July Zoomed By… and I’m Still Hustling

Holy cow—did anyone else blink and miss July? I swear it was just the 4th, and now people (my son Aiden) are already whispering about Christmas. 😳

On the job front, I’m still searching for the right fit. If you're local to Oviedo, FL and hear of anything in customer service, non-profits, sustainability, or medical scheduling, please send it my way! I’m also open to volunteer work if it helps me get a foot in the door. Last Friday was a busy one—I had three interviews (two in person and one video). Can I just say… video interviews are not my jam. Sure, it saves time for everyone, but I’d so much rather talk to a real, live human than record myself talking into the void. 🫠

While I’ve been home, I’ve been cooking up something exciting—a sustainable business idea. I’m not ready to share all the details yet (mostly because I tend to jump in headfirst when I’m excited, and I’m trying to be more strategic this time 😅). The business plan is ready, and now I’m working on funding. If you’ve got a long-lost billionaire aunt who wants to adopt a 47-year-old, I’m available!

💧 This Month’s Sustainable Swap: SodaStream

One swap I made a while back that’s truly stuck is using a SodaStream with refillable bottles. Total game-changer! I used to buy way too many bottles of bubbly water (and sodas), and with three of us in the house loving fizzy drinks, we were easily going through six bottles a day. That’s a lot of plastic and a lot of money. A bubbly water recipe that I made up is: about 1/4 cup lite pineapple juice, bubbly water, coconut flavoring and cherry flavoring. Mix them together and pour over ice. So GOOD! 

Now? We make it at home, flavor it ourselves, and reuse the same bottles. Less waste, more savings. 💚 Win-win.

💡 Sustainability Fact of the Week:

🚿 You could save 16 gallons of water per person, per day by showering instead of taking a bath. (Source: Phila Gov)

I’ve been a fast-shower kind of girl ever since Army training. Long, hot baths sound lovely… but a quick shower is faster, cleaner, and eco-friendlier. How about you—team bath or team shower?

Let me know what swaps you’ve been trying lately! 👇 I love hearing your wins (and fails—because let’s be real, we all have them). Until next time—slow down, breathe deep, and do your best. That’s enough. 

Mid-July Check-In: Job Interviews, Sustainable Swaps, and Keeping Cool

Hey friends! I know it’s been a minute since my last post—thanks for sticking with me. Life has been a little hectic lately. I’ve been deep in job hunting mode and taking LinkedIn Learning classes to beef up my resume. It’s been a slow grind, but I’m finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. I have two interviews lined up this week (maybe even a third!), and there’s one I really have my heart set on. I had a great phone interview today, and I’ve got an in-person one on Friday. I’m feeling hopeful, so send some good vibes my way!

Now, how’s your July sustainability challenge going? What have you swapped so far? One of my recent swaps was switching from a plastic hairbrush to one made of wheat straw. If I’m being totally honest, I’m not in love with it—the bristles just aren’t strong enough for my hair. I’ve seen some made from bamboo, so I might try one of those once I’m working again. I also swapped out my old plastic cutting boards for ones made of wheat straw. Again… not a fan. I learned afterward that while wheat straw is slightly better than plastic, it’s not a huge improvement. That was a little disappointing, but hey—live and learn. I’m now looking into bamboo, glass, or even steel cutting boards, though those are pricier. If you’ve found a great sustainable cutting board, let me know!

There are definitely a few things I’m not willing to swap—at least not right now. Don’t judge me, but I’m keeping my air conditioning on full blast. I live in Florida, which should be enough explanation, but I’m also in the middle of perimenopause, and the hot flashes are no joke. Between the humidity and the internal furnace that is my body these days, I need all the cool air I can get. That said, I have tried to make my house more efficient by hanging up thicker curtains in the living room, which faces the sun most of the day. It helps a little, though that room is still the hottest. Back when I worked night shifts, I even put aluminum foil on the bedroom windows to block the heat—desperate times, y’all.

💡 Cool recycling fact: Did you know that recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours? It’s one of the most efficient materials to recycle—and unlike plastic, aluminum can be recycled infinitely without losing quality. So if you’re sipping a soda, be sure to toss that can in the recycling bin!

Thanks for catching up with me! I’d love to hear what swaps you’ve made this month—successes or flops. Drop a comment or message me with your thoughts and tips. I’ll be back soon with (hopefully!) some exciting job news and more sustainable updates.

Until next time,
Evelyn

                                                        

Small Wins & Heavy Days

 Small Wins & Heavy Days

I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this past week has been tough. Health-wise, I’m fine. But mentally? I’ve been struggling. I’ve officially been out of work for almost three weeks now, and I haven’t left the house since June 23rd. Most of my days have been spent applying to jobs... and sleeping. It was manageable at first, but something shifted on Friday.

I had a job interview on Thursday that I thought went really well. But I haven’t heard anything back, and it’s starting to wear on me. In the past, I’ve usually been hired on the spot, so this waiting game is messing with my head.

I know I could easily get a job at a memory care facility or with a home health agency—I've done that kind of work before. But let’s be honest: my body is not made for flipping grandmas anymore. It’s back-breaking labor for way too little pay. If I’m going to break my back, I at least need to be compensated fairly.

We’re okay financially for now, so that’s not the immediate stressor. But the guilt? That’s a different story. When my kids were little, I knew staying home was the right choice. But now, without work, I just feel... lazy. Like I’m letting my family down.

Despite all that, I haven’t forgotten about my commitment to living more sustainably. It’s actually one of the few things that’s keeping me grounded right now.

This week I started replacing our plastic food storage containers with glass. It’s going to be a slow process—they’re not cheap—but it’s a start. Bonus: maybe this will stop the kids from throwing dishes into the cabinet like it’s a game of Tupperware Jenga. I swear, that cabinet has become a hazard zone. Open at your own risk.

I also swapped out our warped plastic cutting boards for new ones made of wheat straw. I haven’t used them yet, but I’m already happier knowing I don’t have to deal with the curling edges of the old ones anymore.

I’ve even been more mindful about energy use—finally turning off the bedroom fans when I leave the room. The kids used to call me out for that every time I reminded them to shut off lights. Fair is fair.

And here’s a small but satisfying victory: moving the trash can out of the kitchen actually worked! The kids now pass the recycling bin and the compost bucket before they can toss something in the trash. Turns out, just changing the setup helped shift the habit.

So yeah—emotionally, this week has been rough. But we’re still making progress, even if it’s in small, quiet ways. And for now, that’s enough.

July Challenge

 Can You Believe It's Almost July? Let's Kick Off a Simple Sustainability Challenge!

I don’t know about you, but I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that we’re already halfway through 2025. July is knocking on the door, and I’ve got a little challenge for you—don’t worry, it’s simple, realistic, and can make a big difference.

Here it is:
This month, pick just one single-use item you rely on and swap it out for a reusable version. That’s it. No pressure to overhaul your whole lifestyle—just one small change. Because real, lasting sustainability isn’t about being perfect; it’s about progress, one habit at a time.

As Desmond Tutu wisely said,

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

Need some inspiration? Here are a few easy swaps to consider:

• Reusable ziplock bags – I’ve made this swap myself and love how sturdy they are. Some can even go from the freezer straight into the microwave!

• Reusable paper towels – These are a must-have in my house. We go through a lot of paper towels, so having a big stash of reusable ones really helps.

• Reusable water bottles – You probably already have one (or five). They come in every color and size imaginable!

• Reusable grocery bags – This one is a work in progress for me. I use grocery delivery services often, and those plastic bags pile up fast. But when I shop in person, I try to remember to bring my bags.

So, what’s one swap you can make in July? Leave a comment or tag me if you decide to join in—I’d love to cheer you on!

Learning (and Unlearning) from My Kids

Just a short update today, but it comes with a twist: I got schooled by my own kids.

When I started this blog, my goal was to teach them—my wonderfully stubborn family—about sustainability. But today, my daughter Giselly turned the tables and taught me something.

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with ChatGPT. I use it for writing help, ideas, even creating fun images. I was showing off one of those images to Giselly when she hit me with, “You know that’s bad for the environment, right?”

Wait, what?

I Googled it... and yep. She wasn’t just making it up. Turns out, the more complex and wordier your prompts are, the more energy these tools use. Here’s the article she pointed me to: https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/worst-chatgpt-prompts-for-the-environment

Ironically, just the other day, I posted on my personal Facebook asking friends if they say “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT. I thought I was being polite. Turns out, I was just wasting electricity in the name of good manners. Whoops.

And then my son Aiden, the artist in the family, chimed in too. He told me using AI to generate images is harmful to real artists because it pulls from their work without permission. Basically, I got hit with a double-whammy of environmental guilt and creative ethics.

But you know what? I love that my kids aren't afraid to call me out—and that they’re paying attention. Apparently, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Oh, and a quick trash bin update: the recycling labels I ordered? Totally ignored. This morning I was elbow-deep fishing apple cores and banana peels out of the trash again. So I moved the trash can to the other side of the recycling bin. Maybe making it inconvenient will force them to think twice. Fingers crossed!

If you’ve been enjoying my blog and want to support my work (or fuel my next eco-friendly idea with a little caffeine), you can now send a virtual cup of coffee my way. Every sip helps me keep writing, sharing, and digging recyclables out of the trash—because sustainability is powered by stubbornness... and coffee.

👉 Support my work 

Thanks so much for being here!

The Great Recycling Experiment

Stubbornness: My Secret Sustainability Superpower

One thing I’ve learned on this journey to live more sustainably? You have to be willing to let things flop. And I mean spectacularly flop sometimes.

As someone who really, truly hates when things don’t go according to plan, this has been… an adjustment. I came into this hoping my family would jump on board with reusable everything, recycling rules, and compost like it was a group hobby. Spoiler alert: they did not.

Turns out, new habits are hard. Especially when your household might just be full of undiagnosed ADHD (I see you, fellow scatterbrains). Remembering what goes in which bin is already a challenge—now add in composting, reusable bags, and me popping out of the pantry going, “WAIT! That can be repurposed!”

But here’s the good news: I’m stubborn. Very stubborn. And sometimes that’s exactly what you need to keep going when no one else wants to sort their recycling or stop using paper towels like it’s 1997. So, while progress has been slower (and messier) than I imagined, we’re still moving forward—one forgetful, begrudging family member at a time.

The “Totally Going to Work This Time” Plan

In an attempt to make recycling easier (read: harder to ignore), I came up with a plan to help my family help me help the planet.

Step one: I bought a double-sided bin. Yes, it’s technically a laundry hamper, but hear me out—it’s on wheels, easy to wipe clean, and way more stylish than those clunky plastic things. I rolled it right into a spot next to the kitchen where no one can pretend they didn’t see it. Now it’s basically impossible to toss something without making a choice: trash or recycle?

Step two: I ordered some cute, super clear labels from Etsy to stick on the trash can and each recycling bin. They explain exactly what goes where because, apparently, “figure it out” wasn’t working. While I wait for the labels to arrive, I’ll be continuing my glamorous role of digging through the regular trash to rescue recyclables. Ah, motherhood—equal parts love, sacrifice, and elbow-deep in yesterday’s spaghetti.

Stay tuned to see if this system sticks—or if I just end up talking to the bin like it’s my only ally.

Here is the link to the bin I bought. I am not an affiliate, just sharing where I got it in case someone is interested. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yecaye-Laundry-Hamper-with-Lid-150L-Freestanding-Large-Laundry-Basket-with-Wheels-2-Removable-Bags/6697257794?classType=REGULAR&athbdg=L1100&from=/search