Sustainable Living

Holidays (even the Hallmark-manufactured ones) are a time to celebrate the nuances and rituals of being a modern American. While Thanksgiving and Christmas are arguably my favorite holidays, I’ve always enjoyed Halloween, if only for the pumpkin carving (and dressing up like Where’s Waldo, of course). When I was a kid, my sister and I [...]

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Yesterday on Buzzfeed there was a round-up of articles about a baffling group of individuals, the “Never-Greens.” Apparently, about ten percent of Americans don’t give a rat’s ass about the environment, and they aren’t afraid to say so. These are the people who continue to buy Hummers and RVs, who refuse to recycle, and who [...]

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It’s amazing how many envelopes, boxes, and other miscellaneous packing materials get recycled at our house. Ted receives several boxed shipments and frequent FedEx and UPS envelopes each month, and I usually recycle the packing materials right away to avoid clutter in our entryway. I do try to save whatever can be reused, though, such [...]

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After last week’s skin care and beauty routines, I received a lot of great feedback. Most of you wanted to share which products you use, and some of you asked questions about products we’d listed or for recommendations. But one piece of feedback got me thinking, and it was about the lack of consideration for [...]

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Yesterday we posted about our skin care routines, and many of you shared yours as well. So today, Jenni and I decided to ‘fess up to which beauty products we carry in our makeup bags. Some of them are fairly clean, and some of them are downright dirty. It’s probably safe to say that cosmetics [...]

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Many of you are making strides in your efforts to replace chemical-laden products in your bathroom with more health- and eco-conscious versions. For a couple of years now I’ve been fielding questions from readers about the different products I use for my skin, hair, teeth, and so forth. I love sharing my routine with people [...]

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A week ago there was an article in the NY Times about how to cook your vegetables. Most of us were taught to steam all veggies, all the time. Right? Apparently, wrong. The Times article goes into the scientific arguments for cooking particular vegetables in particular ways; for example, the lycopene in cooked tomatoes is [...]

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I’m a big fan of good Greek yogurt, and for several reasons. It’s good for your digestion, it’s a nice way to keep from snacking in between meals, and it can pinch-hit when you’re out of sour cream. I’ve been using a brand that has great flavor and texture, but I question their commitment to [...]

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Yeah, we all know that drinking water bottled in plastic is bad. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, like when you’re traveling (just remember to recycle the bottle). But it’s best not to make a habit of it. We use a Brita pitcher container in our house, which mostly just makes the water taste better. And though we [...]

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Yes, today is Earth Day. And nobody’s going to let me forget it: I’ve been receiving at least ten press releases a day about it. Some companies have merchandise sales they want to promote, and others want to plug what their company is doing for the holiday. Everyone seems to have an Earth Day schtick, [...]

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Though I’ve written about my love of yerba maté many times before, I haven’t yet addressed the traditional Argentiniad method of enjoying maté: the gourd. Drinking maté from a gourd is an overwhelming experience, one that combines the magic of caffeine with the feelings of fellowship derived from the group dynamic. I’ve only done it [...]

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For awhile, I hunted high and low for the perfect shower gel. I like bar soap just fine, but I normally prefer a liquid soap and shower puff. The problem is that it’s a real challenge to find a pure, healthy shower gel. I’d find one with no parabens, but [...]

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I almost forgot to remind you guys that the Pangea Organics Earth Day 2008 sale is going on for the entire month of April. (Thanks to Jenni for reminding me about it.) I went to our Whole Foods in town and bought facial cleanser and mandarin rose facial cream, my two favorite products [...]

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Ted and I returned this morning from a company retreat at the beach in Marin. It was a beautiful and relaxing weekend, full of good food, lots of barbecuing, and epic Scrabble matches. There was a lot of cooking going on, and the one thing I noticed was how much food waste went into the [...]

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