Plastic-Free Life Tips & Tricks

As you know, our one, simple Blisshaus rule for the grocery store is: Just...   skip...   the plastic! Simple? Yes!Easy?  Not so much, right?   Picture this: you walk into the store, determined to steer clear of plastic, and suddenly it's everywhere! Plastic bags for your apples, liners in cereal boxes, shrink-wrap on cheese... It's like a plastic jungle out there! But fear not, plastic-free shopping is totally doable. And after just a few trips, finding those plastic-free gems will become as easy as pie! 🥧 ( hurray to the local pie company that packs their pies in cardboard boxes like the donut shop) Now, let's dive into some tips: Tip 1: Go Naked for Fruits & Veg Skip those plastic bags in the produce aisle and let your fruits and veggies roam free! Toss 'em right into your basket. Bonus points for stuffing spinach into cute cotton bags. I promise, your checkout clerk will be totally chill as they weigh your apples - no need for plastic bags. Tip 2: Buy Paper-Wrapped Loaves of Bread  Say no to plastic-wrapped bread that lasts for ages. Grab those freshly baked loaves in paper bags instead. They're tastier and have fewer additives. Then, at home, wrap your bread up in beeswax cloths or simply a cotton towel to keep it soft for a few days. (toasting also revives your bread should it start to dry out) Tip 3: Be Your Own Olden-Days Milkman Ditch those plastic jugs for milk in good ol' glass bottles from local dairies. Pop your empty glass bottles in the dishwasher and get a sweet refund when you return 'em. And hey, we get it, sometimes you need those giant plastic jugs, especially with hungry teenage boys around! But we know you'll love your glass bottles in the fridge - they look cute, save the planet, and support your local farmer - now that's what we call a win-win-win. Tip 4: Go Old-Fashioned for Soda & Juice With soda, simply reach for cans instead of big plastic bottles. Glass bottles are where it's at for juice and water. They're way better for the environment and keep that fizz intact. At home, we simply drink tab water and fizz it up with our soda stream maker - mountains of plastic bottles saved. Now THAT's worth popping a (glass) bottle of fizzy champagne!  Tip 5: Squeeze the Condiments Bottle Before You Buy It & Buy Only Glass Skip the squeeze bottles and opt for condiments in good ol' glass jars. Show off your ketchup-bottle-banging skills and enjoy those family dinner memories when a big blob of ketchup lands on your plate! And there you have it - combined these 5 steps easily eliminate half of the plastic waste you produce at home. Plus, remember, it's not all-or-nothing. J ust aim for the plastic-free option whenever you can. You'll feel like a plastic-dodging superhero in no time!- after all, we are still smarter than the average plastic bottle! 😘 Photo courtesy to our beloved Straus Family Creamery in Northern Cal. This is not an ad - we just love you, Straus, so much. Thank you for the great work!

Every Bit Counts: We don't need to be perfect, we just need to start F O O D   F O R   T H O U G H T   [2.5 minute read]     "I don't think I can do a Blisshaus kitchen, because I don't buy at the bulk bins""My family is not ready to skip all plastic"" I can't imagine life without Ziplock bags" These are the top three worries we hear from the most lovely, well-meaning folks when we talk about switching to Blisshaus jars for their kitchens. The thing is, we don't need to switch to bulk bin shopping and zero waste in order to Have a cleaner, better organized kitchen +Help save the planetWe just need to start. Bit by bit. Try This Tiny, New Habit:Pack your snacks in re-usable snack tins. The Baby Steps: Skip the 100-calorie snack-size baggies at the store Buy a giant bag of your favorite snack instead * * Yes, it's ok to grab the big plastic-bag of chips, pretzels, nuts, or cookies for now. It's ok, really. Let's just focus on getting started bit by bit. Pour the chips/cookies/pretzels/nuts into your Blisshaus jar Jumbo Jars are best for chips and pretzels We like Tall Boys for cookies and nuts Then, when it's time to pack your snack for school (a big hurrah for going in-person again!) fill your snack into a snack tin And voilá: You just helped save the planet! /  1  / You reduced food waste since the jars keep your snacks from going stale waaaay better than any bag or plastic container /   2  / You skipped lots of snack-sized plastic baggies   The facts: The average family of four produces 123 lbs of garbage each week. Over half of that is wasted food, the rest is packaging that might or might not get recycled.If we all cut our food and plastic waste in half, we will see a noticeable impact.  50% by many is more important than 100% by a few.Once you start using our Blisshaus tips on skipping plastic-packaged items, you'll see that it gets easier with time. Before you know it, you are shopping plastic-free almost all the time.We urge you to join us on this journey.The goal is progress. Don't let perfection get in the way to building a beautiful, earth-saving, new habit. Photo Credits: all photos by Blisshaus

... when you buy condiments & honey Our vacation pantry on our last trip to Maui Only 40 years ago, condiments, juices, sodas, and even milk all came in glass bottles. Today, you have to search quite a bit to find ketchup in glass at your store. However, the quest for glass is worthwhile! Glass can be endlessly recycled, so it is the material of choice for Blisshaus joy. Plus, the glass bottles look way better in your fridge than the plastic stuff.Making the switch is easy: When you are at the store, simply give the containers a solid squeeze. If it's plastic, skip it. Reach for the brand in glass instead. It's that easy.And when you find your favorite condiments in glass, we even give you permission to stock up.  We usually recommend you don't by multiples so that you can keep your shelves less crowded. But hey, if you L-O-V-E those pickles and they give you bliss, go for it.   Here are our 3 tips for skipping plastic when you buy your condiments in the store: Next time you reach for ketchup, mayo or mustard, squeeze the container and only buy it if it's made from glass. Skip broth in tetra paks because those are still extremely difficult to recycle. Use bouillon cubes instead. (yep, the pantry above has a few tetra paks left, but once those are used up, the family promised to switch to bouillon cubes.) Look for salt in paper cartons. There are several Kosher Salt brands that come 100% plastic-free. Let's bring back the new, old way of living and choose only products packaged in glass.After all, most plastic does not get recycled. Even when it is, plastic is not meant to be recycled. This means when it is being recycled, plastic produces all sorts of bad by-products. Why not avoid all that and make the switch to glass?  PLUS now you can show off your ketchup-bottle-banging skills to your kids. And no worries if you end up with a big blob of ketchup on your plate - admit it, this is the stuff dinner table memories are made of! Bonus Tip: The one thing our kids kept on begging for were those cute, squeezie honey-bear bottles.  We looked high and low for a cute alternative to that plastic bear - and voila! After a long search, we found the perfectly cute honey bear jar that you can refill either directly at your farmers' market or with honey from a traditional glass jar. There's nothing quite like our London tea time with the little bear on our table! And there you have it, another simple tip to skip the plastic. Show us a photo of your plastic-free condiments section in your fridge: Tag us at #blisshaus or send us your photo to hello@blisshaus.com. We love to see & share how all of us are healing our planet one kitchen, one trip to the store at a time! Click here to get your own Honey Bear Jar Wishing you many blissful moments in your home, - Wiebke & the Blisshaus Crew

BRING BACK THE HANDSOME MILKMAN... BOTTLE ... and skip that ugly plastic jug You might be lucky enough to remember the milkman. That handsome guy who made his rounds in the neighborhood. We truly should bring him back - complete with his uniform and spiffy hat!Short of that, skip the ugly plastic jugs in the dairy aisle and look for milk in glass bottles instead. The better grocers in your area likely carry one or two brands by local dairies in glass, for sure. This milk is more expensive than the milk in plastic jugs. But we think it's worth it because milk should be expensive and it should come in glass. Producing milk takes tons of labor, water, and land. Sometimes, if things are super cheap, there's a reason for it. Just say'n.Note: We understand that, if you have teenage boys at home who glug up gallons of milk, you might have to buy cheap gallons of milk in plastic jugs. Remember, 'near' plastic-free is better than giving up altogether - so if you need to, use your plastic-hall-pass for the jugs and let the teenagers glug away. Bonus Tip: Don't forget to get the $1-$2 refund on the bottle. When empty, pop your glass bottle into the dishwasher. Once clean, slip it into your grocery tote by your front door. That way, it's easy to remember to bring it back to your market for your refund.Photo courtesy to our beloved Straus Family Creamery in Northern Cal. This is not an ad - we just love you, Team Straus, so much. Thank you for the great work! And there you have it, another simple tip to skip the plastic. Show us a photo of your gorgeous glass bottles in your fridge: Tag us at #blisshaus or send us your photos to hello@blisshaus.com.We love to see & share how all of us are healing our planet one kitchen, one trip to the store at a time! Wishing you many blissful moments in your home, - Wiebke & the Blisshaus Crew  

GET  THAT  BUN FROM  THE  OVEN ... because fresh is fresher   To skip plastic, simply switch to the freshly baked loaves that come in paper bags.Chances are, you're already suspicious of the plastic-wrapped loaves that last for months. So are we. The fresh loaves in paper likely have fewer additives and, if you're lucky, yours might still be warm from the oven. We know, we know - you're thinking "but that bread goes hard as a rock in a day or two." That's where our beeswax wrap comes in: At home, use the wrap to keep your bread soft for days. The warmth of your hands will mold the wrap to the shape of your bread - divine! We like to line the wrap with a sheet of parchment so your wrap stays neat longer. Each wrap lasts us several years. When it doesn't hold shape anymore, simply compost it.You can also cut a big wrap into smaller sheets and use them to wrap sandwiches for to-go lunches. We also use them to store our cheese in the fridge. Simply wrap the sandwich or cheese in parchment paper first and then use beeswax wrap to keep the bundle tight.  Bonus Tip: To wash the wrap, spread it in the sink and rinse it with cold water plus a bit of soap. Scrub with a scrubber brush and hang to dry. Don't use warm water, since it'll melt the wax. And there you have it, another simple tip to skip the plastic. Show us a photo of your bread all cozied-up in beeswax wrap: Tag us at #blisshaus or send your photo to hello@blisshaus.com.We love to see & share how all of us are healing our planet one kitchen, one trip to the store at a time! Wishing you many blissful moments in your home, - Wiebke & the Blisshaus Crew

SHOP NAKED... especially when it comes to your fruits and veggies As you know, we have just one rule for the grocery store: Just...   skip...   the...  plastic!  Simple, yes. Easy? Not so much. But plastic-free shopping is possible! Here is one easy tip for your next trip to the store:Put your fruits & veggies loose into your basket... completely naked - gasp!  There's no need for that plastic baggie to buy your apples or carrots even if it's a so-called 'compostable' bag.Fruits and veggies come with skins and peels that are perfect for transporting them home. You end up rinsing or peeling the skin anyhow. For loose-leaf spinach, lettuce mix, or other small fruit like cherries, bring a cotton bag (or grab a paper bag) to corral the lot. If you have to weigh your produce, pop the sticky label onto your shopping bag or even arm for the checkout. Your kids might think you're silly (mine do), but the checker will be cool with it. To make your plastic-free shopping super simple (and stylish!), try our market kit. The kit includes cotton grain sacks and produce bags to help you shop for little items like arugula and sugar snap peas. All the big veggies can go home in the large tote all co-mingled - naked - wow... you might end up with some veggie romance.  Bonus Tip: Tuck your empty grain sacks and paper bags into the large tote bag after you have unloaded them at home. Then place the tote by your front door, so you can grab it next time you head out. We leave ours in the car to always have it handy when we're out and about. And there you have it, one simple tip to skip the plastic. Show us a photo of your basket at the check-out line: Tag us at #blisshaus or send us your photo to hello@blisshaus.com. We love to see & share how all of us are healing our planet one kitchen, one trip to the store at a time!   Wishing you many blissful moments in your home,- Wiebke & the Blisshaus Crew

At Blisshaus we are going for near-zero waste. Why 'near-zero' waste?  Cause we'd rather have you try your best than give up all together because of an unattainable goal. Yes, most of the Blisshaus homes aspire to get to zero waste, but we encourage you not to beat yourself up about not getting it perfectly right. Yes, the A+ is glorious, but if that means you'll quit as soon as you slip once, just go for the B. In the end, when you cut out almost all your packaged goods from your shopping lists, you will move the needle noticeably. No need to go for perfect - no need to go for zero waste. Only 10% of your old waste is brilliant - you've just cut out 90% of your junk. Heck, we'll take a 80% reduction - that's still pretty perfect. Especially, if that goal keeps you going and even more so, if that keeps it fun and makes you share your blisshaus habits with your friends. Our movement will fail, if you quit your new blisshaus routines at the first few times of caving into the temptation to buy an oh-so-convenient container of grated parmesan or the hermetically wrapped sting cheese your kids have been whining for.  Go ahead. Cave in. Allow yourself the 10% slip.We are not about perfection - we are about bliss and sharing it and supporting each other to rebuild habits that are less full-of-harm and more full-of-joy. So, be almost perfect. Do reach for that bucket of ice cream (preferable the carton type that can go into the compost) and don't give up on moving the needle by 80%-90% everyday. If only 1% of the US populations decides to be almost perfect, that's 3,000,000 people. And if they eliminate 80% of their garbage - not even 100%, we'll cut out an incremental 5,800,000 pounds of garbage a DAY!That's over 2 billion pounds of garbage a year - or 1 million tons!  1 million tons of garbage each year takes up the space of 10 football fields. That's landfills not filled - that's you being almost perfect, which is pretty perfect in our eyes!  Go ahead, be almost perfect and proudly share your 'B' as in bliss!   

The Webster’s definition of Bliss is “complete happiness” and “paradise, heaven.” The definition of Haus is “house in German” - but you already knew that! So what is Blisshaus? It’s the shift from a house full of things to a home full of joy and happiness. In Blisshaus we join together to create beautifully styled houses that are filled with the joy of perfect happiness.  When we bliss-out a home, we edit out the noise of too much stuff, too cluttered drawers, and too messy cabinets. The result is that we free physical, and - amazingly - mental space, for the things that bring you true bliss: relaxing in the beauty of your clean home, cooking and eating with your friends and family, enjoying exercise and nature, having more time to pursue your passions, crafting tokens of appreciation and love, plus celebrating life - together.  In short, as we blisshaus our homes, we make it simpler to create moments and memories of happiness.  And a blissed-out home makes us realize just how little stuff we actually need to achieve that joy (contrary to what the retailers’ marketing machines made us believe.) Which is where the global impact of Blisshaus comes in: Once we all realize how to simply create moments of bliss, we end up taking care not just of our individual homes but also of our larger, shared home, Planet Earth. The average Blisshaus home produces up to 90% less packaging and food waste and saves up to 60% in grocery bills.  So you save money while saving the planet and looking stylish. Now there’s true bliss!