ECO TIPS Reduce, Reuse, Recyle, and...

I love the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. They are such an easy way to teach my kids how to be kind to Mama Earth. Recently, while perusing the Internet for new ways to make my office and home even greener, I came across two new “R’s” that I just had to share.

Refuse!

Refuse is all about saying “no” to products and practices that are harmful for our earth. One good example is refusing to use products that contain dangerous chemicals or those that are created using unethical manufacturing products. Another good one (that I’ll admit I’m not always great about remembering,) is avoiding single-use products like disposable plates, juice boxes, razors, shopping bags etc.

Rot!

How fun is this one? Something that sounds so yucky is actually good for the planet! Rot refers to making the most of your “garbage” by composting, grasscyling, and mulching. Food and garden scraps don’t need to go in the landfill.

Can you think of anymore “R’s” for me to add to my list? I’d love to give Rumi Joon a few more to remember!

With love and many more R’s!
Josie

Images via: Better Homes,  Pinterest via Garden Photos

ECO TIPS Decorating

Decorating your home or apartment can be a long and very personal process—after all, you want the way your house looks and feels to reflect who you are! But buying all your goods new can also take its toll on the environment. Think about your furniture! Remember all the crazy cardboard boxes it came in? The truck that delivered it? Not so great for Mama Earth. But believe it or not, it is possible to give the planet a breather while still crafting a splendidly unique ambience—one that really is, entirely your own.

Paint It: Before you decide to go crazy and redecorate your place, think about painting instead. Changing the paint on the walls can instantly reinvigorate a dull room. Instead of just choosing a new version of taupe, try green (make sure it’s non-toxic!) Green has been shown to instantly improve your mood!  

Mix Old & New: Instead of buying all new things, mix some old with new. Hit up flea markets, Salvation Army, Good Will and eBay for items that are vintage or used. Your home will have a more unique look—one that’s perfectly reflective of your taste.

Bamboo is Best: Have you ever planted bamboo in your backyard? The stuff takes off and spreads like crazy. Bamboo is resilient and grows very quickly, making it a great, sustainable material for homes. Consider bamboo flooring or furniture. And a little bamboo plant in a pot makes a cheerful bright green addition to any room.

Images via: Flooring, bench, room, brush

ECO TIPS Eating Green

The old adage “you are what you eat,” might seem cliché, but as scientists conduct more and more research on the effects of pesticides on the human body, it’s becoming apparent that the old phrase rings true. While it’s easy to understand the value of eating organic, it’s often expensive and difficult to implement the necessary changes in our own eating habits. Here are our quick tips for making eating green just a little easier on your wallet and your waistline. 

CSA Boxes Sad but true: eating organic can be seriously expensive. Our trick? CSA boxes! Community Supported Agriculture (or CSA) is a great way to get local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Sign up for a weekly or bi-weekly subscription, and you’ll receive a bodacious box of fresh veggies straight from the farm. The cost of a CSA box is usually far below what you’d pay in store. Search for CSA boxes in your area at localharvest.org.  Oh, and be sure to look for programs that partner with organic farms—not all CSA boxes have organic goods.

Avoid the Dirty Dozen If buying organic all the time just isn’t an option for you, prioritize your picks. The Environmental Working Group releases an annual list of foods that have the most pesticide and herbicide residue—if you can, you should only buy these foods organic. The list includes: apples, celery, bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, blueberries, and potatoes. Check out the EWG website to find our which foods are the lowest in pesticide residue.

Grow Your Own There’s no better way to ensure what goes into your food than growing it yourself. Start your own little organic vegetable garden! There’s nothing better than a simple salad with fresh lettuce, sun-ripened tomatoes, and crunchy cucumber picked right from your yard. Yumm!

Images via: Pinterest, Style Me Pretty, Untangled Life

ECO TIPS Bedroom

What's better than snuggling up in your bed with a book, or sitting by your bedroom window with a cup of tea?In the spirit of making our quiet havens even more beautiful, here are our eco tips for getting your boudoir green and gorgeous. 

Bundle Up: Around this time of year, it can be tempting to crank the heat in your bedroom to make things a little cozier. But try putting a few extra blankets on your bed instead. Not only will it help keep your energy bill lower, studies have also shown that people sleep more deeply when the air around them is comfortably cool rather than steaming hot. 

HEPA Help: Think about it: you spend a huge chunk of your life snoozing away in your bedroom. So don’t you want the air you breathe while you snore to be the cleanest it can be? HEPA air purifiers can help—they pull impurities from the air and help prevent you and your family from developing allergies, asthma and sinus problems. 

Go Organic: You know how we love all things organic! Take a look at changing your bedding to an organic version. You spend a huge amount of time with your sheets and comforters, so upgrading to organic ensures that you aren’t breathing in toxins from your blankets as you sleep. We’re currently loving this organic cotton and linen set.  

Images via: Glamorous Chic, Elements of Style, Lovers in Vain

ECO TIPS Happy Holidays

While scrambling to get gifts for everyone on our list before the onslaught of holiday parties, it’s easy to let our eco-conscious ways fall by the wayside. Here are our tips for getting things back on track while still enjoying the spirit of the season. 

Think Beyond the Gift Bag: Endless piles of crumpled gift-wrap makes us (and the trees) oh so sad. So what’s our solution? Eco gift-wrap! Try wrapping gifts in paper bags, newspaper, or old sheet music. Add some twine and a fresh piece of greenery and you’ve got a cute little package!

Get Smelly: We love all the wonderful scents of the holidays—fresh spruce, spicy cinnamon, warm cookies. Instead of spritzing something synthetic, scent your home the natural way by simmering cinnamon sticks in a few cups of water on the stove or placing a dish with a few tablespoons of vanilla extract in the oven at a low heat.

Decorate with Nature: Take inspiration from Josie’s Thanksgiving mantel decoration, and find things outdoors to decorate your house with. Try fresh evergreen clippings or a few pinecones as festive table decorations. Once you’re done with them, you can return your decorations to the outdoors, minimizing waste and consumption.

Images via:

House of Anais

Midwest Living

Goddess Place

ECO TIPS Bathroom

The bathroom just might be the most useful room in the house! But, it contributes to environmental degradation. To the rescue: a few tips for making your bathroom a little more chicological.

Green your toilet paper: Recycled toilet paper reduces the need for virgin wood pulp, which reduces the need to cut down trees. It's available at most natural grocery stores and many of the chains, too. Here's one of my favorites. 

Get into (tank-free or solar-powered) hot water: More than 10% of your energy bill comes from heating water for your steamy showers. Switch your water heater to a tankless or solar powered version. You'll put out a chunk of change initially, but you'll save energy and money in the long run.

Give your bathroom an organic makeover: Towels made from organic cotton, bamboo or hemp fibers are available everywhere from Pottery Barn to Bed, Bath and Beyond. My fave source, here.

With love,

Josie

Images via: Country Living, Honestly WTF, Modern Hepburn

ECO TIPS Recycling

Ok, so we all know we should recycle. But, sometimes, we just toss things into our recycling bins willy-nilly, thinking Hooray! I will recycle this! But, are the things we stick in that bin really recyclable? Here’s a cheat sheet to help you learn what can and can’t get another life.

Paper and Cardboard: You can recycle everything from junk mail to newspaper, as long as it’s clean and dry. Same goes for cardboard.  The key words here are clean and dry. That greasy pizza box? No way! Left your newspaper out in the rain? No can do.

Metal: You can recycle all aluminum, tin, metal, or bi-metal cans. Rinse them out too, to make sure you’re not sending a little bit of cat food or something into the machines. It might not be required in your region, but it’s still good to do.

Glass: We love glass here at JMC because it’s recyclable! This includes everything from your 100% Pure Argan Oil bottle to that empty jar of spaghetti sauce. Accidentally dropped your empty bottle of wine? That’s okay! Broken bottles are fine. But, not all broken glass is. Glass from mirrors and light bulbs is sometimes not allowed. Check your local sanitation department’s website to learn their broken glass rules.

Plastics: Now, here’s where it gets tricky. You know that little recycling triangle on the bottom of plastic items with a mysterious number inside? That tricky number identifies the type of plastic used in the container. Check out this link for more info on all the numbers. What can and can’t be recycled depends on your region. Numbers one and two are generally good—consult your local site for info on the rest. 

Images via: West Elm, Southern Living, Apartment Therapy

ECO TIPS Fab Floras

Fact. Fresh flowers actually improve your mood and chase away anxiety and depression. Plus, nothing instantly brightens a room like a beautiful bouquet or a pretty plant. Here are our tips for doing flowers the eco way!

Buy Local: Did you know the majority of flowers in the US are imported? That’s a huge carbon footprint for a few tulips! Ask your fave flower shop if they buy local. Chances are, they might have a mix of domestic and imported flowers at different times of the year. Buy what’s local and in season to keep your arrangement earth-friendly.

DIY!: Who cares if your flowers aren’t perfectly clipped, snipped and sorted. Pick your own favorites from what’s growing in your backyard and throw it in a vase! Or, if you don’t have a bunch of blooms in your yard, ask your florist for some of the leftovers from her arrangements. You might get a few crumpled petals, but you’ll have an eclectic mix of colors and textures that looks perfectly bohemian.

Be Creative: Don’t limit yourself to roses and ranunculus. What else do you have on hand? A few sprigs of dill or rosemary add delicate bursts of green to your arrangement and smell so yummy. Or fill a vase with kumquats before adding your flowers. Just don’t forget to compost your leftovers.

Images via:

Style Me Pretty

Oh Hello Friend

Delightfully Engaged

ECO TIPS Flea Market Treasures

This weekend, our Marketing Coordinator, Annalise, took an expedition to the Rose Bowl Flea Market and snapped some pics of the all the awesome wares.  People come from far and wide to Pasadena to visit the Rose Bowl Flea Market in search of a deal on everything from vintage boots to antique chandeliers to hand-woven rugs from Tangier. If you’ve never visited a flea market, you’re missing out on some seriously cool vintage goodies. Here are our tips for amateur flea market-ers.

Haggle, Haggle, Haggle: Don’t be afraid to bargain with the vendors. This is a flea market, not Neiman Marcus! If it’s the end of the day—bonus! Chances are, the vendor would rather give you a good deal on that vintage mirror than pack it back into his truck.

Do a Lap: OK, so you see a vase right at the entrance of the market that you can’t live without. DO A LAP! If you aren’t familiar with the items being sold, you might buy something that really isn’t as unique as you think it is. Once you do a lap of the market, you have a better sense of what is really one-of-a-kind and what is well, everywhere.

Take a Second Look at Ugly Ducklings: Oftentimes at flea markets, you’ll see a whole lot of outdated furniture that makes you cringe. But don’t run away too fast. Try to look beyond the chipping paint or the polyester upholstery. Does it have a good structure and design? You can get “ugly” pieces at amazing prices and turn them into gems with just a coat of paint or a trip to the upholstery guy. Plus, you’re creating something totally unique with a great story.

ECO TIPS Shopping

Even though I'm huge on reusing and recycling and going easy on consumption, I'll admit it: every once in a while, I love going shopping with my girlfriends, too. Apparently it's not just me. I just read an interesting article that says the female love of bargain buys comes from caveman/cavewoman days, when women were the family's gatherers and foragers, searching through forests to find the best-looking berries, and climbing into trees to snatch up the plumpest plums. That gives us a great excuse to throw our hands up in the air and say "Shopping's natural! We can't help ourselves!",  but showing love to Mother Earth means being aware of consequences. My solutions? Read on.

1. Buy Used

Instead of heading to the department store when something new strikes your fancy, first try to find it in a more eco-friendly way—from a thrift store, a vintage boutique, or on websites like Craigslist and Ebay. Most of my favorite clothes are vintage or used treasures. Buying that way makes it easier to create a style that's all your own, and keeps you from looking like you just stepped out of a store window. 

2. Sell Used

If you're over that pair of brown clogs or that purse you paid too much for, consider re-selling them to a consignment shop or on Ebay. If selling’s not your style, you can always donate your cast-offs to a worthy charity like Dress for Success, which provides professional attire to women for job interviews. Or have a clothing swap with a bunch of friends. Your rejects might be someone else's fave.

3. Share It

On the rare occasion when I rev up to cook a big meal for my family and friends, I often have the annoying experience of discovering, mid-soufflé or mid-marinade, that I don't have the right tool for the job. I finally figured out that instead of going out and buying something I wouldn't use for another year, I could check with a friend (or my mom, who lives down the street) to see if she has one. When we pool our resources, we usually find we have everything we need. 

4. Cast Your Vote

As I always say, when we buy we vote for what we believe in. So take a through look at who and what you're supporting. Look for companies that use eco-friendly materials and ingredients, and give back to charities. When you shop with your conscience, you're doing good for others by giving yourself a treat.   

With love,

Josie

Images Via: Lovely Clusters Forever Cottage Sadite