This week we're talking with Madeleine Somerville, blogger over at Sweet Madeleine and author of a crazy good book called All you Need is Less. Her book is aimed mostly at those just starting out in making changes, it still has so much to offer to everyone. It's full of funny anecdotes and it does a fantastic job of reminding us that we all start somewhere, which is exactly what we cover in this episode. Madeleine celebrates baby steps but makes sure you know the reasons why you need to keep going with bigger and bigger steps. She shares an awesome recipe for making your own shampoo (which we HAVE to try) and a whole bunch of fantastic tips. And it's all done without any guilt trips.

There's enough literature and material out there scaring us out of our pants. Or making us feel guilty, or that we're not doing enough. But here's the thing: Madeleine and I both feel that guilt or fear are actually barriers to change, and the surest way to ensure that heads are stuck in the sand. We both feel equally passionate about this, and we're desperate to see our society make major changes, but we've chosen to simplify things in an effort to reach more people. We want to empower, inspire and excite people. That's where all the fun is, and THAT is the pathway to change. If you ask us, anyway.

In the episode we talk about all the whys, about Madeleine's journey, and she throws down some really great, actionable advice. Even if you're not a novice at this, she's just a pleasure to listen to. She feels like a friend.

On this episode of the Pure Green Podcast, Celine speaks with blogger, photographer, author, and teacher Susannah Conway. Susannah is a woman who has touched so many lives through the lessons she learned due to a tragic event that altered her own life many years ago. Now she teaches the healing methods that helped her so many years ago by focusing on cultivating a sense of calm through creativity, and integrating mindfulness and self-awareness into our everyday lives. There is so much wisdom and insight to be gleaned from Susannah’s conversation and we truly hope that you find your own inspiration from this talk, as well.

Laura Wright of The First Mess is a much-adored food blogger and a treasured member of the Pure Green family as one of our very first community leaders for #PGMinseason, along with past podcast guests Claire Ragozzino and Lindsey Love. Needless to say we are so excited to have her as the latest podcast guest today and the conversation is good. Laura speaks with candor, light-heartedness and passion about living authentically and being present both in and out of the kitchen. Her zeal for life and fine living, which is what she calls: “what you can make yourself”, is potent and simply infectious! Listen to Celine’s conversation with Laura as they discuss her childhood in and amongst gardens and fresh food, working in the restaurant industry, her creative process in the kitchen, and why being kind to yourself and others is the key to living well.

Welcome to Episode 11 of the Pure Green Podcast. This week Celine talks to the fascinating Carol Devine, co-author of “The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning”, researcher, humanitarian, and activist who as she puts it, “[loves] to explore inner and outer worlds”. Carol’s work carries a positive message with it that underscores everything she does and her passion for the well-being of both wild and human landscapes is absolutely contagious. In this episode, Celine speaks with Carol about her love for the continent of Antarctica, why environmentalism is so important to her and how to spread the awareness in a hopeful way. How she is passing this legacy of caring for our planet on to the next generation and why realizing the inherent connection between us and our world is a keystone of preservation.

In this podcast, Celine interviews food blogger and former Pure Green In Season community leader, Lindsey Love of the beloved Dolly and Oatmeal. Lindsey has been a notable figure in the blog world for some time now and continues to garner attention for her beautifully simple recipes, aesthetic and relatability. She talks to Celine about the health struggles that forced her to change her diet and how that morphed into a celebrated blog and upcoming cookbook (!!!), how to keep meal-planning simple and intuitive, and the way she draws inspiration from a support group of fellow bloggers. Thank you so much for listening, we hope you’ll enjoy Celine’s conversation with Lindsey and tune in next week for another episode of the Pure Green Podcast!

This episode, Celine is talking to Anca Toderic and Christine Lacaciu, sisters-in-law and founders of the company Huckle & Goose a website plus built-in application that provides you with access to what’s in season, a carefully curated list of seasonal recipes and a neatly sorted list of groceries that supports your seasonal cooking as a way of life! Wow. Both women are mothers and committed to providing healthy and nourishing food for their family. Their dedication to this task is inspiring and along the way the topic of family meals, health-both mental and physiological-and parenting comes up. In this episode Celine discusses the stark contrast between the consumption and waste management of the food industry in North America, and Anca and Christine’s Romanian roots. This is such an interesting and exciting episode to listen to because Huckle & Goose have just gotten started and we hope that you are just as inspired by their mission as we are.

As a very generous donation, Anca and Christine are offering PGM listeners 35% off a one-year membership with the code PGMPODCAST. Grab the show notes and a special playlist to add a little extra joy in the kitchen at www.puregreenmag.com/podcast/hucklegoose. Thank you so much for listening and we’ll see you next week!

This episode I'm talking with Ashley English, the voice behind Small Measure, a blog dedicated to life on her homestead, where she lives with her husband Glen and four year old son Huxley. She’s also the author of 7!!! books, the 8th is already written, and there are more on the way! She’s accomplished, motivated and down to earth, and she loves what she does. You can tell, which is why it was so nice talking with her.

In the show, Ashley shares with us how, under very serendipitous circumstances, she began her learning journey in homesteading, and how her life has evolved from there. It’s all happened very naturally and organically for her, a sure sign that she is following her heart and is exactly where she should be in this life. She talks about working with the seasons and insists that while country living is wonderful, you can homestead anywhere, even in the busy city. She also shares some awesome advice for writers hoping to publish a book. Get detailed show notes with links over at www.puregreenmag.com/podcast/ashley. Thank you for listening!

This episode I'm talking with Canadian film director Andrew Nisker of Take Action Films. Andrew's latest film is called Dark Side of the Chew, and yes, it's about gum. Gum is actually the second most common form of litter in the world, after cigarette butts, and those little black globs on the sidewalk cost cities around the world millions of dollars to clean up annually, and are a major source of pollution in our water systems.

Gum has it’s origins in chicle, a harmless tropical tree sap that’s harvested much like maple syrup. Now, it’s made of plastic and it never really biodegrades. Despite the global impact of gum chewing, it's rarely talked about, at least not that I've heard. In this episode Andrew and I talk though some of what makes gum so nasty. It's really interesting stuff, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg. You need to watch Andrew's film (www.darksideofthechew) to get the whole story!

But, and this is arguably the best part of Andrew's film, it's not all doom and gloom. Personally, I don't like feeling panicked and hopeless, as happens to often when digging into environmental problems. Andrew, who used to work in comedy, uses his comedic chops to give the film a light, funloving feeling. It knocks you down but picks you right back up full of hope for our gum-loving culture.

Visit www.puregreenmag.com/podcast/andrew for show notes and more information.

Welcome to another episode of the Pure Green podcast. Claire Ragozzino is the voice and blogger behind Vidya Cleanse. She's a certified holistic nutritionist and yoga instructor. She speaks with a gentle cadence, and her interview is full of inspiration, serving as a guide for anyone seeking to learn more from their bodies, who wants to feel better, or just, more centered. Lately I've come to think that the cultural ideal of balance in life and work that we all seek is a myth, but Claire sort of restored my faith in the pursuit. I suppose that's why she's the teacher, and I am the student.

During the show we talk about Claire's learning journey to living and eating mindfully. We talk about yoga, and the sometimes cultural imbalance we hold towards the discipline. We talk of cleansing, how to set a goal or resolution and stick to it (hint, it's not about aiming straight for the top). We talk of Ayurvedic nutrition (like what the heck that is), how to listen to your body, and why having a hand in preparing your food is important.

There's a lot to hear in this podcast, I know you'll enjoy it. Even if you're interests don't lie in yoga, or holistic nutrition, it's worth the time spent.

Get detailed show notes with links over at www.puregreenmag.com/podcast/claire. Thank you for listening!

I'm so delighted to have Amy Chaplin as this week's guest on the show. Amy is the celebrated author of At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen, an incredible cookbook containing over 150 vegetarian and mostly vegan recipes, as well as an extensive section on building a well stocked pantry and properly preparing foods such as beans and grains. Amy is lovely to talk to. She shares openly about her unique childhood in a sustainable homesteading community in Australia, her journey learning to cook through to becoming the executive chef at NYC's famous vegan restaurant Angelica Kitchen, and finally the incredible hard work that went into producing her new book, the culmination of her career in food so far. In the show you can expect an insider look at Amy's food philosophy and learn much about who she is and her process in the kitchen. Get detailed show notes with links over at www.puregreenmag.com/podcast/amy. Thank you for listening!