I drink a lot of water. Easily 1-2 glasses before work, 5-6 bottles during the day, and another 4 glasses over the evening. That could easily add up to a lot waste, with plastic bottles and the effects of shipping water to me, and a pretty significant cost. One of the easiest changes I've made is that I keep a glass bottle at work and fill it with tap water. Like most of the United States, we live in an area with clean, tasty water. Easy switch to keep a whole bunch of waste at bay!
And as a bonus, the water is at the other end of the hall, so I get to stretch my legs while I go get it!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Cosmetics: Where do I start?
Other than food, the items I buy and replace most often are cosmetics and toiletries. This, combined with the fact that the switch to organic and more natural products in this area doesn't necessarily add much in terms of cost, is why it seems like a great place to focus some energy on finding better products.
I started doing this last year, when we ran out of conditioner. We'd previously used Bed Head Self Absorbed Shampoo and Conditioner for about 4 years (my husband has been using it for even longer). I should start by saying that we think they're great products, and have no issues with performance. But, as I did research on what I could do to be more eco- and health-friendly, I began to come across more and more references and reasons to avoid pthalates, phosphates, and sodium laurel sulfate (SLS). This research led me to the Skin Deep Database, which is a website that provides scorecards on cosmetics and personal care products. The Database ranks my beloved Bed Head products as 5 and 6- moderate toxicity. Much as I love them, I'm not really comfortable with that.
* Note: I am not a scientist or doctor, and I'm not saying that the research is conclusive. I'm just saying that I'd personally rather not take the chances with environmental damage and possible health issues.
So I decided that when I ran out of each product, I'd start trying more natural alternatives. So far, we've tried Nature's Gate (fine, but not amazing), Guud (smells amazing in bottle, but a little overwhelming once out), Desert Essence (smells amazing, but the texture is a bit gritty), and Kiss My Face (our current default, but neither of us loves it). I have a bottle of Acure conditioner in the wings to try out once our current bottle is used up. I have to say though, none of the products have truly wowed me.
I'm feeling the same way about cosmetics. I love the Laura Mercier products I use (I got hooked when I was looking for wedding makeup), but none of them score especially well on Skin Deep either. So far, I'm not as far into my search for a replacement, and I've decided to go a different route: I'm subscribed to Yuzen and GoodeBox. These are two "sample boxes" where I've subscribed (for a fee) to receive samples of products that align with their mission (in the case of Yuzen, adding a zen moment to my day, and for GoodeBox, natural and organic cosmetics and toiletries). I'm fairly new to the game, but really enjoying the process of getting the boxes and trying new products. To me, the ability to sample without buying a whole bottle, and with someone curating the choices, is completely worth the cost.
What do you think of natural and organic cosmetics and toiletries? Do your recommend any brands?
I started doing this last year, when we ran out of conditioner. We'd previously used Bed Head Self Absorbed Shampoo and Conditioner for about 4 years (my husband has been using it for even longer). I should start by saying that we think they're great products, and have no issues with performance. But, as I did research on what I could do to be more eco- and health-friendly, I began to come across more and more references and reasons to avoid pthalates, phosphates, and sodium laurel sulfate (SLS). This research led me to the Skin Deep Database, which is a website that provides scorecards on cosmetics and personal care products. The Database ranks my beloved Bed Head products as 5 and 6- moderate toxicity. Much as I love them, I'm not really comfortable with that.
* Note: I am not a scientist or doctor, and I'm not saying that the research is conclusive. I'm just saying that I'd personally rather not take the chances with environmental damage and possible health issues.
What do you think of natural and organic cosmetics and toiletries? Do your recommend any brands?
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Low-Impact Giving: Mother's Day Edition
As someone who doesn't like waste, and is focused on being a bit more conscious about my choices, I run up against a bit of a wall when I want to give presents. I want to give people things that they LOVE. I've had a hard time coming up with thrifty and eco-friendly gifts that the recipient will be glad to get. That's why I'm so proud of my idea to give gardening time for this Mother's Day!
My mom loves her garden, but it's a never-ending pile of work. This year, my husband and I are giving her a couple of hours of yard-work, to be used however she wants. I'm really happy I've found something that's actually of service to her, doesn't produce waste, and will result in a happier, more bountiful garden!
UPDATE: this may become a Mother's Day tradition. It's the perfect time of year to help get the garden in order, and my mom really appreciated getting the help to spread out the work!
My mom loves her garden, but it's a never-ending pile of work. This year, my husband and I are giving her a couple of hours of yard-work, to be used however she wants. I'm really happy I've found something that's actually of service to her, doesn't produce waste, and will result in a happier, more bountiful garden!
UPDATE: this may become a Mother's Day tradition. It's the perfect time of year to help get the garden in order, and my mom really appreciated getting the help to spread out the work!
Reducing Meat Consumption
My husband and I don't generally eat hugely meat-centered meals, but we do regularly include meat as one of the many foods on our plate. I have considered several ways to change our meat consumption to better align with my goals of eating food that is good for me and good for the planet.
(1) Eating less meat. Meat takes more resources per serving to produce, so reducing consumption reduces the net resources needed to provide us a meal.
(2) Eating sustainably/ organically raised meats. I don't feel comfortable eating meat where I don't have the ability to research the treatment of the animals and they type of foods that they have been provided. I've found that switching most of our grocery shopping to Whole Foods helps with this, as they provide information on the animal's treatment as part of the display at their meat counter. I've also found pre-packaged organic meats at Costco, as well as frozen varieties of sustainably caught fish (see the SeaFood Watch list for a list of sustainable fish choices for your area).
(3) Evaulating my restaurant choices. We're lucky enough to live in a metro area where it's fairly common practice for restaurants to source sustainably and locally. Spoon and Trowel is a great resource for finding restaurants like this across the country. Chinook Book also requires restaurants to meet their sustainability standards in order to be listed.
However, to be totally fair, I haven't completely overhauled our eating habits in any way. I've done the best with #2- we really don't ever buy non-organic meats to cook at home any more, and we try to do the best we can on making sure that they're sustainable. That said, we still probably eat about the same amount of meat as we always have, and I don't always think about the quality and provenance of meat when we eat out. I'm a work in progress :)
We did have a wonderful meal last night though, and I doube anyone would notice the fact that there's no meat in it. We served this soup with a fresh baguette for dipping:
Pesto Minestrone, Adapted from Pasta: A Cook's Encyclopedia
Chop 1 onion, 1 large carrot and 2 celery sticks. Saute with olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.
While that's cooking, chop 1 potato (I used red), a small handful green beans (1-2 inches once chopped), 2 small zucchini, and 1/2 a small cabbage. Add to the pan, saute about 5 more minutes.
Chop 1 small eggplant, 2 roma tomatoes. Add to pan with 1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed). Saute 3 more minutes.
Add 5 cups veggie broth, salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer 40 minutes.
Add 1 handful small pieces pasta, cook 4 more minutes (10 if you're using whole wheat pasta).
Top with a dollop of pesto, and serve with bread.
(1) Eating less meat. Meat takes more resources per serving to produce, so reducing consumption reduces the net resources needed to provide us a meal.
(2) Eating sustainably/ organically raised meats. I don't feel comfortable eating meat where I don't have the ability to research the treatment of the animals and they type of foods that they have been provided. I've found that switching most of our grocery shopping to Whole Foods helps with this, as they provide information on the animal's treatment as part of the display at their meat counter. I've also found pre-packaged organic meats at Costco, as well as frozen varieties of sustainably caught fish (see the SeaFood Watch list for a list of sustainable fish choices for your area).
(3) Evaulating my restaurant choices. We're lucky enough to live in a metro area where it's fairly common practice for restaurants to source sustainably and locally. Spoon and Trowel is a great resource for finding restaurants like this across the country. Chinook Book also requires restaurants to meet their sustainability standards in order to be listed.
However, to be totally fair, I haven't completely overhauled our eating habits in any way. I've done the best with #2- we really don't ever buy non-organic meats to cook at home any more, and we try to do the best we can on making sure that they're sustainable. That said, we still probably eat about the same amount of meat as we always have, and I don't always think about the quality and provenance of meat when we eat out. I'm a work in progress :)
We did have a wonderful meal last night though, and I doube anyone would notice the fact that there's no meat in it. We served this soup with a fresh baguette for dipping:
Pesto Minestrone, Adapted from Pasta: A Cook's Encyclopedia
Chop 1 onion, 1 large carrot and 2 celery sticks. Saute with olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.
While that's cooking, chop 1 potato (I used red), a small handful green beans (1-2 inches once chopped), 2 small zucchini, and 1/2 a small cabbage. Add to the pan, saute about 5 more minutes.
Chop 1 small eggplant, 2 roma tomatoes. Add to pan with 1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed). Saute 3 more minutes.
Add 5 cups veggie broth, salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer 40 minutes.
Add 1 handful small pieces pasta, cook 4 more minutes (10 if you're using whole wheat pasta).
Top with a dollop of pesto, and serve with bread.
Why I don't use Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
Based on that great experience, I started searching for other home cleaning products I could make. The one that seemed most similar was a homemade dishwasher detergent. We've been using the Cascade pods for 3 years and love them- they get everything off and leave glasses completely clear. I didn't feel like they needed replacing, but thought I'd try for fun, and if it made for a cheaper and more eco-friendly option, even better.
The recipe I used included borax, washing soda, Lemi-Shine, and salt (I'm not linking to the recipe because it didn't work for me).
I have to say, I don't know if the Lemi-Shine we got had turned or was defective, but it smelled awful. Almost rancid. And since it was the only ingredient with a smell, the whole mix reeked. Didn't seem great, but with so many good reviews online I figured it must work and maybe we could get past the smell?
I loaded the washer with 1 Tbsp of the detergent, filled the rinse container with white vinegar, and was ready to be super impressed.
It was a significant letdown. The glasses were cloudy after just once wash. The dishes were mostly clean, but there was still residue. Maybe there's a better recipe out there, but for now we're sticking with our non-stinky, effective Cascade pods.
Homemade Laundry Detergent
I can't remember where the idea to make my own laundry detergent came from- maybe Pinterest? In any case, it was mostly designed to help me distract myself instead of studying back during Law School. I was really happy with our use of Woolite Dark and Downy- our clothes didn't fade, and were nicely soft and scented after washing and drying. But it sounded interesting, so I thought "why not?"
I Googled a few recipes, and ended up deciding that the following was the most common recipe, so it must work:
1 bar soap, grated
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup OxyClean
I went to the local grocery store and picked up all the ingredients (I was convinced I wouldn't be able to find things like washing soda or borax, but they were all in the store). Most of the recipes called for Fels-Naptha soap, and since it's a soap designed for laundry I almost went with it. A few of the recipes mentioned that they were avoiding it because it wasn't vegan, and were using Dr. Bronner's soap instead. I've been trying to decrease my use of animal products, so I decided to go with the Dr. Bronner's. A nice bonus is that there are a variety of scents to choose from (I use almond).
After I got my supplies, I called my mom to ask to use her food processor (we don't have one, or a cheese grater). She thought I was crazy, but let me pulverize the soap (it will get almost powder-like if you put it in there long enough, unless it's a super hot day). I mixed everything together, and was all set.
For the last year or so, I've been using 1Tbsp per load (in our HE washer), with about 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle as a fabric softener, and our clothes have never looked better. I haven't noticed any fading or discoloration, and they're still soft and comfortable. They're very clean- I think the homemade detergent actually gets stains out better!
The one downfall is that the clothes come out smelling very slightly of vinegar. A lot of the people writing the recipes I found online said that they don't smell it at all, so I may be super sensitive, but it could be an issue for you if you're vinegar averse. I have found that the smell disappears if the clothes sit out while cooling from the dryer (less than 1 hour). Since I don't usually fold things and put them away right after they come out this has solved the issue for me.
Update (8/20/2014): We're still going strong with the homemade detergent more than a year later. I did recieve a sample of Norwex brand laundry detergent from hosting a Norwex party. Norwex is a very eco-conscious brand and I was impressed with the detergent's performance. If I didn't already have a big bin of pulverized soap to use up, I would consider switching. It is more expensive than making my own detergent, at $.54/load or $21.99 for a 40-load bag, but it works very well.
I Googled a few recipes, and ended up deciding that the following was the most common recipe, so it must work:
1 bar soap, grated
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup OxyClean
I went to the local grocery store and picked up all the ingredients (I was convinced I wouldn't be able to find things like washing soda or borax, but they were all in the store). Most of the recipes called for Fels-Naptha soap, and since it's a soap designed for laundry I almost went with it. A few of the recipes mentioned that they were avoiding it because it wasn't vegan, and were using Dr. Bronner's soap instead. I've been trying to decrease my use of animal products, so I decided to go with the Dr. Bronner's. A nice bonus is that there are a variety of scents to choose from (I use almond).
After I got my supplies, I called my mom to ask to use her food processor (we don't have one, or a cheese grater). She thought I was crazy, but let me pulverize the soap (it will get almost powder-like if you put it in there long enough, unless it's a super hot day). I mixed everything together, and was all set.
For the last year or so, I've been using 1Tbsp per load (in our HE washer), with about 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle as a fabric softener, and our clothes have never looked better. I haven't noticed any fading or discoloration, and they're still soft and comfortable. They're very clean- I think the homemade detergent actually gets stains out better!
The one downfall is that the clothes come out smelling very slightly of vinegar. A lot of the people writing the recipes I found online said that they don't smell it at all, so I may be super sensitive, but it could be an issue for you if you're vinegar averse. I have found that the smell disappears if the clothes sit out while cooling from the dryer (less than 1 hour). Since I don't usually fold things and put them away right after they come out this has solved the issue for me.
Update (8/20/2014): We're still going strong with the homemade detergent more than a year later. I did recieve a sample of Norwex brand laundry detergent from hosting a Norwex party. Norwex is a very eco-conscious brand and I was impressed with the detergent's performance. If I didn't already have a big bin of pulverized soap to use up, I would consider switching. It is more expensive than making my own detergent, at $.54/load or $21.99 for a 40-load bag, but it works very well.
Greening Your Home: Houseplants
I love my home. It's clean, modern and new (ish, it's from 2005). But being in a new space has a few pitfalls that plague me in the winter. Most specifically, dry air.
I find that if I don't slather on moisturizer, drink lots of water, and hope for the best, my skin is dry and I'm constantly parched. Part of it is that it's a new building without any moisture intrusion issues (knock on wood), and part of it is that our ceilings are 14 feet tall, so there's a lot of space for moisture to dissipate.
I've found that in addition to the water, moisturizer, and a major humidifier, having plants in the house makes a huge difference. Aesthetically, I love the impact they make, but they also provide cleaner air, and the moisture in the soil helps keep the room's moisture in the air more level.
Unfortunately, there don't seem to be many resources out there for people who have (a) a modern space and (b) cats. I'm not going to promise success, since I'm still fairly new at this, but, here are some plants that I have found to be fairly easy for a novice, fit our space, and haven't killed our (very interested and nibbly) kitties:
- Orchids
- Sanseveria (or Mother in Law's Tongue)
- Ponytail Plant (although our cats like to trim the leaves off)
- Christmas Cactus
- African Violets (not as modern, but fairly easy to grow) (our cats also like to trim the leaves and flowers off this)
I have pothos and philodendron in my office at work- both are NASA approved to clean air and very easy to grow, but unfortunately are not cat friendly.
Note: the plant in the photo is a money plant- this is not cat friendly and was disposed of right after this picture was taken.
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