Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.
Easy eco tips for a green home, natural hair & beauty, sustainable style, and organic healthy cooking.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Mageirocophobia at MoMA
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Green Guinea Pig: Coffee Facial Scrub
Inspired by dull skin, a lack of motivation to search for a new brand of facial scrub, and the crafty folks on the World Wide Web, I made my own facial scrub today. I used the coffee grounds leftover from this morning's coffee, a minuscule sample of fancypants Mayan sea salt, the dregs of a honey bottle, a drop of tea tree oil, and a wee bit of olive oil.
The results?
The Bad: I had to be super careful not to get any of the brown mixture on my white shower curtain. There was a lot more cleanup to be done post-shower because of the coffee grounds. I wouldn't recommend this unless you have a mesh strainer over your tub drain. (Luckily, I do.) Predictably, the mixture also smells like burnt coffee, which I'm not so into.
The Good: Although the scrub was a bit coarser than what I'm used to, it did an excellent job exfoliating at least a week's worth of nasty dead skin cells- maybe even better job than the Dessert Essence scrub. My face also felt very soft, moisturized, and refreshed. It probably cost me less than a dollar to make this vs. the $4 I would have spent on a store bought product. Reusing something always feels great and because the city compost worms will still get the coffee after I've scrubbed with it, I've given the coffee 3 lives!
Conclusion: I will probably continue to use this but only over the kitchen sink. If I get my hands on a chamomile tea bag, I'd like to add some tea to this mixture.
Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Eco-friendly Disposal & Recycling Book
It's not uncommon for folks to keep things because they don't know what to do with them. Lots of us eco-minded folks are concerned with not wasting something that is in decent, useable condition. This is especially true if our parents guilt tripped us with images of children wasting away in Africa for want of our rejected dinner veggies. We'd also like to dispose of things that are past their prime responsibly, including toxic things like expired batteries and old paint.
Green House: Eco-friendly Disposal and Recycling at Home by Norm Crampton is a great resource that offers practical, easy-to-follow suggestions that address both these concerns. And like almost every book I will mention on this blog, it's available at The Brooklyn Public Library.
Green House: Eco-friendly Disposal and Recycling at Home by Norm Crampton is a great resource that offers practical, easy-to-follow suggestions that address both these concerns. And like almost every book I will mention on this blog, it's available at The Brooklyn Public Library.
Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Bicycle
Reading my earlier post about the benefits of owning less makes me appreciate how much I offer advice to help both others and myself. No one is perfect.
As I write this I am haunted by thoughts of the Schwinn I've kept chained outside of my apartment for a year. I acquired the bike as a gift from an Angelica Kitchen customer who wanted to offer me an easier way of getting to yoga classes. When I first got the bike I imagined myself carelessly weaving in and out of city traffic while my afro cut the wind on my way to a daily yoga class. In reality: 1. I have never felt safe riding a bike on the street. 2. I would never ride without a helmet, even in the park. 3. My helmet gives me horrendous matted down hair. A bike day is not a good hair day. 4. I don't even enjoy yoga.
I have rode the bike less than a dozen times. My neglect of the condition of said bicycle makes me cringe with embarrassment. I feel guilty about letting it languish while there are children and hippies who would kill for an amazing candy-striped Schwinn like mine. Oy vey! I need to get rid of this thing.
Sometimes I even fantasize about someone stealing it.
The real reason I share this story is because it's not about the bicycle. It's about how my guilt about being different than I'd like to be is causing me to keep an object that doesn't fit my lifestyle. For some reason, I really want to be that careless chick trekking through town in pursuit of yoga and doing it with perfect big hair! I hold onto the bike because I believe I will one day become that girl and perhaps owing the bike brings me closer to that goal. If I were my client, I'd give myself a hug and remind myself that I'm fantastic the way I am. I'm too big of a personality to even try to squeeze into this stereotypical urban bohemian archetype that I've somehow latched onto. Why do I feel guilty when I should be proud of being unique? Perhaps there will be a day in the future when I want to ride a bike to yoga class. Letting go of things is an act of faith in the Universe. I have to trust that when I am ready a bike will find me again, just like all the wonderful blessings like food, friends, and freedom have found me now.
Was there ever a time you kept something because it symbolized your desire to be different than you are? Please leave a comment. Please also leave a comment if you're interested in my bike!
As I write this I am haunted by thoughts of the Schwinn I've kept chained outside of my apartment for a year. I acquired the bike as a gift from an Angelica Kitchen customer who wanted to offer me an easier way of getting to yoga classes. When I first got the bike I imagined myself carelessly weaving in and out of city traffic while my afro cut the wind on my way to a daily yoga class. In reality: 1. I have never felt safe riding a bike on the street. 2. I would never ride without a helmet, even in the park. 3. My helmet gives me horrendous matted down hair. A bike day is not a good hair day. 4. I don't even enjoy yoga.
I have rode the bike less than a dozen times. My neglect of the condition of said bicycle makes me cringe with embarrassment. I feel guilty about letting it languish while there are children and hippies who would kill for an amazing candy-striped Schwinn like mine. Oy vey! I need to get rid of this thing.
Sometimes I even fantasize about someone stealing it.
The real reason I share this story is because it's not about the bicycle. It's about how my guilt about being different than I'd like to be is causing me to keep an object that doesn't fit my lifestyle. For some reason, I really want to be that careless chick trekking through town in pursuit of yoga and doing it with perfect big hair! I hold onto the bike because I believe I will one day become that girl and perhaps owing the bike brings me closer to that goal. If I were my client, I'd give myself a hug and remind myself that I'm fantastic the way I am. I'm too big of a personality to even try to squeeze into this stereotypical urban bohemian archetype that I've somehow latched onto. Why do I feel guilty when I should be proud of being unique? Perhaps there will be a day in the future when I want to ride a bike to yoga class. Letting go of things is an act of faith in the Universe. I have to trust that when I am ready a bike will find me again, just like all the wonderful blessings like food, friends, and freedom have found me now.
Was there ever a time you kept something because it symbolized your desire to be different than you are? Please leave a comment. Please also leave a comment if you're interested in my bike!
Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
3 Reasons Why Owning Less is More
Here are three reasons I am happy to have committed to reducing the number of objects I own. I hope that these reasons will serve as an inspiration to you if you are in the process of downsizing. I know that these benefits motivate me to re-evaluate my possessions on a nearly daily basis.
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| "Nancy and Olivia" by Alice Neel. The subjects are Neel's daughter-in-law and granddaughter. This portrait seems to say a lot about familial ownership. |
- I truly recognize, experience, and appreciate the value of every object that I own.
- I can enjoy walking through a store, even the uber-lovely Anthropologie, to just appreciate the ingenuity and craftsmanship that went into an object without having to evaluate if I can afford it or bother thinking about what I'd do with it. It's sort of like the effect of strolling through a museum. I'm not filthy rich so I can't afford an Alice Neel portrait, but you best believe I went to visit her exhibit at the Whitney weekly the summer of 2000. (I got in for free with my CUNY ID!) I will always fondly remember those visits.
- Every object that I own is something I have to be responsible for. I must be responsible and exhaustively inquisitive when acquiring objects: Is it Fair-trade? Vegan? Local? Organic? And, if it's being sold on a blanket on Avenue C, I can't help but wonder did the salesman steal it for crack money? Or does it have bed bugs? Once I own an object, I must store it and maintain it in good condition. Once I don't want the object anymore, I must consider if it's life post-Olivia. I have to come up with either a donation plan or a plan for responsibly disposing of it. Blah blah blah blah blah. Why bother? Less ownership equals less responsibility which equals less headache! Less headache means more time to enjoy the things I do own and, more importantly, to enjoy my life experiences.
Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
#1 Way to Manage Clutter in Small Living Spaces: Own Less Stuff
Since recently declaring myself an authority on home organization, people often ask me how they can manage the clutter in their small living spaces. My reply is always, "Own less stuff." I believe minimizing is key to living a green happy life.
While clever shelves, files, and hooks are fantastic organizing tools, there is a limit to how much these devices can help manage clutter. Even if you all your belongings are contained within or hanging from brilliant organizing doo-dads. And even if you sleep in a Murphy bed and have only miniature folding furniture besides that, you will still eventually reach a saturation point if you do not stop accepting objects into your home.
You might not think the command to own less is realistic. Perhaps you've pared down your possessions or you've always lived pretty simply and can't imagine living with less. However, those of us without the option of obtaining more living space often literally meet a inflexible brick wall. Once all organizing devices have been explored and we still have little to no space, we must recognize and cull those objects we do not need to lead a meaningful life.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when deciding whether or not to keep something.
Please visit my blog again tomorrow. I'll write about the benefits of owning less stuff.
While clever shelves, files, and hooks are fantastic organizing tools, there is a limit to how much these devices can help manage clutter. Even if you all your belongings are contained within or hanging from brilliant organizing doo-dads. And even if you sleep in a Murphy bed and have only miniature folding furniture besides that, you will still eventually reach a saturation point if you do not stop accepting objects into your home.
You might not think the command to own less is realistic. Perhaps you've pared down your possessions or you've always lived pretty simply and can't imagine living with less. However, those of us without the option of obtaining more living space often literally meet a inflexible brick wall. Once all organizing devices have been explored and we still have little to no space, we must recognize and cull those objects we do not need to lead a meaningful life.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when deciding whether or not to keep something.
- Would I rather have this object or the space it occupies?
- Had I forgotten that I even owned this object before re-discovering it buried within a drawer, closet, etc? How was life "without" this object?
- How often do I use this object? Considering this, is it practical to own the object or is it possible to rent it or co-own it with a neighbor or friend who has more storage space?
- Can I properly care for (and maintain) this object?
- Will I want to still own this object when I am ninety? (If you're already ninety, ask yourself if you'd want to burden your children with having to sort through this object in addition to your other belongs once you've passed away.)
- Why should I own this?
Please visit my blog again tomorrow. I'll write about the benefits of owning less stuff.
Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Watch Plastic Planet
Check out Plastic Planet, an animated short film that artfully illustrates how plastic waste affects our planet. I found this via Beth Terry (a.k.a. @PlasticFreeBeth on Twitter) of My Plastic-Free Life. This short will probably bum you out so be sure to explore Beth's website and learn ways to reduce your plastic consumption.
Note: This is different from the feature length documentary, also called Plastic Planet.
Note: This is different from the feature length documentary, also called Plastic Planet.
Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.
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