I came home one day to find that my landlord had chopped down my peace lily. Since this was only the latest in a long string of affronts, I wasn’t so much surprised or angry as just genuinely sad. First of all, I’d had that peace lily for six years. In that time, it had …
What flavor is Dr. Pepper? Is it vanilla? Is it spicy? Spicy how? Jalapenos are spicy but in a different way. Don your chef’s hats and activate your Ratatouille synesthesia because we’re here to talk about flavors. Helen asked me to write a response blog to Cooking without a Crutch, in which I reveal my cooking …
I’ve been looking forward to this upcoming weekend for awhile. Since December, to be exact. This weekend, my partner and I will head to an AirBNB on the other side of Puget Sound. The trip was my Christmas gift to him last year. I covered this concept a little in last week’s blog, but I …
Sharing Experiences: The Ultimate Zero Waste GiftRead More »
Believe me when I say I’ve had some bad Valentine’s Days. I’m talking in a black dress and pumps, makeup and hair done up right, drinking wine from the bottle, walking around a grocery store at 8pm on February 14th to buy myself chocolate and flowers while crying kind of bad. And that was while I was …
Cooking Without a Crutch: An Intro to Animal-Free EatingRead More »
Yes, after countless hours of mind-numbing work, I’m thrilled to announce the official launch of ZeroWasteBystander.com. I can’t wait to get back to blogging, so look forward to lots of misadventures and advice in the coming weeks. A few other announcements: If you haven’t already, take a look at my article featured on Imperfect Produce. …
This guest blog was written by my brilliant cousin, Amy. I spend a lot of time admitting that my zero waste lifestyle choices are far easier for me, a young single woman, than for, say, a military mom of four. Which is why Amy is all the more inspiring in her efforts to reduce waste …
This guest blog was written by my boyfriend, Nathan Hendrick. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a supportive partner when embarking on something as difficult as a zero waste lifestyle. In addition to supporting my writing aspirations and crazy hippie ways, he has agreed to give me a break from blogging …
Planes, Trains, & Automobiles: How to Get Around the City without a CarRead More »
I like my job. I’m also lucky enough to work with some pretty amazing people, many of whom have become a big part of my personal community and support system in Seattle. So here’s my problem: I work in an industry in stark contrast with my lifestyle. Big corporate retail is the epitome of wastefulness. Not only …
Notes from Beyond: Working in Retail When You’re Zero WasteRead More »
I’m moving. Again. Not out of Seattle (I just got here!), but I will be moving to the other side of the city. I could beat around the bush by talking about the lower rent or the nicer building, but the fact is this decision is much more a matter of the heart than of …
I’ve been thinking a lot about kids ever since I went to see a play called “Lungs” last summer. It’s about two hyper-intellectuals deciding whether or not they should have a kid based on their social and environmental responsibilities. The play was a bit dated (circa 2006–they were far more concerned with carbon emissions than …