Lifestyle – Page 2 – Bailee Bee!

Sustainable Habits (2022)

Living sustainably is a process of continuous change, growth, and effort. It cannot be accomplished and checked off a list; it is a journey. Each year I learn new skills, read more books, and incorporate various habits in the name of sustainability. I’ve found that by focusing on making small changes over time I have accomplished more good than I would have if I were trying to “live sustainably” without a plan in place. Here are some of the new habits I developed in 2022.

Tips for Traveling With Kids

My family and I take several road trips each year to visit family, go camping, and explore the area surrounding our home. Throughout their lives my 4 and 6 year olds have taken dozens of road trips, and have rarely had screens to busy themselves with while traveling. Here are a few suggestions I have for making trips go smoothly with kids.

Just One Thing

As the seasons change so do my priorities. Instead of focusing on outside tasks and food preservation, I have time to catch up on various home projects and mending that’s been put off. But with the sun setting so early my energy has dropped, and I’m feeling overwhelmed with the amount of things on my to-do list.

I Let the Zucchinis Go To Waste

The past month was a difficult one for me. There was loss and unexpected death in the community around me, and I had my second miscarriage. I had to process the physical and emotional ramifications of my loss. My energy was needed to heal, and because of that the housework, cooking, and general activities shifted to reflect it.

Planting Hope

When my husband and I bought our home, it came with a putting green built into the yard. We weren’t interested in using or keeping the putting green, so we took it out of the yard and hoped that the soil underneath it would eventually go back to nature and grow wild. Four years later, almost no plants had taken root in the area; it was clear the soil needed some help to get healthy. We got to work researching how to encourage soil development, and decided to take off the top inch or two of dirt, mix compost into the ground underneath, and then plant sunflowers, oats, and peas throughout the area to encourage soil health.

Gifts from the Garden

People have all kinds of reasons for gardening, but a primary focus is often food production. Fresh food from the garden is delicious, nutritious, and typically inexpensive. Initially food production was a main focus for my family, but despite our best efforts it’s clear that the garden won’t produce much in the way of food. It has, however, given us many other gifts this year. I’d like to talk to you about experiences and opportunities that the garden has provided, regardless of the food produced.

Summer 2022 Book Recommendations

Educating ourselves on environmental topics is an important step in solidifying our reasoning and encouraging our actions. I’ve put together a list of 5 books I’ve read recently and enjoyed immensely; these books have a hopeful outlook, a variety of focuses, and many actionable components. This list is in no way complete and will be part of a series I make as I read and learn more about the climate crisis and our planet.

There’s No One Answer

I wish living sustainably was as simple as going vegan or choosing package free products. There is just more to it than that. Organic vs conventional. Local vs imported. Natural materials vs synthetics.

Making Space for Growth

I spent the morning thinning our apple tree. I was surprised at how contemplative the process made me. It felt so wrong to take off the majority of the tiny growing apples, but I’ve read that the growth of each apple will be minimal if the tree is left overwhelmed by the fruit on its branches. I know this to be true of our apple tree, and so thin I did. In doing this process, I was lost in thought at how imposed space is essential for all living things to truly flourish.

It’s Okay If It’s Ugly

So what if your homemade bread is misshapen? Or your clothing mending looks wonky? I’m here to tell you it’s okay to do your earth friendly activities imperfectly. Just do them. It will feel so good to do something, and I promise you’ll get better at them as you practice.