Sustainable Baddie’s September Staff Favorites
Happy end of September! Temperatures are dropping and the wind is picking up. Though some of us may be dreading the incoming winter, here at Sustainable Baddie, we look forward to finding warmth in our hearts and thermal mugs amidst the chilly weather. September can feel strange; the beginning of the month is very warm (here in NYC at least), so you still have a bit of that summertime mentality, but it’s bittersweet, as we all know she’s leaving soon. Here are a few of the Sustainable Baddie staff’s favorites to help ease the annual transition from the end of summer to fall. 🍂🍁
Natasha’s Favorites
My Music Taste ca. 2011 - 2014 Albums like the Submarine soundtrack by Alex Turner (technically an EP, not an album), San Cisco, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, Born to Die, What Did You Expect from The Vaccines, Donde Estan Los Ladrones are on repeat. I knew I had great taste back then, and even now, I look back with proud tears in my eyes. It could have to do with the kids on TikTok romanticizing being a teen in 2014, but I’m also just an extremely nostalgic person, and these albums throw me back to a simpler time.
Handmade Bloomers I hear bloomers are the new bike shorts, and I’m here for it. I purchased a pair of handmade bloomers last month from the Depop shop Vivian Rose Rags, but haven’t had the chance to wear them out till this month. They are custom made to my measurements, so comfy, and incredibly cute!
Repaired Heirlooms Heirloom update! The pendant from the childhood necklace I mentioned in our Heirlooms piece was found! The pendant had broken and was separated from its chain, but I took it to a jeweler near me who was able to repair it. I’m very excited to get to wear it again!
Video Essays I’ve been seeing so many YouTubers covering niche topics that I thought no one really cared to talk about. Glad I was wrong about that! Whether it’s a deep analysis of bisexuality in the aesthetics and pop culture of my youth, a costume critique to satisfy the closeted theatre kid in me, or intense discussions about relationships and power dynamics, this style of video is fun, educational, and healing!
Zibby’s Favorites
Ghia Non-Alcoholic Cocktails Ghia is a great alternative for non-drinkers who want to enjoy the taste of spritzes without the alcohol. Zibby is specifically loving the She Bites the Ghia Ginger recipe! Their drinks are made with natural ingredients like pure botanical extracts and herbs, and have no added sugars.
Vintage Wine and Cocktail Glasses Who doesn’t love sustainable and affordable bar glassware? Zibby is favoriting vintage wine and cocktail glasses like these Vaseline uranium glasses from Noihsaf. Secondhand glassware and silverware are, in our humble opinion, highly underrated!
Cake-sta-grams We could stare at ornamentally decorated, occasionally heart shaped, delicious looking cakes for hours. You may have seen these creative and elaborately decorated cakes on your aesthetic Pinterest feed, but have you ever wondered who made those cakes? Check out these sweet (pun-intended) cake-sta-grams: Bodega Cakes, Food Jars, and Yung Kombucha 420!
Stooping in Brooklyn Post-move, Zibby is on the hunt for affordable secondhand furniture to furnish their new apartment in Brooklyn. Stooping in Brooklyn is one of many Stooping Instagram accounts where people in the community send in things they find in the area in the hopes of finding them a new home! Stooping in Brooklyn, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, the OfferUp app, and the Nextdoor app, are all great places to find cheap or free furniture and home goods.
Celeste’s Favorites
Be Not Afraid of Love by Mimi Zhu
Memes aside, Mimi Zhu’s Be Not Afraid of Love, in Celeste’s opinion, belongs in the canon of life-changing books that everyone should read, alongside the likes of bell hook’s All About Love. The book is a collection of essays and affirmations about Zhu’s journey toward relearning love after a v*olent relationship.
Key Pin-Striped Overalls from eBay
Celeste wore these almost every day in Europe, and can you blame her? They’re cute, versatile, and they have lots of pockets. We love a #RewearThat moment!
ASMR
Celeste is a forever stan of ASMR, but especially on her trip – when she was having a hard time sleeping, ASMR really came through for her. Lately, she has really enjoyed watching this specific style of ASMR roleplays, where the ASMRtist pretends to be a popular girl in the back of the class playing with your hair. It might sound weird, but five minutes in, and Celeste is knocked out, every time.
Marble from the Colosseum
During a walking tour of the Colosseum on her recent Europe trip, Celeste learned that the original marble seats of the Colosseum were removed so that the marble could be repurposed for other buildings. One of those buildings was Saint Peter’s Basilica, which she also visited, where the marble was reused to create intricate designs on the floor of the basilica. Not the ancient Romans being OG Sustainable Baddies 🤪
Aparna’s Favorites
Detroit Rose Aphrodite Face Oil Detroit Rose is a handcrafted skincare and candle brand based out of Detroit. Aparna is loving the Detroit Rose Aphrodite Face Oil, a rosehip and seabuckthorn based oil. Seabuckthorn contains over 190 bioactive nutrients that help remove free radicals, and combat breakouts, acne scars and fine lines.
For the Wild Podcast Episode 302 of the For the Wild Podcast, featuring Dr. Claudia Serrato on Earth-Centric Gastronomy, has been on Aparna’s podcast rotation this month. It is a great listen for Latinx Heritage Month. Dr. Serrato is an Indigenous Mexican American culinary anthropologist who practices a plant-based lifestyle. In the episode, she talks about decolonizing our diet and our sense of taste, reconnecting with local crops to sustain our foodways, and food as a medium for reconnecting with her ancestry.
Your Magic Podcast The episode Fariha Róisín: Astrology is a Life-Long Relationship of the Your Magic podcast is another podcast fave this month for Aparna and is a great podcast for anyone interested in Astrology. Celeste recommended Fariha’s Róisín’s substack to Aparna a short while ago, and while digging deeper into her work, Aparna found this podcast episode of Róisín discussing her recent book release. Róisín explores how wellness in the west has become an increasingly white space that steals indigenous practices from all over the world, while barring non-white people from participating. This episode specifically delves into how the dismissal of astrology as a practice is rooted in colonialism, white supremacy, and misogyny. Róisín also has her Tarot read by the host; super fun for those who are interested in learning more about Tarot! (Also, the host is an Aquarius, like Aparna)!