Sustainable Living

Entries Tagged as 'Sustainable Living'

Are We Even On Your List Of Priorities?

November 7th, 2011 · 3 Comments · Education, Environment, Family, Kids, Politics, Pollution, Sustainable Living

I once had a lovely student named Annick who wrote a manual for grown-ups. It was mostly a colorful how-to book that stacked all the cards in kids’ favor. Her book advocated for abolishing bedtimes, and not learning about dead presidents. I recall it was published around Election Day, and we were discussing the importance [...]

Illuminating A Waste-Free Halloween

October 31st, 2011 · No Comments · decor, DIY, Eco-Friendly, Environment, Family, Green Home, Holidays, Kids, Reduce/Recycle/Reuse, Sustainable Living

Are pumpkins invading your nest like these grinning jack-o’-lanterns that have overtaken this Massachusetts home? Even when the pumpkin glow is at a minimum, if you celebrate Halloween with your little ones, it may be time to pick up those heavy holiday footprints. Why? According to the EPA, household waste increases more than 25 percent [...]

Please Don’t Pollute Our Nests

October 20th, 2011 · No Comments · Design, Environment, Family, Garden, Nature, Pollution, Sustainable Living

I love nests. The original logo for Econesting was a nest. My daughter (a graphic designer) and I went back and forth between a nest or a tree logo. At the time, my life was in flux. I had just left my teaching job, and as my youngest left for college, my nest was empty. [...]

Fixing Food On A Starving Planet

October 16th, 2011 · 6 Comments · Environment, Food, Sustainable Living

How we farm and how we eat may prove to be one of the largest issues of our time. There seems to be a lot of deep thinking around this topic, and I believe the multi-dimensional problem of climate change reaches into the core of why we need a realignment of the inequalities in our [...]

Upcycled Tires: Hot or Not?

October 13th, 2011 · 6 Comments · crafts, decor, Design, DIY, Eco-Friendly, Fashion, Green Home, Reduce/Recycle/Reuse, Sustainable Living

I’ve been noticing a recycled tire trend. Combining creativity with eco-friendly intentions to make usable goods, bike tire tires and tubes are being upcycled and popping up in unusual places. Not surprising, since according to Recycle To Cycle: “In the last five years an estimated 18 million bicycles per year were sold in the United [...]

The US Open of Renovation

September 30th, 2011 · 5 Comments · decor, DIY, Eco-Friendly, Family, Green Home, humor, Sustainable Living

For the gazillionth time, we’re renovating. It’s like a sport for us…one that’s yet to be fully mastered. This time the kitchen is ripped apart. The windows over the sink rotted and mosquitoes have begun to congregate around gaping peepholes eyeing their prey – us. I’m sure I know what they’re buzzing about – my [...]

Library Filled With Creative Reuse, Charm and Children

September 23rd, 2011 · No Comments · decor, Design, DIY, Eco-Friendly, Education, Inspiration, Reduce/Recycle/Reuse, Sustainable Living, Travel

The Old Market Library in Thailand was built by TYIN tegnestue, a non-profit organization that does humanitarian work through architecture. TYIN is run by five architect students from Norway. This project was financed by more than 60 Norwegian companies, as well as private contributions. The library, built in a 100 year-old building was once an [...]

Al Gore Doles Out a Dose of Reality

September 14th, 2011 · 4 Comments · Eco-Friendly, Environment, Green Home, Politics, Pollution, Sustainable Living

Please take note: this event is happening globally today and tomorrow: Call me crazy, but when Al Gore talks about the environment, he makes me feel safer. (Please don’t send the elephants to trample me.) Gore’s message is like a reliable parent. In this role, he does not concede in the protectiveness of his message [...]

Religion Matters

September 10th, 2011 · No Comments · Eco-Friendly, General, Pollution, Sustainable Living

Three articles about religion touched me this week: The first one was from The First Church of Facebook, a New York Times series about the online faith-based phenomenon…“For the last three months, more people have “Liked,” commented and shared content on the Jesus Daily than on any other Facebook page.” The Jesus Daily has 8,493,133 followers. Significant? [...]

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Tags:9/11·clean air·MCAF·pollution·religion

A Bicycle Built For School

September 8th, 2011 · No Comments · Design, Eco-Friendly, Education, Environment, Inspiration, Kids, Sustainable Living

For the first time in 23 years, I have no child attending school. My sadness about this caught me off guard. Believe me, I do not miss those monthly tuition payments, but I do miss how the back-to-school time marks the end of summer and sweet new beginnings. It’s the rhythm of parental life. Melancholy [...]