The Slow Home Podcast With Brooke Mcalary

As someone who espouses simplicity and buying only what we need, Brooke has an uneasy relationship with the idea of capitalism. But as a business-owner, a traveller and someone who does indeed purchase things on occasion, she recognises that this means she takes part in a capitalist society every day. During a conversation with Carolyn Tate back in September last year, Brooke was introduced to the idea of conscious capitalism,  in which for-profit organisations are making capitalism stand for something good - for people, for the environment or for social change. It was also through Carolyn that Brooke was introduced to her guest today - Dane O’Shanassy of Patagonia. If you’ve listened to the poggie for any length of time, you’ve probably heard Ben and Brooke talk about Patagonia and how impressed they are with their commitment to ethical manufacturing and the environment. Founded by hardcore climbers, surfers, skiiers, mountaineers and explorers, Patagonia is a company that loves nature

Honestly, Brooke and Ben thought they might be testing the friendship by having a series of shows about cleaning, but it turns out many of you are keen on learning more about how they’ve shifted to sustainable products over the past few years.  Today they go a little further than last week (where they extolled the significant virtues of white vinegar) by looking at a handful of additional products that when combined with vinegar and a little elbow grease, will help you clean virtually every surface in your house. As mentioned last week, making these really simple changes helps you to: save money keep it simple, as most products have many uses minimise harmful chemicals or harsh commercial cleaners used in your home protect yourself and the environment And by using bicarb soda, citric acid and a couple of different essential oils you can greatly increase the range of your green cleaning products. They also talk about the commercial products they do still use, and why, as well as offering another s

Dr Justin Coulson is one of Australia's leading parenting experts - a father of six, a doctor of psychology and a passionate advocate for intentional relationships - and in today's episode he and Brooke sit down to discuss the importance of turning up for the people we love.  Intention is the cornerstone of slow living, which is one of the key reasons Brooke wanted to chat with Justin, and they talk about the impact it has not only on parent-child relationships, but the way we use technology, the way we allocate our time, and the way we choose our priorities.  Justin and Brooke also talk about the immense pressure we put on ourselves by trying to be everything to everyone, and how the resulting comparisons leave us exhausted and feeling like a failure. One of the best parts of this conversation is that Justin not only talks about the problem, but offers practical solutions too.  Recently Brooke also asked for topic and guest suggestions on Facebook and she asks Justin to help offer answers to s

Brooke and Ben often talk about the idea of creating a home that works for you, and how that will look different to each of us, depending on lifestyle, circumstance and priorities. But, practically speaking, what can we do to create a home that actually does work for us? Enter Amelia Lee!  Amelia Lee is an architect based in the beautiful Byron Bay hinterland, who helps people create homes that support the life they want to live, rather than create houses that require a life-support in order to exist. Today she and Brooke talk about the philosophy of Slow Home design and why mindfulness and intention should be the cornerstones of the home we create.  They talk about Amelia's personal journey towards intentional living and how a trip to Uganda proved the pivotal point for her in recognising the excess in her own life and in our society in general, as well as what that meant for her fast-growing architecture firm.  The idea of a Slow Home - one that is simple to live in and light o

Let us give you fair warning: the next few Monday shows are all about cleaning your home BUT BEFORE YOU GO AWAY BECAUSE THAT SOUNDS INSANELY BORING just know that the info Ben and Brooke are going to share is actually interesting and relevant and designed to help you: save money use fewer toxic chemicals in your home simplify your cleaning routine minimise waste keep the same level of cleanliness as commercial cleaners And while not everyone wants to spend ten minutes a week listening to people talk about cleaning, the fact is, each and every one of us needs to clean in some capacity, so why not make it simple and sustainable? Today Brooke and Ben talk about the hero of green cleaning - bog-standard white vinegar. It’s what they use most in cleaning their house, and they talk about how they use it to clean the: kitchen tiles bench tops cupboard doors, handles and interiors fridge - inside and out stovetop oven microwave - inside and out pantry shelves mirrors shower glass bathroom tiles vanity top an

In today’s episode Brooke and Ben are wrapping up the simple rituals series with a poggie all about gratitude. Brooke believes that gratitude gets a bit of a bad wrap, because we see it as an attempt to Pollyanna ourselves out of challenging situations, or to avoid dealing with negative feelings. But she’s a convert to the power of gratitude, and today she and Ben talk about how making it part of your day can not only help you see the positive in your day-to-day life, but also shift your mindset into one of contentment and peace. They talk about their own approaches to gratitude, as well as some other, practical, non-bragging ways of practising gratitude, including: taking photos documenting on Instagram journalling Liz Gilbert’s Happiness Jar nightly ritual of gratitude at the dinner table thanking your self or your body during meditation, prayer, yoga, exercise This week’s action is very simple: commit to a daily practise of gratitude. It doesn’t need to be over the top or pu

It’s Hostful time! And, like every single month, in today’s episode Ben and Brooke answer some super insightful listener questions: What impact did slow living have on your finances? How do you judge if something is necessary and "valuable" enough to warrant purchase? As your items start to get a bit tatty, when do you replace them? Or do you keep repairing or mending instead? How does one re-learn oneself? Other than decluttering, what aspect of slow living do you feel has made the most difference in your family's life? Some of these topics Ben and Brooke feel relatively confident on, but there are a whole heap of links over at http://www.slowyourhome.com/139 that will point you in the direction of the experts. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Support the show.

In today's episode, Brooke and Ben talk through the 'three things' idea. That is, limiting our to-do lists to three main tasks every day, rather than the dozens of items we often put on our lists, despite knowing we will not be able to get them done.  Brooke used to be a big list maker, overwhelming herself with far too many tasks every day, leaving her feeling defeated before beginning, and like a failure when she finished a day having left most of her tasks unfinished. When she made the change to a to-do list of three things only, a few things happened:  She became more productive  She felt less anxious and overwhelmed She was able to move ahead on more projects because she was committed to taking steps every day, rather than only occasionally  In this poggie Ben and Brooke talk through why they prefer this approach, but also how to try it yourself. You can combine last week's ritual of the Brain Dump with this one, to create a powerhouse ritual of productivity every day!  He

A few years ago Jessica Murnane was on the verge of major surgery, a last resort to help manage her endometriosis. After a friend recommended her trying a plant-based diet to alleviate some of the pain, Jessica figured she had nothing to lose. Weeks later she was already feeling better than she’d felt for years and the surgery was put on the back burner. Over the past few years Jessica has taught herself how to cook (her diet previously consisted of “Sour Patch Kids, Diet Coke, and whatever Lean Cuisine had cheese”) and began to figure out how to navigate the massive changes to her lifestyle without alienating herself or her friends and family. In this episode Brooke and Jessica talk about the One Part philosophy and how small, incremental changes can lead to enormous shifts over time, but also the importance of being patient with ourselves as these changes settle in. They also talk about the challenges Jessica faced in changing her lifestyle, the benefits of those changes (she still hasn&rs

You know those days where there are too many thoughts, too many ideas and too many tasks zooming around the confines of your brain, all wanting your attention but never sticking around for long enough to be acted upon? Those days where the competing thoughts, ideas, projects, problems, grocery items, packing lists never stop rolling around your head, leaving you tired and prone to procrastination? In today’s episode Brooke and Ben discuss the Brain Dump. A simple ritual designed to help you get all that low-level anxiety out on to the page, find some mental clarity and use it to move forward in your day. The Brain Dump is a ritual Brooke uses regularly whenever she’s feeling a little overwhelmed, and in today’s episode her and Ben talk through exactly how she uses it and how it helps her to calm down, find clarity, get mindful and start getting things done. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/136 for a full blog post and show notes, and have a great week! ==== If you're enjoying the sho

In May 2016 Ben and Brooke completed a month-long daily meditation experiment, which proved to be one of the most positive changes Brooke made last year. She’s still an (almost) daily meditator and will talk to anyone and everyone about the massive benefits to be gained from making it a regular part of their day. But she finds there is a handful of common reasons why people don’t want to try meditation: they’re skeptical of its usefuness they dislike the religious or spiritual connotations of the practice they don’t have time to meditate daily they’re scientifically minded and want proof of its effectiveness After meeting Kevin Janks at an event recently and hearing his story, she knew he would be an amazing guest who could help dispel many of these obstacles - because in the past he's used them all himself. Kevin used to struggle with anxiety as a result of a fast-paced, hectic, successful life, and was introduced to meditation by his partner. Initially very (very) skeptical,

In today’s episode Ben and Brooke look at a very simple daily ritual that can help you break the habit of constant connection. Learning to unplug regularly not only breaks the social media/procrastination loop, but it also turns our attention elsewhere - to the people nearby, the conversations, the trees, the light, the breeze, the feelings, the sensations. It can also help us sleep more soundly, wake up more refreshed and minimise the lost moments in the morning where we accidentally check every news website and email account before jumping in the shower. They talk about the benefits of having a screen-free bedroom, as well as how you can actually harness technology to help you become more mindful. They also look at the one simple, daily action you can try this week to help you disconnect, unwind from the day and prepare yourself for a good night’s rest. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/134 for a full blog post and show notes, and have a great week! ==== If you're enjoying the show and wa

Since launching the podcast almost two years ago the hostful Q&As have grown to be one of the most popular each month. Not only does it give you the chance to ask us questions about slowing down, or getting us to dig deeper in to a topic we’ve covered before, but it also gives Brooke and Ben a chance to explore ideas or perspectives they’ve not considered before. Today is the first hostful Q&A of the year and, as always, there are incredibly insightful questions to answer: Do you find you are more sensitive to others people’s cluttered homes now you have simplified yourself? Any tips for dealing with clutter intolerance in other people's homes and even our own homes at times? As I search for my first job after college, I'm noticing most companies lack a work-life balance. Taking care of myself and living a slow life is important to me. Do you have any advice about maintaining a slow living value while searching for a job in a world that operates at a very high speed? Does slow livin

Welcome to the first Monday show of the year! As Brooke and Ben mentioned last week, these Monday episodes are going to be a little different in 2017. Instead of running one slow living experiment each month, they will be introducing one simple, easy, accessible slow living idea every week. The hope is that it will either give you something to do or something to think about in the days after. In today’s show they talk about the idea of single-tasking, one of Brooke’s favourite ways to introduce productive mindfulness to people who are too busy to meditate or take time for quiet reflection. It can allow us to keep doing, albeit in a much more mindful way than the overwhelming approach that is multi-tasking, and it often means we do a better job at the same time. They also talk about why single-tasking is necessary, how to practice it, and what the takeaway action is for the week ahead. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/132 for a full blog post and show notes, and have a great week! ==== If y

We’re baaa-aaaack! After taking some much-needed time off to disconnect/reconnect after a busy 2016 though, Brooke and Ben are back in the pogpasting chair and ready for a cracking 2017. In the first new poggie of the year, they talk about their recent trip to Japan and the unexpected lessons they received in the art of slow living. In this chatty, light-hearted poggie Brooke and Ben talk about what some of those lessons looked like and how they’re already having an impact at home. They also talk about the beautiful ritual of onsen bathing, the benefits of sleeping on traditional Japanese futons and tatami mats and the incredible food they ate. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/131 for all the links, resources and websites they used when planning and researching their trip, as well as the full blog post.  ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially. A

WELCOME TO THE SLOW HOME SUMMER SERIES! BROOKE AND BEN ARE TAKING A BREAK OVER JANUARY, SO WE'RE WE REVISITING SOME OF THE BEST EPISODES OF THE PAST TWO YEARS. James Wallman is an ex-adman and trend forecaster - which doesn’t necessarily sound like Brooke’s typical guest - but when you learn he is also the author of Stuffocation and the person who coined the phrase ‘experientialism’ it starts to make a lot of sense. Brooke and James talk about minimalism’s branding issue and why he thinks that experientialism is the way to make a life of less stuff more appealing to the mainstream. They also look at the overwhelming number of choices we all face each day and why experiences will almost always trump stuff. James also had some ridiculously straightforward advice for Brooke when she admits she sometimes feels so defeated by the rampant consumerism happening across the globe. Such a thought-provoking conversation, sure to raise as many questions as it answers. Enjoy! Head over t

WELCOME TO THE SLOW HOME SUMMER SERIES! BROOKE AND BEN ARE TAKING A BREAK OVER JANUARY, SO WE'RE WE REVISITING SOME OF THE BEST EPISODES OF THE PAST TWO YEARS. In this super enlightening episode, Brooke chats with Gretchen Rubin, the New York Times best-selling author of Better Than Before, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home. This show starts out as any other - a regular conversation - in this instance, about happiness and habits and the changes Gretchen is most proud of in her own life. But somewhere around the middle it shifts into something different… A personalised habits counselling session, as Gretchen digs into why Brooke is inclined to take on too many projects and burn out in a big way. They also discuss the Four Tendencies of Habits, and why that means Brooke is less likely to do a morning yoga class by herself, but more likely to turn up if Ben joins her. This is such a fun conversation with plenty of insight into why we do and do not find making changes easy. And for anyone

WELCOME TO THE SLOW HOME SUMMER SERIES! BROOKE AND BEN ARE TAKING A BREAK OVER JANUARY, SO WE'RE WE REVISITING SOME OF THE BEST EPISODES OF 2016. Brooke is a long-time reader of Paul Jarvis’ Sunday Dispatches and long-time listener of his Invisible Office Hours podcast, so she was super delighted to sit and chat with him about simplicity, writing our wills, Netflix and priorities. They also spend quite a bit of time talking about the importance of being our true self online, and the BIG difference between that and sharing things we haven’t actually processed yet. Paul has written a lot about comparison and the myth that everyone else is living more interesting, photogenic lives that us, so we dive in to that too. Paul also talks about his lack of routine, why busy-ness is a crutch we lean on to avoid feeling our feelings, and what his most recent purchase was. For notes and links to everything mentioned in today's episode, head over to the blog. Enjoy!Support the show.

WELCOME TO THE SLOW HOME SUMMER SERIES! BROOKE AND BEN ARE TAKING A BREAK OVER JANUARY, SO WE'RE WE REVISITING SOME OF THE BEST EPISODES OF 2016. In Episode 108 Brooke and Ben answered some excellent listener questions about birthday presents, advice for their 20-year-old selves, and how they manage to balance home duties while also working from home. But the question that got the most feedback was one about zombies. As big fans of The Walking Dead and other zombie/apocalyptic TV and movies, Brooke and Ben had a lot of fun briefly discussing their chances of survival in a post-apocalyptic zombie world, as well as establishing which weapons they’d be most likely to pick up if the undead came for them. But it also got them thinking about the different ways slow living could actually impact your ability to survive (and perhaps even thrive?) in the apocalypse, and in a discussion over on Facebook earlier this week, a lot of people weighed in on the question: “What is it about slow living tha

WELCOME TO THE SLOW HOME SUMMER SERIES! BROOKE AND BEN ARE TAKING A BREAK OVER JANUARY, SO WE'RE WE REVISITING SOME OF THE BEST EPISODES OF 2016. In today's episode, Brooke sits down with Jonathan Fields - founder and host of The Good Life Project, author, father, life-long learner and all-round wonderful human. Brooke and Jonathan talk about what it means to live a good life, why the power of choice is a game-changer in how we choose to spend our days, and the hugely traumatic event that led Jonathan to question his definition of 'a good life'. They also chat about the delicious irony of advocating a slower, simpler way of life when in the midst of a busy season (Jonathan is in the midst of launching his new book and all the work that entails) but also why it's not necessarily a bad thing to experience the busy-ness some times. Jonathan explains the difference between mindful living and practicing mindfulness, and has some incredibly practical tips on using technology to live more intentionally - f