Conscious by Chloé

Chloé Lepeltier - Conscious By Chloé

A Sustainable Lifestyle Blog focusing on Zero Waste, Slow Living, and Ethical Fashion.

The Conscious List

Mountain Cabin covered in snow for Conscious by Chloé

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? I'm spending the weekend in a remote cabin in the mountains and can't wait to ski!

Picture by Fabian Mardi

This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase via one of my links, I may make a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

I Made Another Ayora Jacket with a Thrifted Quilt

Ayora Jacket Thrifted Quilt by Conscious by Chloé

It will come as no surprise that I made another quilt jacket, my second one with the Ayora Jacket pattern.

This is actually the quilt I was saving for after I gave the Ayora pattern a first try. I wanted to make sure I had practiced before cutting into what was (to me) a cutest and more precious quilt.

Ayora Jacket Thrifted Quilt by Conscious by Chloé

And boy am I glad I did!

I took extra time to figure out where I would cut my pieces, how I would match the pattern of the quilt when cutting and attaching the sleeves... and I finally learned how to properly sew bias tape so the seams are invisible.

Ayora Jacket Thrifted Quilt by Conscious by Chloé

These 2 videos helped me quite a bit to sew bias binding:

Ayora Jacket Thrifted Quilt by Conscious by Chloé

It finished this project at the end of last year but took my sweet time to style and shoot it as the color scheme was a little too on the nose for the winter holiday season. It gave me elf vibes...

Ayora Jacket Thrifted Quilt by Conscious by Chloé

Now, item 17 on my 23 for 2023 list is "Quilt something" and I'm wondering whether the next step would be to follow the Ayora jacket pattern and actually make the jacket from scratch...

As you might have seen if you follow me on Instagram, I've also been working on making sure I use all the scrap fabric to make other items: a bucket hat, an oversized tote bag... and mittens!

Ayora Jacket Thrifted Quilt by Conscious by Chloé

If you have any ideas on what else I could make, please share them in the comments below!

The Conscious List

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Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? Friends are visiting from PDX and I'm so excited!

Picture by Katie Musial

This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase via one of my links, I may make a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Using the Four Exhilarations to Implement Healthy Habits in 2023

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February 15 is known by some as "Discouragement Day" as people tend to have abandoned their New Year’s resolutions by this point. Others try to reframe it as "Determination Day" to confirm that they're on the right track.

I decided to use this day to take inventory.

At the beginning of this year, during a meditation, I was introduced to the concept of the Four Exhilarations and realized that they encompass most of what I want to focus on to build solid foundations for a happier life.

The Four Exhilarations are: eat well, sleep well, meditate, and exercise.

The Four Exhilarations Eat Well Ginger Honey Lemon Cutting Board Tea Cup Pouring minimalist aesthetic by Conscious by Chloé

1. Eat well

Food can be a triggering subject, but the approach suggested in the meditation was pretty simple. What do you want to change in your relationship with food? Food for thought, I highly recommend the Sounds like a cult podcast episode about diet culture.

The Four Exhilarations Sleep bedroom side table minimalist aesthetic by Conscious by Chloé

2. Sleep well

I know I cannot function well without 8 hours of sleep, and I'm also seriously considering adding an early afternoon nap to my schedule as I do not want to introduce caffeine to my diet in order to stay alert and productive in the afternoon.
I've scheduled an alert on my watch to remember to start my evening wind down, get to bed at least half an hour before the time I want to be asleep, and read a chapter or two.

The Four Exhilarations Exercise Meditate Open mindfulness studio minimalist aesthetic by Conscious by Chloé

3. Meditate

I had never found a way to make meditation a regular practice. I would decide to meditate every day, download the Headspace app and forget about it after the free trial period.
This year, I gave Open a try and completed a 30-day challenge. Now I'm considering signing up for the whole year... Will I do it?

The Four Exhilarations Exercise weights on a yoga mat minimalist aesthetic by Conscious by Chloé

4. Exercise

I have to constantly relearn that, for me, regular exercise doesn't necessarily mean a daily workout. My body needs breaks to recuperate, it needs varying degrees of intensity according to my cycle, and it needs variety in order for me to stay motivated.

So I usually alternate between yoga, core work, pilates, and strength training.

I simply have to remember that "What we do most days matters more than what we do once in a while" meaning that if I skip a day doesn't mean I gave up entirely. I should reframe it by saying that I exercise most days and didn't simply give up entirely.

For now, my body cannot sustain high-intensity training or cardio.

The one thing I need to do every single day, is to go on a walk. I usually pair it with catching up on my favorite podcasts. There's a trail behind my house that allows me to easily complete a 40-minute walk without even thinking about it.

If I don't go out at all during the day, my mental health is definitely affected. In the winter, I remember that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. My best "investment" of the season has been a pair of ski overalls I found at the thrift store that I simply wear on top of my outfit. Next summer, I'll have to remember to get out first thing in the morning before the temperature becomes so unbearable I can't go outside.

Now, with these four foundations firmly grounded, I'm thinking about other regular practices I want to add in my life:

  • Practice a new language
  • Swim in lakes and rivers
  • Write letters
  • Cook new dishes
  • Say yes more often
  • Be generous

What habits have you implemented into your life this year?

The Conscious List

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Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? I'm gonna catch up with a friend I haven't seen since 2019!

Picture by Lilian Velet

This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase via one of my links, I may make a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!