MY LATEST IDEAS FOR YOU

The Climate Actions That Actually Move the Needle

The leverage is elsewhere. And it turns out the highest-impact thing most of us can do doesn't require a home energy audit or a new electric vehicle. It requires showing up — as neighbors, as voters, as members of communities that will either rise to this challenge or not.

Cynthia

17 hours ago6 min read

Easy Ways to Lower Your Home Energy Costs and Save Money

Let's be honest — most of us aren't about to rip out our water heaters or add insulation to the attic this weekend. But here's the thing: you don't have to make big, expensive changes to meaningfully cut your energy use. Some of the most effective moves cost nothing at all, and a few others are one-time fixes that pay for themselves quickly. Here's what I actually do — and what the experts back up. Start in the Laundry Room This is where I've found the easiest wins. Most wash

Cynthia

18 hours ago5 min read

How flying made me who I am

There's been some thoughts about flying that I've wanted to express for some time now, and finally made myself sit down and see if I can articulate it in a way that makes sense- if only to myself. The goals are twofold: to better understand myself, but also to help other folks understand how just taking a few lessons might expand their world and better inform their next steps ... whatever that might be. Out at the Biggest Little Flight School, Reno/Tahoe International Airport

Cynthia

May 125 min read

Welcome!

I've been on this current path for about 15 years now — long enough to have made mistakes, changed my mind a few times, and figured out what actually works.

I started Simply By Cynthia as a place to share what I was learning about plant-based cooking and running a home well. Those things are still here. But the questions I was asking in the kitchen — about where things come from, what they cost, and what they leave behind — eventually followed me into every corner of my life.

Today my home runs on rooftop solar with Tesla Powerwall backup. I've been driving electric for more than a decade. I eat a whole-food, plant-based diet. And I spend a lot of time thinking about how the choices we make at the most practical, everyday level connect to much bigger things. My home has become something of a working model — for what's possible, what's affordable, and what genuinely makes life more comfortable and satisfying.

I'm not an expert in any official sense. I'm someone who has been paying close attention for a long time, asking questions, doing the math, and living with the results. What I share here is what I've actually learned — the practical stuff first, and the bigger picture when you're ready for it.

If you're curious about any of it — the food, the energy, the philosophy, or just how to make your home work better and cost less — you're in the right place.

Cynthia

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