Where to Begin?

When you are beginning the process of "greening" your life, it can be daunting. We read about all the hidden dangers lurking under our kitchen sinks, never mind pesticides on our fruit, BPA in water bottles, VOCs, phthalates... the list goes on and on. Before you throw your hands up (and your household budget out the window) start with one simple change. 


One thing that is easy (and economical) to change is laundry detergent.  Over the last few months, I have done some research to find a great smelling laundry detergent that is also is hypoallergenic, not tested on animals, biodegradable, non-toxic, free of allergens, dyes, perfumes and petroleum-based solvents. I found a product from a small up-and-coming company called Sun & Earth. They make a lot of great products including a Deep Cleaning Laundry Detergent that smells like fresh oranges. Yum... And it's only $6.49 for 50 ounces. 

My husband and I have been gradually switching our everyday household items such as laundry detergent, dishwashing soap and shampoo over to organic and eco-friendly products. Try not to feel overwhelmed to begin, though I know it isn't easy My suggestion is to do a little at a time and pick the items that you use the most to make the biggest difference.

Practice makes (picture) perfect

Photo: Rachel Batya Alintoff

In April, we rented a house in Turks & Caicos for a week with two of our closest friends. It was a wonderful, relaxing trip. Our house was right on the beach and its beauty inspired me to pick up my camera. It is not as easy as I thought to stay on top of my photography as I try to stay on top of my very active eight month old!

In an effort to keep my creative juices flowing, I recently joined the Red Bank NJ Photography Club. Sharing my work and looking at other people's photography is a great way to meet people in my new neighborhood while keeping my skills sharp.

I love photographing nature and since I now live right near the beach (though it doesn't look exactly like the one above), I'm hoping to do a series of beach photos taken at different times of day, changing seasons in all types of weather. Coming to an art gallery near you...maybe not...coming to a toddler t-shirt near you? Definitely!

Herbal Tea: It's in the Bag

It has been a few years since I stopped drinking my second cup of coffee at around 3 in the afternoon. Instead, in the summer months, I drink herbal iced tea, and in the winter, I have hot tea.

I like the process of making tea – although I am no where near a tea master—and taking time out of my afternoon to simply boil water, stand around in my kitchen, pick out a nice big mug and choose the tea I am in the mood for at that moment. For me, it is a mini-meditation. I also enjoy the act of buying tea. I feel it is very spiritual to go into a teashop, take time to walk around and smell the different varieties that come from all over the world. Whenever I can, I go to McNulty’s Tea & Coffee Co. on Christopher Street. Right now, I am into this delicious Magic Spice Blend of herbal tea that has rosehips, dried orange peels, almonds, cinnamon and dried apple pieces. I love it. I am also a big fan of Peppermint tea.

A sweet tea can also be a good dessert substitute. It certainly helps me at the end of the day to curb my desire for a big piece of…let’s say, caramel tart. I found a nice tea made by Celestial Seasonings called Honey Vanilla Chamomile. I add a touch of fresh vanilla bean to my cup along with a teaspoon of honey and it dessert in a mug.

A nice tea-recycling tip I got from an old issue of Body & Soul (now called Whole Living) magazine is that you can keep used green tea bags in a jar in the refrigerator and use them in the morning as a cleansing pad. The bag supposedly helps exfoliate skin gently and the tea has anti-inflammatory properties, which is perfect for morning puffiness.

I can't wait to try mixing some new and old flavored teas for sun tea this summer. I will definitely keep you posted on what I come up with.

How does your garden grow?

When my husband and I decided to leave the city for the suburbs, nothing about it excited me more (well, besides tripling the size of our home!) than having a backyard and being able to plant a garden in it.

Early this spring, my husband built beds made of cedar in our backyard so I could start an organic garden. We planted most of our vegetables from organic seeds and have watched them grow into beautiful--and delicious--plants. We have tomatoes, red onions, leeks, carrots, a rasberry bush, summer squash and an herb garden.

This photo shows my lettuce bed where I am growing four types of lettuce. The other night we sat on our back deck eating a peppery and delicious arugula salad with tomatoes and goat cheese in a lemon vinaigrette and I have to say... it tasted like it came from a garden!

Even if you don't have the outdoor space for a garden of this size, you can plant herbs in window boxes or even in small containers on your countertop. Getting your hands in the dirt is so therapeutic and growing your own veggies saves a ton of money (how many times has parsley gone bad in your fridge?) The environmental benefits are huge and so is knowing exactly where your food comes from and how it was grown.

Happy gardening!

Where Are You Going This Summer?

Photo courtesy Subaru of America, Inc.

Summer is the time for road trips and we are gearing up for it with our new car. It's bigger than our old pre-baby car but would you believe it has a smaller carbon footprint?

Our new Subaru Outback is a PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) which meets California's Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) exhaust emission standards and zero evaporative emissions standards. Vehicles meeting these standards are considered the cleanest gasoline-powered vehicles. It also gets 27 miles per gallon on the highway, not to mention its 5 star crash test rating.

The Outback is economical, better for the environment and safe for my most precious cargo. If you are in market for a new car, this one is certainly worth a test drive. Whichever car you buy, make sure the company offers PZEV certification. It will make driving more fun and less guilt-inducing...promise!