We Only Get One Planet After All

Can you imagine a community or world where green living, eco-friendly practices, and sustainability were a priority for our families, our communities, and the whole planet?

Meet Buffalo native Jackie Hausler, who shares these values and ideals, not only with her family, but with our community. Jackie’s blog, haus2home.com, and social media (@haus2home), shows her DIY projects all focused on caring for the Earth and those who inhabit it. Some of these projects show how to take what might be considered trash and make it a treasure, and she aims to educate and empower others to do the same.

Jackie also aims to share her love for the environment by sharing ideas to recycle, reuse, and renew as much as possible. Her own family’s example is to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, not buying everything new, fixing anything that can be repaired, bringing older items back to life, and using glass instead of plastic whenever possible.

Recycling is a recurring idea Jackie says can help make a difference for the planet. Creating a space for plastic, paper, and glass in your home can help ease the process. She emphasizes that composting can be part of the routine, too!

Jackie and her family spend a lot of time outdoors: “Getting fresh air and exercise by hiking, walking, and other outdoor activities are wonderful ways to reconnect with the Earth. We are lucky to have such beautiful places to explore as our playground and should respect nature so its beauty is available for all future generations to enjoy.”

Jackie wants to empower others to do DIY projects. Focusing on the fact that everyone can do it, she says that with time and patience, we can all have beautiful, affordable spaces to live in. She enjoys transforming homes in need of renovation or restoration and bringing them back to life. In 2021, Jackie designed the Family Justice Center’s new Grand Island location, during a complete renovation of an older home owned by a church to serve those seeking safety in that area.

She is currently working on an 1980s home intentionally room by room, creating new spaces while incorporating some original items. She says, “It’s all about taking what you already have and using it to your advantage. I try putting together spaces by using original items as inspiration as much as possible. In one bathroom, [for example,] we kept the original vanity, counter, and original sink fixture and worked around it instead of buying new.” Her next project will be the office, removing old wallpaper and painting while keeping all the original wood bookcases and flooring.

Jackie has a welcoming, genuine approach to what she does. She incorporates family life into her projects and believes that beautiful things can be done on a budget. Her Instagram will show exactly that along with a glimpse of family life, simple pleasures, celebrations, home décor ideas, boat rides, family fun, little ones’ delights (ice cream, of course!), volunteering with a passion, and reflections and memories, all with a sense of gratitude that encompasses the whole picture. She truly wants to make a difference, not only for her own family and community, but for you and the wider world.

In the current world, where change, isolation, impatience, overuse of our resources, disconnections, and general stress exist, Jackie offers a chance to pause. She encourages us to look at how we work together as individuals, families, groups, and communities, and consider how we live and maintain our daily routines.

Do we really need to toss that old chest, holding so many memories, and buy a new one? Maybe instead make it a fun project, creating a new look.

Do we always have go out for the new to be entertained? Maybe we could instead walk in the woods or be by the water to appreciate the beauty of nature now and then.

Education is a big part of Jackie’s message. Instead of throwing something in the garbage, she urges others to consider donating, fixing broken items, or reusing items again for a different purpose. “Someone’s ‘trash’ can truly become another’s treasure.”

“My hope is that I can continue to inspire others to think more about how we can be helpers to the Earth. I’ll continue to educate others about sustainability and eco-friendly lifestyles while showing people how to make their haus (house) a home as long as I’m able. I hope readers will follow along me in my journey at haus2home.com.” She would like to continue to educate people about how they can be kind to the planet in big and small ways. “I think it’s important that we all do our part. We only get one planet, after all.”

For more information, visit Jackie's Instagram @haus2home and website at www.haus2home.com