Hi, friend.
I’m Jennifer, a long-time minimalist and mama to two little ones. And I have a simple mission:
I’m here to help you challenge the role of consumerism in your life.
When given the choice, most of us want to make decisions that are safer for our families and kinder to the planet. We want to give up single-use plastic, ditch the toxic phthalates in children’s toys, and reduce our role in the consumerist cycle that contributes to the destruction of our planet. But sometimes, it’s hard to see past the clutter on our kitchen tables and the commitments in our calendar to imagine a life that’s in alignment with these values. I’m here to make this change easy.
I’m a historian who has examined everything from gender and consumption in revolutionary port cities (yes, like the American Revolution) to advertisers’ messaging about masculinity in the 1950s. But here on Substack, I’m combining my professional and personal experiences to build something new: A community that encourages each other to question the siren song of social media, challenge the “shop till you drop” and “keeping up with the Jones’” mentality, and make space for the things that matter most. (Hint: As The Minimalists say, it’s probably not “things” at all).
As a paid subscriber, here’s what you can expect:
✓ Weekly posts that tap into issues of consumerism and current climate/ environmental issues.
✓ Occasional challenges— such as shopping bans— with tangible support to help you succeed
✓ Resources and journal prompts to re-negotiate your relationship with money and “stuff”— including practical strategies to cut out your Target hauls or Amazon binges and budget for what really matters.
Not ready to be a paid subscriber? I totally get it. I’ll make some posts open to the public, and I’d love to hear from you anyway! Let’s get to know each other a little better.
Talk soon!
Jennifer