All in Slow Living

When Ethical Shopping Becomes Trendy || How To Build A Closet Of Timeless Essentials

When Ethical Shopping Becomes Trendy || How To Build A Closet Of Timeless Essentials

Olivia Youngs
Slow Fashion, Slow Living

We live in a world of trends. Although it hasn't always been this way, in the Modern era, we've come to believe that clothes are dispensable and that fashion changes quickly. With the womenswear industry unbelievably valued at more than 621 billion dollars (source), it's no wonder that the fast (literally, very fast) fashion industry strives to keep consumers coming back for more.

At least once a week, to be exact. 

Although fashion used to operate on a common-sense Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter continuum, most major brands currently operate within 52 "micro-seasons". Conveniently, one for each week of the year, designed to make you always feel off-trend and like your closet is lacking something. Until, you walk into the mall and pick up that brand new cropped sweater or pair of pants that will finally fill the gap.

Until next week, at least.

Slow Parenting || When It's Hard

Slow Parenting || When It's Hard

Olivia Youngs
Motherhood, Lifestyle, Simple Home, Slow Living

I scream "slow down" from my internal rooftops all day everyday. Part of my job involves advertising slow fashion brands. My closet is carefully curated to make getting dressed easier, eliminating decision fatigue. Our kitchen is stocked with healthy foods, meant to make feeding a family of four easier than rummaging through cupboards of unknown ingredients. But one of the most important areas of my life is often the hardest for me to live "slowly" in. 

Our recent move is my excuse for every stress in my life, both inconsequential and significant, but it's been over a month and the transition isn't getting any simpler. As we "ease into" (I like using phrases that downplay how difficult it really feels- words like "transition" make it seem neat and tidy, but when is it, really?) our new life, I'm realizing that my approach to parenting lately has been anything but slow. 

Baabuk || Coziness For The Whole Family

Baabuk || Coziness For The Whole Family

Olivia Youngs
Slow Fashion, Simple Home, Motherhood, Slow Living

Home has always been a bit of a fluid concept for me, especially after "settling down" and having two little kiddos. AJ and I have moved around quite a bit and the sense of continual fluctuation can be hard to handle, especially as a self-dubbed "home-body". How am I to create a sweet, welcoming, stable home for my family if our sense of home is never set in stone, changing from year to year or sooner? 

As trite as it may sound, I've learned that, more often than not, home is less of a place and more of a state of heart. Our physical homes may change often, and the space may not be ideal, but when you surround yourself with the people you can't live without and the things that make your heart smile, then, I think, you've built a home. 

You Don't Have To Buy Everything I Blog About || Ramblings on Ethics, Consumerism, And Balance

You Don't Have To Buy Everything I Blog About || Ramblings on Ethics, Consumerism, And Balance

Olivia Youngs
Slow Fashion, Simple Home, Slow Living, Lifestyle

"Use my code to get 15% off at checkout".

"Looking for the perfect fall staple? This is it." 

"Invest in fewer, better pieces, and you'll thank yourself later on" 

A few excerpts from my least favorite aspect of blogging: promoting consumption. As a lover of simplicity, intentional slow downs, and ethical fashion and culture, I'm often caught in the crosshairs of two seemingly conflicting lifestyles. The first, promoting the brands I respect, love, use, and believe are making the world a better place. The second, preaching that slow and simple wins the race — not really "wins" but certainly makes your life easier. 

How can someone who has a capsule wardrobe continually promote new brands, add new pieces to her own life, and encourage her readers to do the same? 

Slow Transitions || Living Intentionally in Seasons of Change

Slow Transitions || Living Intentionally in Seasons of Change

Olivia Youngs
Simple Home, Slow Living

An entire year. 

That's how long it took for us to make one of our long-time dreams a reality. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, a single year is nothing, but to a young couple who felt stuck and unsure of their next step, a year was an eternity. 

Buy a foreclosure, fix it up, rearrange some furniture, create a home. This home is forever, right? 

Decide that, maybe, the grass is greener where the mountains are. Put your house up for sale. Make plans, clean the home 294857 thousand times, watch as potential new-owners analyze every nook and cranny of your home, telling you it's value, as if you didn't already know that there was a crack there and that the cabinets needed refinishing. 

Plaine Products || Zero Waste Products for the Whole Family

Plaine Products || Zero Waste Products for the Whole Family

Olivia Youngs
Simple Home, Motherhood, Slow Fashion, Slow Living

I've been on my trek towards a more natural, healthy, ethical lifestyle for several years now and when it comes to my hair, I've learned to be picky. I've tried almost every "natural" method for taking care of your hair on the market. Shampoo bars? Yep. Sulfate/paraben/chemical-free? Of course. The "no-poo method" where you let your hair "adjust" to it's natural oils and then cleanse it with baking soda and apple cider vinegar, like, once a month? Oh yes. 

I've been feeling a bit burn out on the whole "healthy hair" thing and wasn't sure there was an actual product on the market that I felt good about. When I said I was picky, I meant it. I wanted all-natural ingredients that would actually help my color treated hair, not damage it. I wanted recycle-packaging that wouldn't end up in a landfill. I wanted to not smell like I walked out of a perfume shop. 

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