About The Sustain Blog

Photo by Nicole Brait Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

You care about the planet. You care about human welfare. You know we need to do something about climate change. You use recycled bags at the grocery store. You try to shop locally. You avoid buying from companies that use child labor. You have a small vegetable garden. You compost and you adopted a stray dog. But you also have a full-time job, two kids, a spouse who works 40 hours a week and volunteer obligations at your kids’ schools. Living off the grid and making your own clothes from recycled materials isn’t exactly in the cards; not for you, not for most of us.

Sometimes I look at people who don’t think about living sustainably and I envy them just a little bit. It would be nice to not feel guilty about throwing away food I forgot about and let rot in the fridge. But I do.

So, what’s a sustainably conscious girl to do? I’ve been pondering that question lately and if you haven’t stopped reading by now I’m guessing you have been too.

First, let me explain to you that I don’t want to just live a sustainable life. I want to live a gracious sustainable life. What do I mean by that?

Sarah Ball

I want to buy things made buy artisans who were paid a fair wage for their labor but I don’t want them to look like they were made out of a burlap sack. I want to buy fair trade clothes but I don’t want to spend so much money on them that I can’t afford a vacation. I want to have enough space to grow my own food but I want to live close enough to town to walk to good restaurants.

I’m proposing you do two things. The first is to strike a balance. Be aware but don’t despair. Be aware that we need to change the way we (the collective we) live but don’t freak out because you haven’t gotten around to building that chicken coop or because you bought wrapping paper at a big box store. Go easy on yourself.

The second thing is to rely on me. The Sustain Blog is all about how to live a graciously sustainable life. Here is where I will write about products, tips, projects, things you can do or buy or change about your life that will help you to live a more sustainable life but won’t require a lot of time, energy and will (hopefully) fit into your lifestyle.

My goal is to make gracious sustainable living within reach of  everyone. Maybe even make it fun and enjoyable. And if you have ideas please let me know. I am always open to new ideas.

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