GreenDivas

Green Divas Blog is Moving . . .

2009-02-04T13:41:00.002-05:00

Hi Green Diva Bloggers!

We are slooooooowly migrating our content to our new URL - TheGreenDivas.com. That site is also set up as a blog, but there are a couple of odd quirks we are working out. I've posted a few new posts there, but we aren't quite ready for full-scale launch.

Please visit it, bookmark it and we hope to add all kinds of groovy features, including podcasts of our Green Diva Radio Shows.

Please check in here for updates and of course, until then . . .

eat. blog. be merry!
GD Meg

Recipe - Salmon Marbella

2009-01-22T13:34:00.002-05:00

Co-host of Green Divas Radio Show and foodie mentor, Green Diva Jen turned me on to the Silver Palate recipe for Chicken Marbella last year. I’ve had this cookbook forever, but I am not a huge fan of chicken, so I never tried this one.

Okay, every recipe as a story, right? I have to give a hearty blog shout-out to Jenifer’s Aunt Elaine, who introduced this staple into their family’s regular feast rotation years ago. I love Aunt Elaine for many reasons, but for introducing this recipe to Jen, I’m very grateful. Thanks Aunt Elaine.

After customizing the recipe (more garlic - of course - less wine, added dried cherries and sundried tomatoes), I made it with the chicken last year and my family loved it. This recipe has a full and robust blend of flavors from a mess of garlic and oregano to the capers, prunes, wine and vinegar. I LOVE the sauce. I just wasn’t in love with the chicken.

I started fantasizing about converting this for some type of fish. Here’s what I came up with . . . so far . . .

GD Meg’s Salmon Marbella Recipe

Ingredients
1 - 2 pounds salmon fillet (w/ skin on)
5 or 6 cloves garlic crushed
1/4 c. dried oregano
3/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 - 1 c. pitted prunes
1/4 c. dried cherries
1/4 c. sundried tomatoes (un marinated)
1/2 c. pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 c. capers (with some of the juice)
4 - 5 bay leavessalt & pepper to taste
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white wine
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Instructions
Mix together first 11 ingredients (everything but brown sugar, wine and cilantro) and get salmon marinating in the mix (we marinated for about an hour and it seemed to work).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put salmon and marinate in large glass baking dish, then sprinkle the brown sugar on top of salmon and pour white wine around it.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until the fattest part of the salmon is done in the middle.
Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice pilaf and maybe something green.

Eat. Blog. Be Merry!

GD Meg

Tea Time with Terra Keramik

2009-01-15T22:46:00.003-05:00

Anyone who spends any time with me knows I don’t go for more than an hour during daylight hours without a cup of tea. So, any opportunity to test new tea-related products is very welcome.

I received this beautiful blue mug from Terra Keramik, a socially and environmentally responsible ceramics manufacturer that uses renewable energy and energy efficient clays. Everything is designed and produced by Felix Volger, founder and creative director, who personally signs every piece in platinum. Apparently, the production of tableware can be seriously detrimental to the environment. Terra Keramik has gone to great lengths to minimize their impact on the environment. Read more about Terra Keramik’s sustainable manufacturing practices.

The tea/coffee mug in the picture above is indeed my very own, containing one of my very favorite green darjeeling teas from the Boston Tea Campaign. I love their loose teas, but I couldn’t enjoy it without my biodegradable t-sacs, which are essential to my loose tea ritual.
And yes, that is my cozy cat spooky snuggled on the pillow!

eat. blog. be merry!

GD Meg

Green Divas Back on the Internet Airwaves

2009-01-06T13:23:00.003-05:00

Green Divas Meg & Jen are thrilled to announce their return to their Internet Radio home-away-from-home, HomeGrownRadioNJ.com. We'll be doing a weekly, one-hour show every Thursday evening from 7 - 8pm EST.

Starting this Thursday, January 8!

Join us and hear some interesting bits, some musical bits, some funny bits and hopefully some informative bits about low-stress sustainable living. We are already lining up some awesome interviews from our local green heroes, to some very inspiring celebrity folks.

Click in, log on, listen up!

Happy HomeGrown Homecoming for the Green Divas!

5 Reasons to go Nuts (or eat them anyway)

2009-01-05T12:56:00.002-05:00

In addition to being a nut job, I am a nut lover. I really haven’t tasted a nut I didn’t like - even the peanut, which is technically a legume. I feel dreadfully sorry for those who have the dangerous nut allergy. My fiance has an allergy to chocolate, which I’m actually jealous of, but that’s for another post . . .

Some history about our hard-shelled friends
There is evidence that nuts have been around feeding us and our ancient ancestors since prehistoric times. The oldest evidence are some walnut remains which were found in Iraq and are thought to be over 50,000 years old!

The almond dates back to 3100-1100BC in the region around Turkey, Cyprus and Greece. By the way, did you know that almonds are related to peaches?

Pine nuts have been providing powerful nutrition to those living in the ‘Great Basin’ region of the US for many thousands of years. According to PineNut.com, “Understand that the pine nut was to the people of the Great Basin what the buffalo was to the plains people.”

Another popular nut (other than me with some of my friends) is the pistachio. These also have been getting cracked open and savored for thousands of years, dating back 7000 years or so to the Middle East. Long used along with almonds by travelers because of the compact, but potent nutritional value, this nut inspired some interesting legends, including one that says the Queen of Sheba declared it an exclusively ‘royal’ food, forbidding commoners to grow and eat it.

5 Reasons to Love Nuts

1. Nutritional Power Food- High in protein, fiber, antioxidants and monosaturated fat (good fat) - good for the heart, lowering blood pressure AND reducing risk for type 2 diabetes.

2. Weight Control - According to an article found in Johns Hopkins Health Alert, people who eat nuts are more likely to weigh less than those that don’t. (just remember moderation is key here)

3. Easy, Awesome Snack Food - I like to roast my own favorites and mix them up with dried fruits to make a custom trail mix.

4. Vegan and Raw Foodie Approved - If you are eating vegan or raw for reasons of health, ethics or to reduce your carbon stamp on the earth, nuts are essential. (but, I really don’t know about ‘locally’ grown in some regions - I think those of us in the north east would suffer a bit on this one) See my cashew yogurt recipe.

5. Excellent Party Food- Tis the season, so get creative or keep it simple! (Just make sure to let your guests know in case someone has an allergy)

Some nutty links:
Detailed Nutritional Chart for Various Nuts
More Details on Various Nuts + Recipes
My Favorite Nut Loaf Recipe (based on Crank’s cookbook)

eat. blog. be merry!

GD Meg

Best Earth-Friendly Bags of 2008

2008-12-29T14:37:00.003-05:00

I’m proud to be evolving into quite the eco-bag lady! I have amassed an amazing collection of various earth-friendly bags - canvas, bioplastic and organic cotton totes for shopping; a wonderfully useful computer bag made of recycled plastic bottles; and a couple of great purses that make a fashion statement while keeping all kinds of materials out of our landfills.

There are so many reasons to NOT use plastic or even paper bags for shopping and to adopt a few reusable bags to handle most shopping needs. There are also great reasons to buy some of these great funky stylish accessory bags that are made from recycled materials - keeping more non-biodegradable materials out of landfills.

The Eco-Bag Lady’s Picks for Best Eco-Bags of 2008

I have gotten so many bags as gifts, for review and I have even purchased a couple! It is hard to pick only a few, but these represent ones that I’ve not only tested and liked, but use frequently or regularly:

Save the Plastic Bottles - Save the World: Laptop Bag
In addition to using primarily a stainless steel water bottle these days, I did my part this year, by using a laptop bag that is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles! Act2 GreenSmart has a Bottles 2 Bags line that is awesome. Read my full review to get more details.

Eco-Bags for Style
gg2g has kept literally thousands of pounds of billboard materials out of our landfills, while creating a variety of chic bags. More on gg2g and other cool bags.

My very cool and frequently in use English Retreads purse is a social lubricant. It is as useful for carrying stuff as it is interesting to discuss. Read my full review of this great bag.

Shopping in Good Conscience
EcoBags has a series of great ‘totes’ for shopping and hauling stuff (read the review and see the awful picture of me), but they have partnered with DoSomething.org, an organization dedicated to empowering young people to take action in their communities, to create a great new bag - Yes We Can! Will! It is on sale for the holidays.

Oooooh, the Goody Green Bag is so cute! I’ve got Dottie and I love it. They fold up nice, neat and compact.

So many great bags . . . so little shopping to do!

eat. blog. be merry!
GD Meg

Best Organic Skincare of 2008

2008-12-20T20:09:00.004-05:00

I have had the wonderful privilege to test many natural and organic skincare products over the last couple of years. If I had any illusions about how sensitive my skin really is, they are now shattered. I’ve had adverse reactions to some of the most ‘clean’ sounding products out there. So, as I’ve said before in previous posts on skincare reviews, I am like the canary in the coal mine - if there is anything even slightly off about a product, my skin will react - with blooming color usually!

I still can’t keep all the ‘good for me’ from ‘you DON’T want this on your skin’ ingredients straight. I start breaking out in a rash trying to pronounce the name of some of these ingredients - both natural and synthetic. So, if you are wanting a breakdown of the ingredients and what to use and what not to use, please don’t expect that kind of detail here. I’ll give you a couple of good links at the end of the post for better resources.

I do look for simple, organic ingredients that are put together with some consciousness, which perhaps is why I do well with stuff made from biodynamically grown herbs. It is easy for me - it is either clean or I break out, but I would encourage others who may have heartier skin to do additional homework on safe ingredients.

Meg’s Organic Skincare Favs for 2008

Facial Cleanser
Right now and for quite a while, my one and only is Beyond Organic Skincare’s Natural Detoxifying Cleanser. It is a new experience in face washing - smooth, gentle. I always want to sigh when I’m done. They are one of the biodynamic farmer-based companies I really love, based in England.

Facial Hydration
Instead of using traditional ‘toner’ on my face, I’ve learned to use a gentle misting spray and so far, my very favorite are the Healing Hydration Mists from actress Marsha Mason’s biodynamic herb farm in New Mexico, Resting in the River. I had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Mason - read or watch the interview!

Facial Firming
I wouldn’t have necessarily tried this on my own, but the folks at Mod Skin Labs sent it to me and I fell in love with it - Face Sculpt Serum Excalibur DMAE & Blue Green Algea. I guess I’m in denial that I may be at an age where stuff like this can be helpful! I know there are similar products out there, but I have avoided them, because there seems to be a lot of harsh synthetic materials in them. Mod Skin is very clean.

Facial Moisturizing
For daily use, I’ve gotten very comfortable with Beyond Organic’s Organic Moisturizing Day Cream. Leaves my face feeling like soft, silky velvet. This is one of those products that can destroy my face, but Beyond Organics is so clear, I’ll keep using this one as long as possible!

Body Wash
Can’t say enough good things about Shea Terra Organic’s African Lemongrass Indigenous Black Soap Elixir. Well, it is a mouthful - who needs to say more? Honestly, it is a unique and divine experience. I don’t usually use body wash, other than my wonderful handmade soap from my local bee lady, but this soap made by the Yoruba Tribe of West Africa is exotic and amazing.

Body Scrub
Still on the Shea Terra Organics binge, their Miombo Mango Dead Sea Shea Butter Salt Scrub is going to become a regular fixture in my shower/bath.

Body Butter
Marsha Mason has created an amazing formula with her Healing Body butter from Resting in the River. Among the organic ingredients (including shea butter of course) is spilanthes flower, which has some amazing properties. Ms. Mason is among the few using it in her organic skincare lines.

eat. blog. be merry!

Green Gorilla Inspires Kids to Go Green

2008-12-15T11:58:00.004-05:00

The groovy animated kids in this series are fun, musical and informative. With the help of their mysterious Green Gorilla friend, they fight global climate change one issue at a time. This particular episode blows the lid of the topic of so-called 'clean coal'.

A great way to open up a dialog with kids about some of the complex issues they will inherit and be responsible for all too soon.

Share this fun message with kids of all ages!

eat. blog. be merry!

GD Meg

Taking Rubber Off the Road & Making it Fashionable!

2008-12-11T13:58:00.004-05:00

Yes. That is an image of me . . .

I got this English Retreads bag from one of my favorite green cyber-shopping spots, BuyGreen.com. I love BuyGreen.com because they do a fairly thorough evaluation of their products, reviewing and rating all aspects of a product’s sustainability. This bag got 49 on its sustainability score (see the details of how this bag was rated).

This bag is very simple, compact and works for basics - small wallet, some makeup, keys and cell phone. While it doesn’t have all those organizational bells, whistles and zippers on the inside, it pays off in ‘feel good’ points.

Who would’ve thought to make something so cool from stinky used tires?

Heather English, founder of English Retreads, came up with the idea while floating in an inner tube down a river in Colorado (all great ideas come from pure, relaxing moments like Heather’s!). Heather was and presumably still is a devoted vegan and wanted to find a great purse that didn’t involve leather. Taking the seemingly endless supply of tire inner tubes that plague our landfills and turning them into useful and stylish items is a brilliant stroke of recycling creativity.

In the 2 or 3 months I’ve been using this bag, I’ve had some pretty interesting conversations with strangers. WARNING: Don’t wear this bag if you don’t want to meet people! Actually, a few of my friends have already been inspired to purchase bags by English Retreads!

This particular bag - good for holiday gift perhaps?

Look for my eco-bag lady review of my favorite bags of 2008 coming later this month!

eat. blog. be merry!

Eco-Fashion Standards - the Answer to Fast Fashion

2008-11-28T09:04:00.003-05:00

You don’t have to be an eco-fashionista to see that there is a new sustainable sub-industry evolving in the fashion world and on Madison Avenue. There are shoes made from ex-Jeep bits, a wide variety of styles of clothes made from bamboo, organic cotton and now soy fibers.

Historically, the clothing manufacturing industry has served as the poster child for bad ethical behavior and unsustainable business practices. From sweatshops and unfair trade to the questionable materials used and shipped thousands of miles before landing in Wal-Mart.

Well, we are a demanding lot. ‘We’, the collective consumers in the US primarily, want lots of clothes, we only want them for maybe a year before tossing them, and we don’t want to pay much for them either. Over the past 10 years we have developed a hankering for fast fashion. Similar to fast food, fast fashion is quick, cheap and considered virtually disposable.
Some eye-popping facts about the garment industry:

According to the USDA, cotton is responsible for 25% of all the pesticides used in the US.

Due to the high demand and highly negative environmental impact of polyester and other synthetic textile production, the EPA under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act has classified textile manufacturing facilities as ‘hazardous waste generators’.

According to the UN Commodity Trade Statistics database,

Chinese manufactured clothing accounts for 30% of the global apparel exports. I don’t have the statistics on how much of that comes to the US, but I bet it is a large percentage of that 30% and folks, that is a long carbon footprint. Not to mention that China does not have the same standards for industrial pollution we do . . . or for fair working conditions . . .

Pietra Rivoli, a professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, surmised in her book The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy, that each year Americans buy 1 billion pieces of clothing made in China – that’s almost 4 items for each American!

The US National Labor Committee reports that some Chinese garment workers earn 12 – 18 cents per hour and work in dangerous and unhealthy conditions.

There is no way in a 500-word article to report all the various resources drained, toxins unleashed and how big and bad the giant carbon footprint of the industrial method to deliver fast fashion actually is. I’ll ask that you trust me on this or suggest doing further research on the topic. I’m more interested in talking about some of the innovators helping to make a dent of change in this industrial beast.

There are solutions!

Recycle. Reuse!
First of all, not enough can be said for the benefit of discovering your local consignment shop. My daughters and I have always been shameless used clothing lovers. Two clever moms created a booming franchise business called Milk Money, which offers used children’s clothing. It started as a way to create a solution for their own desire to share clothing with other mothers in their community and they ended up making a very chic environment within their stores that mothers and children enjoy lingering in.

Buy Local
Most of our clothes do a lot of travelling, which is not so good for the global carbon footprint. Whenever possible, find locally/regionally manufactured clothing. This may take a little homework, but some Internet sleuthing coupled with visits to small clothing stores may yield some interesting finds.

Know Where Your Garment Has Been
As I mentioned a few paragraphs ago, there is an increased demand for more sustainable clothing and there are thousands of innovators and entrepreneurs taking up the call to create eco-chic clothing that costs less in environmental and human terms. Maybe not so much less in terms of dollars, but as with any commodity, as the supply increases to meet the demand, the pricing will come down. Meanwhile, I’d rather have fewer garments that are thoughtfully made than a closet full of fast fashion.

Two notable companies have created transparency in their manufacturing chains and offer consumers a way to track the origins of their garment and its trip to their closet or drawer. There are probably many following suit, but these are ones that I have direct experience with in terms of reviewing their product and tracing the trail of the clothes they sent me:

· Icebreakers – Icebreaker CEO Jeremy Moon says sustainability has been a non-negotiable part of the company’s core philosophy since it was founded in 1994. Since then, Icebreaker has emerged as an innovator in merino-based outdoor layering systems, claiming to be the first apparel company in the world to source merino direct from growers. Icebreaker CEO Jeremy Moon says sustainability has been a non-negotiable part of the company’s core philosophy since it was founded in 1994. Since then, Icebreaker has emerged as an innovator in merino-based outdoor layering systems, claiming to be the first apparel company in the world to source merino direct from growers. (read my review of the Icebreaker hoodie and the Baacode)

· Bernardo Green – Bernardo Fashions has developed a sustainable clothing line, called Bernardo Green, which is an eco-friendly suede collection made of biodegradable materials. One of the things Bernardo Fashion is known for is being the innovator of washable suede. Bernardo sticks primarily to outerwear. Bernardo Green offers a ‘code’ which allows trackability of the garment and its entire journey. (reach my review of the awesome Bernardo Green suede jacket)Green Standards?

As I review more and more ‘green’ products these days, I’m kind of baffled that there isn’t more of a standardized rating system. I googled ‘green product standards’ and I found the Green Seal of course, which is great for paper products and cleaners. The EPA even has a database for information on environmental products and services - if you go there and you can figure out what the standards are and actually find product lists, please let me know! It’s a little confusing.

BuyGreen.com seems to have a rating system that works. It is a flexible system and offers an opportunity to become more educated about certain types of products and their inherent characteristics in terms of their basic product life cycle. It lends itself well to clothing products.
The four main categories are designed to rate a product from ‘cradle to grave’ and represent a product’s ‘basic lifecycle’. The categories used are: source material, manufacturing, use, and disposal. Every product offered on their website uses a rating box, which has all four of these categories represented by an icon. If the product meets or exceeds that category’s requirements, it will be displayed in color. If not, it is there, but in grey.

There is also a number rating for overall green attributes 1 - not so many: 100 - lots of good green attributes.

You can see an example of this on the image [at the top of this post]. Note that this hemp blouse, has a fairly good rating.

eat. blog. be merry!

GD Meg

the Power of Pomegranates

2008-11-17T12:08:00.004-05:00

I’ve always been thoroughly fascinated with this fruit. The texture and cool demeanor of these seeds makes it almost impossible not to want to pinch them between your fingers and find ways to play with them. These complex little gems sometimes remind me of candy and other times of great colored corn kernels.

This ancient Medditeranean and Middle-Eastern fruit was the legend of Greek myths for its health benefits and Chinese medical practitioners recognize the juice for its help in promoting longevity. Western science has been catching up for the past few years with hundreds of studies on the health benefits of the pomegranate. The seeds, also known in more technical nutritional/botanical circles as ‘arils’ are packed with antioxidants.

Nutritional qualities and potential health benefits . . .

While some studies are still underway, pomegranate (or juice of) has been credited with preventing or inhibiting prostate and breast cancer; reducing several key heart disease risk factors; assisting in blood sugar challenges, including diabetes; protection against rheumatoid arthritis; and I have seen it referenced stringently at least once that it helps with erectile dysfunction. While that last one causes a few ponderous and probably silly thoughts, the most fascinating one to me is that it may inhibit the bacteria that causes dental plaque! I spend a lot of extra time with my favorite dental hygienist because I seem to have excessive plaque buildup, and if pomegranate juice can spare me even a few minutes in the chair, I’m paying attention!

Pomegranates are now being touted as one of the hot new “super foods” that both tastes good and is good for you. Nutritional research confirms that pomegranates contain minerals such as calcium, potassium, and iron, plus compounds known as phytonutrients. The powerful antioxidants in the fruit also help slow down that crazy aging process and can destroy almost twice as many free radicals as red wine and seven times as many as green tea. Here’s one benefit that along with the dental thing makes me want to eat these magical fruits every day - some researchers suggest that the crunchy seeds help flush fats from the digestive tract.

What you probably didn’t know about pomeganates . . .

pomegranates are used for natural dyeing

pomegranates are the official logo of many cities in Turkey

the pomegranate is one of the main symbols of Armenia representing fertility, marriage and abundance

the pomegranate is a powerful religious symbol showing up in Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions

The pomegranate growers in California have a nice website loaded with facts and pomegranate recipes. Honestly, I haven’t cooked with pomegranate in long enough that I can’t pull anything out of the memory banks. I was inspired to write this post because I’ve been seeing a lot about the amazing benefits of this fruit - and it is attached to this season, although it is most certainly NOT a regional food for those of us in the north east!

After reading and researching all this, I’m going to change that. I’ll get back to you with a good Green Diva tested recipe soon.

eat. blog. be merry!

GD Meg

Willie Nelson's Letter to Barack Obama - Save Sustainable Family Farms

2008-11-10T16:08:00.005-05:00

Got another wonderful email from Willie Nelson last week . . .

I really love and appreciate the work Willie Nelson is doing with Farm Aid and the letter he wrote to our new president-elect, Barack Obama, which beautifully articulates the need to pay attention to family farmers. While there are so many urgent issues looming and competing for airspace for our new president, I can’t agree with Willie more that support of family and smaller local/regional farm systems can be part of the solution for many of the challenges that plague our country.

Family farms and regional farming systems help reduce the food production carbon footprint in so many ways, not the least of which is that it travels less of a distance if it is supporting a defined regional area.

If you visit your local farm stands and farmer’s markets and have ever belonged to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, you have come to respect if not love your local farmers - and for good reason!

Thank you Willie for continuing to make noise (and great music) on this issue!

Willie’s letter . . .

Dear President-elect Barack Obama,

As President of Farm Aid, I’d like to take this opportunity to whole-heartedly congratulate you on your historic victory. I’d also like to offer you every resource that Farm Aid has available to assist you in creating a new farm and food policy that supports a sustainable family farm system of agriculture.

I started Farm Aid in 1985 when family farmers were being forced off their land as a result of federal policy that paved the way for industrial agriculture. This shift replaced independent family farmers with factory farms that have wreaked havoc on our communities, our environment and our public health.

There is broad agreement that our farm and food system needs to be drastically reworked…

Please click here to read the rest of Willie’s letter to President-Elect Obama.

Thank you Willie and thank you Mr. President-Elect!

eat. blog. be merry!

GD Meg

Ron Howard for Obama

2008-10-29T14:19:00.002-04:00

Go Opie and Andy!

Ron Howard visits some familiar TV characters to help make a great pitch for Obama.

I could feel old for being familiar with these guys, but Ron Howard is still older (and balder) than me. He is much cooler than me, but not sure what the Fonz has to say about that!

Watch this hysterical, but poignant video and watch Ron reach into the past to help create hope in the future.

eat. vote. be merry!

GD Meg

Brook There - Eco-Fashion from Maine

2008-10-28T12:38:00.002-04:00

I am so in love with this ‘tubeshirt’ from Brook There! I’ve been really wanting to shift my wardrobe to more natural and sustainable and sustainably manufactured clothes. While I have had access to some of the latest eco-fashion trends, this is the first time I’ve tried bamboo.
Bamboo is an amazing textile source. I found these bamboo towels that start out in a small, dry poker-chip sized package - add water and they become soft, versatile towels for kitchen, bathroom, travel, whatever! the Go! Towel was my first introduction to the wonders of bamboo fibers. I was and remain very impressed with the towels, but had not, until now tried any clothing.

I’ve been blessed with one of these tubeshirts and I am stunned by the softness and the hang of the fabric! I want one in every color - and maybe 2 in black. The best part may be the little reinforced (by cute polka-dotted satiny fabric) thumb holes.

The wonder of bamboo is that unlike many other synthetic fabrics it will biodegrade. This is unfortunate for me and I live in terror of this shirt biodegrading before I’m done with it. I have a tendency to love some of my non-biodegradable clothing to shreds!

Brook There is based in Maine and all their design and production is done there. Maybe that brisk, fresh northern New England air is infused in this garment. Maybe that is part of what I love about it. Perhaps it brings back the breezy memories of summers in Maine. Okay, enough about me, Brook There is all about local, sustainable and ethical practices and reassure us that no one is abused in the production of their clothing.

Other great sustainable fabrics that they use are organic cotton, soy (which is also very intriguing and I have to try that next!) and organic wool.

There is definitely a freshness and simplicity to the designs and a refreshing newness. These are clothes to feel great about.

eat. blog. be merry!

GD Meg

Great Green Tomato Salsa

2008-10-24T20:23:00.004-04:00

Went to Princeton again this past Sunday to indulge in a wonderful communal meal with the Suppers For . . . people. It was Supers for Sobriety, but the spectrum of people interested in participating goes beyond recovery from alcoholism, so the group is a diverse range of people who need to learn more about how food affects their depression or blood sugar challenges, people who are in OA (Overeaters Anonymous) who are looking for something more. In any case, we are all foodies and just love to cook it, talk about it, learn about it and of course eat it.

Our host, Dor had a cornucopia of mostly locally harvested foods. Walking in the kitchen door, I passed a bucket of green tomatoes on the porch. As cooking assignments were doled out, Kay and I were elected to create a green tomato salsa to go with the black-eyed peas and brown rice, hearty vegetable and chicken soup and turnip slaw.

Here’s what we came up with . . .

Ingredients

NOTE: we have a wonderful time preparing these meals and always say, “we should write this down so we can make sure we can share the recipe.” But, we never do. I remember what we used, but may not have all amounts entirely accurate. Luckily, this is one of those recipes that is so easy to adjust and adapt to personal preferences. Have fun with it!

3 - 4 Green Tomatoes (chopped finely)
2 - 3 Peppers (a variety of colors and ‘heats’ also depends on preference, chopped finely)
1/2 medium Red Onion (chopped finely)
2 - 3 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
1 T. Cilantro (chopped)
1 T. Parsley (chopped)
1 Lime (juice)
1/4 C. Ume Plum Vinegar
Salt & Ground Pepper to taste
Agave or Stevia to taste

If it is possible to mix all the ingredients and let it sit for at least a 1/2 hour before serving, all the wonderful flavors marinate and blend nicely.

This salsa was so delicious. Everyone was slopping spoonfuls in their soups. I enjoyed it with my black-eyed peas and rice. I’ll share those recipes as we transcribe our memories from the other night!

Found a nice article that offes some interesting facts about green tomatoes and a host of recipes - We Love Green Tomatoes.

PS
I went home and picked all the green tomatoes clinging to my dying tomato plants! More green tomatoe salsa coming up!

eat. blog. be merry!

GD Meg

Sustainable Rod Stewart?

2008-10-14T11:11:00.003-04:00

I did a post recently about BuyGreen.com, which has a great sustainable standards system. While researching the site, I fell in love with these awesome Mandala Bowls! The one you see above is my very own photographed by my digital imagery sidekick and video guru, Zack Wozniak, who sidelines as a TV producer in NY when he isn’t working a Green Diva gig.
The top image is the inside of the bowl, and the bottom image is the bottom, which as you can seen was an old Rod Stewart LP!

These beautiful bowls are made from old vinyl albums. This is recycled music at its best - if someone comes up with something we can make from those ancient 8 tracks or soon to be useless cassett tapes, that might trump this. The wonderful mandala designs are painted in acrylic on recycled vinyl records then heat-sculpted to make these awesome bowls. If I could figure out how to heat sculpt these things, I would make use of the 300 albums rotting away in my garage! Of course, this would require me to be a good, creative painter/designer . . . oh well. Thanks to artist Christine Claringbold, untalented folks like me can still get their hands on these great bowls (and other items made from albums as well)!

Could make nice, colorful, interesting and green holiday gift . . . See BuyGreen.com’s sustainability rating and order one!

Gloria Steinem's Enlightened View of Sarah Palin

2008-10-07T21:16:00.005-04:00

If you haven't seen the powerhouse Op-Ed by Gloria Steinem about Sarah Palin that was published in the Los Angeles Times last month, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to familiarize yourself with Ms. Steinem's POV. She passionately articulates what so many of us have wanted to say. Thank you Gloria!

If you are a woman or love one (or several, whatever), I hope you will consider carefully how damaging the gun-toting Gov. and her 'maverick' boss could be to women's rights and reproductive rights among other vital issues of course.

The next president will likely have to make a Supreme Court appointment.

I've heard too many educated, smart women say that they don't believe Roe v. Wade would ever be overturned or 'oh, McCain would never do that'. I want to scream, 'REALLY!?!? Do you have any idea what the agenda for the GOP is for reproductive issues?' Please visit the McCain/Palin agenda on 'Human Dignity & the Sanctity of Life' and read the first line! (hint - it is at the top of their agenda to overturn Roe v. Wade). Make no mistake, overturning Roe v. Wade is only the beginning.

There are many huge issues at stake in this particular election, but this is one I personally feel strongly about.

Whatever you do, make sure you exercise your rights and participate in this crazy flawed democracy - vote, and bring a friend or two or a hundred!

eat. blog. be merry!

GD Meg

Luscious Organic Mod.Skin Care

2008-10-03T15:31:00.004-04:00

I have extremely sensitive skin, so I am very careful when offering to test skin care products. When I read about Mod.Skin, I was cautiously optimistic and excited about the prospect of a line that seems so clean. Of course I was also skeptical because I’ve tried some that say such wonderful things on their packaging and in their promo materials that it is easy to be enthusiastic until my skin rebels in a show of random blotchy rashes or better yet, zits. ick. I’ve gotten these results from some of the best-promoted ‘organic’ natural skin care products touted out there. I won’t diss them here because part of it is probably my extraordinarily sensitive skin. I think I’m a perfect skin care product tester - like a canary in a coal mine - if it isn’t really squeaky clean, my skin will react to it. So far, only a couple of products have kept this canary’s face rash/zit free and Mod.Skin is one of them.

Under My Skin
I’m still pretty ignorant about the various ingredients that I’m supposed to know about - which ones are okay, which ones are not, which ones are controversial. Heck, I can’t even pronounce most of them, which makes my mental retention of them and their intended uses and/or abuses almost impossible to remember. (perhaps this explains why I’m not a scientist, but a common ordinary, garden variety writer.)

Mod.Skin has a very ‘green diva meg’ friendly (which means a baboon could understand it) page about skin care ingredient knowledge, which I found helpful. They take a very holistic, simple, natural and practical approach and avoid synthetic ingredients while using nutritional-type ingredients to feed our skin. I was particularly validated in my resistance to sunscreens (even having had a wee bout of skin cancer already) and liked their philosophy, which includes staying out of the sun during peak hours and wearing hats rather than slathering on potentially harmful sunscreens on our faces.

My Experience with Mod.Skin
I was offered two products to play with - the Samurai Scrub and the Face Sculpt Serum. As I said, I was cautious and skeptical, but decided to give it a try and if I didn’t break out in the first week, I figured I would go for two and see how things progressed from there. I’ve been using these products for about a month now and I intend to keep going! The scrub has a wonderful texture and consistency. It reminds me of when you are mixing room-temperature butter with sugar. I definitely wanted to taste it - but I restrained myself. I have used the scrub a couple of times and it is very refreshing and not too harsh when used with water even for my wimpy skin. The serum I’ve been using every day and am quite addicted to it. I had been using a wonderful moisturizer made from honey from my local bee lady, but this firms things up and keeps me moist without anything else! And NO rash or breakouts!

There are many other wonderful attributes to this skin care line, including the philosophy of the founder, Raffaele Ruberto.

I highly recommend giving these products a try!

eat. blog. be merry!
GD Meg

Sustainable Sunday Dinners - 1

2008-10-01T21:20:00.004-04:00

Not sure about you, but while I love cooking I don’t always have time during the week to cook full meals and I really try to minimize the prepared foods and the take outs/ins.

Over the years, I’ve devised a few meals that make for a great Sunday family feast and also can sustain at least one other meal throughout the week.

My kids are the ultimate test of any recipe’s sustainability in our household, so when I find one that is nutritious, seasonal and more local than not, AND my kids will eat it not only once, but possibly twice (or more if it can be made into other tasty dishes, which this one can), it is worth recording it.

One that has developed into our Fall and Winter favorite is roasted chicken with roasted vegetables . . .

It makes the whole house smell delicious and the leftover meat makes a great chicken salad or if I save the carcass, the base of my infamous healing chicken soup. I’m sure you have your own favorite roast chicken roast leftover recipes (unless of course you are a vegan, in which case you might appreciate the roasted veggie part of this recipe best).

Ingredients
organic, free-ranging, as local as you can get it chicken
roasting potatoes
mushrooms
whole garlic cloves
parsnips
leeks
brussel sprouts
butternut squash carrots
(whatever roasting veggies you like best!)
olive oil
butter
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Instructions

For Chicken
Preheat oven to 350° and put rack in center of oven. Rinse the little bugger inside and out (remember to thank it for its sacrifice while trying not to be too grossed out by the whole scene – my beloved Wayne takes care of this for me – thank God!) and remove neck and other icky bits in the bag. Pat it dry and place in a roasting pan. Rub butter all over the naked beast. Salt & pepper liberally. Surround the chicken with the vegetables (instructions below) not too much so they don’t cook well – don’t worry, you will be using an additional pan for more veggies too. Tent with foil (for first half hour only) and place in oven. The rule of thumb I use is 20 minutes per pound and/or when a thermometer jammed in the thick of the thigh is 175° - 180°.

NOTE: Make sure you un-tent at least a half hour before it is due to be finished and then, baste it pretty regularly to get a nice golden brown, delicious skin.

For Veggies
Wash, scrape and dry everything accordingly. Chop into smaller size chunks – no bigger than about 1-inch square. I usually half or quarter the mushrooms. Peel and nip off the ends of the garlic, but keep them whole so those that have an adverse reaction to these delicious treats can enjoy the flavor as it mixes with the other veggies without too much intestinal trauma. The amounts of which veggies you use is really a personal choice. But, I usually end up with 4 – 6 cups of chopped veggies in a nice large mixing bowl. Pour in some olive oil – enough to cover everything, but not too much. Salt & pepper to taste and mix it all up. Put some around and even in the chicken and get an additional pan (large glass baking pan works for me) and arrange them in almost a single layer if possible. Spray it with olive oil spray and bake along side or in rack beneath the chicken.

NOTE: Don’t leave extra veggie pan in oven for much more than 1 hour as they can get too over cooked. We usually serve this with a brown rice pilaf.

WARNING: there is never enough veggies! So, if you are able to, make another pan of them.

eat. blog. be merry!

GD Meg

CALLING ALL GREEN DIVAS!

2008-09-28T14:55:00.009-04:00

Jen and I would like to invite our green diva friends to jump into the blogsphere here with us. Because we still hear from so many of you and you all have such great ideas, we want to use this blog as a forum to create an ongoing conversation about how we can live the low-stress green lifestyle and have fun together doing it.

We are taking a NO-stress approach and hope you will jump in and let us know how you are, what you are up to and help us get this conversation going. Write about any aspect of sustainable or green living - and what area of our lives is NOT touched by this crazy, conscious way of being?

Be a Green Diva guest blogger, and blog about:

food (recipes, your favorite farm market, growing it, sustainable agriculture issues, etc.)

family (whatever shape it takes - kids both young and everlasting)

eco-fashion

eco-style in general

eco-home

sustainable & socially responsible business

alternative energy

buying local

getting creative

cool fuels (if you understand biodiesel, please share more with us!)

new transportation (hybrids, electric, cars)

musings on simply living

humor

politics (yes, let's not be shy about this)

Our traffic is increasing and we encourage the use of social networking media. If we get this thing cranking, we can start selling serious advertising and everyone will get a piece of that pie

Blog posts should be between 300 - 500 words. Try to include relevant links. Send one JPEG image to go with your blog. Let us know how you want your name to appear and if you want your email or website to be listed in your signature.

Write me @ megan@sustainablegreendivas.com if you are interested in being a Green Diva blogger.

Eat. Blog. Be Merry!

GD Meg

Week-Ender: Sustainable News Highlights

2008-09-25T21:07:00.008-04:00

Farmy News . . .

Check out Farm Aid 2008!
Didn't get there this year. If you didn't either, we can watch it any time from our computers anytime!
FarmAid.org

Organic Valley Whips it Up
Organic Valley offers tubs of their awesome whipped butter. Yum! Met my local Organic Valley farmers last year - I love their butter. Who are your regional Organic Valley Farmers?
The Earth Times

News Close to Home - Mine Anyway . . .

Corzine May be First to Install Offshore Wind Turbines
The gov is ready to launch a pilot to install dozens of turbines 'down the shore'.
NBC40.net

International Green News. . .

What do Boeing, Virgin, UOP Honeywell, The World Wildlife Fund and the NRDC all have in common?
These and other powerhouse organizations form a sustainable aviation fuel user group.
Biofuels Digest

Chinese officials push for more sustainable manufacturing
xinhuanet.com

News from Paris is that Japanese textile manufacturers are benefiting from the eco-fashion boom
AFP

Eat. Blog. Be Merry!
GD Meg

A Nobel Peace Prize for Pete Seeger

2008-09-25T15:54:00.002-04:00

Wow. We could use a healthy dose of Pete Seeger right about now. After watching the wonderful documentary about him, Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, for the 4th or 5th time, I still felt a powerful mix of emotions - inspired, empowered and lazy primarily. I cry every single time I watch it. Mostly because I see how one simple, steadfast man could keep his vision of hope clear and unadulterated by his own ego and the threat of the imposing world and in the end, his simple messages, songs and way of being is one of the most powerful examples of being true to yourself, your inner ideals and the song we all inherently carry.

Watching an 84 year old Pete Seeger on stage singing with passion alongside Arlo Guthrie and his son-in-law or standing in the cold protesting the war, or making maple syrup at his home in the woods of NY state, or singing with a classroom of children, or cleaning up the river . . . All of it beautiful. All of it incredibly inspiring. All of it makes me feel like I should get busy - after all I’m already nearly halfway to his age. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do!

There is a movement afoot to nominate this peaceful singing activist for a Nobel Peace Prize. I would love to see his life be illuminated for more people to see how powerful one person can be without big money or glamour to spin.

You can sign the petition to nomiate Pete Seeger for a Nobel Peace Prize on NobelPrize4Pete.org and learn more about the tremendous support behind this beautiful idea.

Eat. Blog. Be Merry!

GD Meg

Green Standards for Eco-Style Stuff

2008-09-25T15:04:00.003-04:00

As I review more and more ‘green’ products these days, I’m kind of baffled that there isn’t more of a standardized rating system. I googled ‘green product standards’ and I found the Green Seal of course, which is great for paper products and cleaners. The EPA even has a database for information on environmental products and services - if you go there and you can figure out what the standards are and actually find product lists, please let me know! It’s a little confusing.

What about standards for all the wonderful eco-style stuff? What about clothing manufacturing, which by the way is traditionally a pretty harsh industry on the environment? What about other textile products, great green designed kitchen gadgets, and what about all those awesome accessories - green bags/purses, belts, jewelry, shoes!?!

I found one promising standard system . . . BuyGreen.com seems to have a rating system that works. It is a flexible system and offers an opportunity to become more educated about certain types of products and their inherent characteristics in terms of their basic product life cycle. It also seems to lend itself well across a very diverse range of products from clothing, to toys and yes, accessories! They even offer office products.

The four main categories are designed to rate a product from ‘cradle to grave’ and represent a product’s ‘basic lifecycle’. The categories used are: source material, manufacturing, use, and disposal. Every product offered on their website uses a rating box, which has all four of these categories represented by an icon. If the product meets or exceeds that categories requirements, it will be displayed in color. If not, it is there, but in grey.

There is also a number rating for overall green attributes 1 - not so many: 100 - lots of good green attributes.

You can see an example of this on the image at the top of this post. Note that this hemp blouse has a fairly good rating. The ‘use’ icon is not highlighted. Not really sure what that is about exactly. But, if you want to learn more, you can go to their extremely informative standards page and understand what their rationale is.

I’ve seen some very rudimentary attempts to rate products, but this one is by far the most detailed and perhaps most useful one I’ve come across. Go BuyGreen.com!

Eat. Blog. Be Merry!
GD Meg

Stylisth, Sustainable Suede

2008-09-23T08:15:00.003-04:00

This is the real thing. And while some might argue that any use of leather is not within the bounds of sustainable living, I’m going to put that debate aside and address my experience with this fine jacket.

I’m not a fashionista, wasn’t before this wonderful eco-fashion revolution and I seriously doubt anyone would label me such now. However, I have my own somewhat colorful sense of style at times and find that the key elements to my fashion sense are about what makes me look good and feel good - comfort is king or queen as it were.

Perhaps it is because I’m at an age or a place in my life where I am less self-conscious and hate to put on anything that makes me feel like I should sit up straight, suck in the gut or be careful not to raise my arms or make any sudden twists. I also am someone who hates to have stiff, scratchy, hard or inflexible clothing restricting me. I love soft, mobile clothes that really make you forget you are wearing them.

Bernardo Fashions has developed a sustainable clothing line, called Bernardo Green, which is an eco-friendly suede collection made of biodegradable materials. One of the things Bernardo Fashion is known for is being the innovator of washable suede. Bernardo sticks primarily to outerwear.

I LOVE this jacket. It is very similar to one I lost about 12 years ago and have been mourning ever since. It is soft, comfortable, flexible and features a good cut and great details.
The tags are not only biodegradable and made of recycled materials, but are embedded with poppy seeds! Also, of importance is the tracking ‘code’ used to trace the origins and manufacturing process involved in producing the garment.

Transparency in Manufacturing

Similar to my recent adventure with Icebreaker’s Baacode, which offers a transparent view of the entire manufacturing process of a garment - back to the sheep in New Zealand that shed wool for the cool (or warm) merino hoodie, Bernardo Green offers a similar ‘code’ which allows trackability of the garment and its entire journey. In the case of my jacket, it involved the origin of the raw materials, which was kind of whacky - Hormel - yes, SPAM! Aside from the unbelievably silly Monty Python tune rambling through my brain . . . Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam . . . Spam, wonderful Spam . . . my first instinct was to see this as icky and incongruous with where I WANTED this garment to come from. However, with some brief contemplation, I was glad to know that the leather bits that weren’t being consumed (by who, I dare not think) were being utilized.

All bad Spam jokes aside, it was interesting to learn about how the suede fabric was produced in the tannery in Slovenia and what makes it Eco-Vel washable material. This jacket has burned a bit of carbon in travel as the materials started in the Hormel plant in Minnesota, went to Slovenia for eco-tanning (?), then off to China for production, and finally back to US for distribution (Nordstrom’s is one retail outlet). I know it helps keep the cost down, but there’s got to be a better way.

However, all that written, I have to give them credit for being willing to open up their entire manufacturing chain. While it isn’t perfect, Bernardo Green’s efforts are a big improvement on an industry that needs to start somewhere to move towards more sustainable practices. Go Bernardo.

Eat. Blog. Be Merry!
GD Meg

Find the Source of Your Cloth Fiber Through Baacoding

2008-09-11T13:38:00.004-04:00

This is a follow-up post to one I did a couple of weeks ago about an innovative sustainable outdoor clothing company in New Zealand - Icebreaker- and their clever Baacode, which helps owners of their garments to track down where the fibers from the garment came from. It is a little ‘meet your sheep’ thing.

I was so excited to get my ‘Quantum Hood’ midweight outer layer from New Zealand. No. That is not a picture of me in the coveted hoodie. I’m not quite as intense (or young) as this svelte model here.

I couldn’t wait to meet my little merino friends who endured shearing and I suppose quite a breeze for a little while for the sake of this amazing hoodie. It was remarkably ‘high-tech’ and smooth - not what you would expect when you see the farm and pictures of the family who runs it and of course the woolly beasts themselves.

Meet my sheep!
My groovy sweatshirt came from a farm called Irishman Creek Station in South Island, New Zealand. This of course is utterly perfect as I am of Scots/Irish decent and if you read about this farm and the family that started it, you’ll see.

I was nervous because I am HIGHLY allergic to wool - IN ANY FORM. But, they convinced me their merino was amazing and smooth and non-irritating. I went with an outer layer just in case. I wore it with a short sleeved t-shirt underneath for a day and it was slightly irritating, but not so much that I took it off, which is saying a lot. Usually, I have to remove it immediately. The shape of it, the hardware, the awesome thumb-hook holes make this a very stylish and high-tech version of the good ole hoodie that after all these years is still a favorite and staple in my comfort clothing collection. I’m not ready for merino socks or undershirts yet, but for anyone that is NOT highly allergic, I am jealous. Check them out!

“Baa-ram-ewe, baa-ram-ewe.To your breed, your fleece, your clan be true.
Sheep be true. Baa-ram-ewe” Sheep, Babe (1995)

Eat. Blog. Be Merry!

GD Meg

Week-Ender: Sustainable News Highlights

2008-09-05T14:02:00.005-04:00

Seinfeld of the Future . . . How We Might Laugh About Global Warming

_______________________________________________

Sara Palin - Animal, Mineral, Viking, VP?
and Just a Heartattack Away from the Oval Office!

We've heard about her hard-line stances on . . . well on most things (including abortion, although as John Stewart reported, she did say regarding her daughter's decision, that it was "her choice," which does seem a bit contradictory). Guess we know where she stands on animal rights . . . or at least the fox or wolf or whatever is around her neck does!

_________________________________________________

U-Pick a Peck of Pickled Peppers . . .

Wonderful U-Pick farm in New Mexico offers alternative way to get a variety of vegetables and fruits extra fresh. Their specialty is peppers.
CNN.com

Eat. Blog. Be Merry!

GD Meg

Green, Red, White & Blue

2008-08-28T20:53:00.007-04:00

No weekender this week. Sorry folks. It's a holiday weekend. You're stuck with a few witty (or not) words from GD Meg.

I have been watching some of the Democratic National Convention every night this week and of course, every time I turn on my computer there is an unavoidable stream of news about this unity love fest.

Most people know, I was a Hillary gal, but it NEVER occurred to me to NOT vote for Obama. This is such a bizarre thought pattern to me. Anyway, I think Hillary and Hubby Bill did an awesome job. But, frankly, everyone I've seen seems to be on their 'A' game. I've only really seen a few of the hundreds of speakers, but I was quite impressed with Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana. He was very animated in his pitch about why we need to break our addiction to oil and how vitally important it is that we develop alternative energy sources.

Of the few speeches I've watched over the last three nights, I've been thrilled to hear every single headliner talk about the importance of taking action to make significant change in our energy policies. Go green is apparently a popular theme this year . . .

This is amazing progress. Only 4 years ago, I don't remember global warming, alternative energy, or greener living being such a strong and wide plank in any one's platform. Of course, I go back 20-something years ago and think about how a small community of folks in the Berkshires spoke as passionately as the politicians today are, only our groups were smaller (like 20 people) and there were no TV cameras or pundits to trash or praise our rally cries.

The convention producers have even gone green and are using biodegradable/bioplastic disposable cutlery and plates, which of course require trash guards to help people understand what is compost and what is old fashioned garbage. They also required all their food-service vendors to buy at least 70% locally produced and organic food. This my friends is getting serious.

While clearly some of it is 'green-stumping' (I just made that up) and pandering to the celeb-status popularity of 'going green', that is okay. Whatever the reasons or motives are, it will make things happen.

There are a lot of utopian goals being charged from the podium. Let's get busy making at least some percentage of it real.

Boy, Al Gore must feel somewhat validated, if not a little bitter about being so ahead of his time, huh?

Eat. Blog. Be Merry!
(and have a great holiday weekend)

GD Meg

Sustainable Alternative to Plastic Baggies for Lunches this School Season

2008-08-27T16:40:00.003-04:00

Plum Creek Mercantile is on to something . . . I am someone who not only packs my own lunch for work everyday, but also still makes lunch (most days) for my remaining teenage daughter who is now a sophomore in high school. I have always regretted the many plastic bags I have used to get my three daughters through school. While I have tried various reusable containers, honestly . . . most of them disappeared, didn’t get into the dish washing cycle fast enough, or were just plain uncool and the kids wouldn’t use them. I’ve tried washing plastic baggies, but the sandwich ones just don’t wash well. ick. I’ve recently purchased some plastic baggies made from recycled plastic and bioplastic. better. But, I’m always looking for new items to contain and carry nutritious food for myself and my not-so-wee ones (anymore).

I’m sure there are other bags like these out there, but honestly, I haven’t run into them yet. The Feed Bags, for lunches, etc. are great for dry goods and sandwiches. They are 100% cotton and are washable. phew. They have a good velcro-style opening, and they seem strong enough to hold the food, but easy enough for little hands to open.

Bulk Food Bags
Plum Creek Mercantile’s answer to paper or plastic bags to cart bulk foods from your favorite health food store, grocery store or food coop is well thought out. Clearly the designer of this Bulk Food Bag is someone who has experience buying grains, beans, nuts and other dry goods in bulk and has wrestled with guessing the right amount, only to get home and have just a cup or so extra. ugh. These wonderful 100% cotton (some are organic cotton!) are sized to hold the proper amount for a gallon jar or quart jar. The clear window helps you see what you’ve got and the white ‘label’ area is where you can put the bin #, price or whatever is necessary for pricing at your store.

These handy dandy items are sold in a little kit - 1 large bag, 1 small bag and a grease pen for $18. And of course, they are washable. Not bad . . . The Feed Sacks are sold in a kit of 2 large bags, 2 small bags for $14.

I’m already online ordering more as I write this!

GD Meg

Week-Ender: Sustainable News Highlights

2008-08-22T12:35:00.006-04:00

Celebs Going Green . . .

Matt Damon, Julia Roberts and Halle Berry Share Eco-Parenting Ideology
These high-profile actors talk about how they are bringing up baby green.
MainStreet.com

What's the Stir with Gwyneth Paltrow and Fur?
Seems this animal-rights activist is upsetting other animal-rights activists by being photographed for a new fur-line boots & bags from Italian company Tod's.
EcoRazzi.com

Various Shades of Green News . . .

Lady of Liberty Breaks Wind
Well, sort of . . . Mayor Bloomberg announced some aggressive green initiatives regarding renewable/alternative energy for New York. Some think he's tilting @ windmills, but as it turns out the Statue of Liberty already uses energy from the wind to power her light!
New York Times

Could 18th Century Predictions about Food Shortages be Happening?
In 1798, Thomas Robert Malthus famously predicted that we would run out of food . . . right about now. Despite 200 years of arguments that he didn't anticipate our technological advances, could he be right?
Scientific American

The Poop on Cat Litter
More than you want to know about why cat litter is a bigger environmental and health issue than you might think!
San Francisco Chronicle

GD Meg

Week-Ender: Sustainable Living News Highlights

2008-08-15T14:27:00.003-04:00

Celebrities Going Green . . .

Paris Gets Green by Going Pink?
Paris decides to try riding a bicycle rather than drive - the bicycle is pink, of course.
X17Online

Funniest Celebrity Green Video Clips
Watch Steven Colbert & Jon Stewart Riffs @ the 'Green Emmys'; the funny/scary janitor/environmental police on 'Scrubs, My Inconvenient Truth' episode; CBS Late Night with David Letterman's 'Chris & Jerry's Tips for Green Living'; and of course other fun stuff.
TheDailyGreen.com

Global Green News . . .

Liberia: The World's First Sustainable Biomass Fueled Economy?
The development of a 35 megawatt (MW) biomass-fueled power plant to serve Monrovia, may just put Liberia on the global map as the first biomass-fueled economy.
Daily Observer (LiberianObserver.com)

Prince Charles' anti-Genetically Modified food Rant Could Hinder His Plans to Distribute Organic Food in India.
Bonny Prince Charles takes heat for his outspoken stance against genetically modified foods. Go PC!
Times of India

Various Shades of Green News . . .

Organic Cucumber Vodka?!?
No self-respecting alcoholic would even consider messing up vodka with vegetables, but I suppose there are a lot of teetotalers that will enjoy it.
TimeOut - Chicago

Oil Billionaire Becomes Advocate for Renewable Energy
Oilman and author T. Boone Pickens talks about how he plans to change the energy industry.
Wall Street Journal

Organic Leaders Meet with USDA to Discuss Farm Bill
The meeting, organized by the Organic Trade Association will discuss the implementation of the latest Farm Bill - pay attention folks, we need to learn about this now so we can have a voice in the next one!
Natural Products Insider

Bottles 2 Bags - Bright Green Laptop Bag Made from Recycled Bottles

2008-08-12T11:03:00.005-04:00

Green Diva Product Review
Act2 GreenSmart
Bottles 2 Bags
Green Shoulder/Side Laptop Bag

I really do like almost all the products I get samples of, but occasionally I get one that exceeds my expectations. This bag is one of them.

I'm not sure what I expected exactly, but from the image, I thought I would get a stiff, green shoulder/side bag that's greatest quality would be that it is made from recycled plastic bottles (rPET).

As is often the case, a lot happens (at least in my world, no doubt for the rest of the world too) between the initial communications about a review and a sample being sent out and the actual receiving of the sample. That and the fact that my memory is a little shifty sometimes creates a really fun package opening celebration. My family will ask, "Mom, what is it?" And I honestly, usually don't know, although if I look carefully at most labels, I can figure it out, but I restrain myself, because I love the mystery of not knowing as I marvel at some of the great and not-so-great green packaging people are coming up with these days.

Okay, that was a long setup, sorry . . . when this package came in yesterday, I pretended not to know what it was to enhance the thrill a bit, but when I opened up the recycled paper package, my daughter and I both squealed with delight. First of all the green color on this bag is much better in person. When I liberated it from the packaging, I was struck by how surprisingly soft and pliable the fabric was.

The general design of the bag - lines, pockets, magnet snaps, nice looking zipper tags - was quite thoughtful and not as boring as it could be. I mean, it is a computer side bag, how exciting can this be?

The lining is even softer and brighter in color than the exterior fabric.

My computer seems quite happy in there today, all snug in the padded section.

About rPET Fabrics and Why We Might Care
Act2 GreenSmart's website is a fairly good resource for information on the process of recycling plastic bottles into fabrics (and other products for that matter). There is an easy-to-follow section about the process of creating rPET fabric particularly as it relates to the fabric they are using, and they also have an informative glossary of sustainable sourcing/manufacturing terms and useful information.

A couple of things I learned from the Act2 GreenSmart website:

PET/PETE is Polyethylene terephthalate - recycle symbol #1

230 bottles per person go to landfill per year (this adds up folks, according to this site they quantify it by giving us the stat that it is equivalent to filling up the Rose Bowl Stadium in California with crushed plastic bottles every two weeks!)

These bottles are an environmental disaster - petroleum-based plastic that does NOT decompose

Same chemical composition as polyester - so, same benefits that polyester offers, but from recycled source

Each yard of finished fabric uses about 18—16 oz. bottles and saved 10,000 BTUs from manufacturing—enough power to light a 17 watt compact fluorescent light for 15 hours

Act2 GreenSmart's Bottles 2 Bags are made from certified 100% post-consumer PET water and soda bottles.

The Act2 GreenSmart website also has some stats on the homepage regarding the global benefits of their products based:

16 oz. PET Bottles Consumed - 431,211
BTUs Saved - 288 million (equivalent power in laptop hours - 3.3 million)

While the price point is a little high @ $69.99 (as listed on online purchasing page), there are many ways to rationalize and justify the slightly elevated cost of using materials that will help reduce some of the landfill mess and use of new petroleum-based products.

They have a range of other products well worth considering as well.

:)
GD Meg

The Week-Ender: Sustainable Living News Roundup

2008-08-08T15:54:00.006-04:00

I'm going to try and do these every week . . . we'll see how it goes . . .

The goal is to offer a cross-section of interesting/unusual 'green' or 'sustainable living' stories that hit the news throughout the week - news from various sources around the globe (hence the sprouting globe icon above).

Please feel free to send ideas to us. We won't post entire stories, but will post headlines, brief description, source and a link.

Hope you like it!

Let There be Life: Games go Organic
Two electronic games that are appealing to the push for 'green'
MSNBC

Kangaroo Farming Would Cut Greenhouse Gases: Study
A pretty radical idea - to consider farming kangaroo for meat rather than sheep and cattle (at least for most Americans)
Reuters

Dutch Town Tests 'Air-Purifying' Concrete
Boy, we could use some of that stuff here in northern New Jersey!
Agence France Press (AFP)

Mel Walsh: A Geezer's Guide to Green Living
Loved the title and the concept, but hopefully I'm not there yet
TheUnion.com

Sustainable Summer Picnic-Ware

2008-08-06T21:24:00.003-04:00

Product Review

I’ve posted here about Wheatware, a company that makes biodegradable plastic alternative products, including disposable flatware, but Verterra’s got the disposable plate, bowl and platter thing down!

I brought some samples of Verterra’s thoroughly sustainable and thoughtfully produced plates and bowls to my office to give them a rough test drive. I’m a salad girl and I love to use a lot of dressing and mix up all kinds of mushy stuff with my green mess, so this seemed to be a perfect way to see how these products held up.

These simple, but amazing plates are like a sustainable fantasy product - ethically sourced, fair-trade made, 100% compostable, non-toxic, bleach-free, non-leaching, made from 100% renewable plant materials, microwavable AND dishwasher safe, reusable and made by wonderful green pixies . . . okay, that last one was me getting carried away. But wait! There’s more!

Seriously, after making an effort to abuse these plates and bowls, I have to say, there is absolutely nothing negative I can report. They held up well with moisture - no getting soggy or absorbing stuff you don’t necessarily want to taste next time you use the plate. They are generally attractive, although not necessarily uniform and consistent in color, which I happen to appreciate so that doesn’t count as a negative in my check list, but perhaps in someone els’s. They wash quite easily, although I’ve only washed each piece once so far. Not really sure at what point they begin the biodegrading process, but I’ll keep you posted. I'm told you can actually cook up to 350 degrees for up to 45 minutes! I haven't tried this yet (don't try this at home - kind of thing).

Did I mention these plates are made from leaves? Leaves that have fallen to the ground and would otherwise be burned or disposed of! No trees are harmed in the process of manufacturing these plates. A process of steaming, high-pressure spraying and UV sterilizing (while recapturing at least 80% of the water), makes this happen almost by magic without the use of glues or other toxic binders and chemical varnishes, etc.

Aside from the extremely ethical eco-production, these make stylish sustainable summer sustenance serving stuff. How about that for alliteration!

Eat. Blog. Be Merry!

GD Meg

My Local Farmer's Market

2008-07-29T14:00:00.007-04:00

Confession
I'm always writing and talking about supporting my local farmers and farmer's markets, and I believe in the value of creating stronger local economies - farmer's markets are a big albeit seasonal part of that.

My hometown started a little Saturday farmer's market last year. I heard it was dinky and didn't have any organic food, which is okay, but coupled with the fact that it was only open till 2:30 made it very difficult for me to get my butt down there.
I get to the farmer's market in Morristown, NJ, which is a great Sunday outing, but until this past weekend, I hadn't gotten to the Boonton farmer's market. For shame.

While I buy local in many other ways, I neglected my little farmer's market.

When I finally got there, I noted that it was indeed kind of dinky, but it felt good to meet and talk with the two farms represented. The one farm, Race Farm of Blairstown, NJ seemed to have more variety and while neither of them had organic produce, they said they usually do and will again in a couple of weeks. The heatwave had something to do with not having the organic stuff (I was too busy sweating to retain all the details).

I bought two bunches of beets and made some DELICIOUS roasted beets that I've been living on for like 3 days. See my 'for the love of beets' post on eatdrinkbetter.com.

There were a couple of other local vendors who are worth mentioning:

1. A very local healthy snack foods company (based in Boonton) that sells these AMAZING and hysterical snacks, including these 'wing' baked chips that are actually in the shape of little buffalo wings! Many of the chips are gluten free. They distribute through Whole Foods among other grocery chains and he even knew about our food coop (VeggieHeads) and was going to get some of the overstock to us at cost! Learn more about these yummy veggies chips @ Mediterraneansnackfoods.com.

2. Anyone who knows me at all, knows I'm a tea junky. I hit pay dirt, but it happened at the end of the day and I was wilting in the sun - but, I will go next weekend to get some of their wonderful organic teas and accessories! You can order stuff on the web, look for Ducky Life Organic, Loose Leaf Teas, Accessories and Gifts.

3. Paul the pickle guy. Didn't get any takeaway information, but we did takeaway some crispy, crunchy pickles. There were some really creative ones. I got the cranberry horseradish ones myself. My daughters were fighting over which type of olives to get (we got both, of course). It was a pickle tasting smorsgasbord and it made it all seem worthwhile.

4. There were some local crafters represented - mostly jewelry and a couple of silk scarfs.

If you are in Boonton on a Saturday this summer, visit our growing little farmer's market! Now, I'll be there!

Here is a list of other farmer's markets in New Jersey.

GD Meg

Wisdom of the Elders in Action - Sustainable World Peace

2008-07-23T13:26:00.006-04:00

It just may be that rock n roll/music will indeed save the planet. In 1999 Peter Gabriel and Richard Branson decided that we as a global village were missing the essential survival ingredient - the wisdom of our elders. So they set about to identify a few of them. It didn’t take long for them to approached Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel, both who have done amazing work beyond what I can even describe here in this brief blog post. If you’ve been under a rock for the past 20 years, you will want to read up on Mr. Mandela, but I would encourage everyone to please see the brief, but inspiring biography I’ve linked you to for Graca Machel.

While it took several years for them to put this group together, they launched these elders as facilitators of powerful global change last July.

“This group derives its strength not from political, economic or military power, but from the independence and integrity of those who are here. They do not have careers to build, elections to win, constituencies to please. They can talk to anyone they please, and are free to follow paths they deem right, even if hugely unpopular.”

Nelson Mandela, The Elders Launch Speech July 18, 2007

See Nelson Mandela’s speech from July 18, 2007

This is a potent list of global leaders who have reached a place in their lives and careers where they can shed imposing restrictions and focus on serious global concerns such as basic human rights, world health issues, climate change as well as share their valuable wisdom.

These leaders are not mere figureheads, but have the resources, seemingly boundless energy and drive to create change and movement on issues that other world and political leaders cannot seem to manage.

Kofi Annan
Ela Bhatt
Lakhdar Brahimi
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Jimmy Carter
Graca Machel
Nelson Mandela
Aung San Suu Kyi
Desmond Tutu
Muhammad Yunus

Start with these brief biographies that live on TheElders.org, but I encourage you to read more about each of these extraordinary individuals and let yourself be moved beyond your immediate sphere of influence into the realm of courageous action or very simple (sorry in advance for the cliche) random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty. It all makes a difference.

:)
GD Meg

the Berkshires - home of sustainable living and mostly serene

2008-07-18T16:38:00.007-04:00

I used to live in the rolling green hills of western Massachusetts, better known as 'the Berkshires'. When I left there about 10 years ago, the summer tourist trade was brisk and annoying, but valuable to many folks who had tourist-dependent businesses.

It has gentrified significantly in these last 10 years. Great Barrington, my home town for many years is now a bit more like the Village in NY - artsy-funky-chic. It was sort of the last bastion for full-timers that has now gone NY in the summers. Getting from one end of this small town to the other used to take about 5 minutes by car, now it could take up to 45 minutes any given Saturday!

Okay, enough bitching. This is where I got my sustainable living chops. Being part of the wonderful Berkshire CoOp Market, learning and experimenting with so many other green folks over 20 years ago when this was all considered fringe behavior.

We got to be tourists this past weekend. Stayed in a gorgeous cottage across the street from the Stockbridge Bowl lake, with Tanglewood at one end of the road and the Norman Rockwellian Main Street of Stockbridge on the other end.

I actually shopped in Lenox. When I lived there, I only went to Lenox to go to a workshop or a class I had taken that happened to be up there. Nice place, but I'm just not one of those village, vacation-type shoppers. And I most certainly wouldn't have gone near it on a summer Saturday, what with all those crazy New Yorkers and New Jersey folks!

Guess what we did Saturday???? After going to Tanglewood, another experience I rarely enjoyed when I lived here, we went to Lenox and ate Lunch at a very classy restaurant called Zinc and sat two tables away from Hugh Downs, retired veteran TV news and anchorman. By the way, the food was amazing!

Then, I decided to walk around and shop like I was from New Jersey - although I live in New Jersey, I'm not exactly at home there. Found this fantastic little shop called, The Old Country Store. Hands down the coolest country store I've ever been in - complete with a full line of hysterical gifts from local company Blue Q, great organic baby clothing and gifts, and many other sustainable products and locally grown crafts. If you get up there, please visit this shop. Owners Carrie and Bill Wright obviously have a great sense of style AND humor.

Sunday we had brunch at Martin's in Great Barrington. Wow. I sold Martin my old house 20 years ago and I helped clean this restaurant up and get it up and running. Still a great low-stress breakfast joint - if you don't mind standing in the road and waiting for a while. I just went over to my favorite new age shop - Crystal Essence and did some more tourist-style shopping!

;)

GD Meg

Organic v. Local - The Healthiest Choices for Fresh Food: Not Always an Easy One!

2008-07-08T13:26:00.004-04:00

Picking your battles when choosing organic over conventional (which often means locally grown).

It is important to be armed with the latest and greatest information so you can make the healthiest choices for you and your family.

I've done stories on this over the years, but some of my information is probably out dated. So, I'm glad folks like the Organic Center, a non-profit in Boulder Colorado is doing this type of research and sharing it with us! The Organic Center, which produces and disseminates peer-reviewed scientific research and information on the health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming, has just published this very handy little pocket guide, Organic Essentials, to help identify the highest risk, pesticide-laden fruits and veggies while we are shopping.

The list is based on a pesticide-risk ranking system they developed, based on their 2008 report, Simplifying the Pesticide Risk Equation: The Organic Option.

I'm always at a loss this time of year, with all the wonderful farmer's markets and locally grown fresh produce. I want to support local, but I also don't want to eat pesticides and a lot of the local farms still haven't gone Organic. However, I did learn last year, that in New Jersey, a great deal of farmers are transitioning, and while they can't say they are organic, they are darned close.

I think it is generally a good idea to meet your local farmers when you can and ask them how they produce their fruits and veggies and if they aren't organic, what types of pesticides do they use and are they transitioning to organic any time soon? If they aren't and enough people pester them with these questions, perhaps they will get the hint and make the move!

Happy fresh food shopping and don't forget to check out our Green Diva's Guide to Delicious Living food-related blog posts on GreenOptions.com's yummy food blog, EatDrinkBetter.com. We have great recipes and other foodie stuff.

Remember,

Eat. Blog. Be Merry!

GD Meg

Green our Vaccines - Jim Carrey & Jenny McCarthy Lead the Way

2008-06-30T12:35:00.012-04:00

BY GREEN DIVA JEN

I intended to post about this very important rally in DC earlier in the month, but did not. Better yet, I've got this awesome account of the event from good friend and one of the founders of New Jersey Vaccination Choice, Mary DeBonis.

The organization was founded in response to the fact that New Jersey has the most vaccine mandates of any state and the highest rates of autism and in order to encourage and empower parents to make informed decisions about vaccination for their children.

Mary attended the march on Washington "Green our Vaccines Rally -- Too Many, Too Soon" to raise vaccine awareness. Below is her letter.

In peace and good health,
Jen
_______________________________

Dear family, friends, and colleagues,

As many of you have been asking, I did indeed embark on a remarkable journey to DC, June 4, to march in the "Green our Vaccines Rally--Too Many, Too Soon." For those who weren't there, I wanted to share my unique, inspiring and sometimes heart-breaking experiences with you.

The March was attended by 8,500 people, who represented every state in the country, as well as Canada and Mexico. We were surrounded by people from all walks of life-- parents, grandparents, children, scientists, physicians, politicians, media, and celebrities, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, who is mom to a vaccine-damaged son -- who all shared one common goal: to raise vaccine awareness. As we began our 1.3 mile march from the towering Washington Monument, you could see the dizzying array of people, most of whom were clad in bold Green Our Vaccines t-shirts. There was an unusual sense of comraderie and connection among this crowd. They seemed calm, yet extremely determined; optimistic about the goal of raising awareness, yet cautious about the outcome; sad, knowing that tens of thousands of our children are vaccine-injured, yet hopeful that more children will be healed and many more will be spared this tragedy.

Our group marched down Independence Avenue, past many government buildings, chanting "Green Our Vaccines" and "Too Many, Too Soon" to the government employees, media and passers-by who would listen...all the way to the infamous Capitol Hill. As we stood facing the Capitol, we listened to Dr. Jay Gordon, a pediatrician who has healed and continues to heal vaccine-injured children, including Jenny McCarthy's son, through a special diet, heavy metal chelation and supplements; esteemed scientist Boyd Haley who explained the devastating effects of mercury and aluminum, from vaccines, on developing bodies; Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who confirmed the conflicts of interests within our CDC, WHO, vaccine manufacturers and others whose greed, sadly, has trumped our children's health and wellbeing; then finally, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, who spoke from their hearts, and introduced us to Jenny's son, Evan, who is now recovering from autism! The moment in time that remains burned in my memory, though, was when Jenny asked all 8,500 people to face the media's cameras and hold up a photo of their vaccine-injured child, or that of a friend or relative. As each of us looked around, with tears in our eyes, we could not believe what we were seeing: there, caught on tape by Good Morning America, CNN, Fox News, and dozens of other media outlets, was the proof, the Evidence of Harm, that our children are suffering from the toxins in our vaccines. There was no denying it. And, these were the parents and friends who will not let allow them to become a forgotten generation.

If you are interested, I've attached a link to some of the signs, photos, and attendees...Robert Kennedy Jr, and Jenny and Jim are toward the end:

Additionally, I have included clips of the speeches by RFK Jr, Jim and Jenny. They were truly awe-inspiring:

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s Speech on June 4, 2008 - Green our Vaccines
Jim Carrey's Speech on June 4, 2008 - Green our Vaccines
Jenny McCarthy's Speech on June 4, 2008 - Green our Vaccines

I wanted to pass along my experiences with the hope of helping just one more child. We met so many parents who shared their success stories of healing their children through chelation, gluten-free/casein-free diets; glutathione, essential fatty acids and B12 supplements, plus cranial sacral therapy, homeopathic remedies and more. They also passed along their words of wisdom: ask parents to do their homework and not blindly follow vaccine recommendations. It's time for us to make informed decisions for our own children. It is no coincidence that NJ has the most vaccine mandates of any state and the highest rates of autism.

This was truly an historic event and one that will live on in my memories. I hope you enjoyed the journey! If I can answer any questions, please let me know. Thanks for listening...

Warm regards, Mary

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can changethe world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead (Dec. 1901 - Nov. 1978)

Home Depot Offers to Recycle CFLs

2008-06-24T22:24:00.004-04:00

Alan Zale for The New York Times

On a quick follow up to the last post, the New York Times reported today that Home Depot will now accept old CFLs for recycling. All of their stores will be CFL recycling posts and since it is estimated that 75% of the population lives within 10 miles of one - in fact, I think we live within 10 miles of 3 or 4 of them!!!

I'm not a big fan of the mega-type stores and I still like to patronize local hardware stores whenever I can, but I have to admit this is darned convenient and will likely go a long way to helping people adopt the use of CFLs more readily.

:) GD Meg

CFL - New Sustainable Light Source or Dangerous Environmental Hazard?

2008-06-19T08:58:00.006-04:00

The CFL (compact fluorescent light bulb) has become something of an icon or symbol for the change to a greener more sustainable way of being. It represents a simple way to make a difference in our current climate crisis. From corporate giveaways to grass-roots fundraising events, the CFL has become a gesture towards the growing awareness that we need to be more conscious of how we use energy. It's many benefits are touted and shouted, but we don't as often hear about the serious problems associated with the MERCURY inside them!

Representative Poe went on a serious rant about a law that would require a switch to CFLs by 2014. I'm not sure how I feel about legislation dictating product choices. I suspect it is more of a congressional reaction to the outcry for a greener US - pandering to the widespread concern about climate change. Perhaps it is well-meaning, but I really don't know enough about the Bill to pass judgment. See what the congressman Poe says about CFLs and the Bill that would outlaw incandescent bulbs.

Okay. Here's what I found out:

the amount of mercury is VERY tiny

some manufacturers use less than others - Turolight's Genesis Fusion line seems to have the lowest

it isn't that difficult to recycle CFLs. almost all local recycling depots will take them or instruct you how to deal with them - if you don't leave your lights on excessively, these things last a long time and this shouldn't be a huge hassle.

BUT, WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T BREAK THESE SUCKERS!

actually, don't panic. the instructions seem extensive, but the risks are supposed to be minimal. just keep calm and follow these instructions about cleaning up after a CFL break in your home.

we've been using fluorescent lights in offices and commercial facilities since the 1930s!

has anyone every broken one of these things? please let me know about your experience with it.

:) GD Meg

Fun Stuff to do this weekend - Renegade Craft Fair

2008-06-11T16:29:00.006-04:00

First of all, WOW, it's been a while. Sorry gang. The demands of my new job are sucking up more energy than I thought they would. I hope to get better able to grasp some time to make sure I keep up the posting.

Have stumbled upon an interesting event taking place in Brooklyn this weekend - the Renegade Craft Fair. These creative fairs featuring everything homemade, are held 4 times a year in Brooklyn, Chicago and San Francisco.

There is an extensive vendor list of literally hundreds of highly creative and often quirky crafters.

Here are just a few that represent quite a range of tastes (sometimes literally) with delicious, funky, kitsch and cool:

Biggs & Featherbelle - health conscious body care products

Bright Lights Little City - tacky, but kind of scary interesting . . . lamps and light fixtures made from those little exotic drink umbrellas!

Chestnut Farmer - simple, but interesting 'wooden toys for girls & boys'

The Small Object - funky rubber stamp collections

Wheelhouse Pickles - NY's own yummy pickle. Check out the website.

The event takes place at the McCarren Park Pool this coming weekend - June 14 & 15.

I'm going to try and go!

:)GD Meg

Musings on Sustainable Wisdom

2008-05-29T11:25:00.005-04:00

My mind keeps roaming back to a beautiful, simple and brilliant poem by Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends. It is included in one of my favorite worn out meditation type books, Our Land, Ourselves: Readings on People and Place, published by The Trust for Public Land. I was privileged to go to 'farm camp' last year at Knoll Farm, where a couple of the editors and contributors work, live, play and share their love of the land and are helping remind people about our connection to it through their workshops/retreats (my daughter dubbed this farm camp for me) at the Center for Whole Communities in the gorgeous Mad River Valley in Vermont.

I frequently pick up this book of wise words to push back the crazy work-a-day, suburban existence that pulls my connection to what I experienced up there thin. A random reading can bring me back to a place of remembering what is real, what is important and perhaps what is not.

I have a little dry, flat rose from last year's garden crushed in the page where Mr. Silverstein's poem rests. I never get tired of it. I'd like to share it with you today. Extract from it what you will, but I promise if you read it periodically, it will have some effect on you.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

There is a place where the sidewalk ends

And before the street begins

And there the grass grows soft and white,

And there the sun burns crimson bright.

And there the moon-bird rests from his flight

To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go

To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go

For the children, they mark, and the children, they know

The place where the sidewalk ends.

Shel Silverstein, 1974

A Local Food Gathering Expedition

2008-05-19T08:40:00.005-04:00

My dear blog buddy, Yarny Old Kim, happens to live near my current hood, but is relatively new to the area, so we went on a local food gathering field trip last weekend.

First stop was to our local 'bee lady' Landi @ Gooserock Farm for wonderful local honey and bee-related products -- some of the most luscious soaps and beeswax-based cosmetic products. Gooserock Farm is in Montville, NJ but if you're not local, you can buy from their website (see link above).

Second stop was the local egg guy (I really don't know his name!) to play with the free-roaming chickens and pick up some delicious fresh local organic eggs. Well, we were playing, the Pennsylvania Reds may have been more disturbed than excited to see us. Other than the colorful roosters, all the chickens had these big red butts, which were kind of amusing (see image above).

The final stop on our local food tour was the most fun. Right around the corner from the egg guy is our wonderful food coop, VeggieHeads run by Susan Sopira and Lisa Cooper. They are amazing and tireless in support of creating opportunities for folks like me to not only buy healthier food for less, but they do a lot to highlight and introduce other local producers to the group. Susan also has chickens and a gardens everywhere. She has surrendered her garage to the coop. I introduced Kim to Susan and it was yarn envy for the rest of the afternoon. Kim is a knitting wonder and I saw first hand how true that is for Susan as well. Being a newbie I marvelled at the yarny talk tried to absorb some of their knitting wisdom (I did walk away with a new pattern for a very simple project - we'll see how simple it is!).

It was so exciting to share these small, but very important, bits of my ever-evolving sustainable world. I'm a big supporter of local stuff, whatever it is and it is so much more fun to gather supplies - beats the supermarket as far as I'm concerned!

If you don't live in my neck of the woods (Morris County, NJ), I bet there are local honey and egg producers somewhere near you and if not, find your nearest farm market and get friendly with those folks!

:)
GD MEG

How to Make Peace with Mom

2008-05-10T00:43:00.002-04:00

One of my long-term goals in life was to become a mother. I am thrilled celebrate this Mother's Day as the mom of two beautiful boys.

One of my short-term goals in life is to attend one of Alison Rose Levy's Family Constellation Repatterning events in NYC where she guides attendees to breakthrough and resolve deeply entrenched patterns deriving from your family and ancestors in a one-day workshop.

Sounds intense, doesn't it? That's what's so appealing to me.

Ms. Levy is also a health journalist and bestselling writer. In the latest issue of her monthly ezine, she published the following in honor of Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day to all. Enjoy.
:) Jen

How to Make Peace with Mom
A bouquet of roses, a box of candy, a long distance phone call. What will you give your mother this Mother’s Day? And more importantly, what will you really feel as you make your offering? Will your heart overflow with love and gratitude? Or will you be gritting your teeth, plastering a smile on, bracing yourself for Mom’s next number?

Some people have mothers as supportive and sympathetic as warm apple pie with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. But when it comes to the maternal bond, others feel like onlookers, their faces pressed against icy window panes, watching a scene that they’ve never experienced.

If the downsides of your maternal relationship are all too apparent, then you need support for making peace with Mom. Please go to this link: www.CollectiveRealm.com/moms and share your biggest obstacle. Then watch the film, Meditations on Mom, designed to help you in taking the first step towards resolution. It's a challenge to feel warm and cuddly if Mom was neglectful, absent, abusive, addicted, withdrawn, intrusive, critical, self-absorbed, or just plain weird. So how do we respond?

With low self-esteem. Or by experiencing all too many “life lessons.” Repeating non-optimal life patterns—anything from relationship failures to financial nosedives, from mood swings to troubled kids. Whatever may be wrong with our lives, a lot of it seems to originate with Mom and our relationship to her.Through a workshop process I offer called Family Repatterning, a lot of people come to heal their relationship with their Moms. Does that mean we can turn back time and undo what was experienced? or what Mom did? Absolutely not.

But the wisdom of Family Repatterning can help us rediscover the love and make peace through rediscovering a simple connection. In this and upcoming issues of the Collective Realm ezine, I'll address this dilemma because the relationship with Mom is so foundational to our lives.

My Mother's Day Wish for You
Whoever she was and whatever she did, my Mother's Day wish for you is to make peace with Mom and to come to terms with your relationship with Mom as it is. That's why I made Meditations on Mom, a Mother’s Day poem/film in honor of my own highly imperfect, beautiful, wonderful one of a kind mother—and of yours’.

Mother's Day Blessing Ceremony
Join me and other healers from every tradition to offer blessings to all mothers throughout the world. When: May 11th, 1:30 - 4 PM. Where: St. Bart's Church, 109 East 50th Street, New York City (at Park Avenue). Doors open at 1 PM.
For current workshop signups go to: www.eventbrite.com/org/34806955?s=869739
Or write to: Alison@CollectiveRealm.com

Alison Rose Levy, MA, health journalist, bestselling writer, and facilitator of Collective Family Healing publishes this monthly ezine on collective healing. Sign up at: www.collectiverealm.com to first heal your family, then heal your world. You can also access our workshops, reports, coaching, and other supports forcollective wisdom at www.collectiverealm.com. For current workshop signups go to: www.eventbrite.com/org/34806955?s=869739

Sustainable, Re-Usable Greeting Cards?

2008-05-07T08:44:00.006-04:00

One of the cleverest new products to hit my doorstep lately . . . by the way, just because we're not publishing Relevant Times anymore, it doesn't mean we don't still do product reviews that get some great exposure in our various blogs - see banner on side for link to one of Green Diva Meg's other blogs. We are asked to do reviews all the time and we LOVE to do them, so if you have a product or a book you want us to review, send it along!

Okay, sorry about that tangent.

I am very excited about this new concept called ReProduct from a company called C2C, a cradle-to-cradle design company.

Re-Usable greeting cards?

When I first heard about the idea, I thought it involved erasable ink and a new envelope. Wrong. I'm not as stupid as I sound, but this was not an easy concept to grasp right away, but once I got it, I am totally sold.

It's a little like Netflix, and if you love movies and haven't tried it yet - DO IT!!! The idea of mailing movies back and forth seems cumbersome and awkward or something, but they make it so easy, that once you try it, you are sold.

ReProduct has taken the simplicity of re-mailing something and applied it to the all-American habit of sending greeting cards. By the way, the cards are beautiful. First of all, the cards are made from healthy, non-toxic materials that minimize chemical waste in the manufacturing process and if folks follow their concept, they don't end up in landfills - or at least not for a VERY long time.

Here's how it works:

You buy these cool cards that come with special envelopes from ReProduct.com

Send the card out!

The receiver (here's the potential wrinkle) hopefully is so jazzed by the idea and the instructions are clear on the back of the card and on the envelope, that they send it along to the next user! But, hey, everyone wants to be green now, right?
ReProduct has an arrangement with Shaw Carpets who receives the cards and uses 100% of them to make new sustainable, non-toxic carpets.

There is a little demo of how it works on their website.

They also have a line of corporate reports and brochures they are developing, which I think is wonderful, but will take perhaps a wee bit more time to adopt than the greeting card thing.

Going Postal Over Recycled Boxes

2008-04-30T15:40:00.007-04:00

The US Postal Service proves yet again why we need UPS . . .

They are hassling a guy in Colorado who runs a non-profit agency and is trying to conserve resources. In using boxes to ship sports memorabilia for his non-profit organization, Gary Adler sometimes picks up priority USPS boxes.

The Post Office claims it is essentially illegal to recycle these boxes. The Postal Service said it promotes recycling, as long as customers pay accordingly.

Dunno about this one. According to Adler and the Postal Service, these boxes were headed for the dumpster.

Does this make any sense to anyone? Or, does it sound like the USPS is trying to keep a revenue stream at the cost of many trees and excessive unnecessary output of carbon to make new boxes?

Read the original story, Reusing Cardboard Postal Boxes Illegal Shipper Must Pay To Use Old Priority, Express Mail Boxes

This cartoon is great. If you can't read the small print (i can't), click on it and go have a good chuckle.

GD Meg

Recycled Rags

2008-04-25T13:03:00.002-04:00

This activist, super-mom character is from one of the hippest, kids consignment shops in the NY metro area - Milk Money. A couple of creative mothers started it and it is not only renewing and updating the consignment and used clothing concept, but it is blossoming into a wonderful franchise gig as other mom-types come on board and open up their own shops.

While I haven't done a lot of consigning myself, I've been a proponent of recycling clothing for many years. I clean out my closets every season and bring bags of goodies to my local charity's clothing drop - by the way, there are many charities, including the Salvation Army that have convenient clothing drop bins (ours happened to be right at our recycling depot!).

New York City has it's own recycled clothing initiative, Wearable Collections. According to the statistics presented on Wearable Collection’s website, 386 million pounds of textiles enter the NYC waste stream annually, representing close to 6% of total waste. The Council for Textile Recycling also reports that the clothing recycling industry prevents 2.5 billion pounds of post consumer textile waste from entering our landfills and waste stream each year. The organization is placing recycling bins in designated buildings throughout New York City for the collection of unwanted garments and clothing.

There are a lot of companies now gathering discarded textiles to make new clothing from recycled materials, like Patagonia's Common Thread line.

My girls and I have always enjoyed thrift shops. There is nothing quite like the thrill of finding a unique and sometimes expensive piece of clothing that costs $10 - $20!

I'm wearing a gorgeous sweater today that I found last year in a consignment shop. It looks brand new and I always get a lot of compliments.

There are so many reasons why consigning, donating, and shopping the thrift store circuit should become part of sustainable way of being. My goal is to have some percentage of my wardrobe be made from renewable, organic, responsibly made clothes; some percentage of it from thrift and consignment shops; and the smallest percentage being newly manufactured, store-bought stuff.

Cloth for thought . . .

;)
GD Meg

Celebrating the Earth Today . . .

2008-04-22T09:15:00.002-04:00

and every day . . .

For those of us who have been in the sustainability game for a while, it is exciting, encouraging, and sometimes a little annoying to have all this hype about Earth Day.

It is hard to believe there is anyone out there who isn't aware of Earth Day and all it implies, but I know there are so many folks new to the concepts of greener living and what sustainability means not only to us now, but to our children and grandchildren later.

There are an endless amount of 'festivals' and celebrations going on in every community. While these are fun and hopefully help to create a stronger bond within your community for an effort that will take more than a week to get significant results; my wish is that everyone just takes a at least one moment to sit in the grass, stick your hands in the soil, visit your local farmer and thank them, be aware of the budding of Spring - EVERYWHERE, touch a tree - and listen.

Be inspired by that moment and perhaps take a few of them strung together and have yourself a private celebration!

Find something in that quiet space that you can grasp and remember for the rest of the 364 days of the year.

Happy Earth Day!

:)GD Meg

Fresh & Local

2008-04-18T08:33:00.002-04:00

Okay, the verdict is that 71% of you would chose local over organic if you had to make that choice.

I personally feel strongly about supporting my local/regional farmers, and now most of them are transitioning to organic anyway!

Here are a few great resources to get you started in thinking and preparing for our wonderful local food season!

For those that live in my home state, NJ, here is a great listing of farmer's markets all over NJ - the Garden State!

For those of you in nearby New York State in the Hudson Valley, you can have locally grown food delivered!

CSAs

One way to get wonderful, usually organic, locally grown food is to participate in a Community Supported Agriculture share. You generally buy a share, which usually represents a healthy array and volume of whatever the farmer or group of farmer's is harvesting that week. If you don't know about CSAs, I would encourage you to read up and learn about some local ones to see if it might be a good choice for you.

Here's a CSA in the NY metro area.

Here's a national list of CSAs for everyone else!

Stumble fun - Homeland Security Humor

2008-04-15T20:49:00.003-04:00

I stumbled across this site recently and laughed myself silly. The captions to some of our government's universal symbols are hysterical.

The one for this image is: If you have set yourself on fire, do not run.

duh.

Check out SafeNow.org and get ready to laugh.

It being April 15 and all the annoying media reminders of the IRS and what we owe under all kinds of threatening and scary things, a good laugh may be in order.

When I think of what my tax dollars are being used for, I consider Henry David Thoreau's essay on civil disobedience.

Sustainable Needlepoint?

2008-04-11T08:24:00.003-04:00

Okay, not sure what about needlepoint is sustainable, but I wanted to try and make the topic fit!

Most Wednesday afternoons, I can be found with an enlightened group of people. The premise of our small gatherings is to 'study' the Course in Miracles, but we mostly share what is happening in our lives and how the Course may be employed. No matter what is happening, my spirits are always lifted. One of or merry band is an amazing needlepointer (if that is a word). Over the years, I have witnessed the creation of an impressive array of pillows, chair covers, and floor coverings. We all oooh and ahhhhh when we see her progress, especially on this huge, gorgeous runner she is working on right now.

I've been experiencing some anxiety with all the changes in my life and she recognized my need for a project and offered to get me started on my first needlepoint project. She insisted I would get hooked. I was skeptical as I am still feeling quite addicted to knitting (although I'm very much a newbie there too).

We went to one of the local needlepoint shops and she helped me pick my first two projects. We went back to her house and I got my first lesson.

I've been needlepointing every free minute since!

I think I've been moving pretty fast, but as you can see after one week, I'm only halfway through my first project.

Yes, that is pink and green asparagus. What is up with that?

I'm needlepointing myself to peace & serenity and loving it!

:)
GD Meg

Random Stumbles - Earth Alive & A New Grid

2008-04-07T08:03:00.003-04:00

First of all, I stumbled upon a website that if HALF of it is accurate, it is pretty stunning. Using statistical data, BreathingEarth.net, shows a live animated representation of births, deaths, and carbon emissions around the world.

Second interesting stumble is a story by Jonathan Leake, Science Editor of British newspaper, the Sunday Times. His recent story 'Coming Soon: Superfast Internet' is some serious food for thought. The implications are beyond my comprehension (the story suggests that it may be beyond the scientists who are working on it, so I don't feel entirely stupid). We aren't even finished exploring the capacity of the current Internet! There are some interesting comments on the story, but let us know what your thoughts are here too!

:)GD Meg

Sustainability Poll Results!

2008-04-01T18:42:00.006-04:00

Thanks to all those who participated in the poll, What Aspect of Sustainability is Most Important to You? Here are the results:

Alternative Energy - 27%

Environmental Issues - 20%
Organic Food/Products - 20%

Buying Local - 10%

Socially Responsible/Green Biz - 6%
Climate Change - 3%

Eco-Home - 3%

Education - 3%

Sustainable Agriculture - 3%
Alternative Transportation - 0% (guess nobody cares about this one!)

If we didn't include an 'aspect' or you have something to add, please chime in!

Meanwhile, check out the new poll on Organic v. Local food . . .

:) GD Meg

Lovely Low-Carbon Wrapping Paper

2008-03-28T09:32:00.006-04:00

Lovely Lokta is naturally died paper made from the Daphne or Lokta bushes that grow in the Himalayan mountains. And it IS lovely . . . but it also is made quite sustainably - no trees were harmed in the production of this paper!

Here's what makes it so groovy and green:

Lokta paper is handmade and sun dried, so there are no machines involved;

The bush grows quickly and actually needs agressive pruning or it would die, but the bush also helps stabalize the soil and protect rural Nepalese villages from mudslides during the monsoon season;

The bush grows in the shade, so commercial growth does NOT require any forests be cut down;

The bush grows happily without the use of chemicals;

The paper is colored with either azo-free dyes or organic dyes;

Sweet Organics & Naturals developed this paper and sent me some samples along with some very cool organically dyed twine. The paper is not only nice, it has a great consistency and appears to be strong without being too stiff or wierd. I'm definitely going to use it for all those great eco-gifts for all the showers and weddings coming up this Sping and Summer!

:)
Meg

Green TerraScope - from 3/21 - 3/28

2008-03-20T22:44:00.016-04:00

by Jean Brookwell

The Green TerraScope is a refreshing twist on the traditional horoscope - an earth-based system using a combination of tarot, sun signs, and intuition.
As Jean says, "A green mind is a loving mind."

Aries (March 21 - April 19)
With the arrival of Spring, you experience a fresh, green mind. You will no longer be a helpless victim of pollution in your thoughts, or in your surroundings. You decide to change and improve by adopting positive thoughts and adding new green actions each day. A green mind is a loving mind.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
Cutting your ties to poisonous thoughts is as important as ridding your home and work place of chemical cleaning products. Your health and prosperity depend upon it! By purifying your thoughts from negativity, you contribute to the greening of both your mind and by extension your finances.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)
The green you are saving this Spring is your money. Watch your thoughts and emotions when finances are mentioned. It takes great strength to ignore outside negativity and fiscal fears. As you begin to pay attention to strengths and ignore polluting negativity. A loving mind will emerge to benefit all.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
Eckhart Tolle stated that, "Nonresistance is the key to the greatest power in the universe." How green is that!? You don't have to "do" anything; just observe your resistance. Think of the personal energy you will save in not battling the present, past, or future. A green mind is a loving mind.

Leo (July 23 - August 22)
The Leo old-fashioned adage, "use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without," is re-emerging as green power! As you employ this in your life, you become aware of your personal power, you are freed to go beyond possessions. You are revitalized by what you ARE.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22)
This is the time for you to put your green ideas into action. There is the strong probability of reaping financial gain from one or more of these ideas. Go within and use whatever you find to "turn straw into gold." It is green to save money and make money.

Libra (September 23 - October 22)
The greening of your life can be easily made with small adjustments. You are already living a light Spring green existence. You can increase this to a deep Summer green by taking small incremental steps. As you do this, you will find that your overall satisfaction with life will increase.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
As you sit amidst plenty and abundance, you fear it all slipping away. Abundance is an idea or concept first and then it becomes an actuality. It has been said that once the consciousness for abundance is established, it can always re-establish itself. You cannot lose by going green and Earth gains.

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)
Gain in every area of your life is the theme this year. You will be successful if you go in the direction that YOU want to go in. This is not the time for you to surrender to the urgings of others. It is green to trust your inner promptings.

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)
It takes courage and perseverance to remain committed in the face of slow improvement and frequent disappointments. Remember the tortoise. Slow and steady wins the race. There are times in both life and in the efforts to save the Earth that we have to be willing to work unceasingly, awaiting future results.

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)
Change is what is happening because it is constant and inevitable. Making peace with change is the vital step to learning to love under all circumstances. The first small steps towards greening your life lead to love of yourself and your community. A green mind is a loving mind.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20)
Stop worrying about what DOESN'T work. You do what you do. Sometimes you look for quick results and failing to see them, drop or change your actions. Results are often the last thing to appear. Visible material change is the result of many, many small actions. Green means GO, continue.

Sleepless Stumble - Seriously Living in the Earth

2008-03-19T21:26:00.007-04:00

I was having a sleepless night last week. After giving up the struggle for sleep at 3am, I came downstairs and decided I would sign up and try StumbleUpon.com. I was quite skeptical because it involved installing something new on my explorer toolbar. Be it the excessive quietude or the lack of anything on the 300+ channels on the tube, I went for it.

I LOVED IT!

Got really swept away and found some truly interesting things. Of course, I stumbled upon our own sites.

Here's my favorite stumble this week:

THIS is my hobbit DREAM house. I have always absolutely adored the idea of living in an earthen house like this! It must be the pixie in me . . .

This low-impact woodland home was built by a family in Wales, UK.

"It was built by myself and my father in law with help from passers by and visiting friends. 4 months after starting we were moved in and cosy. I estimate 1000-1500 man hours and £3000." (You'll have to do the conversion. Can't deal with math right now.)

A few features include:

Lime plaster on walls is breathable and low energy to manufacture (compared to cement)
Reclaimed (scrap) wood for floors and fittings
Anything you could possibly want is in a rubbish pile somewhere (windows, burner, plumbing, wiring...)
Woodburner for heating - renewable and locally plentiful
Flue goes through big stone/plaster lump to retain and slowly release heat
Fridge is cooled by air coming underground through foundations
Skylight in roof lets in natural feeling light
Solar panels for lighting, music and computing
Water by gravity from nearby spring
Compost toilet
Roof water collects in pond for garden etc.

I highly recommend you find your way to the website for this low-impact, earthen home to see actual plans, more pictures, and some wonderful descriptions of the process.

:)
GDMeg

A Good Green Read

2008-03-15T18:17:00.008-04:00

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to
learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
not a new book, but a classic in terms of relevance and delivery. i am still grieving the death of this oddly colorful and weirdly hysterically funny author. i resisted the last chance to see, a book douglas adams co-authored with mark carwardine - i couldn't imagine how he could handle the dreadfully serious topic of what is happening to some of the rarer species on the planet.

in reading this book, i came to realize that my greatest humorist inspiration was also an environmental activist.

mr. adams managed to convey an important story in that fabulous voice of his that inspires moments of hysterical laughter followed by a stunning desire to cry. he and mark stumble through this important piece of environmental journalism to help illustrate the sometimes catastrophic effects of the human impact on the natural world.

how could you not love a book that references bob dylan in a chapter title - 'leopard-skin pill box hat pg. 51'!

read it!

:)
meg

Pizza with Purpose

2008-03-13T20:40:00.001-04:00

a couple of years ago, i had the pleasure of meeting george schenk, founder of american flatbread bakery. he is a man with a mission beyond making the most delicious organic, natural pizza. he handed me a handmade cookbook that was hand bound and done in handwriting - his own.

try one of the recipes, which we published in the mag, now found on our website! even the packaging has a story to tell - about artisan bread making, about organic goodness, and about the benefit of supporting your local farmers!

george is an avid localvore (eats locally produced food) and back in 2006 produced a wonderful act of civil disobedience through his chicken event.

their home-base is in the beautiful mad river valley in vermont, but they have hearth-side dining in three locations in vermont, one in virginia, and in order to be sustainable about their production, which is booming, they've opened a bakery in california to accommodate the stores that carry the pizzas in the west.

you can find the pizzas in many stores - go find one!

:) meg

Sustainable Government?

2008-03-12T21:19:00.000-04:00

is it something in the water? seriously, this region is having trouble sustaining governors! NY, NJ & CT don't seem to be able to hold on to governors, and they go out in such glorious public humiliation - governor elliot spitzer being the most recent.

while his wife silda looks utterly miserable, and who wouldn't be in her pumps, it amazes me that there is already a feminist backlash against her for standing by her man. i can't say i would be so gracious. my man would be doing his resignation speech with black eyes at the very least, but i can say that it is an intensely private and intimate issue gone wildly public. i feel terrible for their kids. no doubt beyond his painfully public shame that will cast a nasty pall over them all for a while, there are other legal considerations that may impact the entire family and cause new york's former first lady to show up near the podium on such an odious occasion.

there is fodder for late night monologues for months. i'm already sick of hearing men ponder what one gets for the amount of money mr. spitzer paid for his call girls. if another guy says, "i'm client #10" i'm going to apply a swift boot to their tantalized private thoughts where they live.

okay, all bad metaphors aside, who is running the state? all these escapades are not only costly in terms of ineffective way of operating a state, but also in terms of credibility and the last shred of the public's faith in our current form of governance.

it will take a team of therapists to figure out why mr. spitzer, the butt-kicker of wall street, man of seemingly strident ethics, gave way not only to some questionable moral behavior (perhaps a sexual addiction?), but blatantly illegal activity! he was the head law enforcement official before being governer. he probably broke several laws - ones he helped to enforce. what's up with that? a friend surmised today that spitzer probably wanted to get caught and it is hard to believe otherwise when you really think about it.

i guess lt. gov. david paterson will be sprung into the governor's place in albany. i thought spitzer had some good green-leaning policies and i was impressed with the enthusiasm he displayed at the farm aid event that took place in ny at randall's island last year. i don't live in ny, but i was kind of hopeful on new yorker's behalf having heard him at the press conference prior to the event. he seemed quite committed to helping bring together the farmer's of ny state and the consumers of new york city through the development and support of additional farmer's markets and other farmer-friendly programs.

hope gov paterson will think and act along the same lines!

:)

meg

What's in The Water??????

2008-03-10T11:38:00.000-04:00

are you taking drugs every time you drink water from the faucet?

okay, not ilicit drugs, but those of the pharmaceutical variety.

i've been aware of this issue for a couple of years. when i first heard about it, it made perfect sense that it could be happening. scary to consider what else is getting into our drinking water that we just don't think about!

we filter our drinking water, but i've always wanted to get a good reverse osmosis household system to clean up the shower water, because our skin, being the largest organ and all, does absorb a lot of whatever is in the water. yuck.

living in the pharmaceutical capital of the world - NJ of course - i feel in far too intimate contact with this stuff anyway! i'm not a fanatical anti-pharma person, but i do feel that while they absolutely save lives and can be extremely helpful at times, they are being far too widely marketed and developed for purposes beyond what i consider to be safe. of course, this is purely opinion on my part.

the AP story that came out today only underscores the concern that left unchecked, even lifesaving chemicals can become a problem!

it really goes to an even broader issue of needing to be vigilantly aware of what we are doing to our environment. it is fairly obvious that our culture has gotten way out of natural aligment by focusing so heavily on material gain, growth, capitalism. call it what you will, but we seem to forget that for every action, there is a reaction and the ripple just doesn't end - in this case at the toilet.

if our soil is destroyed by pesticide chemicals, and our water becomes undrinkable, and our air continues to get more polluted - folks, these are the basics - how do we survive?

some say the bees are the canary in a coal mine of our eco-system. while these minute amounts of drugs may not have immediate or noticeable effects on humans (that we are aware of - YET), what might they do to the tiniest of creatures in our already fragile eco-system?

so, do i need to boil my water now? would that even help?

some scary thoughts for a monday.

please let us know what you think!

:)
meg

PS
if you haven't taken our little poll, please do it!

What Does Sustainable Mean to You?

2008-03-08T09:50:00.000-05:00

this is an ongoing discussion with us. jen and i both feel strongly that this word is used so loosely today and that the definition varies depending on an individuals personal needs or beliefs at any given time.

we talked with woody harrelson, willie nelson, daryl hannah, and a few other folks @ the hard rock cafe in times square ny last fall at a sustainable biodiesel event.

see what they said:

we want to hear from you now!

please take our poll

right here, right now. quick, easy, free! scroll down.

it is down on the right side.

:)
meg

Sustainable Lawrence Event

2008-03-07T20:45:00.001-05:00

Just fcund out about what sounds like a great event happening tomorrow, Saturday, March 8th in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. It's a Green Building Expo and it's FREE. Check it out:

Green Building Expo - FREE and Open to ALL!
Keynote: SANDY WIGGINS, Chairman US Green Building Council Date: Saturday, March 8, 2008 from 10:00am to 4:00pm Place: Irwin Dining Center, The Lawrenceville School off Route 206
Learn the latest environmentally smart ways to fix up your home or small business, add a room, handle repairs, paint or refinish any surface, do ordinary maintenance, and save money. Discuss your needs and plans (with no obligation) with architects, designers, builders, home repair specialists, hardware vendors, and more at this day-long event.
Architecture & Green Design
Green Building Materials
Working with a Green Contractor
Energy Alternatives
Green Home Appliances
Peak Oil – The Challenge of Running Out
Home Energy Auditing
This event is for you regardless of your skill or experience. The day will kick off with a keynote presentation by the Chairman of the US Green Building Council, Mr. Sandy Wiggins. Other presenters on topics including energy use, green building, landscaping, and more will follow. Exhibitor displays open all day. No reservations – just come. Bring friends and neighbors. For more information, call Sustainable Lawrence, 895-1629.
10:00 am Keynote AddressSandy Wiggins, Chair, United States Green Building Council
11:30 am PresentationsSimultaneous Presentations by Experts on Key Aspects

The Power of Pete Seeger

2008-03-06T21:29:00.000-05:00

"participation.
that's what's going to save the human race."

pete seeger

watching peter seeger on stage at age 84 singing with passion alongside arlo guthrie and his son-in-law or standing in the cold protesting the war, or making maple syrup at his home in the woods in NY state, or singing with a classroom of children, or cleaning up the river . . . all of it beautiful. all of it incredibly inspiring. all of it makes me feel very lazy.

listening to him talk about being black-listed for 17 years because of the insanity of mccarthy and those that fostered and fed on sent an eerie chill through my already cold body with thoughts of how close we are to that today, but instead of talking about communists, they talk about islamic terrorists. he sang, "if we could heed these early warnings, the time is now quite early morning."

but, in the spirit of hope, he also said,

when three people discover a harmony they

never knew existed . . . then they know

there is hope for the world.

pete seeger

i highly recommend either renting or ordering the DVD or keeping an eye out for it on your local PBS station.

How Green Are They?

2008-03-04T08:54:00.000-05:00

not sure about you, but i'm trying to wade through all the various planks of hillary and barack's presidential platforms and while there are differences, in the end, the goals seem so similar. my head spins with it all.

i was trying to read through their energy & environmental plans and by the end, i couldn't remember who wanted what and how any of it was really going to get done. everyone wants to reduce carbon emissions. they both want to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. very few of us will be around at that time to see how that worked out, but it is a nice direction to go in. it feels good.

grist has done a pretty good job of narrowing down their shades of green pretty well. i highly recommend going there to get some concept of how green they are or at least what their green dreams are.

at this point, i believe we ALL agree on the direction we need to go in and on several major key issues, including reduction in oil dependence, increase in alternative energy sources and R & D, reduction of carbon emissions, etc. it is HOW we get there and who will be the most effective in creating the foundation of change that will take at least a generation to begin to show significant results.

if you figure it out or have a strong opinion, please let us know. we are interested.

:)
meg

Sustainable Kitchen - 1

2008-03-03T09:55:00.000-05:00

jenifer and i are both foodies. one of our favorite sections of the magazine/website is relevant delights where we share all kinds of recipes and information relating to food mostly.

if we had our way, i think we would focus more of our attention on this aspect of our practical sustainable lifestyles!

in our last eNews, in our 'fresh ideas from the Green Divas' section, we started what we hope will be an ongoing series of easy ways to get greener in the kitchen while still enjoying all the fun bits of kitchen duty.

in addition to simple ways to be more sustainable in the kitchen, we have literally hundreds of great, healthy, delicious recipes that work for family, friends, and even catering events! we always try to incorporate locally produced food and ideas on how to use that wonderful share of produce from the CSA (community supported agriculture). i feel a book coming on . . . would anyone want yet another cookbook to add to their collection?

meanwhile, please check out some of our latest recipes - the last one posted and shared through the eNews was my mom's famous, award-winning chili.

try it and let me know how you like it!

:)

meg

Fantastic Fabe's - yummy all natural baked stuff

2008-02-29T17:00:00.000-05:00

this is definitely my favorite part of the job - we got a huge box dumped on the doorstep this week. i opened it up to find several bags of dry ice, but of course that wasn't the exciting part.

SEVERAL pies, a whole chocolate cake AND 6 different packages of cookies!

WHOOOO HOOOOOO . . . i wasn't quite ready to start my weight-loss routine anyway . . .

somehow i can justify them because they are all natural, no sugar or artificial sweetners, vegan, and so far ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!!

i divided the pile to give some to jen, but i'm afraid we're going to eat her family's ration pretty soon.

check out Fabe's All Natural Foods.

big green thumbs up!

;)

meg

dr. seuss hat

2008-02-25T21:45:00.000-05:00

hard to tell from this photo, but this is my latest whacky creation, seen on the head of one of my earlier creations, my daughter mary.

i knitted this hat from this wonky black yarn, which made a really wobbly, fun, dr. seuss style toasty head covering.

here's my doc seuss quote for the day:

"Just tell yourself duckie,

you're really quite lucky!"

found this fun page filled with quote from the prolific and profound - click here for more dr. seuss quotes.

knitting a matching scarf that i was going to give to wayne, but i swear it expanded and it seems wide and it is more like a shawl.

nothing really sustainable to report.

check out some of the new recipes jen and i have been sharing on our website.

meg

let it snow

2008-02-22T08:09:00.000-05:00

i can't find my digital camera to capture the thousands of these little buggers that are falling gracefully out of the sky right now. the view outside my window is a whispy white wonderland.

so, i went and found a few cool images of individual snowflakes. it is hard to believe how amazing these little guys are up close and personal. from my window or even standing right next to hundreds of them clustered or floating down for their last individual dive, they don't seem so unique or different.

i just LOVE a snowy day.

happy belated birthday to me!!!!! yesterday marked another year since the original one when my poor mother worked so hard to push me into this thing we call life. go mom. after i started having children, i realized how birthdays are not only about welcoming the new wee one, but i suddenly realized how underappreciated mothers were on that day! i mean, we make a fuss over ourselves because we have lived 365 more days, but it is the anniversary of a day of hard labor for most mothers.

so, 20-something years ago, i started celebrating my mother on my birthday. nothing extravagant, but some type of acknowledgement about her involvement in the process.

my mother has been gone for 13 or 14 years (one of my siblings can set me straight on that one), so there is always a bitter-sweet, emotional moment or two i spend quietly no matter what goes on. i miss my mom, but i know she is around and i thanked her yesterday for all her efforts that day and for all the love for the ensuing years.

now, on my kids' birthdays i have started a tradition of telling them all about the day they were born. they now look forward to that part of their birthday celebration each year.

i had a wonderful day yesterday. i expected nothing and honestly have never been much of a birthday partier, but the true friendship and love i felt yesterday goes way beyond fancy parties and gifts. but, i LOVE the goodie bag jenifer gave me with my beautiful and colorful alpaca gloves and bracelet and tea (she knows me so well); and the really cool pink charging station wayne found for me - so girly, hightech, AND useful! my girls got me exactly what i wanted AND i've been eating myself into oblivion with all the wonderful meals!

i'm going to enjoy this quiet, snowy, post-b-day.

i'll be uploading new goodies to website so, make sure to check that out!

meg

Slow Publishing - Part 3

2008-02-16T10:05:00.000-05:00

in case you haven't heard, as part of our slow publishing debate, we've decided to suspend publication of Relevant Times in order to better practice what we preach - although i wouldn't say our general message or method of conveying it is preachy.

while jen and i feel strongly that print is NOT ready to die, when we carefully weighed out and examined all the pros and cons of how sustainable the print facet really is, it just can't win.

so far, everyone we've told and talked to about it is very disappointed. we're trying to keep a positive attitude about it all, but there is no denying that it is a tough decision and whether it is permanent or not, it will change things dramatically.

we are still working through alternative options that may be a more sustainable way to be in ink and get the word out to those who aren't all-digital yet, which is really probably 90% of the population.

maybe we need to do this to prove a point or maybe it is just that the print industry is sliding down the hill into history and it is the wrong time to start what has traditionally been a very difficult, environmentally costly, and expensive (not so sustainable) media venue.

look, we're about practical sustainability. there is nothing practical or sustainable about printing a bi-monthly magazine! while environmental concerns are a huge factor, money comes into play for anyone who is considering practical sustainability.

if we had a huge sustaining supply of money, we could print on the highest quality post-consumer recycled paper using all the least harmful processes now available, using a local printer, distributing the magazine using a fleet of hybrid and/or biodiesel vans.

as it turns out, passion isn't enough to produce those things. investors are interested, but shy in the current economic climate and not quick enough to act to make these things happen. anyone in magazine publishing knows that sales wouldn't be enough to carry even a traditionally produced magazine for a period of 3 - 5 years, let alone one that is done with the more costly sustainable practices as a priority.

so, we're doing what we do well - getting creative with what we have. i think that is a sustainable attribute jen and i both carry rather naturally.

we do have these wonderful electronic platforms and we're not afraid to use them! so watch out world. we may be sad because we don't have a beautiful color magazine in our hands today, but all is not lost and with your help, we will find ways to help communicate the news and resources everyone's come to use and enjoy from the print side.

i declare that print is NOT dead . . . is is just in a coma until we can find better, more sustainable ways to produce the printed word!

please let us know your thoughts.

;)
meg

I Hate Global Warming

2008-02-13T08:20:00.000-05:00

is it my imagination or all this hype about climate change OR in the last few years have more snow storms than not turned into rain here in NJ??????

back to my basement. because we had a nice snow yesterday, then the sleet, now the rain, there is no ground water absorption near the outside steps to my basement so the water is just running right down the stairs and bypassing the wonderful new subpump my handy manly man, wayne installed last week. so, i'm down there EVERY 15 MINUTES with a giant broom sweeping the water to the corner where the hole (which is mostly empty) for the subpump is.

i hear it is going to rain heavily all day. yeah! guess i don't need to go to the gym this afternoon! if i do it right, i can burn a mess of calories on those narrow, steep stairs. the cumulative affect will be like going to a step class!

if this were snow, i wouldn't be having this problem (and i'd have to go to the gym).

i need to do some meteorological research to see what the patterns have been, but i just don't remember all this nasty rain-after-snow stuff when i was growing up in this very same area.

if my back weren't so painful and the fact that i have to go up and down the stairs EVERY 15 MINUTES and sweep the water, i might not be so crabby.

was hoping to blame global warming or climate change.

it is fun owning your own home, right?

how can i make all this fun more sustainable? on second thought, not sure i want to sustain this particular brand of aerobic exercise.

i'm open for suggestions.

:)
meg

Sustainable Design in Morristown, NJ -- Who Knew?

2008-02-09T22:25:00.000-05:00

It was a snowy, grey Saturday - we decided to truck on down to The Morris Museum as they were holding one of their Saturday Family Workshops entitled Recycled House where we were invited to create a model of a house using recycled materials, wood scraps and found objects. This workshop was being offered in conjunction with a new exhibition set to open there on February 12th called The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture & Design.

This highly interactive exhibit, which was created by the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C introduces visitors to the concept of “green” or sustainable architecture and design for all types of buildings and demonstrates the emerging collaboration between tasteful architecture, interior design, and environmental responsibility.

That's James' cousin Hannah above right with her house. Below left is James with the house he and Dad, Jim, built (solar panels courtesy of yours truly) -- and below right is James' cousin Elias with his bold creation!

A good time was had by all!

:) Jen

knitting, voting & other recent events

2008-02-07T13:57:00.000-05:00

it's been a busy week so far! hard to make time to write here. sorry.

update on sustainable knitting project:

yours truly in the superbowl hat! i know, i know, it should be blue . . . go giants!

i've decided knitting is an amazing therapeutic activity that fits into the sustainable category of making useful stuff for ourselves, distracting oneself during challging times, AND the simple satisfaction of creating something.

i'm very proud of my little hat - and not just because it makes me about 3 inches taller with that giant pom-pom my daughter made for it either!

i feel like mike nesmith of the monkees. for anyone over 40, they'll know who i'm talking about. anyone younger, can go to the links provided and familiarize yourself with some odd and colorful bits of the culture i grew up in. when i was a kid, i thought he was the cutest . . . maybe it was the knitted hat he ALWAYS wore with the pom-pom on top!

rock the vote:

DID YOU ALL GET OUT AND EXERCISE YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS THIS WEEK?

hillary kicked ass in Jersey. yes, i'm coming out for hillary. i'm announcing my endorsement of hillary clinton. not sure anyone cares, least of all the senator herself!

i really like mr. obama. he gives great oration! i do think he has incredible potential, but i feel strongly that we are in desperate need of someone who has the experience and capacity to WORK the whitehouse game on 'day one' as hillary says (perhaps a wee bit too often).

i'm among those who feel a clinton/obama ticket would be a powerful match for anything the republicans could come up with. and now that mr. morman has gracefully bowed out, we're looking at good ole mccain.

okay, i'll restrain myself from ranting at this point.

spooky:

if you are a feline lover and saw the image of our goofy spooky with the catnip toy on her head (see earlier post about testing sustainable pet toys), please send out some good energy to her. she is currently sobering up from getting knocked out for tests today. she's been really sick for the past couple of days. we are worried.

:)
meg

A doc to look forward to

2008-02-04T08:52:00.000-05:00

a friend of mine, sent a link for this trailer to an upcoming documentary on 12-step recovery and faith.

i'm a documentary slut and a fan of AA, so it is a no-brainer for me, but i thought some of you might be interested in it for various reasons.

check it out.

:)
meg

Knitting on Game Day, and other non Superbowl activities

2008-02-03T12:03:00.000-05:00

i suppose if our basement hadn't flooded and wiped out our hot water heater, things might be easier today . . . alas, sorely in need of a hot shower, i've been sidetracked today, NOT by the Superbowl and all the game-day preparations involved, but by knitting primarily.

my little artist and creative daughter, jessie has caught the knitting bug from her grandmother, who she has been living with. apparently this virus is spreading. jessie came in yesterday with some cotton yarn (i'm allergic to wool), some knitting needles for me. she made herself a hat a couple of days ago that we both marvelled at, so now it is my turn.

here i want to give some inspirational credit to my new and most interesting blogger friend, yarny old kim. i have seen her knitted socks live and in person and i'm not sure i'll ever get there, but it is something i aspire to.

i should be cleaning the house because we have a small crowd decending upon us for festivities (which really means, I cook a lot of food, and they sit in front of the TV cheering and groaning depending on the Giants' performance). i have a lot of cooking to do too.

instead i've alternated between sitting on my little couch in the sun room with the cat on my lap, reading Pattie Boyd's book about being married to both George Harrison AND Eric Clapton. seems greedy to me, but whatever . . . and then sitting in the other chair with the foot stool and knitting or attempting to anyway. i made significant progress in the knitting and then dropped a couple of critical sticthes at the end. my daughter is sitting here now trying to help me fix it.

i suppose this is a good time to get busy cooking and cleaning, but i thought blogging would be much more fun!

i wonder how disappointing the ads will be this year . . . saw a CBS Sunday Morning story about how they are ALL geared towards the web . . . even traditional broadcast media is bowing to this new media beast!

hope you all enjoy your sunday, no matter what you are celebrating or doing!

:)
meg

Relevant Times Radio Divas @ the Studio

2008-01-31T18:49:00.001-05:00

Click To Play

Watch a tiny bit of what the Divas do every Thursday morning during their 1-hour radio show on HomeGrownRadioNJ.com

Is Print Really Dead? Slow Publishing part 2

2008-01-30T15:07:00.000-05:00

continuing on the theme brought up in an earlier post, we are still discussing the fate of ink on paper . . . it is an interesting debate and seems that whatever side you fall on, most are pretty strident in their support of their belief in favor of keeping print on life-support or doing the Kavorkian thing and moving on to the next world (the digital realm).

we as a media company have not come up with any clear cut answers yet. and it is hard to let go of something tangible that feels almost like a child of sorts. the labor involved (which none of us would really miss that much), binds you to it in a special way.

everywhere i went last week there were RT readers gushing about how much they LOVE the magazine. i just smiled and said thank you while thinking - gee how would you feel if i told you it might just go away? i didn't have the heart to spring it on any of these folks as they were so happy and i in turn appreciated and absorbed some of that good stuff. hard to let that go.

we've been turned on to Ustream.tv, which could be the next youtube.com. we may have an opportunity to make our video broadcast entry here pretty painlessly. this could help people find our budding website, but can this really replace the magazine for 'on the street' 'hands-on' coverage?

talked to my trusted hair guy, Duane, this afternoon while getting a much-needed cut and color (all natural and really does look great!), and he said that honestly, he would NOT read much on the web and prefers print. he is one of our loyal sponsors of our internet radio show and he has NEVER listened to it. at least he's honest about it! although he said his partner is ALL about the web and surfs and reads stuff from there all day long.

no clear answer. dunno. seems like we (maybe the 'we' is us over 30) just aren't ready to totally let go of print.

we want your input. please weigh in and let us know how you feel in general and if you are a RT reader and/or browser, let us know how you feel about print v. all digital.

meg

2008-01-27T22:32:00.000-05:00

Get Smart.

I got a little smarter today in more ways than one. First, at services this morning at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, I learned that Grist has this great resource on their site called 'How Green is Your Candidate?' - check it out! Hilary is actually rated the highest.

Then we went over to SmartWorld Coffee in Morristown for a cuppa organic, fair trade java and some Go Organics Community Crunch granola - see Chef Judy holding Benjamin who is holding my free bag -- she was giving out free samples of the yummy stuff you can purchase there every day! See some of Chef Judy's sacred recipes in the Jan/Feb issue of Relevant Times.

While there, I got even smarter after test driving this cute new Smart Car from Mercedes-Benz. There I am in the little pregnant roller skate. James is in the doorway in the background. I must say it was liberating to drive such a small car since I usually drive this big Plymouth Grand Caravan every day. I was a little disappointed that it's not hybrid or anything - uses gasoline and only slated to get 40 mpg city/highway! The low-end model is going for about $11,000 -- According to the friendly salesperson (whose name I don't remember), we're the 37th country to get the car - it sells big in Rome. There's a nine-month wait for it, you put $99 down and they start building one for you.

All in a Sunday's work!

:) Jen

Slow Publishing

2008-01-27T15:07:00.001-05:00

jen and i have been engaged in a deep discussion among ourselves, our staff, and our partners about the print aspect of our little multi-media empire. we are all about finding the most sustainable ways to do what we do, which includes minimizing the resources burned up to produce everything - money (a vital aspect of any sustainable business), being one of those resources.

although we do everything we can to minimize any negative impact environmentally, printing the magazine is the least 'green' of our outlets. but, we both feel strongly about the need for a tangible product to hold onto and read. maybe we are old-fashioned, but we both still like a good magazine for varying reasons.

the wide variety of ages in our demographic range is one of the reasons we are a multi-media company. we know as well as anyone in this business that there is a huge shift to electronic broadcasting and the younger among us is already there.

this is forcing those of us weaned on print media to start thinking, writing, and editing in smaller bits of information. our editorial attention span is shrinking rapidly. (you can see why i love this blogging thing - don't feel the 300-500 word count constraint here).

jen and i both have a resistance to giving up the print concept, even though it would be soooooooo much easier on us in so many ways. perhaps it represents a loss of some editorial structure or integrity that just don't seem to exist in the same way on the web.

sometimes what we want to say or what needs to be shared can't be said well or distributed effectively through an electronic-only platform.

we were ranting about this friday, when jen came up with a brilliant concept - slow publishing. we are both supporters of the slow food movement and think that in many ways there could be a parellel. the most glaring analogy being slowing down enough to appreciate what is presented and how it nourishes us, where it comes from and how it came into being.

can we really do this when are reading things in 'txt msg' sized bytes of information boiled down to 3-letter initial-cap phrases, like LOL, TTYL, BRB . . . if you want to know what these mean, talk to one of your teenage children or friends. we're eliminating full words, vowels, and of course capital letters in many cases (yes, i'm one of THOSE folks that loves to stream-write casually - guilty.).

not that these things don't have a place and aren't part of an innovate move towards some positive aspects of a new information age, but do we have to let go of everything from the old school? and does it mean i'm old because i still like to read those long, and mostly thought-provoking articles in the New York Times Magazine on sundays (even if it takes me a couple of days to finish them!)?

so much of what we talk about when we share ideas for practical sustainable living is a return to common sense or more traditional ways of doing things, which so often was a simpler and less wasteful way of being. when my grandmother used to carefully and painfully slowly unwrap a gift so that she could fold up the wrapping paper and reuse it, it wasn't becuase she was concerned for trees or the impact of paper production or global warming. it was because she came from a generation that didn't waste because they didn't have the money or these items just weren't as easy to come by as they are today.

okay, enough for now.

how do you feel about 'slow publishing'?

meg

Another GD Walk in the Woods

2008-01-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

that's Grateful Dead, not the common expletive often associated with GD.

okay, so last week i pontificated about the benefits of communing with nature as i had a helpful and healing walk in the woods.

THIS week, i marched into the cold wilderness with a different perspective . . .

this past week i experienced a technological miracle and my iPod was liberated from a year in some kind of mp3 purgatory and i was able to not only clear it off to make room for some new music, i was indeed able to upload some of my favorite new music. sounds simple, but in this regard (and perhaps a few others), it has been a frustrating year.

music is kind of like nature for me - it often can completely shift my state of being and have a deep emotional impact on me, almost always in a good way.

maybe it was the sun shining this morning or the fact that it was 7 degrees warmer, but i decided to bring along my personal soundtrack and grabbed my iPod. i wanted a different kind of spiritual experience. i occassionally like rockin down the wooded trail.

i love to set the music to 'shuffle' and see what that randomness brings. i always struggle when a tune arrives that i really don't feel like listening to. i feel obligated to hear it through as if it will feel neglected or rejected if i press forward and leap over it. also, i live in fear that i will give the little electronic brain that lives in the shuffle component the wrong idea. it seems to pay attention to what i like or don't like. i can hear the patterns. i mean, what if i like that music next week and the iPod misinterprets my mood and i never hear the song again? (how about that for drama!)

this morning's shuffle didn't require any inner debate (perhaps becacuse i removed the annoying tunes and uploaded different ones?). i was quite happy to groove along with some early grateful dead at the start of our journey. when johnny winters cued up, i wasn't sure this was somehow appropriate, but i almost danced down the trail and the dog, while perhaps not listening, reponded to my childish glee and seemed to dance along with me. love how the shuffle switches gears on me and i heard a soulful joan baez and a meditative, new agey andreas vollenveider before the little brain in the iPod knew exactly what to do and lit upon one of my all-time favorite grateful dead trips, terrapin station.

by the time it came on, i was on the last bit of my dance with nature, so i slowed down and listened to perhaps one of the most finely produced grateful dead epic ballads brought on by jerry garcia and robert hunter (and probably some LSD). i defy anyone to follow the storyline in the lyrics in one sitting. it is almost impossible to not get utterly lost in the musical side trails. not their traiditonal spacejam, but one that is so carefully produced that it has a mood-altering affect.

so, here i find an added benefit to my natural medicine: meg + nature + good music = excellent mood enhancer, sans drugs or chemicals!

i'm enjoying my sunday so far, how about you?

;)

meg

Testing fun sustainable pet products

2008-01-25T16:07:00.001-05:00

one of the best parts of this job is that we get to test and review a lot of products. they just seem to magically show up on the doorstep. some of them we request from the hundreds of press releases we receive, but some we have no idea how they get here!

today, i opened a package from West Paw Deisgn, who are creating durable products for pets from environmentally sustainable manufacturing materials and processes.

i've gotten cool pet products before, but as soon as i opened these, i saw that one was for woody (the golden retriever boy), and one was for spooky (cool black cat). it took them all of 30 seconds to get into action . . .

i'm sure there is catnip in this one!

woody was equally enamored with his and grabbed it AND spooky's toy and within 2 minutes had the squeaker out of his and most of the stuffing pulled out. he likes to pull it all apart and sleep with it - almost like a nest. he will carry around the shell for months (if it doesn't get too nasty, in which case we eliminate it when he isn't looking - i know cruel, but hey, he has others, believe me!).

meg :)

What is Sustainability? an ongoing dialog, part 1

2008-01-25T09:44:00.000-05:00

Since we got the ball rolling back in 2006 for this incarnation of Relevant Times, Jen and I and our enthusiastic staff have continually asked ourselves and anyone who would listen - What IS sustainability?

The only thing that is consistent about the multitude of answers is that it means different things for nearly everyone. It seems to vary depending on an individual's priorities, whether it is family, sustainable local economies, sustainable agriculture, eco-home, etc.

Jen and I take a holistic approach to sustainability in that for us it is a lifestyle and we consider the sustainability not only of the various aspects of our lives, but how these affect the community as a whole.

Things can get complicated when we then see how each 'category' in this lifestyle has its 'shades' of green and varying points of entry for anyone who is curious or interested in beginning the journey towards healthy, more whole living.

There are a million different ways to join the sustainability movement - some are judged greener than others, but who are the judges, where exactly are the standards? There are cool organizations like Co-Op America.

The green-extreme folks argue against carbon offsets being bought by mega-corporations as greenwashing, but at these seminal stages of what needs to be generations of change, isn't ANY step towards a more sustainble way of doing things (especially if it does indeed go towards renewable energy sources and research!) a positive thing?

I know I could easily be accused of being a very pale shade of green in certain areas of my life. I simply don't have the resources to get off the grid, nor am I entirely sure I would want to in my present circumstances.

We often have to make hard decisions that sometimes will compromise our ideals in order to sustain ourselves in a rough and tumble economy and ever-challenging world.

We would really love to hear your thoughts on this!

Meg

ecobinky

2008-01-23T23:08:00.000-05:00

My little guy, Benjamin is a big chewer. I swear he was born teething. Of course I shopped the standard baby supply marts for a 'clean' 'safe' pacifier for him, but none was to be found. They were all made of silocone or latex. I was so concerned about what chemicals might leach from them, so I began looking for a good binky for him. Lo and behold, while scanning my latest daily digest of email from the Holistic Moms Network National Loop www.holisticmoms.org, I found a post about EcoBinky available at EcoPiggy www.ecopiggy.com. So I ordered two. These pacifiers are made from pure rubber from the rubber tree, Hevea Brasillensi. The protein that on rare occasions can provoke a latex allery has been removed from the rubber mass of these pacifiers, which means ther eis not risk of latex allergy, no chemical softeners, parabens, PVC or phthalates AND it's not made in China but in the EU. YAY! Benjamin loves his ecobinky and so do I.

jen

an MLK day

2008-01-21T11:46:00.000-05:00

"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted"

Martin Luther King, Jr.

i often feel 'creatively malajusted'. this quote makes it almost seem like a good thing!

i took the time this morning to reflect on the man, the myth, the spirit behind the national holiday that is keeping things quieter than normal today.

of course Martin Luther King, Jr. was not the first nor will he be the last to reflect the powerful message of truth in love rather than hate and peace rather than perpetuating voilence, but like the others who came forth and suffered for it, he knew that to be silent at a time when silence was rewarded and ignorance was an accepted standard would be to deny an inalienable truth.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"

Martin Luther King, Jr.

i often wish i had just 1/25th the courage Dr. King had. i'm working on it . . . progress seems slow.

meanwhile, i appreciated the opportunity to take the time to meditate on his message, which no matter how many times i hear it or read it holds some new inspiring aspect.

i encourage you to take the time to watch history in action and see what inspires you today.

MLK - I have a dream video

meg

Superbowl 42 going green?

2008-01-20T22:51:00.000-05:00

okay, so today my family, which includes all kinds of extended family member on 'game' days, shows up for the all-important Giants playoff game.

i tried to act disinterested, but i got caught up in the frenzy as we screamed, lept from our seats, grumbled and yelled at the coaches about how they should do it.

anyone that knows me, knows that i am as true a peacenik as anyone, but i also come from a father who was a phenomenal athlete and who would've played professional football (he was recruited from Colgate) had he not done his patriotic duty by heading off to WWII instead.

so, being a woman of diverse and complex interests, i can't deny my excitement.

jen and i were quoted several times in a great story about green business in the Daily Record today. while ripping apart the newspaper to find our 'cover' story for their new special business section, i came across a piece about the greening of the superbowl. this intrigued me, so i decided to check it out on the official Superbowl 42 website.

must be some monsterous offsets, and they'll need to plant thousands of trees to offset the carbon output!

glad they are making some effort, but not sure if this might not qualify as an example of 'greenwashing'. especially when it is used for marketing/promotional purposes.

what do you think?

Meg

Walk in the woods rant

2008-01-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

i've learned a few things over the years, but one that is perhaps the best medicine for most spiritual, mental, emotional ailments is the good old walk-in-the-woods cure.

seems that no matter what time of year or the weather conditions, there is something magical that occurs when i suit up and march out to the nearest wooded path (sans iPod) to get some fresh air and a fresh perspective on things.

despite the cold, muddy/icy conditions, i've been out twice in the last two days - tells you something about my condition!

this morning as i was crunching along on the iced-over mud trying to get into the spirit of this little journey without breaking my neck, i realized how little i have done this since last fall.

as i tried to clear my mind, which seemed a useless effort, i started considering what good medicine this walking in nature has always been for me. sometimes i resist it, but once i get there, i always feel some of the burdens of life lighten up as does my perspective on everything.

i ruminated on the fact that while i felt 'down' or 'sad' or even god-forbid 'depressed' during difficult times in my life, i had somehow found strength through various healthy practices (spiritual connection, good friends, exercise, nature, chocolate . . . ). more than once, well-meaning doctor types have tried to convince me that pharmaceuticals could 'help' me get through these times.

it's been tempting. i've had some serious losses, but i've been fortunate not to encounter anything other than what i consider to be situational or normal depression during these times.

i started to think about how completely depressing our culture really is! no wonder all these anti-depressant drugs are so popular. yes, we have more material things than almost anyone on earth, but our spiritual, emotional, mental state seems to be constantly under threat of broadcasted negativity and fear. i think we are a culture that is so caught up in avoiding the truth about certain things and the pain we'd have to feel to accept it that we just keep running in various ways to push it aside - don't feel, don't think, don't stop. it occurs to me that the boom in the pharmaceutical culture makes sense.

i'm not saying that medicine hasn't saved lives or isn't appropriate for some folks, but i do think we as a society are always looking for the quick and easy way to avoid facing our collective and personal realities. i know i'm guilty of it sometimes, but sometimes i find that going back to basics and good old fashioned common sense helps me get back to some sense of balance in the midst of all the chaos. the woods and nature help me with that. puts me in touch with something more enduring than the fleeting images electronically blasted my way.

the rocks and trees sometimes reflect some sadness from pollution that is affecting them, but other than that, they are a quiet steady reminder that there is life despite the illusion of winter or stockmarkets falling or war or epidemics of obesity and sickness or cancer. somehow nature just keeps chugging along.

i pick up on this and it helps me to realize that i too can keep chugging along.

so, make some time to go out and acknowledge some nature today. good medicine.

meg

2008-01-18T16:36:00.000-05:00

Hi there!

Welcome to our crazy, multi-media world. Jen and I are broadcasting a good deal of our personal lives as we strive for sustainability through our professional lives with Relevant Times. Okay, so the bi-monthly print magazine is a production deal that is like giving birth every two months (we can both testify to that as mothers of 5 kids between us!). We've been operating on passion, fumes, and amazing good will on the part of many supporters (incuding our weary and underpaid staff).

We're trying to focus more attention on this very expansive (and more sustainable, less carbon output) electronic world. Have you seen our website? RelevantTimes.com. Our fab interactive team has done an amazing job and even more amazing, they have trained us to do most of this on our own now - watch out world!

So, we're planning on updating the website a few times per week and doing more with stuff like this. Sign up for the eNews Updates and we'll keep you posted about some of our interesting guests for the radio show and our latest TV interviews too!

Jen and I really want to interact with more of you. So . . . Post away! Let us know what you want to talk about and what you care about.

We certainly have stuff to say.