Zero Waste Imperfectly
Welcome to Zero Waste Imperfectly, the podcast where we embrace the journey towards a greener lifestyle, one small step at a time. Hosted by Sheila, each short and unedited episode is designed to fit seamlessly into the busy lives of families looking to make a positive impact on the environment without the pressure of perfection.
In just a few minutes, we provide practical tips, simple swaps, and inspiring stories that make sustainable living accessible and achievable for everyone. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your eco-friendly habits, Zero Waste Imperfectly offers easy-to-implement advice for reducing waste and living more sustainably.
Join us as we explore topics like reducing household waste, sustainable shopping, eco-friendly pet care, and much more. Perfect for families on the go, our episodes are packed with actionable insights that make it easy to incorporate zero waste practices into your daily routine.
Tune in, get inspired, and remember: every little bit helps, and it's okay to be perfectly imperfect on your zero waste journey.
Zero Waste Imperfectly
From Garden Dirt to Dinner Table Teaching Kids Eco-Conscious Living
Ever found yourself washed in garden dirt, staring at your hard-earned kale, only to be met with your child's plea for store-bought greens? That's the kind of day I had, and it sparked an enlightening discussion about the values we pass down and the allure of convenience. Join me, Sheila, on Zero Waste Imperfectly, as I recount the trials and joys of raising eco-conscious kids amidst a plastic-packaged world. From the backyard to the kitchen, I share the challenges of maintaining a sustainable lifestyle and the humorous, yet poignant moments that unfold with my own family.
This episode isn't just about my personal musings; it's a call to all parents navigating the eco-friendly road with young ones in tow. I dive into how we can encourage our children to appreciate the journey from garden to table, despite the tempting ease of pre-packaged produce. No guests in this episode, just real talk and shared experiences from a community devoted to fostering a love for the environment in our children. So, whether you're wrestling with a homegrown vegetable rebellion or simply looking for solidarity in the zero waste parenting quest, tune in for some heartfelt stories and strategies that just might resonate with your own family's sustainable saga.
Hello, lovely listeners, and welcome to Zero Waste Imperfectly, the show that talks about all things zero waste with kids. I'm your host, sheila, and I'm the owner of Life Essentials Refillery. We now have two locations, one in Westlake Chapel and one in South Tampa. So I want to tell you a little story because I don't know how you guys have, if you've ever faced a situation like this. But this is what happened. We have a small backyard and we are trying to grow things back there. We have a small backyard and we are trying to grow things back there, and so yesterday we plucked some leaves from our kale plant and from our kale and we got some peppers, we got an eggplant and some basil, some longevity spinach, and I had it all in the kitchen and I was washing it and my kid looks at me and she says why don't we just buy the stuff in the bag? This is way too much work. I'm thinking where have I gone wrong? It's terrible. You spend all this time growing food organically, doing your best to make sure you're not using any chemicals that might hurt at anybody or anything, and then you have your pollinators happy and everything's great and that you have this nutritionally dense food that you could support your family with. And then your kid looks at you and says can we have the garbage that comes in the bag like, no, it's awful, it's terrible.
Speaker 1:And I remember when my kids were much smaller and we had Aunt Jemima syrup and at that point it was time for change and I started buying real maple syrup. One of my kids said the same thing. I don't want the real maple syrup. What we did is we looked at the label and we started reading through everything that was on the Aunt Jemima syrup. We said, if you can't say it, we shouldn't be eating it. Finally they came around and they now eat real maple syrup. But now I'm stuck here. What did we do about growing stuff in our backyard? Now I'm stuck here. What did we do about growing stuff in our backyard? They loved it when they were little, but now that they're older and they see it actually takes a little bit of effort to prepare everything, to make sure everything's washed and clean, and then you massage your kale. You know all those fun things that you take so much pride in.
Speaker 1:When you've grown your own vegetables, you're like woohoo, I did it, it's made it, there's no bugs in it, I got it. There's no wilt, there's no anything. My tomato didn't explode, my pepper has no worm in it, everyone's happy. And then your kid says, uh-uh, it's too much work, can't we get the stuff in bags? It's awful. So I would love to hear from you, I would love for you to share your stories about how your kids react to your homegrown products or they're not products, I guess you'd say produce your homegrown produce and how that transition went from buying stuff at the grocery store to growing your stuff in the backyard. For instance, if you have chickens at home and they're used to seeing the eggs nice and clean in the package and you bring them in from outside and they are not clean, what do your kids say? Do they look at you and go, uh-uh, that's not happening. I would love to hear your stories. You can.