What's in a zero waster's bag!?

This post was sponsored by Pela Case. I received a compostable phone case to try for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Please see my full disclosure for more information. 

What do zero waster's carry in their bag? Depending on the day this can drastically change, but this is what you'll find in my bag 90% of the time. 

I go to work Monday-Friday, so this is the best look at what I have on me. Specifically on Tuesdays, because sometimes I'll stop at the store on the way home from work. There's a teeny-tiny bulk section full of all the necessities... like rice, oats, quinoa, and chocolate! 

the bag itself: 

I've had this bag a long time! In fact, when I first started blogging I wrote a tag post about it. It was a lot of fun. 

This isn't the most fashionable bag in the world. I would love to find one that would function as a bag in all/most situations. One that's not as casual. I've been looking for a year, but I've yet to find anything. 

One thing I've learned in this zero waste journey is to settle for nothing. Always wait for the perfect item to come along. It's out there somewhere. 

cloth napkin and cloth bulk bags: 

Cloth napkins have so many uses. I wrote a great post about how waste can be prevented in almost every situation with a cloth napkin and a 16oz mason jar. 

I always keep a cloth napkin in my bag for work. I typically eat a snack and lunch while there. I don't keep cloth napkins at work, but I do keep other reusables like forks, plates, and mugs etc. 

I really like these organic cloth draw string bags. They're small, but the perfect size to bring home veggies or large bulk items like chocolate covered almonds or just regular almonds. 

a 16 oz mason jar: 

This item is so versatile. I typically tote a green smoothie in one for breakfast. I'll wash it at work and drink water out of it throughout the day. If I'm going out with friends after work I can get drinks, coffee, or tea to go.  

a wallet: 

I don't know of many people that don't carry a wallet around with them. This is mine. It was a present a couple of years ago from my grandmother, and I love it. 

Before I went off to my first professional acting gig in PA, she gave me this tiny card with an angel pin on it. She said it was my guardian angel. I keep it with me to remind me of her. She is definitely one of my personal heroes. I'll try not to get too sappy, but I love her very much. 

I also keep compostable business cards with me. You can see from the back, it says to plant them. There are also all sorts of ideas to reduce your trash and waste on the back of each one. Business cards aren't perfect, but sometimes necessary. 

cell phone: 

I am on my cell phone far too often for social media purposes. But, I do love getting to keep in touch with all of my followers. If you aren't following me on twitter, insta, youtube, pinterest, or facebook you totally should! I write new content on each platform. 

I was struggling to find an eco case for my phone. Especially because my phone is old! I have a 5c from almost 5 years ago. I'm so thankful Pela Case reached out to me, and didn't give me a hard time for having a dinosaur of a phone.

I plan on keeping this phone as long as possible. Keeping true to that zero waste mentality. Pela is an awesome company! I drop my phone a lot. A LOT so having a sturdy phone case is must for me! 

Not only are their cases super sturdy, they're made from a waste by-product. They're made with flax straw waste. They're compostable when they're at the end of their life. But, before that, you can send the phone cases back where they'll turn them into yoga mats or flip flops! Which is so awesome!

We need more companies to think about the full lifespan of their product in every stage of it's life. And, I really want one of their yoga mats. If you're in the market for a new phone case, I would definitely give Pela a look. 

lunch:

My favorite part of the day! Lunch, lunch, lunch. If you want to know how to pack a zero waste lunch or looking for some quick easy zero waste lunch ideas check out this post. 

Today I have veggie stir fry in a two-tiered tiffin. These tiffins are the perfect size! 

This is what I normally keep in my bag on a daily basis! What do you keep in your bag that helps you fight waste? 

*This post may contain affiliate linking you can read more on my disclosure page.

Interdietary Relationships: How to Cook for Different Dietary Restrictions

You're a vegetarian, your partner was raised meat and potatoes (and not changing anytime soon), your son has a peanut allergy and your daughter is allergic to dairy. How do accommodate all of these different dietary restrictions without losing your mind? 

How do you do it without cooking four different meals? Which sounds absolutely exhausting by the way. I could definitely see the appeal of eating out, but man that would get expensive.

Plus you really wouldn't have control of what you were eating or the amount of waste being produced. Growing up allergic to dairy and now not eating meat, I have always had dietary restrictions. 

Justin is a pretty picky eater. He was raised meat and potatoes, and I avoid meat and dairy. As you can see, we have a dietary gap. 

related: The Ultimate Guide to Zero Waste Grocery Shopping

Sitting down to a shared meal is something very important to me. Eating good, wholesome food is really important to me too. I don't want to spend hours in the kitchen making two separate meals, so I had to learn how to make us both happy, full, and nourished. 

That is something I refuse to compromise on... so here it is the ONE and only rule for making interdietary relationships work effortlessly.

It's so simple. After you read it, you're going to be like, "Why is this so obvious!? Why haven't I implemented this before?" 

"the base of the meal should be something you both can eat, garnish with preference." 

Boom.

Life changing.

No lie.

I have a list of a whole bunch of meals we both like on my five-minute meal plan post. Which you should definitely check out. (It's a completely different way to meal plan based on frequency of cravings.)

related: Dating with Lifestyle Differences

1. agree on flavor preference:   

Justin doesn't particularly like Indian or Thai food. I LOVE both especially because they so easily lend themselves to vegetarian and dairy free. He prefers Italian and American food. Both of those are very dairy and meat heavy. 

But, we can always meet in the middle over Mexican food. It's definitely tex mex, but why does this combo work so well? 

2. use the same base:

It works so well because our main components of the cuisine are the same. We can both agree on beans, rice, and tortillas. 

3. garnish with preference: 

Here's where you get to be creative. Let's say we're making tacos. I'll sautee some bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, and garlic in the skillet. After they've finished, I'll add in some ground beef and sprinkle with a little bit of cheese.

Justin will get a little bit of veggies, the meat and the cheese. I'll get a WHOLE bunch of veggies. Just the way I like it. We'll both top with plenty of guac and salsa.

We both have something we love to eat in a timely manner. Sometimes, I bring out the big 15" skillet and do half and half on the skillet to save time.  

4. other examples:

Here's a list of some other things we like to make if you're looking for inspiration. 

Spaghetti is the easiest. We can easily agree on a base of sauteed mushrooms, spinach, and garlic. Add parm and a little ground beef for him. 

Chicken parm for him and eggplant parm (without the parm) for me! The same steps are happening with the breading, frying, and saucing. It only takes probably a minute more to slice the eggplant. 

We both love fried rice. It can easily be packed full of veggies. We both like eggs, so this is perfect for us.

Sometimes, you find really great recipes that work for everyone, but it's not a dealbreaker if you don't.

By using this method and changing garnishes, you're not severely limiting yourself to only the recipes you both like. If that were the case, we'd eat nothing but PB&J and fried rice. 

It's not that Justin has to have meat or dairy, but it can be difficult to find recipes that he really likes that don't involve those ingredients. 

By making the same bases and changing the garnishes, we're eating a fuller diet. He's eating more vegetables and less meat and dairy. Which is great for the environment and our health. Wins all the way around! 

Are you in an interdietary relationship? What are some of the meals you can agree on? 

Simple Homemade Lavender Bath Salts

Happy Valentine's day everyone! I hope that you're enjoying a meaningful day and reflecting on those you care about. 

There a few things I love more than a nice steamy bath. In fact, I'm pretty positive most bad days can be solved by eating a big delicious meal, taking a hot bath, and getting a good night's sleep. 

Growing up I would always give my friends "spa" kits. My mom and I would make them together. We'd get a little basket and place bath salts or bath bombs, lotion, and a face mask or sugar scrub. Everything you'd need to give yourself a little pampering. 

I realize now, how easy it'd be to make these baskets all over again but with easy DIY products. A lot of the products we included probably had pretty questionable ingredients. 

The lavender bath salts I used to always keep by the tub were an unnatural shade of purple. I just looked up their ingredients and yikes - low-quality salt with synthetic fragrances and dyes.

Bath salts are so easy to make zero waste! There's no need for those unnecessary ingredients. 

I used to take a bath every night to relax, but that isn't the best use of our water... especially in drought-stricken Califonia. While we're getting out of the drought now, we still shouldn't be wasteful.  

Instead, I take a bath around once a month as a treat. I enjoy it so much more. I typically do a face mask and sprinkle in some bath salts for optimal relaxation. 

Making my own bath salts allows me to control the ingredients! I use epsom salt which can be found in bulk at rainbow. (You can find premade bath salts there too if you don't want to make your own.)

epsom salt: 

It's not actually salt. It's a mineral compound made of magnesium and sulfate. It was originally discovered around the natural healing baths in Epsom, England. 

Epsom salts help to easy achy muscles and relieve stress. When we're stressed or anxious our bodies pump out adrenaline. That adrenaline depletes the body of magnesium. But, we need magnesium to raise our serotonin, which helps us relax. 

In other words we need magnesium to help us chill and American's, on average, aren't eating enough magnesium rich foods. So, eat some brown rice, avocado, cashews, spinach, and jump in a nice minerally magnesium rich bath. Researchers are divided over whether magnesium can actually enter your bloodstream this way.... but couldn't hurt? 

To make this extra relaxing, I add lavender. 

lavender: 

Lavender helps reduce stress and anxiety. It also helps with headaches and menstrual cramps. I used to make a lavender sheet spray, and I'd spray it on the sheets before going to bed. It really helped when I was super stressed and battling insomnia. 

But most importantly, lavender has always been my favorite scent. For Christmas, I was sent a jar of dried lavender from The Growing Club. As soon as I got it, I knew exactly how I would use it. Half making these sachets and half making these dreamy bath salts.

Let me tell you this recipe is stupid simple, but a total WOW factor. Put these in a little jar, attach a tiny wooden spice spoon, and they make a great gift for Galentine's or Mother's Day!  

simple homemade lavender bath salts:

• 1 Part Dried Lavender (can be found in the bulk herb or tea section at Rainbow and IntegriTea)
• 2 Parts Epsom Salt (can be found in the beauty section of Rainbow)

Place in a small jar and vigorously shake. 

IT'S THAT SIMPLE. You could also add some lavender essential oil to bump up the scent, but I don't have any. 

What's your go to method for relaxation?