The year is 2020. My husband and I have recently moved to Boston in the height of a pandemic, and the mall has just opened. You see when we arrived that summer, the whole city was still in lockdown. We didn’t have air conditioning or money, and the normal free places we’d seek out to …
When I was 23, I found a globe bar at a garage sale. For those of you who didn’t grow up watching PBS murder mysteries, a globe bar is a big standing globe that opens up to reveal a hidden compartment, traditionally used to store bottles of liquor. This one was gorgeous in a kitschy …
My zero waste blog That I finally figured out how to cook vegetable dishes that taste good Inherited furniture In the complex combination of things that got me through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping a gratitude journal was one of the easiest, fundamental, and life-changing contributors. The premise is simple: write down 3 …
I don’t shave my body hair. As a cis woman, I’ve struggled with my body hair since puberty. Society dictates that I only have hair on my head and eyebrows, and I, like many cis women, grow it on my legs, arms, armpits, and genitals. I grew up hearing that women who don’t shave hate …
I could write a book (and still might) about my high school Environmental Club and the long-term effect it had on my life. I honestly don’t remember how I heard about it or started going to club meetings. As a high school sophomore I cared vaguely about things like the environment, recycling, and the like. …
How My High School Environmental Club Changed My LifeRead More »
Gift giving as a zero waster comes with a slew of wasteful problems to overcome. My efforts this year were not perfect, but I’ve done so much better than in years past when giving physical gifts. In the spirit of keeping the gifts themselves a secret (many of the recipients follow this blog), let’s just …
It’s winter. The days are colder, darker, shorter. We’re all looking for ways to bring a little cheer into our lives. But the extent to which companies are marketing to our presumed seasonal affective disorder is getting ridiculous. The other day I passed by a grocery store refrigerator when I saw a Dr. Pepper bottle …
Regardless of my mixed feelings towards Thanksgiving as a holiday, there’s one tradition I can appreciate: literally giving thanks. My family always said grace before meals growing up, but since it was so tied up in religion and thanking God, I struggled with the tradition as I entered adolescence and started questioning my religious beliefs. …
Saying Grace: Becoming a More Grateful Person through Zero WasteRead More »
Photos by Found by the Pound & Pulpy Thrift One of the most basic ways you can reduce your waste as an individual is participating in the secondhand market, but most people don’t realize that thrifting goes far beyond your local Goodwill or Salvation Army. People living in isolated areas may not even have access to …
I, The Zero Waste Bystander, from America’s heartland, lover of barbecue and burgers, pork chops and Parmesan, have sworn off meat. A lot of people who know me will assume I’ve gone vegetarian because my husband doesn’t eat meat or dairy. This assumption is somewhat true (he does cook 99% of all our vegetarian dinners), but …