I don’t blame you for hating me for enjoying many mojitos at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami. The stay was pure luxury; the weather, a winter dream…
In between Mojito sips, I did charge a few brain cells to read about the hotel’s green initiatives (low flow water systems; a rigorous recycling program) and a sweet Miami Everglades package they offer in partnership with the World Heritage Alliance and Everglades National Park. This package includes a day trip to the park where guests get a special tour and can participate in “voluntourism” activities such as tree planting, recycling projects, and weeding out exotic plants.
I learned about it too late, but next time I’m yearning for the Miami heat, I’m taking this green opportunity.
My sister and I always joke that our favorite place to shop is in each other’s closets. That might be why I feel a kindred connection with My Sister’s Closet, a consignment shop with every imaginable fashionable wardrobe piece packed into a Victorian house on Grand Ave {many of them now live in my closet, btw}. The exciting news is that next Monday, MSS is opening a second location in Uptown for the Minneapolitans. Click here for directions, and head on over there, sistah!
Get the most out of that stack of paper plates that someone brought to your last party. Rather than recycling them after one measly meal, this brilliant idea from a brilliant preschool teacher we know will burn off some pent-up steam + keep those plates in perpetual motion. The only piece to this craft project is some tape to strap on your “skates.”
I lusted after a Mariette Himes Gomez chair at the Macy’s Home Store, but quickly came to the realization that for the price of one I could renew a pair of secondhand Craiglist chairs with beautiful upholstery. The process took extra work + some agonizing, but in the end I really enjoyed playing decorator with the fabric books I picked up at mom-and-pop shop Harrian’s Upholstery on 44th (the dragon print was generously given to me by a friend) and conversing with Mr. Harrian about welting + other fancy upholstery terms. So now I’m anxiously waiting for Mr. Harrian to drop off my as-good-as-new chairs, knowing that soon I’ll be sitting pretty.
The scene on stage: A snowy day on a city street. The theme: Nature’s magical effect on an urban setting. The entertainment: An ensemble of young actors in colorful street clothes, dancing, singing, and playing in the snow. The audience: Row after row of rapt little kids + their parental companions.
We were at the Stages Theatre Company production of the children’s literary classic The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, and it was delightful. The show suits all ages, is a nice 45 minutes short, and tickets are only $15 a piece.
Well, sort of. First let me say that this is my first attempt at Vlogging (yet another strange new millenium verb). I figured there were a few things that might be more fun to watch than to read—so now and then you’ll see me in action (and maybe even learn something).
Now to my claim that Composting is Cake. At first I thought, boy oh boy, another waste management system to contend with. But now I’m hooked, and still can’t believe how much less garbage I produce. The process is super easy for me because my neighborhood has a curbside organics collection program that was launched in ‘08, thanks to the organization Linden Hills Power & Light.
All I do is collect my kitchen scraps in a stainless steel compost bin purchased at LH Natural Home; then when it fills up, I dump the stuff into a green cart outside my door. That cart goes out with my recycling once a week and the compost-to-be gets picked up and taken to an offsite processing facility where it eventually turns into rich soil. How sweet is that?
Just like city recycling programs eventually became the norm, I’m hoping more neighborhoods in the metro adopt organics collection programs. Take it from me: Composting is even easier than dividing up your bottles, cans, and cardboard.
For more on what you can and can’t compost + to learn about how this program works, CLICK HERE.
There’s a point every year when I need to see some green and feel the sun’s warmth on my skin. While flying away to a far-flung beach isn’t an option right now, I get my substitute slice of summer at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at St. Paul’s Como Zoo. Built back in 1915, this beautiful glass-domed horticultural treasure is home to more than 10,000 plants, and has several rooms to soak in the splendor, from the Sunken Garden to the Palm Dome. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and you are in a warm, verdant jungle…in January.
My regular a.m. stop—Corner Coffee—just down the street from the office was collecting donations for Haiti today. 100% of all coffee purchases went to humanitarian relief efforts, and the recyclable cups were donated by Faulk Paper Company for the event. Remember to check out Red Cross for more ways you can make a difference.
I recently met up with a friend for some Asian-fusion cuisine at Big Bowl, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn all about the company’s green practices from their menu. Some examples: BB servers wear uniforms made from recycled plastic bottles; the poultry is free-range and the heirloom pork is from small family-owned Midwestern farms; bottled water has been replaced with freshly filtered tap… I ordered this crisp glass of organic Benziger chardonnay + delicious chicken lettuce wraps. Yum. Here’s a chain I can get behind.
By living in Minne(snow)ta, we sign up for the bitter cold (I think it breeds character). But that doesn’t stop us from breaking a sweat. Instead of staying cooped up in a fitness center, I prefer to get out and enjoy the natural world by hitting the slopes. And snowboarding up at Spirit Mountain was just what this long weekend ordered. I highly recommend sliding into your long johns, gathering up some friends, and getting on that board.
P.S. There are some great boards made of eco-materials like cork, bamboo + sustainable wood on the market now. Check this link out: http://tinyurl.com/a8b54z
