I figured it was time to give you a little update on some products that I use everyday, every week, or at the very least, every month. I've made sure to include links to similar products or links to the exact product that I use. 

1. Reusable water bottle: I'm a big fan of S'well bottles, mason jars, and a water bottle that I received for participating in some cleanups with United By Blue. I recommend glass and/or stainless steel over plastic for longevity.
2. Reusable hot beverage cup: I mostly use a ceramic cup with a silicone top that I was gifted a few years ago. However, if you are looking to purchase new, I recommend a stainless steel or glass cup for this as well. Just be sure it has proper heat regulation to avoid any burns when holding it. I've heard great things about the KeepCup, but haven't tried one out yet myself. If you are dining in at a cafe that doesn't have dine in mugs and you don't have a reusable cup, feel free to bring your own mug! 
3. Reusable iced drink tumbler: I got one of these on Amazon quite a bit ago that is no longer available for purchase, but it was a summer GAME CHANGER. Bringing my own straw helped reduce plastic, but didn't cut out the plastic iced tea or iced latte cups so brining my own made all the difference. 
4. Reusable bamboo rounds: I use these every night to remove my makeup. I used to use cotton rounds, then switched to organic cotton rounds, and FINALLY found reusable rounds that can be washed in the regular wash cycle and reused. Check out similar reusable organic cotton rounds on Package Free.
5. Metal or glass straws: This is one we all hear a lot about and that's because it's really important. I've had glass straws from Simply Straws for quite some time now in addition to metal straws.
6. Jojoba oil: This is a nighttime staple for me as well. Used in combination with the bamboo reusable rounds, Jojoba oil is the perfect all-natural makeup remover. Baja Basics is my go to for carrier oils, also available on Amazon. 
7. Period cup: This is where the monthly part comes in. I converted from organic cotton tampons to the period cup and can't tell you enough how satisfying it is to see a nearly empty trash bin at the end of my cycle vs. one that is full of wrappers and applicators. There is often a learning period for getting used to the cup, so give yourself some time to get comfortable with it. Sustain Natural is my go to for all these feminine hygiene and sexual wellness. 
8. Dropps: Plastic free laundry detergent? Never did I ever think this would be possible unless I used the good old box of powdered detergent, but alas, Dropps are here and they have completely changed the game.
9. Bite toothpaste bits: Bye bye plastic toothpaste tube and sticky mess of toothpaste stuck to wherever it's stored, hello clean teeth free of chemicals and Bite toothpaste bits.
10. Reusable tote or grocery bag: I'm sure you have some sort of bag or backpack in your house that you can bring to the grocery store or shopping with you. In the event that you don't (or you want another one), STAY TUNED! ;)

What products do you use on a regular basis? What do you use them for? Are there any single use products that you're looking to replace? Leave me a comment and we can try to find a solution together!
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- jamie

Thank you all for submitting your Fall survey, it has helped tremendously! While I'm working on getting some eco-friendly supplies (from products, to shipping, to the ink used on them, and more!), I want to know a little more of what you like. I've been busy chatting with friends and family members as well as other local businesses for ideas, suggestions, etc. 

Please select which design layout you would prefer to see on future CL branded reusable tote bags. The more votes, the more I can custom my products to suit your preferences, so please share with your friends, family, co-workers!

These mockup designs would be printed using water based ink on recycled or 100% organic material with a price range of $15-20 (specific details will be provided once available to you). I have many more ideas to come on future products, designs, and so much more. Thank you in advance for your input, it means the WORLD to me!
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- jamie

When children spend their school days on the streets teaching adults about the impact that their actions have on the future, it becomes very clear that our system is broken. Yesterday's global climate strike gave me hope. For any single person who has felt "crazy" for caring, hopeless for caring, or emotionally drained for caring, let yesterday be a reminder that caring creates change.

Have you joined the Global Climate Strike? Let me know on our Facebook page! Share your photos, stories, videos, etc. I would LOVE to see all that you do!

- jamie

For more information on this week long event, please head to Global Climate Strike.

For those of you that have been interested in hearing about environmental events, meet-ups, and news, this post is for you. 

From September 20-27th, millions of people globally will be joining the younger generation of climate strikers that have been walking out of schools for quite some time now every Friday. For the next two Fridays, they are hoping everyone else will finally join them. 

​Walk outs are being planned all over the world and you can find your closest location here.

For more information about the Global Climate Strike, their supporters, how you can host a strike yourself, and for graphics to share on all of your social media platforms, visit globalclimatestrike.net. The world depends on us, the kids depend on us, we are stronger together and together we truly can make a difference. 

See you on Friday!
- jamie

In working to develop Conscious Living a bit further, it would mean the world to me if you could fill out the survey below to let me know exactly what you hope to get out of the Conscious Living blog and community. Please feel free to share this survey with friends, family, and co-workers. This is just as much for you as it is for me and I want to work together as a team to create a space that we all love.

Thank you in advance!
- jamie

I'll admit, I've been a little behind on my 30 Day Challenges (see our first two here and here), but have no fear, this month I'm bringing all the caffeine lovers a real tough one: ditching the hot coffee/tea cup.

Single use hot beverage cups are convenient. They're lightweight which wins compared to having to carry around a reusable cup which can be bulky, heavy, and inconvenient for a lot of city walkers. They're cheap which wins for a quick fix compared to buying a reusable cup (though after multiple refills, this is no longer true). And they're recyclable, right? Not exactly...

We may have shied away from the terrible styrofoam cups we used to use (EXCEPT YOU DUNKIN', I'M LOOKING AT YOU!), but don't let the "recyclable paper cup" fool you, they aren't as eco-friendly as they pretend to be. Maybe you're thinking, "They're not as bad as a plastic cup though!" And that's a fair thought. Except one small (and increasingly smaller in size, but more troublesome) problem...most hot beverage containers are lined with polyethelyne.

Polyethylene is a thin plastic added to coat the inside of many liquid containers (milk, water, hot beverages, etc.) to prevent the liquid from leaking or spilling. While many paper products can be recycled at regular recycling facilities, the difficulty lies in separating this plastic liner from the paper cup itself, which often leads to the cup ending up in landfill. When those cups aren't properly recycled, that plastic breaks down into micro-plastics (that's the increasingly smaller in size part) and we know that's problematic.

In addition to the cups being tough to recycle, many paper products aren't made from recycled material. Meaning, these coffee cups are made from NEW paper and have added NEW plastic for the ULTIMATE CUP aka what I like to call a crap cup.

So, grab yourself a reusable coffee mug. Whether it's one you already have, one your roommate has, one from S'well or REI, and bring your own travel mug every day this month. REALLY challenge yourself. Forget one day? Looks like you'll be needing a new way to get your a morning wake up and midday fix!

- jamie

*Some information from this article was taken from Independent.co.uk.

On Monday morning, after looking up when low tide was (which was a lie, thanks GOOGLE!), my mom and I set out to the beach to hunt for some sea glass. We grabbed some reusable produce bags (perfect for sifting out sand) and headed out. Before we got down to the water, we could tell it was not time for low tide, but figured we might as well take a walk along the ocean since we were already there.

With bags in hand, it was inevitable that our eyes would spot any trash we might see, but we did not expect to see quite as much as we had. From plastic bottle caps to sandwich containers, kids toys to beach/boardwalk wristbands, beer cans to cigarettes (yes, on the beach), and so very many in between, the amount of garbage we found in about a 1.5 mile walk was remarkable. We spent only one hour picking up trash, walking from N Street in Seaside Park to the pier in Seaside Heights and back. 

I assumed that most of the garbage we were finding was from the night before. However, approximately one quarter of the garbage shown in the photo above was picked up on our walk back. This meaning garbage was brought in from the ocean and dumped on the sand in under one hour. Imagine how many bags we would have needed if we walked the entirety of Seaside Park. 

It's simple to see a straw on the ground below you and not pick it up because it isn't yours. In some cases, people avoid doing this for sanitary reasons, but I tend to believe that most people decide they won't be picking it up before they even think about the sanitary aspect of it.

We didn't find any sea glass on Monday. We thought we had found one piece, but we sorted through the trash at home, we quickly realized that piece of "sea glass" was sadly just another piece of plastic.

- jamie

Happy Labor Day Weekend, friends! What a lovely summer it has been. This weekend, I made a decision to wake up early at least one day and get myself to the beach before the badge checkers to do a little beach cleaning. I was so grateful to have my dad join me this morning at Shelter Cover, NJ, a bayside beach.

We got to the beach around 8:30 which only gave us approximately 30 minutes to get our clean on. While we were pleasantly surprised by how clean the beach appeared (compared to our typical clean at that beach the day after Thanksgiving), we still managed to collect 257 pieces of trash in that short 30 minutes. All of which were able to fit into one small trash bag which only means there are many other parts of this trash floating around somewhere else.

Since there weren't too many big pieces, we decided to collect all of our trash in one bag and sort it later. After sorting it back home, I quickly realized that the recyclable count was significantly lower than that of the regular trash. My mom did the honor of tallying up the pieces of trash while I sorted and I've included a summarized breakdown for you below. 

Have you done any cleanups lately? If not, head out this weekend and see what you find. In a short 30 minutes, you'll be surprised how much of a difference you can make in your neighborhood!

- jamie

• Cigarettes: 125 + 1 box
• Plastic pieces: 50
• Paper pieces: 25
• Styrofoam pieces: 24
• Snack wrappers: 16
• Glass pieces: 2
• Miscellaneous: feminine products (3), balloons (2), sock, kids toy, lip balm, swimmers nose plug, bouncy ball, deodorant cap, band-aid, metal bottle cap, Ortley beach badge

TOTAL: 257 pieces of trash