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We're on a mission to find joy in a more sustainable life.

This is our journey as we recommit to a simple life with more time to play, less stuff to clean, and less waste to manage.

We celebrate our biggest triumphs, learn from utter failures, and share everything in between. We welcome you to do the same!

RECENT BLOG POSTS

Rhubarb shrub!

Rhubarb is here in Michigan and TODAY is the perfect day to make this slightly sweet, definitely sour, shrub that feels like the essence of spring in a bottle! What’s a shrub, you ask? A shrub is your basic simple syrup plus vinegar. The vinegar gives it an interesting complexity and cuts down on the sweetness. This rhubarb shrub makes a really nice and simple spring cocktail when you mix it with ice, gin, and soda water. I recommend adding a sprig of thyme for extra spring freshness.

Zero Waste Super Bowl!

I might be in it for the snacks and commercials, but I LOVE a good Super Bowl Party! We’ve spent the past couple of years developing a snack spread that minimizes waste and includes everyone’s favorite goodies!

New Years Eve Chocolate Lavender Tart

Happy New Year! I haven’t been blogging much this year, but as I sat down at the computer to unearth one of my favorite dessert recipes for a New Years Eve party tonight, I just had to come on over to share it with you too. The lavender in this recipe makes an otherwise ordinary chocolate pie something extraordinary that will surprise and delight!

I’m always looking for ways to use the lavender I harvest and dry each year from my herb garden. Hopefully you have a small bundle of lavender hanging around your kitchen or pantry just waiting to be turned into something wonderful!

Photo by Muzammil Soorma on Unsplash

Eco-Friendly Chicago: Your Guide to a Sustainable Trip to the Windy City

Looking for a weekend getaway? Thinking about how to make travel more sustainable, in general? Here are a few tips to explore Chicago, Illinois in a more sustainable way. Chicago has made significant strides in recent years toward becoming an eco-friendly city. City officials have been prioritizing sustainability and environmental initiatives for decades, and you’ll find that an eco-friendly trip to Chicago is very doable.

GETTING STARTED

Photo taken by James Harnois. Find him at http://www.jamesharnois.com/ and @jamesharnoisphoto on Instagram.

Introduction to Carbon Free Family

Hi! I’m Erin Augustine and welcome to Carbon Free Family — a blog where I’ll share tips and stories about my sustainability progress, failures, and philosophy.

I hope to help you define what sustainability means for you and your family, achieve progress on your journey from exactly where you are, and debunk the “sustainability is hard” myth.

How Do You Measure and Define Sustainability?

Let’s start with further defining sustainability.

The traditional business definition is the triple bottom line – people, planet, profit –  and any good business needs to deliver on all three. I believe these same three values apply to personal life and I apply them in the following ways.

Getting Started on Your Journey

At least once a year (usually in January, but it can be anytime) I like to take a few moments to reflect on life and my progress on my sustainability journey. I think there’s huge value in reviewing my actions to make sure they’re a good reflection of my core beliefs and that I’m living the life of my dreams (or at least actively striving for it).

UPCOMING EVENTS

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  • Carbon Free Family’s Kickstart Your Sustainability Journey workshop was transformative. Erin’s breadth of knowledge on sustainable practices is vast, but her true talent lies in her unique ability to flip your mindset and show you what is actually possible, what can indeed work in your life. 

  • Erin is the voice of The Carbon Free Family - a family that "walks the walk" along the path we all must take, if we want to continue to enjoy life on Planet Earth. Her presentation is non-judgemental, thought-provoking and, most importantly, FUN! So, no matter where you might be on that path, you're sure to learn something from Erin. Her enthusiasm is infectious and you will come away realizing that the walk is not about sacrifice, it's about joy! 

  • Our Unitarian Universalist church engaged Erin as our guest speaker for our Earth Day service. Erin was really easy to work with and graciously practiced with us prior to the service as we were still learning how to conduct a virtual service during a global pandemic. This was one our best attended virtual services to date. Erin stayed after the service to join our coffee hour and answer questions. The service was so inspiring that our congregation has started a small sustainability group that is meeting monthly. What a great success!

  • Erin's presentation was very approachable for those new to sustainability. She focuses on the joy you can find in this lifestyle and explains that being sustainable doesn't have to be expensive, which can keep many people from exploring this lifestyle. She also talked about how lessening your carbon footprint is a journey and that no matter where you are in that journey, it is important to be transparent and learn from others. Fostering such encouragement in a sustainable community is really inspiring!

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