Journal

With Father’s Day around the corner, I wanted to share some brands I’ve come across for men that mix sustainability and style in a way I love. Maybe this will spark some ideas for the fathers in your life. What are some of your favorite menswear brands for the Jackalo dads in your life?

• Patagonia Worn Wear. Patagonia remains an inspiration for Jackalo in how we do business. They are one of the most thoughtful and conscientious businesses out there and their Worn Wear program was one of the inspirations for our own TradeUp program. Jackalo recommends: If you are looking for new gear for your weekend adventures, shop their packs.
• Portuguese Flannel. This Portugal-based company clothes that fit the laid-back, beachy aesthetic of Portugal. Jackalo recommends: Another way to twin — their chore coat with our Billie Jacket so that dad and kid look dapper together.
  
• Outerknown. Started by surfer Kelly Slater, Outerknown has a really strong focus on sustainability and transparency. Jackalo recommends: Their Nomadic Volley swim trunks are the perfect balance of vintage feel and timeless classic.
• Nudie Jeans. This Swedish company makes great jeans (that the Jackalo dad in our family loves). They offer lifetime repairs and a discount your next purchase when you turn in your used Nudie jeans. They then repair and resell the jeans (just like us!) Jackalo recommends: Steady Eddie Dry Selvage Jeans
• United By Blue. This Certified B-Corp and Philly company was just getting their start when we were there, but they’ve grown by leaps and bounds. They pick up a pound of trash for every garment sold and focus on using sustainable materials. Jackalo recommends: Another way to twin — their Spence Shorts are the perfect complement to our Nickie Shorts.

Low waste living in a world that promotes excess isn't a simple thing. Adding kids into the mix can make it seem even more impossible. Luckily, if there's one thing that this "against the grain" lifestyle has taught me, it's that kids don't have to slow you down on your eco-friendly mission. In fact, with a little planning and foresight, they can even make it easier on you.

Whether you're a frequent traveler or prefer the comfort of your own home, traveling with kids in tow can mean a lot more waste than you typically would at home. Between snack stops, keeping kids preoccupied during long commutes, and the inevitable unforeseen hiccups that happen along the way, travel with kids can be filled with single-use plastics and disposables that you never planned on using.

Although you shouldn't beat yourself up when things don't go as planned, it's completely possible to prevent waste while on the road, even with your kids along for the ride. For my family, it seems the vast amount of our waste occurs when we fail to plan ahead. Although a day trip is short, there are countless circumstances throughout the day that you'll need to think through if you're hoping to prevent waste along the way. It’s not always easy, but don't worry, soon you'll get into a routine and these steps will become second nature. Next time you have a day-trip planned, try these tips for a zero-waste day trip with kids!

1. Pack snacks and plan ahead for meals

Kids eat. A lot. To save yourself from stopping at the most convenient (but wasteful and often unhealthy) fast food restaurant or takeaway store, pack enough snacks for everyone before you leave your house. To further decrease waste, pack them in reusable containers that you can simply toss back in your bag and wash when you get home. Things like cut up fruit/veggies, easy sandwiches (wrapped in a cloth napkin for easy clean up), crackers and hummus...etc. all make amazing on-the-go snacks that will keep your children's bellies happy and your eco-conscious clean.

When snacks won't cut it, you may need to pack a full meal or two. If packing that much food isn't realistic, do some research on where you're traveling and look up restaurants ahead of time. When you have a plan for where/what to eat, you'll be less tempted to opt for the most convenient (and usually wasteful) place. Try to dine in if you can and order just enough for everyone so you don't have leftovers to deal with.

2. Keep boredom at bay

Aside from hunger, boredom is probably the other leading cause of creating waste on trips. Save yourself unnecessary and wasteful purchases of games/toys/entertainment by planning ahead with some games you can all enjoy together.

Check our Pinterest board for easy road trip games for kids (and feel free to add to it!) or keep it simple with an alphabet game or eye-spy. These things will typically occupy kids for longer than you expect. You can bring a backpack with coloring supplies for the car or train ride, pack a few activity books or books for your kids of reading age, or if you’d prefer, bring an iPad with books or games preloaded to keep them happy. When your kids have something to do you’ll hear less “are we there yet??” and require fewer snack breaks and unplanned stops.

3. Check the weather

This may seem obvious, but it bears mentioning: make sure to be aware of the day’s forecast before you leave. There’s nothing worse than planning for a warm and relaxing day away and being met with rain and clouds. A simple weather-check will tell you what extras you need to bring. Be sure everyone has a raincoat/jacket just in case and bring an umbrella or two to save you from buying something you won’t need at home while you’re out. If it’s set to be sunny, pack sunscreen and hats. This small step of planning ahead can save you money and unnecessary waste while you’re gone.

4. Give everyone a "job" to do

To save yourself from overwhelm (and an increased likelihood of creating unnecessary trash), plan the “jobs” for the trip with your family and assign roles to each family member. You can ensure everyone has their own backpack or tote to lighten the load —  packing snacks/books/clothes can get bulky! For example, have one kiddo in charge of carrying the snacks, another in charge of games, and keep the extras in your bag. You can let older kids handle researching restaurants and even parks for picnics or other activities.

5. Pack water bottles and clean-up supplies

One of the easiest things to overlook is one of the most important. Make sure everyone has their own water bottle (that can go in their respective backpack) to prevent the need for buying plastic ones. Additionally, plan ahead for sticky fingers and messes with a few cloth napkins or DIY wet wipes. These small steps will save you from needing single-use alternatives.

Have you had a successful low-waste day-trip with your kids? What zero-waste essentials did you bring along?

We’ve all skimmed blogs and perused Pinterest for inspiration on creating the perfect capsule wardrobe for ourselves, but what about when it comes to our littles? As parents, shopping sustainably for our kids while maintaining a “fewer but better” mindset can be easier said than done. Kids outgrow their clothes quickly, wear holes in them after a few trips and skirmishes, and honestly, the temptation to buy cheaply made alternatives for them in an effort to keep up is real.

But at Jackalo, we’re big believers in buying fewer-but-better-made pieces for your kids that will last them through several growth spurts, keep up with their rambunctious play without tearing, and won’t hurt the planet on top of it all. In fact, that just about sums up our mission as a company.

We believe it’s possible for parents to “curate” their kids’ wardrobes in a practical and sustainable way that has less to do with fashion and more to do with practicality. With this mindset, ultimately you’ll spend less on your kids’ clothes and ensure they’re getting the most wear out of what they have. A streamlined wardrobe will allow your child to take control of choosing their own outfits (while you relax knowing that everything more or less “flows” together). It teaches them the value of minimizing and keeps your shopping trips much more mission focused.  

A quick note on colors: you may find it helpful to shop within a few color families so that when your kids pick out their own outfits, you don’t have to worry too much about things clashing. This also allows you to plan ahead and buy a size up so that your kids can grow into things and you can still be sure that they’ll work within their wardrobe. You don’t have to stick to only neutrals, or avoid bright and fun colors, but we suggest sticking to 5 or fewer colors. We love this post from Anuschka Rees about choosing a color palette for an adult wardrobe and think the same concepts can be used as inspiration for building one for a child.

Our sustainable capsule wardrobe download will give you the outline of a well-crafted, simplified wardrobe for your kids. From here, you can buy the essentials and then step back and let them be kids (in clothes that are up for the job). You may have to do a bit of shopping around to find the right brands and sizes to fill each “section”, but once you do, your kiddo will have a cohesive, easy wardrobe that will work for everything from school days, mud puddle jumping, and dinner with the grandparents.  

Depending on where you live, you may need a “warm season” capsule and a “cold season” capsule and can make tweaks as needed for things like dresses, skirts, and other pieces your kiddo may love, but with this checklist  and info as a guide, we hope the process will be much more simplified!

These are the basics of any wardrobe, regardless of age. This download will allow you to shop for pieces that fit your child’s personality and style, AND your budget and ethics much more easily.

Have you ever created a capsule wardrobe for your kids? Tell us how it went!

After two kids, plenty of time, and convos with some of my favorite parents, I’ve come up with what I think would be the best gifts for someone who is having a baby. These aren’t going to be the things you expect (no Boppy babies here.)

1. A postpartum doula — My first child was born in the US, where there’s no support for new parents after they come home from the hospital. Like many can-do young couples we felt like we could do it on our own and didn’t need someone in our house helping to care for the baby and keep things clean. How foolish we were! With our second child, we gave birth in the Netherlands where postpartum care is the norm, and covered by insurance. We had eight days of a doula helping us out at home and it was AMAZING. Want to give someone a new baby gift that will really impact their lives for the better? Gather a bunch of friends and family to pitch in for a postpartum doula. Even a few days will make a huge difference—no matter how the baby arrives!
2. All the food — When we had our first kid, we were part of a lovely synagogue that really supported people in times of need. When you have a baby, there’s a whole committee that organizes meals and brings them over. If you don’t have an existing resource like this to tap into, set up a MealTrain for the person you love. Do the work for them: make sure you know their dietary needs and preferences, and reach out to their friends and family to get the schedule filled in. If you aren’t much of a chef, look for a local store to deliver some high-quality groceries that make for easy meals (and maybe a bottle of wine.)
3. Fun for any big siblings — When you are having a second kid (or third, or more) making sure your big kid is busy and entertained is always a challenge, especially when you are waiting for the baby to arrive. Volunteer to be on duty to help out with the big kid. A sleepover with friends or cousins, a special outing, anything that will make sure the big kid has something fun to do while baby is being born or the parents need some time to get their sea-legs about them!

If you want to get them something you can wrap, here are some of my favorite gifts (from ethical sources of course!:

1. Perfectly picked hand-me-downs — Go through your kid’s clothes or hit up your favorite consignment store and find a lovely collection of secondhand clothes for your friend’s little one. Or if you are in Australia, you can shop from Pure Bundle which curates bundles of high-end baby clothes and donates what doesn’t meet their needs to local charities.
2. A gorgeous Moses Basket from the Kind Label. The Kind Label works with Ghanian micro-producers to source beautiful fair-trade baskets. And if you live in the Netherlands, they even have a rental program.
3. A modern handmade quilt from Kindred. Mother and owner Kayleigh makes beautiful minimalist quilts that would be at home in any decor. These quilts are instant heirlooms. A gorgeous quilt like this is worth the investment.
4. Grow-pants from Nuage Kids. I love how these pants have plenty of room to grow for little ones. Owner Jade is a thoughtful maker who produces darling clothes in adorable prints.
5. A Cosilana baby bonnet from Mama Owl. Americans often find the European use of baby bonnets a little “precious” (and not in the good way.) I have to say, I’ve been swayed over to the use of them. I love that they are thin, they stay put, and fit under a bike helmet (once you start riding with them on the bike, which happens very early over here!) The Waldorf/Anthroposophical nursery our younger son goes to even swears that they reduce overstimulation in babies. I don’t know about that, but I do love both how they look and their utility. The ones I’ve linked to are a little heavier, but you can also find ones that are a wool/silk blend or cotton ones.

I lean towards the experiences that help people cherish those early days, but a beautiful responsibly-sourced item can be lovely as well. What are your favorite baby gifts?

By Olivia Youngs

Let’s preface this post by saying there’s no “magic formula” for raising children of any sort. Parenthood isn’t a one-size-fits-all task, not by a long shot.  You may find that one method that worked for someone else failed for you. That’s ok. But since you clicked on this article, chances are you’re in the throes of modern, conscious parenting and are hoping to raise your own children to be full of awareness of the big issues facing the planet.

Raising socially and environmentally conscious children, as complex as it seems, is actually simpler than we may think. I know what you’re thinking, so bear with me. How can approaching issues of environmental justice, sustainable living, and social impact be a simple task? How can a child understand these complex issues most adults can barely tackle?

First of all, the fact that you’re already thinking of ways to integrate conscious living into your children’s lives puts them ahead of the pack. They won’t have to unlearn years of harmful habits like most of us did. Luckily, children are pros at mastering the things we underestimate them for. You’ll be amazed at how much your kids understand, how deeply compassionate they can be, and how easily they can take initiative on their own. All you have to do is foster an at-home atmosphere encouraging their budding environmental and social passions.

1. Lead by example

First and foremost, the best way to effect lasting change in your children is to lead by example. Show them what it looks like to care for the planet in real day-to-day life. When your children see you bringing your own water bottle and coffee mug, reducing waste, and recycling, it will be more impactful than simply having a conversation about it. Be honest about your mistakes and celebrate your successes with them.

2. Have conversations about responsible living early on

In addition to leading with your actions, having intentional conversations with your kids, no matter their age, about how their actions can make an impact is important. When they see you bringing your own bags to the market, using cloth napkins and towels, air drying your clothes, and acting with the environment in mind, and ask you why, you can explain, in terms they’ll easily understand, how we have the power to care for our earth instead of harming it. You can talk to them about littering, caring for our oceans, choosing to bike or walk over driving -- the possibilities are endless and each conversation will have a lasting impact.

3. Attend events, marches, and classes with your children

Although some may assume that public marches and demonstrations and classes about environmentalism aren’t suitable for children, we beg to differ. Our founder Marianna recently attended the Students Strike for Climate march with her son (pictured in Jackalo pants, of course) and his friend. They were so excited to use their voice to create positive change and joined right in with the teens (who loved seeing two kids leading the chants!)

4. Let them take the lead

Once you’ve had a few conversations and have led by example, give your kids the opportunity to choose environmentalism for themselves. You’ll be surprised at how observant your kids are as they pick up trash off the ground, ask to walk instead of drive, or ask if they can join you for the next march or trip to the recycling center.

5. Immerse your kids in nature

Perhaps most importantly, letting your kids experience nature firsthand and often is paramount to raising children who care about the planet’s future. If you live in an urban area, take them to botanical gardens, conservation areas, or on quick out-of-city trips to experience nature. If nature is in your backyard, even better! Encourage your children to play outside often and, as they do, teach them that they have the power to care for their playground for years to come. Looking for a way to get kids excited about the nature around them? Try our free Noticing Walk download.  

Raising environmentally conscious kids seems complicated, but we hope these simple steps will give you inspiration on where to start.

How are you helping your kids learn to care for the planet?