We humans are evolutionarily primed to live in concert with the natural world, but these days Americans spend over 92% of time either indoors or inside a vehicle. The result? Stress, inflammation and — for some of us — a pervasive sense of malaise.  American culture is designed to keep us indoors because capitalist engines make money when we are distracted, and yet cutting-edge science supports the reality that life on this planet is radically interconnected. On today's show author Lyanda...

A product needs to fit into someone’s life seamlessly in order for it to be bought, and it’s the job of the advertiser to show exactly how the item in question will fit into a life. On today's show: 5 crucial insights advertisers know about us (that we perhaps don't know about ourselves).   Here's a preview: [1:00] Examining our clutter problem through metaphor (bathtub, baby!) [9:00] Selling isn't about emotion; it's about seduction [13:00] We humans are animals, and animals are...

One football field's-worth of forest is lost every single second of every single day. Loss of forests means loss of species and loss of stored carbon; it also means an increased risk of pandemics. On today's show: Explaining the ways in which deforestation is linked to the pandemic prevalence, with tangible action steps for conscious consumers. Here's a preview: [5:00] It's not *just* about timber; it's about livestock, soy, and palm oil too [12:30] Exactly what happens when we raze forests...

I hope you'll enjoy Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel. We have become regular Thursday listeners and we hope you check it out to see why!

Parenthood is awash with immense pressure to do right by our kids. We are told that children need certain (expensive) experiences to 'get ahead', and many of us observe our parenting peers investing in countless extracurriculars. But children need downtime, and recent research suggests that children should experience twice as much unstructured time as structured enrichment. On today's show podcaster Kathryn Garland and I discuss how to find the structured, extracurricular sweet spot for your...

‘Tis the season for back-to-school door busters, price slashes, and closeouts. On today’s re-air: How to reduce clutter, save money, and help the planet by shopping for back-to-school with greater intention.   Here's a preview: [6:00] Let’s pull back the curtain on back-to-school marketing, shall we? [11:00] Here’s what it actually means (and what it actually looks like!) to shop your own home [18:30] Revisiting the kids’ capsule conversation [26:00] Thoughts on teacher wishlists (from a...

Welcome to Back To School Week 2024! In many homes, back to school season means back to packing lunchboxes. It's a stress-inducing chore, sure, as many parents find it difficult to think up new, creative lunch ideas that are actually healthy (and will actually get eaten!). On today's show registered dietician nutritionist Megan McNamee offers up her tried and true lunchbox formula; she also suggests simple lunch ideas that will make prepping lunches a breeze. Stay tuned for Thursday's Back To...

Scientists have found unsettling details about the potential health risks of common household cleaning products. And yet Big Cleaning capitalizes on fear of germs, bacteria, and disease to sell us home cleansers with traditional chemical compounds on the regular. It behooves us to ask ourselves whether the ways things have always been done align with our own values. On today's show Zac Kieffer argues it's high-time we redefine what it means to clean.   Here's a preview: [3:00] Three reasons...

If you're like me, you're likely dealing with constant, low-grade clutter situations, and that's because once a purchase is made, the item is ours to maintain, manage, and store. Sadly, consumerism never talks about the negative wellness effects of buying (I'm looking at you, cortisol!). If clutter keeps piling up despite your best efforts, my guest today argues that it's time to dig deeper. Not deeper into the piles, of course. Deeper into yourSELF. On today's show professional...

In our hyper-capitalist society, it's often implied that the only things worth savoring are the really fancy, really shiny, really new, and really exotic. Let's push back against that narrative by finding the glimmers, also known as those simple moments of pleasure that pop up during our days. We minimalists already know that it's in the small things that beauty lies. On today's show: Research-backed ways to spot life's glimmers and reap the most joy possible from every instance.   Here's a...

We talk an awful lot about "climate science" and "what climate scientists predict" on this podcast. Today, I'm talking to one of them.  What exactly are the next 100 years likely going to look like for humans? What needs to happen for the US to mobilize for real? On today's show: A conversation with Michael Barnard about climate solutions, with an emphasis on that pesky air conditioning problem.    Here's a preview: [9:00] When it comes to cooling the planet, here's why my guest is...

If you enjoy current affairs, but would like it without the pessimism, I have a podcast suggestion for you - What Could Go Right? I have been listening to their new Friday Progress Report segments and hope you check it out too!

When it comes to environmental concerns, there's certainly plenty to worry about at the moment. Whether you and your family is eating microplastics on the regular may not be your list of top concerns. But it’s an important topic to cover. While the health effects of microplastics on humans are not fully understood, common sense measures that reduce our exposures to both the plastic itself and also the endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are on and in such particles are certainly prudent. On...

In 1901, American families spent 20% of their income on non-necessities.  But 123 years later? These days that figure has risen to 50%. Many of us spend hard-earned money in hopes of acquiring things that money can't buy, and the result? Nearly 3 and 4 of Americans identify finances as a top stressor in their lives. Marketers have created consumer desire, sure, but it's entirely possible to spend in alignment with your values. In a world of disposable incomes, global warming, and far too much...

Once upon a time (oh, about 175 years ago) we were epic creators. Human hands made things, grew things, built things, and even invented things on the regular. But these days? By and large, we identify as consumers, and our hands are mostly used for typing and swiping. And yet, when we consume too much, many of us experience stress, anxiety, and depression. We know it because we're living it: Our possessions can possess us.  If we create more, we may very likely consume less. On today's show:...

Tomatoes, green beans, peaches, and so much more: Our great-grandmas knew a thing or two about food preservation, and yet these days few of us can. It's a time- and labor-intensive practice, sure. But it's also a self-sufficient life skill.  Whether you grow some or all of your own food or seek out bargains at the store and farmers' market, canning the season's bounty means you'll be eating well all year round. You'll also be participating in a nearly waste-free practice (no plastic to see...

Does it sometimes feel as though the passive act of being alive is too expensive and too difficult? You're not alone: Many scholars argue that late stage capitalism is what happens when everything (literally everything!) is commodified. Existing feels unnecessarily hard, too. There IS good news: Surviving (and perhaps even thriving!) in a late stage capitalist society is possible. On today's show Laura Oldanie shows us exactly how to sur-thrive, with 6 actionable steps.   Here's a preview of...

Despite our massive financial and material gains, happiness in the US has been in a consistent state of decline since at least the 1940s. The research is clear: Materialism is toxic to human happiness. On today's show author Jeff Golden suggests practical ways to nourish in our lives the things that can help us live well (while simultaneously avoiding the hooks of money and stuff).   Here's a preview: [5:30] We live amidst unimaginable wealth, yet we are unhappier than ever before. Here's...

For so many of us, day in and day out home maintenance feels like a gigantic weight on our shoulders. And because conventional gender roles pervade, matters of the home often continue to be one (wo)man's burden. Decluttering, tidying, organizing, and cleaning, oh my! On today's show: A conversation with professional organizer Sona Avetisyan about getting our partners and our children to pitch in.   Here's a preview: [5:00] What is it about clutter that's so triggering for women? [10:00]...

Finding ways to travel on your terms can be a challenge. We’ve become fans of the Zero To Travel podcast and hope you check it out too.

If you enjoy current affairs, but would like it without the pessimism, I have a podcast suggestion for you - What Could Go Right? I have been listening to their new Friday Progress Report segments and hope you check it out too!

When we buy something, it's not necessarily about the *thing*. Oftentimes we are buying into a story about ourselves; namely, what we simply must fix as we seek to get one step closer to our aspirational, in-a-perfect-world self. Important truth time: You are not a perpetual self-improvement project, and no product can fix what was never broken in the first place. On today's show: A conversation with author Cait Flanders about why she broke up with self-help content and flaws-first marketing...

Americans spend about 21 hours per day inside. On the whole, we are also more depressed and anxious than ever before. Many of us have been trained to seek out commodified services to unwind (I'm looking at you, #selfcare!). But what if a potential solution cost zero dollars and offered zero risk? On today's show: An invitation to welcome nature back into your life, with 5.5 novel suggestions that are backed by science.   Here's a preview: [9:00] Walk barefoot! (Around your yard, at...

I hope you'll enjoy The Kevin Rose Show. We have become devoted listeners and we hope you check it out to see why!

Hyper-capitalism — also called late-stage capitalism — is what happens when material resources, lifestyle activities, and everything in between becomes both commodified and consumable. In hyper-capitalistic economies, products get invented that no one needs or wants. Celebrities are revered like gods. Inequity is everywhere, and citizens internalize the idea that their worth is measured by some mysterious combination of career success and amassed material goods. Many argue that the United...