How to live greener in the city or suburbs

I was born and raised a country girl, growing up on a 200-acre farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  I thought that eating veggies from the garden every summer, apples from our trees in the fall, and composting all of our organic matter was how everyone lived.  After living in NYC for a few years though, I realized how difficult it was to feel like one is living a green, sustainable lifestyle. 

City living definitely has aspects that are greener than country living, like being able to walk everywhere.  There are also more and more products coming out everyday to help you live a green city life.  There are bigger things you can do, like adding a beautiful and useful conservatory, where you can grow plants – veggies, herbs, and flowers.  Also keep in mind, many houseplants serve as great air purifiers, which is something you definitely need in the city. 

If your budget allows, a conservatory like the one above is like a little slice of heaven!  Warm and sunny, it a beautiful way to have an indoor garden.

...or you can start out small with a tabletop conservatory or terrarium.
via Gardenista

Terrariums are very popular now and there are tons of DIY instructions and pre-made options available.
via Urban Comfort

via Real Simple

Or, you can container garden, which is what Chris and I do in our condo when it's too cold to keep our plants on the balcony.  They serve as air purifies and decor!

If you have even a few extra square feet, you can keep a small compost container, and drop off your scraps somewhere that accepts them.  Some Whole Foods accept compost, or ask at your local farmers market if any of the farmers would be willing to take it off your hands.  You can also check out FindAComposter.com to search for composters in your area.

via Apartment Therapy

If you have a little extra space, google indoor worm composting, and you'll find a lot of great resources!

via Hooked on Houses

via Urban Eco Chic

Another big way to green your home is the windows.  My parents switched to energy efficient windows a few years ago and the difference is enormous.  There are certain parts of any house – in the city or in the country – that need to be looked after in order to avoid wasting a lot of energy. If you don’t have double-glazing windows at home then this is definitely one step in the right direction you could take.  This is best done by checking out the website of a big name company such as Anglian Home Improvements. If you take some time to look into it then you will see that there are a number of other jobs you can do about the place in order to make it more environmentally friendly. The good news is that by doing it right and choosing a style that suits the property then it can work equally well in the city or in a country home.  

What do you do to make your carbon footprint a little bit smaller?

The article is written in association with Anglian Home Improvements.

Tuesday Treat: A bright and airy NYC apartment tour

This apartment belongs to the uber-talented founder of Rubie Green, Michelle Adams.

This image makes me fall in love with white all over again - but boyfriend likes the darker woods.

Michelle is all about sustainable, green design.  This cypress trunk side table is free of toxic finishes.

The striped modern upholstery balances out the traditional frames of the dining chairs

I love the idea of using what you already have.  Under the table cloth (which is actually a drape that Michelle already had but didn't fit any of her current windows), is a sideboard that she found at a thrift store.  She wasn't able to get it repaired as she planned, but instead of tossing it and buying something else, she worked with what she had and made it work.  I think it looks great.

The textiles you see around her home are from her store which carries green fabrics, Rubie Green.

What do you think?

via Lonny Mag (April/May 2010 issue)

Luxe and green bathrooms

Today we have more and more options for going green - and as the planet becomes more and more taxed with population growth and need for resources, sustainable living practices will become vital.

Below are some bathrooms that show that going green does not mean going unattractive - green styles are now just as gorgeous as traditional ones.

LOVE this shower!

There are many foundries that offer eco-friendly bath tile.  Just a few include Bedrock Industries, Aurora Glass, and Daltile.

2 images above via Apartment Therapy

Eco bathrooms can have a very "zen" feel by using a lot of natural materials and textures.
image via Home Furniture Mag

You can fine eco-friendly furnishings, such as a traditional or modern bathroom vanity, in FSC-Certified Wood, Ceasarstone, or Vetrazzo.

There are also a lot of options for eco-friendly bath fixtures, such as low flow faucets, shower heads, and toilets.

 If your budget doesn't allow you to invest in bigger ticket items, such as new floors or tiles, you can take many small steps.  Use earth-friendly  toilet paper and bathroom cleaners.  Also, look into all natural body products.  Everything that you put down the drain makes it's way back into the environment, so use care.

I like Seventh Generation cleaning products, as well as Trader Joe's line of green cleaning products.

Here are some helpful resources for "greening" your bathroom:

Use LEED as a guide to green your bathroom

Top 10 Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products for the Green Home

Information about Eco-Friendly Bathroom Furniture and Fixtures

What do you do to make your bathroom and bathroom habits more sustainable and eco-friendly?

I also use a vinegar glass cleaning solution:
1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent (I use 7th Generation Natural Dishcleaning Liquid in Free & Clear), and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. It works great!

I also fill up a soda or seltzer bottle with water, and put it in the tank of my toilet. It tricks the toilet into thinking the tank is full faster, therefore using less water to refill the tank.


*disclosure: this post is sponsored by Modern Bathroom

Make your bathroom proud with this eco-friendly material

Bamboo! I got Chris a pair of silky smooth bamboo pajama pants, and if he weren't wearing them almost every night, I would be. They're super light weight, and really soft. Understandably, I was really excited when the folks over at Pure Fiber offered me a set of bamboo towels to try out. Here's a little bit of info about Pure Fiber's bamboo towels:

"Unlike cotton towels which are slow to absorb water, bamboo terry soaks up that excess moisture in a flash. The difference is unmistakable, but you have to feel it for yourself to truly appreciate the wonderful bamboo fabric.

And bamboo isn’t all about a cashmere-like softness. Bamboo’s natural properties help to combat the accumulation of unpleasant odors from your bath towel. You will be able to use this towel for much longer during those warm summer months before that mildew smell starts to creep up.

Cotton towels typically get thicker to increase absorbency – all of that extra fabric can feel like you are wrapping yourself in a thick blanket. Bamboo does more with less! A bamboo towel can soak up more moisture than a thicker cotton towel, while remaining lightweight and extraordinarily soft."

The first thing I noticed when I opened the towels was "wow, they are really, really, smooth." They are also much lighter and thinner than typical towels. Chris said, "They are so soft they feel slippery."

So, the claim to super softness and being lightweight: True.
I've been using the towel for a little over a week now, and do not notice any odor. Granted, it's not technically summer anymore, but it's been extremely humid here in MD, and we've been having lots of rainy days.

I was most doubtful about the towel being able to absorb as well as my normal towels, but they actually dry me off just as well and in the same amount of time.

Long story short, if you have been thinking about trying out bamboo towels - go for it. The softness is unreal, and their performance is up to par with traditional towels.

Here are some photos of mine:

The bamboo towels are thinner than traditional towels

The washcloth.  This washcloth is wet now, but one thing I noticed is that the bamboo washcloth doesn't get crunchy after it air dries (which my normal towels do), they dry to the same softness as they are after being freshly laundered.

A close up of the texture.

Want some? You can purchase them at Amazon

Does anyone have any bamboo linens? If so, what do you think of them?


*disclosure: I received a set of Pure Fiber towels as a sample