If you would like to learn more about the empathetic communication framework by Marshall Rosenberg, You can check out his book, “Living Non-Violent Communication” Or check out my Worksheet below that I’ve created around  Empathetic Communication based on the framework in that book. 

Feel Free to Download the Chart Below 

My Favorite Products from Recycled Materials!

I love when things can recycled and given new life again, which is why I love being able to buy goods from recycled materials. Some of my favorite recycled products are listed below. 

Wolven Threads - Tops and Pants !

This is my favorite clothing brand. I love the designs, the feeling and comfortability of this brand, as well as the versatility. What I really love about this company is that they make their clothes from recycled plastics. They say that “every order removes 1 lb. of ocean-bound plastic”.

Such a thing of beauty to me! 

Me doing yoga in my Wolven Threads Outfit!

Wolven Threads (Sustainable Fashion)

Use Promo Code WINDINYOURSALES

for a 20% discount off your next purchase

Thank you for reading! 

My Top 5 Favorite

Types of Sustainable Living Homes 

I traveled from New Orleans to California searching for ways to live more sustainably.  I put out a call on the WWOOFing (World Wide Organization of Organic Farms) website and got interest from folks. I spent months traveling and interviewing folks on camera for a documentary related to this same subject. 

I found these people so bold, interesting, and enjoying the way they lived. I learned a lot during this time; and I want to share a few of my favorite choices for Sustainable Living Homes. 

So without further ado, onto the List….

1. Earthship - 

An Earthship can be so very simple and highly affordable.  I saw simple structures that were made from recycled tires, Earth, and many recycled materials, such as unused wood, glass bottles, and old window panes. The only thing they bought new was the metal roofing, approx. $200. This structure was highly affordable. They didn’t spend much on labor either because they had a small WWOOFing crew work on it, and a project leader who had recently finished a workshop in these types of buildings. 

3. Cob 

This is an ancient and classic building technique that I appreciate for its simplicity and hyper affordability.

It’s simply Earth, sand, water and straw, mixed up and layered to create a monolithic building.

Because of its nature, it can be designed in many different ways. You can also be creative with roof types.  

This particular one have a reciprocal roof made from locally harvested wood, really beautiful.

Being inside this circular cob house was like a warm hug, so natural and inviting. 

4. Aircrete

I was blown away by the domes I saw built from Aircrete. Staying in one overnight was like a dream. You can make them well designed and nearly plush on the inside too! I was told all about some about how this process works, as its basically small amounts of concrete mixed with foam. The owner of this same Aircrete dome hosts workshops on her land where groups of people can come and learn eco-building techniques. 

If you’re interested in finding out more about some of these check out the links below.  

More about Hemp Crete:

https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/building-with-hempcrete

 Aircrete info: 

https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/aircrete-everything-you-need-to-know#:~:text=What%20is%20Aircrete%3F,material%20with%20impressive%20compressive%20strength.

Haven Earth Network/ Hemp Building Courses: 

Havenearthtradeschool.com

3 Months of Filming the Sustainable Living Documentary 

It All Started With A Dream

It even seems like a surreal beautiful dream now after completion.  Three months ago, on September 11th, I set out with a GoPro and a dream of capturing sustainable living on camera.  I traveled to Organic Farms, Sustainable Learning Centers, and Urban Farms to film natural and alternative buildings, a variety of sustainable agriculture models, and ways of living more in harmony with the Earth.  I also stopped at some National Parks along the way for photography, art, and dance! Well, I am a dancer and artist so it was inevitable. 

Trinity Wave crosses fingers in prayer that everything goes ok during this documentary.

Why Create a Sustainable Living Documentary?

My inspirations for taking on documentary on sustainable living were many.  First and Foremost, my love for the Earth and a desire to find the people who were living sustainably, and also to be able to share the knowledge, experience and beauty with those interested.  I got a degree in environmental science and over the past few years I’d been dreaming up ways where I could express my understanding of environmental systems to folks, so this idea seemed to align in that path.  Simultaneously, I found myself in a place where I desperately wanted to live more sustainably myself. I was feeling spiritually drained from working on remodeling bathroom in the home I was living in, as I wished and wondered if there was other ways to do live more harmoniously with the planet.  I had to look into myself and ask if the path I was on, becoming a wife in a suburban house was really what I truly wanted for my life.  Probably most importantly, I love feeling connected to the Earth, and it’s this connection that I could see improving people’s lives in so many ways.  Lastly, part of my soul had been calling out to the Southwest to explore new possibilities, to create art, and connect with the land and the peoples. 

What were the results of the documentary expedition?  

Talk about hitting the jackpot, so many times over! I made some tentative plans before leaving but didn’t have all the details ironed out when I set out, so some of it happened on the fly. The urban garden in New Orleans creates a community fridge for the neighbors in need. I accidentally found a Sustainable Learning Center in Texas, the day before I arrived there, where they’ve held workshops on building domes.  

Next I found a community land trust in New Mexico interested in reawakening the indigenous spirit.  I found hope, peace, and deep connection to the land there. They grow corn, beans, and squash traditional foods of the Americas. They have places to foster connection, do workshops, learn herbalism, and learn skilled trades.  

In California, I learned about Earthships and sustainable off-grid living with solar panels. In Arizona, I got to be involved in a crew of 6 people building a foundation of an experimental cob building.

Plans Hopes and Dreams

I hope to have the documentary editing completed by the end of 2022. The plan is to connect with colleges, to show the documentary and hold QnA sessions about the film. If you have any connections to colleges that may be interested in showing the film after completion let me know!

I’m also brewing up a non-profit, “Sustainable Living Center” that provides education on natural building and sustainable practices as well as provides holistic services to the community, which I am hoping for non-profit status for this organization before the end of 2022. I hope to be able to help organize and/or be involved with natural building workshops in the coming year. I plan to do an internship in NM at the community land trust in the Spring. I’d love to help out with the experimental cob building again in Arizona.

Blessings

So grateful for all the beautiful and inspirational people I’ve met along this journey, and all the beautiful lands I’ve got to see and connect with. I hope that this documentary will spread education, inspiration to connect more deeply with the land, and facilitate new connections.

Please consider what kind of world you'd like to live in and if it is a more sustainable world, please donate to bring the "The Sustainable Living Documentary" into the World and shared with others. 

Natural Building

They called it “Feeding the snake”.

A humanure system can conserve water and create more fertilizer for soil. 

Building with cob can be fun, and draws similarities to building a sand castle. There is still much work to do on this experimental building a short drive from Bisbee, AZ, which will also contain a framed wall with post/beam, a straw bale wall (which will be plastered), and a solar roof.  

When mixing cob, you will need: 

- Earth - subsoil - soil that has been harvested from underneath top-soil 

- Sand 

- Straw

- Water to mix 

- Something to mix it on or in (tarp, etc.)

The consistency should be to that of bread dough.  Can be mixed with the feet by stepping on it .

If you are interested in joining a cob build - visit - 42 Spirits Eco-Farm on Facebook

Or consider joining the Worldwide Organization of Organic Farmers -(WWOOF) WWOOFusa.org

Brands I love 

for Sustainability, Vegan Ethics, and Humanitarian Efforts