Dear lim(b) readers,
After thinking it over, I've decided to retire Less Is More (Balanced). It took a health hiatus and writing retreat to come to that conclusion, but it seems to be the right one. I feel like turning over a new leaf, wink wink, and going out on a new limb to see what's next for me.
I am truly grateful to each of you who read the blog sometime since I started it in 2007! I've so enjoyed the connections I've made and all I've learned about ways to live in balance with the planet and oneself. I highly recommend the sites in the sidebar to continue that journey if you haven't already discovered them.
While I'll be devoting more of my time to non-bloggy writing projects, you can still find me in green cyberworld, as Editor and Green Living Contributor for Your Daily Thread, "modern guide for the eco-curious and social do-gooder" based in Los Angeles.
If you would like to follow my other writing pursuits, please follow me on twitter (@writesinla) where my feed is a blend of information about writing, green, community developments, los angeles, and other good stuff.
Feel free to contact me by email in the months before this address expires:
danielle (at) lessismorebalanced (dot) com.
Peace,
Danielle @ lim(b) headquarters
m o r e (breaks to balance)
I'm sad to report I'll be taking a month-long or so hiatus from Less Is More (Balanced). It will be a reatreat for me--a writing retreat and a chance to take the space I need to get my health in balance by not doing my regular thang(s). The plan is to return with vigor!
I hope you'll sign up for the blog RSS feed, like lim(b) on facebook, or just check back in June so you'll have word when things are up and running again. I look forward to connecting again then!! (I'll also have a new, improved email newsletter soon that doesn't have all those pesky ads I don't put there that will be available soon to stay in the know.)
In the meantime, you can always check out the archives where some popular posts, like Heirloom Design and Simple, Frugal Living = Better Living in Hard Times live.
And here are some other simple, green posts of note around the web:
The Minsumer Movement @ Miss Minimalist
A Pantry @ Naturopathic Insights
Simplify Your Medicine Cabinet @ New Urban Habitat
Guide to Better Neighborhoods @ GOOD
Dude, Where's Our Car? @ Shareable.net
The Cost of Convenience @ Metropolis
Photo credit: vitalist
m o r e (coming clean on chemicals)
Slow Death By Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things is a quirky yet ominous title for a book that will get you thinking. In it, Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie, two Canadian environmentalists, give the lowdown on the ominous chemicals that have come to define our age and their impact in a quirky way: by exposing themselves to chemicals and then testing their bodies.
It may sound more extreme than it is though--after all, we're exposed to crazy toxics everyday in every way it seems. They just made a deliberate effort for a few days to do common acts that come with doses of synthetic substances like eating tuna fish, getting a carpet cleaned, drinking from cans, using personal care products, and eating from plastic containers. That kind of everyday stuff.
Both their personal experiment and their years of experience and research demonstrate this: There are chemicals lurking everywhere from socks and underwear to frying pans to baby bottles to sofas to light switches to food and food packaging to televisions to toys to deodorant and shampoo. And those chemicals show up later, in our own blood and urine, in arctic animals, in fish, in our land and water.
And the most susceptible among us are babies and kids.
The seven deadly chems Smith and Lourie looked at:
Phthalates, Teflon, PCBs, Mercury (a non-synthetic metal), Triclosan, 2,4-D (the herbicide), Bisphenol-A (BPA).
I won't divulge the results of their tests, but it was an amazing read and ride tracking these pollutants and learning the true cost of chemicals.
The news is not all bad!
The authors have super recommendations about keeping toxins out of your home, life, and bloodstream here. And I concur that small actions can make a difference. By not using antibacterial soap, for example, you're not exposing yourself or loved ones to Triclosan and you're, in your small way, telling the major soap companies you're not interested in those products.
But the fact is that these chemicals are so pervasive and in so much stuff that they simply need to be regulated or banned altogether. And chemical companies aren't hearing that--in fact, they're thinking of new ways to douse and spray and treat things with them. So we need to speak louder. By reading this book, by spreading the word, by making choices at the store, and by telling the government we care about the lasting, detrimental effects of deleterious chemicals in everything.
A few resources to get started:
Center for Environmental Health
And now, for the giveaway!
Simply make a comment on this post by Monday, April 26th at 3:00 p.m. (PST) and I'll randomly pick a winner to get a copy of Slow Death By Rubber Duck. (I've read it once so it's not pristine, but it's in almost perfect shape.)
m o r e (earth love)
Happy Earth Day! As you probably know, it's the 40th anniversary of this day. Its founder, Senator Gaylord Nelson has this to say about the success of the first event, in the spring of 1970:
"The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air - and they did so with spectacular exuberance."
Read Nelson's full scoop looking back on Earth Day's beginnings here.
So Earth Day is a chance to show concern, support, and love for the planet. After all, it spurred the creation of the EPA, the Clean Air Act and other pro-environmental legislation (more on that here).
And it's a chance to reflect on the small acts in our own lives that make a difference.
I remember when I was a kid, my dad used to follow me around our apartment making sure I turned off the lights. Though he was an avid gardener, he wasn't an environmentalist by any stretch, but he cared about his electric bill and he didn't like to see waste (testament to that--he would eat almost anything). Anyway, now I turn out the lights without him hovering over my shoulder in part because he got me in the habit and in part because I know those lights are burning coal somewhere.
I think green living is often like this. It's those things we do when no one's hovering around. Earth-acts are often small, quiet, unseen (though not always). They are for the love of this planet we're on and everything in it, even when we don't get reward or credit. Signing a petition, hanging the laundry, taking the bus or biking, giving to causes, investing in energy-efficiency, reading a book, sharing some lemons, planting a tree or tomato, turning off the tap, or the light.
Two women in my neighborhood inspire me in this way. One picks up litter on her daily dog-walking jaunts. I've never talked to her about it, just seen her around and said hi. She's always got her little bag with her, scooping trash and disposing of it. Another is making a promise to clean the storm drain outside her place of business that gets filled with cigarette butts. (You can read about our stormwater in L.A. here.) Every morning she's planning to get out the broom and dustpan to make sure those butts don't end up in the river and the ocean, her own quiet committment.
There is debate about whether or not personal acts make a difference, but even with the need for regulation and legislation, I think they most certainly do. And by engaging in personal eco-acts, I think we get that good feeling of doing something for its own sake, out of love, and of integrating what we care about with what we do.
What are you doing for Earth Day this year? What's something that inspires you to live green?
m o r e (taking note of the neighborhood) 
I've said before that if I don't take a walk pretty much every day, I feel bleh. Often, I take two, as breaks from work, as chances to move and look around.
As I recovered from surgery, and started venturing farther and farther, I came upon a stairway between two yards (my neighborhood is famous for stairs) where one homeowner told me a bunny lived, frolicking between the two wild spaces. It became a tradition to look for the pet bunny that seemed a part of nature as it roamed free. I go looking for that bunny numerous times a week. If I see him, I feel charmed. If I don't--I know I'll see him another time. (There he is in the photo.)
There are other hopeful things I've taken note of on my walks even in the midst of litter and batteries and dog poop and clogged storm drains. It just takes some looking.
Here are some:
*Two crazily, amazingly plumed chickens in a yard on the top of a very steep hill.
*A man who asked me if I'd lost keys who, when I replied no, said he was going to make a flyer and hang up the keychain with it for the person who did.
*Tens of nests in enormous ficus trees.
*While Los Angeles ranks last among major cities in terms of per capita open space, I'm lucky enough to have strip of park across the alley from my apartment with a couple of giant trees. There, I see hopeful interactions between dogs and their owners (even though I'm not really a dog person, I have a favorite black and white pooch who is a master at fetch--I swear he's a famous movie star) and parents with their kids and neighbors with other neighbors. My favorite moment was when a woman walked by me and thanked me for smiling.
*A young girl asking her grandma about growing tomatoes from a hanging pot in her backyard.
*A ramshackle container plopped in a strip of sidewalk grass growing huge bushels of chard and some garlic.
*Another apartment with what look to be squash coming up out front.
*Native plants going into the neighbor-initiatived Parkman Triangle.
*Sparrows using my solar water fountain for dips and drinks.
And I'm sure, many more to come as long as I'm looking.
And some neighborly resources for wherever you live:
Recently heard about Every Block, a news feed for your neighborhood. It has announcements, media mentions, events and photos for your block. I just learned that there's a bike ride every Saturday in May starting steps away from my place. Who knew? It's also a hub for more serious business like crime happenings and lost pets.
At SeeClickFix you can find and report blocked bike lanes, potholes, and broken windows.
Walk Score will rank your area for walkability and find you some nearby nooks you can get to on two feet.
And here's an article I wrote all about sites that help you share in your neighborhood.
What is hopeful in your neighborhood to take note of?
Tammy Strobel writes the blog Rowdy Kittens for "people who are living simple, authentic and uncluttered lives." Or who want to move in that direction. It is always enlightening reading.
As is her e-book, Simply Car-Free, in which she showcases so much great information on how much simpler life without a car can be. She includes nuts and bolts like must-have bike gear and how to avoid being smelly after a cycle-commute to work along with inspiration about how much money you'll save and health you'll create by opting for two wheels.
She's speaking from experience--she's been totally car-free for two years.
Here's what she had to say:
What was the final deal-maker in the big decision to sell your car(s)?
We sold our cars for two reasons: financial worries and we weren't using them enough. We shed our cars over a period of two years and it was one of our best financial moves. I didn't realize how much our cars cost until we seriously started considering going car-free. By selling our cars we've saved about $16,000 per year.
When we finally sold our second car we were still living in Davis, CA. I started a new job in Sacramento and began taking the train to work. The monthly costs to drive into the city and park my car were outrageous. So taking the train was a fantastic option. I was able to read or do work on the ride and then enjoy a beautiful morning walk to the office.
I wish I would have considered that option previously. I could have saved a lot of time and money.
What encouragement would you give someone who thinks, "No way, I could never say goodbye to four wheels"?
I said something similar a few years ago. I would encourage folks to push past their fears and give two wheels a try. Start off by doing a test run. For example, you might consider doing all your grocery shopping by bike or NOT driving within a 5 mile radius of your home.
You suggest ditching the car can actually connect to following your dreams. How?
Excellent physical and financial health are two reasons that I'm able to pursue my dreams. Selling our cars enabled us to pay off our debt and save a significant amount of money. If we still had 2 cars and $30,000 in debt, I would still be working in a cubicle.
Thanks to selling our cars and downscaling our lifestyle, I was finally able to start my own small business.
Has opting out of car ownership brought balance to your life? How so?
I didn't realize how much stress I was under until we sold the cars. They took up so much time and money. Plus I had gained a lot of weight because I drove everywhere. By biking around town, I've lost about 15 pounds.
Selling our cars and downsizing our lives has given us balance. We are more likely to travel, spend time with each other and pursue our hobbies. I'm not in such a hurry anymore. Rather than rushing from place to place, I'm savoring the details of life.
Favorite biking moment?
When we lived in Davis and Sacramento we spent a lot of time going on long bike rides (between 20 to 50 miles) on the weekends. Taking long day trips by bike is a great way to see natural beauty and relax. I'm looking forward to similar trips in Portland. The surrounding area is beautiful!
You can check out the book for yourself, as I did, if you're considering going car-free. I'm not there yet myself (still a one car/one scooter/ 2 bike partnership), but even if you're more like me and a car-lite kind of person, there's plenty of good stuff to help navigate daily life more simply, with fewer wheels.
m o r e (real consumer power)
There is always talk of voting with your dollars and supporting companies who are doing right by its employees and the world. And I buy that! But what if that were done in communities and with more than one person, in an organized, tangible kind of way. Well, that would be a Carrotmob.
I just heard about these actions from two different sources in one week. The philosophy of this now nonprofit in San Francisco is this: Businesses love money and will do anything for it. So, if we give them more money when they do something for the environment, they'll keep doing it. To get more money of course. It's a carrot versus stick approach where, as it says, "Everyone wins."
Here's a video below of the first ever Carrotmob where a bunch of liquor stores bid on what percent of the money they made from a Carrotmob (a mob of people buying from their store for a couple of hours on a Saturday) they would devote to energy efficient upgrades. The one who pledged the highest won.
Carrotmob Makes It Rain from carrotmob on Vimeo.
So, on the day of the mob, that liquor store, the one who pledged 22%, made sales upwards of nine grand (four more than they'd even hoped) from the rush of customers lined up around the corner, almost a quarter of which went to making the place eco-smart. The owner got to keep the rest of course and now he'll be saving money with efficiency measures he didn't technically have to pay for himself and will be known around the hood as the place that...
Now I wouldn't necessarily have a lot to buy from a liquor store, but folks bought things like kitty litter and canned soup and then donated many of their purchases to a local food bank! Everybody won.
It's not just liquor stores. Carrotmobs have been staged all over the place, at a bar, a hardware store, a coffeeshop.
Here's what happened on October 24th last year (climate action day) in terms of Carrotmobbing.
And here's the concept explained inventively in this animated video.
You may be able to find a mob assembling near you here.
For another kind of do-gooding mob, here's the post I wrote on Crop Mobs.
Photo credit: carrotmob
There are a few recent developments in my home to share, things my husband and I are cultivating in the less is more life. Here are three.
1.) More Growing Things.
These planters are the handiwork of our amazingly hardworking and naturally green-minded landlord. We lucked out when we moved here six months ago. Not only did he re-insulate our apartment when he renovated it a couple of years back (I'm still cold as I sit here right now, but that's just me and a sign I'm about ready for my walk in the sun), but he also does all this amazing tilework everywhere--all with reclaimed tiles people give him. He also tries to grow as much as he can around the property, sweeps our patio for us, and volunteers at a community garden.
Okay, but the planters. He built these (I'm sure using wood he found somewhere or got from someone, I imagine that's how it went down anyway) and is going to let us use one for planting veggies! It's the only spot on the property that gets enough sun for a garden, so we're thrilled! (We'll be using the square orange-rimmed one later this spring once we find some soil.) It's a community kind of thing. We'll all grow things together and share the bounty.
2.) Less Food Waste.
This simple whiteboard is helping us keep track of when we made food so we gobble it up before it goes to waste. I've heard it said that some food, particularly eggs/poultry/fish, lasts about four days in the fridge. (Our farmers' market produce lasts a full week when we save the heartier stuff for Thurs/Fri--like cabbage, beets, and some Asian greens. And some cooked things like potatoes and millet last quite a while too). So, now, I don't have to bellyache over the eternal question: "Is this still good?" I just look at the board, do the math, and make sure I'm eating foods on time to prevent waste.
It also serves as a useful shopping list and a place for us to share encouraging messages when we're so inclined.
3.) More Inspiration.
We're always putting a paper tree on our wall, it's just what we do (as evidenced here). There's a connection to this site, lim(b), of course and it's simple, natural, beautiful. It reminds of us the outdoors and of being rooted and of the seasons. And it's decor that doesn't require buying any new materials.
More than that, our new incarnation is our tree of inspiration. It's kind of like what some might call a vision board or a gratitude journal, just stuck up on the wall in the shape of a tree. Each leaf has a word on it, something we're trying to cultivate (like healing, the writing life, connection). And every time something happens related to that word, every time we have a success or growth, we add a berry. We only have two so far, but it's only been up for a week and a half.
For us, it's a way to show and remind us what we're about and what we're doing in the world, and the ways that our lives are bearing fruit.
What are you cultivating more and less of?
m o r e (ocean action)
The End of the Line is now out on DVD and I watched it over the weekend.
While I'd already heard that current fish stocks would be in true collapse, over the brink of ever coming back by about 2050, seeing the film with all the details of how and why that's playing out is well worth it. I feel like I always say this about documentaries I recommend, but I'll say it again: see this film!
There is one main point: there will be no more fish in the sea if we keep overfishing the way we do. The ocean is not inexhaustible (even though it's vast--so are the glaciers and so is the atmosphere, both of which can be depleted and polluted).
The depths behind that point:
*In 2002, scientists figured out fish stocks had been decreasing since the 80s, but through misreporting, they'd missed it despite local lore everywhere of diminishing supplies.
*Bluefin tuna has declined by 80%.
*Long lines used in commercial fishing could cirlce the globe 550 times.
*Trawling nets could fit 13 747 airplaines inside them and the bycatch brought up on deck, and then discarded, dead, like sponges, coral, sharks, and fish, according to one man interviewed, "would make an angel weep."
(I was first introduced to these techniques in Sharkwater.)
Commercial fishing, which we've been doing since the 50s (the same time all that plastic and chemical agriculture went big), is out of control. We're catching too many fish. And sometimes choking out local fishermen in areas where fish is crucial to the diet and livelihood.
The problem is a combination of the fishing industry's overzealousness for profit, poor regulation (which is often ignored anyway), a lack of consumer information--the usual big business as usual. And fish farming isn't the answer either. It has its own pollution issues and since they feed small fish to the farmed ones being raised, it's a net loss of fish stocks anyway.
Get more information on the science here.
The answer? Charles Clover, who wrote the book before the film says, "It's doing something about it time."
1.) Only buy, order, and eat sustainably caught fish and fish not endangered. That means no more bluefin tuna on one's sushi plate!
2.) Tell politicians you support fishing regulation.
3.) Support the creation of more marine protected areas. Less than 1% of our oceans, which cover 70% of the globe, are currently off limits to fishing. It's not enough.
There is the question of the people who make their living by fishing, which is hugely important. But we'll have more fishermen (and women) in years to come if there are limits set now. Otherwise, they'll all be out of work pretty abruptly.
As you probably know, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program is the best source for what and what not to eat when shopping a grocery store or sitting down to order. Seriously, you can print out a PDF or get the app for your iphone or memorize your favorite fish that are on the good list. I've only been eating sardines for some time now and loving them!
There's a guide for sushi too.
"'Best Choices' are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways.'Seafood to 'Avoid' are overfished and/or fished or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment."
Here's the list for all regions, but you can get more specific too.
You can also look for the Marine Stewardship Council seal.
And at fish2fork, you'll find a restaurant rating system so you can support restaurants serving only sustainable fish (and/or speak out to those that aren't). I only found three in the database in Los Angeles (one with a horrid score, one with pretty good), but you can also "rat on a restaurant" or give a "chef a pat on the back" too by reviewing a restaurant.
Here's to getting more fish in the sea for generations to come.
Photo credits: End of the Line & Wild Ocean Blue
m o r e (two wheels)
As I've shared before, my husband and I are a one car/one scooter partnership. And we've got bikes too. In L.A., and specifically for his work, he sometimes needs a car to haul stuff (and though it's only a Corolla, our car does have a backseat and trunk for that). We'd love it if Zipcar expanded so we could ditch the car altogether and simply share/rent when we needed one, but for now, this is how we roll.
There are some issues now and again. Mostly that we have to talk about who needs the car that day or that week for work or personal engagements. But it's really no biggie and no bridges have ever been burned between us over it. We're also lucky that we both have flexible schedules, making infighting about the car less of an issue. And, admittedly, my husband is a true trooper about taking the scooter sometimes very long distances very early in the morning and late at night even though he gets first dibs on the car because his job is crucial to our livelihood.
Mostly the scooter is my husband's. He's the one who uses it in the cold and the rain, he's the one with the gear, he's the one who takes it in for tune-ups and improves it functionally. Oh yes, and he's the one with the license. After a few times taking it out for a spin, I realized I could drive it (and it was super fun) but the other stuff, like parking it and getting it out of our apartment's garage and maneuvering it, that stuff wasn't for me. It's a big, heavy machine, and my regular pedal-bike already feels like enough of a challenge for me in terms of physcial rigor. (The picture shows one of our driving lessons--a success!)
Here's the deal with the scooter life. He has never paid more than $3.00 for gas, and that takes him 80-100 miles. (Our monthly fuel bill, with both vehicles, is usually never more than $75.00 these days as I telecommute, hate driving, and am learning to take the bus short distances during which I won't get motion sick. When I was healthier, I biked too and will return to that this summer. Oh yes, and he often gets groceries on the little scooter that could, loading it up like a madman [pictured next]).
Here's the rest: it's fun! When we zip around town with me on the back, we have so much more fun than when we take the Corolla. We have less stress because somehow I feel safer on two wheels (or maybe I can't see what's going on because his back's in the way of my forward view). I look around and take in the goings on in the neighborhood. I feel the wind. We get places faster. And we get to interact more with people. He's always telling me stories of two-wheeled camaraderie on the road, conversations with people through car windows, questions asked at the pump about where to get one and how fast it goes (65mph). And I can attest to the way kids absolutely love watching a scooter. If they're crusing the sidewalk or strolling a crosswalk, they stare, they turn, they smile really big and sometimes point. It may sound cheesy, but it feels like we're spreading happiness just by riding it around town and grinning at people.
So that's life on a scooter. A good ilfe.
Here are some more photos in my alternative transportation project on Flickr.
m o r e (green neighborhood action)
I love it when a community takes matters into its own hands, and that usually starts with one or two people having an idea sparked by a solution to a problem. There are two on my radar near my L.A. neighborhood that I'm excited about this week. One is right outside my door. The other, a few miles away in Chinatown.
What has long been a giant concrete triangle is turning into a park. The Parkman Triangle project on the corner of the street I live on received a grant from the City of Los Angeles Beautification program to make it an "urban lounge," a place where people will stop for a few minutes to give their dog a rest, take a few sips of coffee, watch the traffic or look out for hawks overhead, or talk to somebody else (one hopes!). It will be like an uber mini nature preserve with shade providing trees (looks like jacorandas) and drought-tolerant plants. Urban Operations Studio is making it happen with the help of community members who want to get their hands dirty and see the results. You can see and read about the park springing to life here.
What if candy machines distritubted something healthy instead? Like seeds. Greenaid is doing just that. The so-called "seedbombs" are native seeds embedded in clay. You simply buy one, find a vacant lot as your target, and send it on its way. You'll start seeing green in just a couple of weeks of your launch! I think it makes it easy for a wannabe guerilla gardener with little experience and little time to transform abandoned patches of dirt in lots or medians into something beatiful. Read more about seedbombs in candy machines here.
Anything green & groovy happening in your community?
m o r e (sporting your own water bottle)
Leave it to Annie Leonard to follow up The Story of Stuff with something else fantastic.
Now it's The Story of Bottled Water, the tale of manufactured demand (aka companies making us think we need to buy bottled) and the problem with all those plastic bottles and what they're full of.
I'll stop now so you can see it for yourself:
Doesn't it make you happy to filter your tap water and sport a SIGG (or some other reusable)?
What do you think?
m o r e (opting for organic across the board)
Organic can get a bad rep for being pricey, but I've found that shopping for produce at the farmers' market is pretty darn reasonable (though it's been so long since I got veggies at the grocery store, living in Southern California where so much is always in season), that I can't even remember. But I get a head of bunch of bok choy or carrots for a buck or buck fifty. And even if I were to pay more than for conventional counterparts, I'm totally willing to invest in sustainable agriculture and small farmers if it means a few more dollars in the bank not going toward mass production, monocrops, soil degradation, and poor environmental and human health. Oh, and a summer peach from a stall that was picked that day or the day before and not treated with chemicals tastes so much better! (And there's looking for packaged products that have the certified organic seal--there's wheat and pasta and oats that are grown organically too.)
So, here are two campaigns afoot in the rally for organics:
Rodale Institute's Demand Organic. Its research shows that organic passes the muster in terms of performance and its ability to feed the world while doing it good. Here's all the dirt on why organic farming is important.
Organic Consumers Association. This is the place to take action for organics. And, specifically, its Coming Clean Organic Body Care Campaign is all about making what we put on our bodies clean, safe and good for us and all around. After all, what we slather on gets absorbed by our skin and all those petroleum-based and scary chems can't be good for Mother Nature either.
It asks that you boycott brands that don't have the official organic seal because the seal is really the only way to ensure a company is the real deal in terms of its ingredients. I think that's a good idea, to support the brands that are taking their committment to the official level, however, I know of some startups too that can't afford the certification...yet. (Same as at the farmers' market, some stalls may not be certified, but if you talk to the sellers, they'll assure you they're truly spray-free.) But since the FDA doesn't regulate what goes into the bottles and tubes in our medicine cabinet, I can see why the organic label is an important signifier.
I was surprised to see some really well-known brands on the boycott list like Avalon Organics and Nature's Gate--and looking at those links to the Skin Deep Database dish on their products, I can see why they don't make the cut. (It's also interesting that a quick google search of organic personal care brings up others on OCA's no-no list.)
According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, there are over 10,000 chemicals in personal care products today. Here are the real baddies to look out for. And I really like the Environmental Working Group's PDF shopping guide for what to avoid when you're in the personal care aisle.
As for me, I get all my produce from the farmers' market except on some rare occasions. Most of it is organic and when it's not, I figure I'm opting for local, which is a good thing too.
In the personal care department, most of what I use is organic or at least has organic and natural ingredients. If it's more expensive, at least I figure I'm putting my money where my mouth is and doing right by me and the planet at the same time. I also figure it makes me more creative about making it last and using one product for more applications.
My staples:
*Organic jojoba oil bought in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs. I use it for baths, for moisturizing, for body rubs and on the occasions I wear mascara, as a makeup remover. (I love the green clay mask in bulk there as well.)
*Aubrey Organics. While not certified organic, some of the stuff inside this line I love is organic and the rest are "natural." At least it gets a low score from Skin Deep.
*When I can afford it, I love to treat myself to Terresentials fragrance-free lotion, which is certified organic. As is my more budget choice, Dr. Bronner's, which also gets the seal.
*Anything from Badger Balm is usda organic, including my favorites: sleep balm, foot balm, and lip balm.
*I like Alaffia's shea butter soaps and plain old shea butter because it takes care to be Fair Trade but am intrigued and excited about Purely Shea, which is on the OCA's list to support. I use shea butter for really dry skin and for my hair.
*For shampoo and conditioner, I use lavera, and for deodorant, it's Terra Naturals.
And, you've gotta have a Preserve toothbrush that is closed loop recycled and recyclable.
Inspiration Elsewhere:
Angela at My Year Without Spending is taking on her medicine cabinet and beginning the journey of going organic.
And Abby at New Urban Habitat has fabulous ideas for simplifying your personal care routine by discovering DIY.
m o r e (thrifting taken to the next level)
So getting a new dress everyday doesn't sound so eco, right? But what if the dress is from a thrift store every time? And what if your entire wardrobe budget for the year is only $365, a dollar a day for those dresses?
Such is the experiment of Marisa at New Dress a Day (which I heard about from a colleage at Your Daily Thread).
This trendsetter has mad sewing chops and can turn the dowdiest dress into something completely different--and fabulous.
And while you may not go quite to the extent she has, I think anybody with a sewing machine and some crafting spirit would be inspired by what she's doing--to buy secondhand to save money while eschewing new duds (and everything associated with them from terrible sweatshop conditions to harmful pesticides and dyes to transport emissions).
I've been sporting secondhand clothes since the end of high school, but in a more deliberate way over the last few years. Only recently have I started incorporating sustainable wears from sample sales nearby and the occasional exception for mainstream clothes when, for instance, I need a pair of pants and can't find them eco or vintage. But if I could thread a needle like some friends of mine can (and my husband), I'd be able to go nuts with this. (That majorly failed seventh grade sweatshirt project unfortunately really scarred me.)
I hope you can find inspiration and turn a mumu into a masterpiece.
I'm thinking this could come in handy for men and kids as well. (I love the concept of the kids' vintage store near me to bring Craiglisting and thrift store finds under one roof: Grow Kid Grow.)
And there are other tricky things to do with thrift store fabric for a craftster too.
m o r e (spring goings on)
I am so glad it's spring. Because spring means planting, it means hope, it means more time outside, it means renewal.
Here's how it showed up outside my apartment door:
The nasturtiums that got neglected in our fall move rose up out of the dirt and pots on top of them to bloom. And bloom beautifully! So we've revived and moved them and promise to take better care of them fighters. I was first introduced to these flowers when I worked at TreePeople and they covered the ground under the canopy of trees on my walk to the office (which was a yurt--not bad for a desk job, eh?). It was there also that I learned you can eat the flowers! Bon apetit to a spring salad with greens and edible petals.
And the ornamental plum tree that had been leafless all winter began to send out delicate, cheery pink blossoms. First I saw one, then another, then counted everyday, then stopped counting and just enjoyed the bounty of blossomed branches. The finches are having a heyday.
Other things on my radar this spring:
Earth Hour is this Saturday, March 27th. Showing support for the planet is as easy as flipping a switch. A light switch. Shut off your lights and other buzzing things for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30, to join people all over the world who care about climate change and creating a sustainable future. There are events all over the globe and even big landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge have been known to shut down for the cause. You could also spend that hour or whole night in the dark to celebrate the spring equinox, light candles, sip something sweet, share stories, or look at the stars.
Earth Day is a month away. And this April 22nd is the 40th anniversary. (Here's a little article from its founder on how it got started and a quiz to test your knowledge about the day.) Are you doing something special? Planting a tree? Attending a fair or clean-up? Making a pledge to do your part? Our team over at Your Daily Thread has created a go green boot camp designed to turn eco zeroes into eco heroes. In other words, to give you the tools you need to get in tip top environmental shape in honor of earth month. You can sign up here if that tickles your fancy and makes you want to get moving.
A final spring aside: I've been enjoying eating and drinking... dandelions. Dandelions are in full force this time or year (as I'm reminded on my daily walks and by the post about them at new urban habitat). But if you don't grow this "weed" on your own, you can always buy the leaves at the farmers' market as I have been so you know they're organic, local, and grown in good soil. You can also purchase Dandy Blend tea, which was recommended to me by my naturopath and is a super substitute for anyone going off coffee. I haven't had coffee for years, but in my experience it definitely conjures the rich aroma of the real stuff--delish! Dandelions are health-promoting and especially good for the liver--and I've heard it said spring is the perfect time to give that organ a little support if you're not into the whole extreme detox thing. Here's a great post about what our livers do for us and what we can do for them in terms of nutrition.
What do you have on the menu for spring?
See you next week!
m o r e (real small films)
While I haven't seen The Hurt Locker (only heard good things), I was happy to hear that the first woman ever was awarded the best director honor at the Academy Awards last weekend. It turns out two of my favorite directors are women. There's Susanne Bier (if I only count her Danish films--like After the Wedding and Open Hearts).
And there's Kelly Reichardt (pictured).
Two films of hers in particular, Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy, are the ones I've seen and have stuck with me.
Even not being a dog person, I was incredibly moved by the relationship drifter Wendy had with her dog and completely engrossed by her experiences and desperation at the possibility of losing her.
These movies are different from mainstreamers and even other indies, really slow and quiet. They are both a sort of road movie, which I already have a soft spot for. They are small in scope, and they feel like meditations--on friendship, on being stuck, on moving on, modern life and on our interdependence.
And the shots of both natural world and mandmade are beautiful and captivating.
Here's a trailer for Old Joy:
And here's the site for Wendy and Lucy if you want to take a peek; trailer found here.
Finally, an interview with Reichardt about W&L.
I highy recommend them both. Enjoy.
"The problem is that nature, the independent force that has surrounded us since our earliest days, cannot coexist with our numbers and our habits. We may well be able to create a world that can support our numbers and our habits, but it will be an artificial world, a space station.
Or, just possibly, we could change our habits...
if we now, today, limited our numbers and our desires and our ambitions, perhaps nature could someday resume its independent working. Perhaps the temperature could someday adjust itself to its own setting, and the rain fall of its own accord."
Bill McKibben
From The End of Nature, 1989.
m o r e (organic moms)
In honor of one of my dearest friends having a baby last week, I thought I'd share my favorite thing to get women when I find out they're pregnant: Mambino Organics.
Could come in handy for spring and summer baby showers...
The hottest ticket is the oh baby! belly butter. Like all Mambino's products, it's made from natural, soothing botanicals blended to perfection. This one's specifically used for softening skin, soothing itch, and restoring elasticity.
I can attest to the husband-wife-team behind the brand as my own main squeeze knows one half and I've visited the warehouse where the magic happens myself. Care and attention are put into every detail--like air purifiers running to make sure the products remain hygenic and pristine. (A true family business, on the day I was there, one set of parents was there helping out.) And the fresh, sweet citrusy scent is incredible!
Maki, the woman of the team who masterminded the line uses the wisdom from her childhood in Serbia combined with training as an esthetician. More on Mambino Organic's philosophy here.
And there's a whole roundup of products for mom and baby alike like nursing balm and little bottoms baby ointment.
m o r e (burning cookware questions answered)
Unfortunately, I've been using nonstick muffin pans since I got married, seven and some years ago, back when I wasn't yet privy to the noxiousness of nonstick.
(Nonstick surfaces coated with Teflon are pretty dangerous when exposed to high heat--the fumes can even kill pet birds! Read more on toxic nonstick here).
While I've shunned nonstick cooking pans for a long time (see my efficient, healthy cookware here), it just didn't click with the muffin tins that I bake with almost once a week. Until recently when I decided it was high time. (Here are some suggestions on how to reuse discarded nonstick pans if you do the same.)
So I thought about it and did some research. I came up with wanting a solid stainless steel pan, but after searching local independent stores, then chains like Sur La Table, then online, all I could find was an aluminum version with a stainless steel coating. Was this safe? Was the coating enough?
I decided this was a good time to give GreenAnswers.com a try. There, you ask the community a question and you get answers. And you can give them too.
I got this answer which states I'm probably safe with the coating but encouraged to get cast iron. A good, thorough answer to my question. I was pleased.
My only problem is that while I love my cast iron skillet, for muffins, Lodge only carries ones that hold six and it is pretty darned heavy to boot. I think I'm going to stick with the stainless steel coating, but I'm not totally thrilled with the compromise.
Do you have any suggestions/muffin pan secrets to share?
Or questions to submit at GreenAnswers?
Finally, here's Eartheasy's roundup on healthy cookware.
Photo credit: dothezonk
m o r e (seeds that matter)
Spring is just about here. Where I live, I can tell by the smell of jasmine and sound of birds and by the plum blossoms on the tree outside my apartment.
And spring means planting. So if you're getting your hands dirty in a victory, recession, kitchen, or container garden, you're going to need some seeds.
Here are three purveyors of sustainable varieties:
*Seeds of Change has over a thousand certified organic seeds. It has a research farm where it grows and studies and collects seeds, with this goal:
"to produce the finest open-pollinated varieties to share with our fellow gardeners and farmers."
*Seed Savers Exchange has been saving heirloom seeds for over 30 years. It's a non-profit working to preserve seeds and pass them down from generation to generation so we don't lose the foods our great, great, great grandparents ate all over the world and brought here. 25,000 of them, in fact.
*Slow Food's Ark of Taste is a catalog of 200 of the most delicious foods that face extinction.
Why does this matter?
Biodiversity is a big deal. According to Sustainable Table:
"About 7,000 different species of plants have been raised as food crops in the history of human agriculture. Yet in part because of modern tendencies towards mass production, only fifteen plant and eight animal species are now relied upon for about 90% of all human food."
If we're relying on monocultures of only a few crops for our food supply, that makes it susceptible to pests and diseases. Plus, we could lose all that diversity, all that goodness, all those interesting menu choices.
Here's a brief list of what to plant in early spring and after the last chance of frost. And a guide for what to plant now, whenever now is. (Both from Mother Earth News.)
What are you planting this spring? And where do you get your seeds?
Photo credit: organicgardeningassociation
