For the past year or two my allergies have been building and building. I was never allergic to anything as a child but things change as you get older. I definitely have some tree pollen allergies and wine. Red wine is worse but I’ve noticed white wine makes me have a sneezing fit too.
This spring [...]
This week summer finally arrived. Yay! Well kind of.. This is my first summer in a couple years without central air and it’s definitely an adjustment.
The major challenges to keeping the place cool are
#1 We’re on the 3rd floor
#2 South facing windows
#3 No shade from other buildings to keep the sun from beating down on [...]
Here’s a short list of small changes you can start working into your daily routine that will make a big impact on your environmental footprint.
1. Bring your own bag to the market, convenience store, hardware store, everywhere.
Last year I bought some nylon reusable shopping bags. I bring them everywhere not just the grocery store. My drawers were still filling up with plastic bags. I try to remember to bring them with me everywhere not just the grocery store. I purchased a huge reusable tote from Bed Bath and Beyond (under $5) a few months ago and I bring it with me when I know I’m going to have some bulkier items to bring home.
2. Bring your own cup.
This one too is not just limited to the coffee place. Use that mug as much as you can. I’m not sure if fast food places like McDonald’s would be as open but I’ve used my own mug at Subway. They’re usually open to it if it’s a place where you fill your own drink. Know how many ounces your cup holds and make the effort. People usually don’t care. It costs them less to not give you a cup, lid and straw.
3. Turn the water off when you’re brushing your teeth
My little bathroom faucet pumps out 2.5 gallons of water a minute. It takes a lot of energy and resources to get the water from the treatment plant all the way to your faucet. Be conscious of how much water you’re using and try to shut it off when you don’t need it.
After many months of anticipation farmer’s market season is upon us! Yay!
I have my list of markets to check out and at the top of the list is the 61st Street Farmer’s Market. It’s one of the independently run markets in the city and I’m really hoping it’s good. My goal for the summer is to get as much food as I can from the farmer’s markets hopefully it’s as easy as I think it should be.
Today while taking a little break for lunch and playing around with my iPod Touch, I found a great little app in the App Store from Buster McLeod, called Locavore. It uses data from the Local Harvest website to tell you what fruits and veggies are in season in your area and the dates and times of local farmer’s markets. Really great! You can also choose to look at individual items and see where they are currently in season in the US and find recipes.
