s population (ie: people who will need to eat) is increasing and, according to United Nations projections, is expected to reach 9.5 billion by 2050.

What destroys soil? There are obvious natural soil destructors, such as soil that is scorched by a drought or washed away by tides (though, somewhat obviously, one might question if the speed of these events and their impact on soil isn’t a result of man-induced climate change). However, if those were the only destroyers of soil, there would still be a fighting chance. But it’s not surprising that much of the world’s soil destruction is due to urban and building development as well as chemical dumping.

And soil isn’t easily replaced. It actually takes tens of thousands of years to make about six inches of useable top soil. And it’s not just about food. Peak soil will also make the use of many biofuels impossible, making the peak oil situation even worse.

Of course, GMO food, indoor growing and synthesized meat may be solutions to staving off world hunger. They also, most likely, are not solutions that the readers of this article are enthusiastic about.

Peak Water: Down the Drain

Peak water is the latest realization that our resources may fall shallow of our needs. This one is often the hardest one for Americans, who have ample access to water, to recognize. But the truth is that, globally, a child dies because of lack of access to water almost every twenty seconds.

Most of the world’s drinkable and usable water resides in underground lakes and aquifers, a finite supply to say the least. Not only is the planet simply becoming drier as it becomes hotter and water sources such as glaciers melt away, but the world is particularly guilty of contaminating water supplies with chemicals. That may mean you. Every time you empty a skin care product or unused medication into your skin, it enters the water supply.

In many cases, particularly in the western world, the realities of resource diminishment haven’t been felt yet. However, they are very, very real. And it only takes small actions by individuals to add years of viability to each of these resources. Shorter showers, turned off taps and responsible disposal methods can all add up to more “miles per gallon” for our remaining soil and water.

Have a fact we missed about peak soil and peak water? Tell us about it. Comment below or tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.

Are you ready to learn how to let go of stuff, spend less, live more and find the satisfaction of enough for today?  

Recycle all those other self-help books — this is the only one you will need. The secret to a true, deep happiness can be found in these beautifully personal stories from ordinary Americans. You will be genuinely inspired after reading this book. GET SATISFIED: How Twenty People Like You Found the Satisfaction of Enough will help you find joy in a place that you might have forgotten to look: your own life.Get started right now! 

Photo Credit: lanier67 via Flickr

One of the often hardest things about starting a journey to becoming more eco-friendly is finding a way to be eco-friendly while also being busy. There are few people for whom this is truer than for America’s mothers! Not only are most American mothers taxed by busy schedules, hectic households and a challenging work-life balance, but they also often have responsibility for what can be the most wasteful parts of the home – children areas and kitchens. Now, we certainly don’t mean to play into gender stereotypes here. These tips are just as useful for busy dads! But in the spirit of Mother’s Day, we thought that we’d share our ten favorite tips for busy moms who want to be more environmentally friendly.

Tip Number One: Reusable Bags are Your Friend

One of the quickest changes that you can make as a mother is to get rid of all of the single-use bags in your life. Yes, it’s easier to just grab the existing bags at the grocery store. However a reusable bag can be the biggest eco-impact that you make. We know that it’s hard to get out of your groove and switch to reusables, so we’ve made it simpler with our guide to easily transitioning from single-use bags to reusable ones.

Tip Number Two: Stackers and Organizers

One of the keys to success for just about all busy moms is to have quick and easy ways to organize. This can be particularly effective when it comes to recycling, especially if your community doesn’t have one-off recycling bins for you. A triple-layer stackable storage unit that allows you to quickly throw glass, aluminum and paper into different bins with no extra effort is a great way to become a better recycling maven.

Tip Number Three: Audit Your Products. It Only Takes Once.

Are you using eco-friendly cleaning products? You might be surprised how affordable eco-friendly cleaning products are or how effective homemade cleaning products are. Set some time aside one day and one day only to audit your cleaning products and identify what could be an easier, cheaper or more eco-friendly product to use. After you do it once, your work is done for you and you can be making an eco-impact without having any ongoing work to do.

Tip Number Four: Use a Shopping List

There are many reasons to always, always use a shopping list when you go shopping. Being environmentally friendly is one of them though! Firstly, as a busy mom, know that using a shopping list will save you valuable time when you’re at the grocery store and it will also help you keep on budget. But in addition it’s helpful in your environmental efforts because using a shopping list means that you’re less likely to buy items on the spur of the moment that you don’t need and that will later be wasted.

Tip Number Five: Dinnertime Rules and Pre-Prepared Food

Americans waste an enormous amount of food every year. How can you, as a busy mom, contribute to reducing this while not adding excessive amounts of time to dinner preparation? One trick is to set some basic dinnertime rules like “don’t put more on your plate than you’ll eat” or  simply “don’t waste food.” Another trick, though, is to stay away from take-out and pre-prepared foods. These types of meals (in addition to being generally unhealthy) often come in serving sizes that are larger than anybody will need. You can, however, still reduce the amount of time that you need to prepare meals so that you can wean yourself off of takeout and pre-prepared foods by taking a few hours on the weekend to prep and cut dinner ingredients for the week (also, learn to love a crockpot!).

Tip Number Six: Give Your Family and Your Children Responsibility

It’s easy for a mother to feel like she’s the only one responsible for things in a household, but that’s not true! Even if your family doesn’t have individual chores, you can often make people responsible for their own recycling activity! When rooms are cleaned, recycling should be dropped off. You can, of course, expand your efforts by giving people more immediate chores like checking for unnecessary lights being on or organizing a Goodwill cleaning of the house.

Tip Number Seven: Checklists Help Everybody

Checklists of any kind are a busy mom’s friend, and that’s true when it comes to being more environmentally friendly as well. Add items to your weekly checklist like “audit house for recyclables” or “stock reusable bags in the car” or “make homemade floor cleaner.” If they’re part of your organized home effort to begin with, these eco-friendly activities won’t feel like they’re taking up extra time (because they won’t be!).

Tip Number Eight: Nothing Gets Washed Until It’s Full

A common area of waste in households is a daily running of a dishwasher or extra loads of laundry because the washer wasn’t full the first time. Make it a household rule that water-based appliances like dishwashers and laundry machines don’t get run unless they are full. You’ll probably be very surprised at how much water and energy is saved when you’re only running appliances after it’s really time to run them!

Tip Number Nine: Get Used to Turning Things Off

The average American household leaves just about everything turned on all of the time – lights, computers, televisions, the works. It’s actually a fairly simple change to get used to the idea of turning things off when they’re not being used. In the end, you’ll find that you save a ton of energy without exerting a ton of effort.

Tip Number Ten: Take a Moment and Breathe!

The last tip is the easiest! Just take a moment to sit down each day and have a second to yourself. After you’ve recovered from the overwhelming crush of the day, ask yourself, “Is there any little five minute thing that I can do today to make this home more eco-friendly?” If there is, take the five minutes to do it. If there’s not, enjoy another five minutes to yourself!

Have another idea about how to be eco-friendly as a busy mom? Tell us about it. Comment below or tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.

Are you ready to learn how to let go of stuff, spend less, live more and find the satisfaction of enough for today?  

Recycle all those other self-help books — this is the only one you will need. The secret to a true, deep happiness can be found in these beautifully personal stories from ordinary Americans. You will be genuinely inspired after reading this book. GET SATISFIED: How Twenty People Like You Found the Satisfaction of Enough will help you find joy in a place that you might have forgotten to look: your own life.Get started right now! 

Photo Credit: @Doug88888 via Flickr

“Wild roses are fairest, and Nature a better gardener than Art.” Louisa May Alcott

Are you ready to learn how to let go of stuff, spend less, live more and find the satisfaction of enough for today?  

Recycle all those other self-help books — this is the only one you will need. The secret to a true, deep happiness can be found in these beautifully personal stories from ordinary Americans. You will be genuinely inspired after reading this book. GET SATISFIED: How Twenty People Like You Found the Satisfaction of Enough will help you find joy in a place that you might have forgotten to look: your own life.Get started right now! 

People learn mass consumerism throughout their entire lives, but it’s no secret that it’s the messages we learn as a small child that have the most impact on our views and beliefs as adults. While parental guidance and practices like limiting Saturday cartoons and putting kids on a media diet can help, you might be surprised how many subtle things teach children consumerism. In fact, often the toys that children use can teach them to be part of a culture that believes in “buy more, buy more.” This is particularly true for little girls, whose traditional toys tell a story of more and more as a goal. What are the most egregious toys for teaching little girls consumerism and what are some great alternatives? Let’s take a look.

Barbie®: Don’t You Want Her Dream House?

Despite the fact that toymaker Mattel® has tried to make Barbie a better role model for girls by having her reflect a wide range of lifestyles and options, the Barbie brand still comes under attack for many reasons. We’re going to avoid getting into the debate about Barbie dolls, body and self-image because that’s just too big a topic for us! However, it’s unavoidable to realize that the Barbie franchise is teaching girls to consume, consume, consume. Barbie likes stuff. She likes lots of stuff, including wardrobes full of outfits, expensive cars, big houses and lots and lots of accessories. Not only are little girls learning that this is a lifestyle they should emulate, but even as small children they’re being taught that having just one Barbie doll isn’t enough – they need an entire universe of matching pink items and an entire universe of other Barbies. Then, of course, there are the expensive Barbie collector editions that serve no purpose but to add to “stuff.” The reasons to shy away from Barbie are many, but for us the biggest one is about her consumer message (not to mention her carbon footprint).

American Girl® Dolls: They Are Indeed Very American

If you haven’t heard of the American Girl dolls trend yet, then you don’t have a young daughter yet. These dolls are designed to be thought of as “best friends” for their owner and not only do they have an entire slew of outfits to wear, but there are matching outfits for their owners. That’s right. Not only do American Girl dolls teach little girls to covet more and more clothing for their doll, but they also teach little girls to covet more and more clothing for themselves. Not surprisingly, this mega-doll-franchise is also owned by Mattel, who seems to have this business model down to a science.

Celebrity Toys

Walk into the little girls’ section in any toy store and you’ll see dozens of toys associated with celebrities little girls love. For example, at the time of this article, Justin Bieber and Hannah Montana toys for girls are all over the aisles. What is this teaching young girls? It’s teaching them that when you celebrate or admire a celebrity, you should also buy things with his or her name on them. That’s exactly the opposite message of what we want little girls to learn! We want them to find role models who make changes, not who make great plastic dolls. ­­We like to dance to Bieber too, and it’s great if a little girl wants to dance to Bieber. But nobody needs a Bieber doll to truly appreciate his musical talent! Teach your kids to separate celebrities and products so that later they’ll be less susceptible to celebrity endorsement marketing techniques.

Disney, Hello Kitty and Other Collectible Series

Any toy line that is about an entire line of collectibles (that, by the way, is always expanded) is a danger zone for teaching consumerism! Disney, Hello Kitty and toy lines like them are teaching kids that it’s not enough to own one of a certain thing, they should own many of a certain thing. There’s nothing wrong with allowing a child to have a favorite toy line, don’t get us wrong. But try not to allow your child to become obsessed with having everything in a certain toy line.

What are Good Alternatives?

It’s no surprise that the best alternatives to these items are educational toys.  Our current obsession are Goldie Blox™, which teach little girls to think like engineers. However, there are dozens of fun options out there. You can also avoid the consumer messaging by selecting “girlie” toys for your young girl that are from local artisans or merchants rather than huge global corporations.

The most challenging part will be the discussion that you’ll need to have when your little girl inevitably says “But all of the other girls have it.” We won’t pretend to give out expert parental advice, but this is a golden opportunity to talk with your child about what makes her special.

The best option may be a middle ground, as it is with most things. Consider letting your child have consumer driven toys – but have open conversations with her about limits or what these toys mean to the planet.

Have another idea about how to teach little girls to rely less on consumerism and more on creativity? Tell us about it. Comment below or tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.

Are you ready to learn how to let go of stuff, spend less, live more and find the satisfaction of enough for today?  

Recycle all those other self-help books — this is the only one you will need. The secret to a true, deep happiness can be found in these beautifully personal stories from ordinary Americans. You will be genuinely inspired after reading this book. GET SATISFIED: How Twenty People Like You Found the Satisfaction of Enough will help you find joy in a place that you might have forgotten to look: your own life.Get started right now! 

Photo Credit: Geeky Bird via Flickr

“The Earth has music for those who would listen.” George Santayana

Are you ready to learn how to let go of stuff, spend less, live more and find the satisfaction of enough for today?  

Recycle all those other self-help books — this is the only one you will need. The secret to a true, deep happiness can be found in these beautifully personal stories from ordinary Americans. You will be genuinely inspired after reading this book. GET SATISFIED: How Twenty People Like You Found the Satisfaction of Enough will help you find joy in a place that you might have forgotten to look: your own life.Get started right now!