The "What if"

For a recent speaking engagement, I had to spend the night in a hotel. I had work to finish up and I thought about ordering room service for dinner, but the disposables that are now used (e.g., plastic wrap on the dish, individual condiments, glass cap, etc.) dissuaded me to eat in. I went down to the restaurant, computer in hand, and set myself up in a dining booth. I was planning on having  a productive dinner...A few minutes later, a woman sat down three tables away, and in a shrill voice, shared her cell phone conversation with the rest of us: "Yeah, I suck at emails", "Just make sure...

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Ponytail holder update...

Scott gave you an update on the app, I want to give you one on my ponytail holder story...In that post, I set out to share with you how one ponytail holder was enough for me: How when we live with less, we better track and care for our belongings, including trivial items. I shared how the same ponytail holder has served my needs for close to a year, and why I was considering switching to French metal barrettes when it wears out.  But then, many of you commented, emailed instructions on how to make my own or offered to send me their extras ;) "When it eventually gives out, go onto Freecycle...

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Bulk App Stats

As those of you who follow me on social media already know, I have been back in the US for a while, answering interviews, giving tours of my home, speaking at events, and filming with a French TV crew. There are only so many hours in a day and I am way overdue for a new post... I started writing one... but Scott put this one together before I could finish mine... So, here are a few stats about the app, in Scott's words:___Our ZeroWasteHome community has added over 1150 locations around the world. We have added over 900 locations in the US, and Bulk locations have been added in over 15 countries,...

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Zero Dechet Number One!

Just a quick post to announce that am in France promoting the Zero waste lifestyle. I look forward to blogging again soon. In the meantime, I would like to share with you that my book Zero Dechet reached number one on Amazon in France today!I am touched by this recognition, and at the same time excited for other people to embrace the lifestyle and enjoy its benefi...

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Zero Dechet est sorti!

 I am so excited to announce that the French version of my book, Zero Dechet, is finally out!Apres des mois de travail acharne pour son adaptation, c'est avec joie et beaucoup de fierte, que je vous annonce la sortie mon livre Zero Dechet en France aujourd'hui meme!&nb...

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The Beauty of Zero Waste: The French Market

People often ask me what the differences are between France and the US in terms of Zero Waste.Both countries have pros and cons, but I am of an optimistic nature, so I'll focus on the pros: Great bulk can be found in the US, at the grocery store (including liquids such as castile soap, conditioner, and cooking oil); in France, at the Farmer's market.This summer, I had the opportunity to make a quick stop in the town of Mirepoix and visit its farmer's market: The ambiance, the colors, the smells... mmm ... were amazing and the selection dreamy. I could not resist sharing this experience with you!Pour...

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What happened?

Hi Everyone:I hope you had a great summer. Mine sure was not what I had envisioned.Before I left for Europe, I was working on adapting my book into French and revising its translation...What I did not expect was the amount (and cadence) of the work ahead.I wanted this book to carry my voice to my country of origin, and I ended up rewriting a lot of it. I went from the glamour of wearing my skirt on the set of UK's BBC Breakfast (promoting the UK version) to consecutive weeks in PJ's battling deadlines at my mother's home in the South of France. My mom fed me, took care of the laundry, the kids......

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30 Ways to wear a long skirt - Day one

Sorry for not posting in a while: I have been working overtime in translating (and adapting) my book to French and answering the demands and interest of international media (a great sign that the word of Zero Waste is spreading and the world intrigued by change!) .In the midst of that, I made my annual trip to Europe. I will be here for 30 days, mixing work and pleasure, and as you guessed it, I am taking on a challenge similar to last year's: Wearing a long skirt 30 different ways.Presenting to you:  The skirt. Long, black, slit in the back, made of a matte jersey knit (for some reason,...

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Party Time! Zero Waste style.

This weekend, I threw a cocktail party to celebrate my becoming an author. Our house's size limited our guest list, nonetheless, forty people RSVP'd. My full time work schedule did not give me much time to get ready. On Friday, I tackled the grocery shopping armed with a shopping list and a basket full of jars; Saturday, I worked from morning till 6:45pm, just in time to take a quick shower, take a few pictures to share with you and welcome our first guests.My book describes Zero Waste entertaining, so this post is to show how I put some of my tips into practice.Here is how we managed...

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My Wardrobe Inventory in Pictures

After a month dedicated to our new Bulk app, back to our regular blog schedule...First off, let me thank those of you who thought of posting a review for my book on Amazon! I am humbled by your response and excited about your positive feedback enticing new readers to embark on this incredible lifestyle! Your time is well appreciated; its ripple effect will change the world (literally), and I feel motivated to share more of the lifestyle with you...As many of you already know, I have vouched to only buying secondhand clothing and my bi-annual clothes thrifting was a month ago. Many of you...

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Bulk App Update

A post by my husband, Scott, who has spent way more time on this app than I have (and still does): He is the technical brain in our home and I love him for it! _______________________________________________Thank you everyone for trying out our Bulk locator app!So far we have had over 1400 people sign up, almost 600 locations added to the app, with over 600 reviews of those locations. Also, thank you for your patience as we work out some of the bugs in version 1.0 of this app...there is nothing like having 1400 people use the app, in order to find out what works and what does not...

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Our Bulk Locator App is out!

Tired of fiddling with packaging? Want to help the environment? Shopping the package-free aisles can also save you time and money, but only if you know where to find them! When I started my Zero Waste journey, I had no idea that bulk bins even existed in my town. Then when I found them and realized that I could eliminate all food packaging by solely relying on them, I came to dream of a smartphone "app" that could locate nearby bulk suppliers. The prize money that I received for winning The Green Awards (thanks to your support) allowed me to realize my dream and provide Zero Waste enthusiasts...

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Zero Waste Home Book is out!

AmazonBarnes and Noble IndieBoundMy book, Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste, is out and I couldn't be more ecstatic about its release! This book is a personal achievement; a dream that I would have never thought possible - when I came to America at the age of 18, my English skills were so poor that I couldn't even order a hamburger at a restaurant! But the reason behind this book - spreading the word about Zero Waste is what will bring me the most lasting contentment. I am honored to be messenger of...

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The Beauty of a Zero Waste essential: The Refillable Fountain Pen

"My pens are my babies and they drink from their bottles" Shangas - on the Fountain Pen Network ForumMy blog series The beauty of Zero Waste and Zero Waste Essential respectively point to the beauty that Zero Waste has brought into my life and the objects (or skills) that I have deemed necessary to achieve as close to Zero Waste as possible. The Refillable Fountain Pen applies to both.Fountain pen fitted with a converterIn our digital and (increasingly) paperless age, handwriting is slowly losing ground. Elementary grades are substituting penmanship for...

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Zero Waste Essential: Positivity

Someone recently asked me how I stay upbeat: "How do you not let the weight of our environmental situation get you down?" Every year, Earth Month (April) hits our lives and disturbs our mindsets with a surge of ecological facts... so much information being shared about the sad state of the environment, it's easy to feel saddened by the situation. And of course, when Earth day is everyday with the Zero Waste lifestyle, it's natural to feel frustrated along the way (as I have described here). You even come to wish you did not know as much as you do. It's a common...

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Fashion Friday: Another Way to Wear the LBD

What a busy last two weeks! They went so fast that I failed to post last week's Fashion Friday.This is my pick for this week. I wore this from an interview to the grocery store to a girl's night out, and my whole (secondhand) outfit cost $14...

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Zero Waste Home Essential: Commitment

Filling pockets with beach litter And being an embarrassment to my teenage boys.In a recent interview, I was asked to quantify Zero Waste. "For example, if someone refuses junkmail, is he/she 10% or maybe 40% of the way to Zero Waste?"I went home shuffling numbers in my head and a couple of headaches later, asked for Scott's input (he is the left side of our household's brain) . We sat down, and for two hours tried to come up with percentages to define one's progress towards Zero Waste. But we soon realized that our assignment was pointless. In conjunction with following the 5R's in order, getting...

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Mini Wardrobe Fave: The LBD

It's already Friday! Sorry for not being very present on the blog this week. Things have been quite busy on the Zero Waste Home Facebook page -Thank you FB fans for your overwhelming response to the pictures that I posted. I have very much enjoyed sharing my simple lifestyle with you and getting to know you better!Today, I am sharing an obvious, yet important element of a capsule wardrobe: the Little Black Dress. I bought mine off a $2 rack at the thrift store three years ago, and if you've followed my media coverage, you've probably noticed that this dress is my go-to-outfit when I...

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