If the holidays seem to get louder and more overwhelming every year, you’re not imagining it. From endless ads to the pressure to make everything “magical,” it’s easy to get swept into a season that feels more stressful than joyful. And for parents trying to have a more sustainable holiday with kids, the noise can make it hard to stay grounded in what really matters.

This week, I’m joined by Stephanie Seferian, host of the Sustainable Minimalists podcast and author of Sustainable Minimalism. Stephanie brings such a thoughtful, grounded perspective to what it means to step back from the holiday frenzy and reclaim a season rooted in connection rather than consumption.

We talk about why less often feels harder than more, how cultural messaging around holiday magic drives emotional spending, and what it looks like to model enoughness for our kids. Stephanie also shares practical ideas for secondhand gifts, simple homemade traditions, and creating a mindful holiday season that actually feels good.

Takeaways

• How “holiday magic” messaging fuels emotional and impulse spending
• What ‘doomspending’ is and why its amplified at this time of year
• How holiday marketing shapes our expectations and buying habits
• Secondhand gifts, swaps, and other simple alternatives to buying new
• Modeling “enough” for kids in a season of big expectations
• Setting boundaries around marketing, comparison, and the mental load
• Slowing down with the season instead of speeding up
• Creating simple, sustainable holiday traditions that feel good

One Small Shift

Stephanie suggests buying for fewer people. A smaller list means less pressure, less waste, and more room for the parts of the holidays that actually matter.

Connect With Stephanie

Instagram

Website

Substack

Sustainable Minimalism (book)

Sustainable Minimalists (podcast)

Resources

Sustainability in the Suburbs (Sustainable Minimalists podcast)

Is It Okay To Give Secondhand Gifts (episode & blog post)

How to Stop Shopping on Amazon (blog post)

6 Recipes for Gifts in a Jar (blog post)

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.

Some of the most meaningful gifts we give (and receive) aren’t new. They’re secondhand.

And yet… so many of us still hesitate.

In this week’s episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs, Sarah Robertson-Barnes digs into the cultural stigma around secondhand gifts, why it lingers, and why it’s slowly shifting. This episode explores what makes a gift meaningful in the first place — and why secondhand gifts, whether thrifted, vintage, or passed down, often hold the most heart.

Sarah shares listener stories, practical ideas, and her own real-life secondhand wins — all to help you rethink what gifting can look like this season. Whether you’re new to the idea of secondhand gifting or already a Buy Nothing pro, this conversation offers encouragement, inspiration, and lots of doable takeaways.

Takeaways

• Cultural stigma around secondhand gifting still exists — but it’s shifting.
• Intention matters more than whether a gift is new or used.
• Thrifted and pre-loved gifts can dramatically reduce waste and carbon emissions.
• Creativity thrives when you step outside the “brand new” box.
• Secondhand gifts often carry memory, story, and connection.
• Online marketplaces and local thrift shops offer incredible gifting potential.
• Community spaces like Buy Nothing groups can spark beautiful gifting moments.

One Small Shift

This year, choose to give one secondhand gift. Let gifting be less about “new” and more about meaning.

Resources

Is It Okay to Give Secondhand Gifts? (blog post)

Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas for Kids (blog post)

How to Stop Shopping on Amazon (blog post)

A Very Big List of Sustainable Canadian Brands (blog post)

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.

What if the things we already have — the scraps, the leaves, the little bits most people throw away — are exactly where creativity begins?

This week, Sarah Robertson-Barnes talks with Sibia Torres Padilla, the artist and author behind @sibster and Charming Woodland Crafts: 50 Fun and Easy Projects Made from Natural and Recycled Materials.

Sibia shares how her upbringing shaped her creativity and resourcefulness, and how those early lessons in “making do” evolved into a lifelong love of turning the everyday into something meaningful. Together, they explore the beauty of creative reuse, the emotional connections formed through making, and how crafting with kids can nurture imagination and mindfulness — especially during the busy holiday season.

They also talk about the realities of navigating online fame, what it felt like to publish her first book, and why creating something by hand can be such a powerful act of hope.

Takeaways

• Creativity and sustainability are deeply connected — both begin with what’s already around us.
• Creative reuse transforms ordinary materials into art and joy.
• Making things by hand fosters connection with nature and each other.
• Publishing Charming Woodland Crafts was a dream realized.
• The holidays offer a chance to create intentionally, not consume endlessly.
• You don’t need to be “crafty” to make something meaningful.
• Beauty exists even in what others might see as trash.

One Small Shift

Look at what’s already in your home — paper scraps, jars, pinecones, fabric bits — and see what could become something new. Start with one small, handmade project and let the process be the point.

Connect with Sibia

Instagram

Facebook

Resources

Charming Woodland Crafts: 50 Fun and Easy Projects Made from Natural and Recycled Materials (buy Sibia’s book!)

6 Recipes for Gifts in a Jar (blog post)

Sustainable Gift Wrapping Ideas (blog post)

Seasonal Decor: How to Make Dried Orange Slices (blog post)

Support the show

Connect With Me

Website

Newsletter

Shop

Instagram

Support the Show

Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.