Sustainability

I found this list on Mother Nature Network and thought it was a nice refresher for those of us who’ve ever stood over a recycling bin with an item and wondered if we were helping the process or muddling it up, since not all paper, glass, and plastic can be recycled equally. Here are a few non-compostable/non-recyclable items to be aware of. Head on over to Mother Nature Network for the full list. Non-Compostable Items: Bread products, as they will attract pests.

That pristine wool carpet you just installed looks great. Keep it looking that way for years with these straightforward, easy tips. Vacuum regularly. Loop carpets like Berbers are more delicate and should be vacuumed only with suction. Pile carpets, like Saxony pile and textured pile, can withstand heavier cleaning and should be cleaned with a beater bar. Natural wool has a wax coating that keeps dirt on the surface, making it easy to keep clean by vacuuming. Stain treat immediately.

It’s a story as old as Halloween itself. The day after trick or treating, the candy’s flying and the wrappers are everywhere. Gather them up and you have the base materials for countless DIY projects. These could easily veer into Tackytown, but with a restrained hand, you can make fun and creative things, especially for the kiddos and for decorations. Here are ten favorites. TOP ROW: 1.

I recently read an article in USA Today about the resurgence of the US textile industry, which is encouraging news in a culture of seemingly outsourced everything. Both small- and large-scale textile companies are turning out stylish, high-quality, competitively priced goods, offering consumers viable means to support US manufacturing. Check it out.

Many of us spend extra time and money sourcing organic foods. Yet if you polled those same people, I imagine you would find the majority don’t think twice about organic fabrics. So what’s the big deal, you might ask? It’s intuitive to be concerned about whether fruits and vegetables have been treated with chemicals or preservatives, but fabrics? Is this taking the organic aspect too far? Are organic fabrics worth it?

Hitting the local farmers market in your town has plenty of advantages over your local grocery store. By buying direct, you are getting the freshest possible produce at the best prices, plus you can better understand where your food is actually coming from. That being said, they can be a little overwhelming to navigate. Here is our field guide to get you started. 1. Come prepared. Bring bags, small bills, sunscreen, comfortable shoes and a list.

Whenever I enter my go-to yoga studio, I am at once calm in body and quiet in mind. So I began to take notice: What elements are there in the studio that I can implement at home? The studio is in a pretty ordinary building, so these tips are take-homes for anyone, anywhere: Once inside, this keeps things clean and make your footfall oh-so-quiet. I’ve even noticed that we use louder voices when shoes are still on, softer voices when shoes come off.

Yurts were at the center of a really fascinating trend in 2014: glamping. Or glamorous camping, if you will. And while most yurts featured in the design community are in warm, scenic locations – this one struck me. It’s just north of Bemidji, Minnesota and it’s the full time home of two very brave souls. Grace Brogan and John Kamman bought a used yurt for $5,000 and moved into it last year, full time. It’s not their vacation home. It’s their home.

It’s so easy to push a button and order flowers online (and a wonderful option for those far apart) but imagine delivering a handmade bouquet filled with vibrant, fragrant, seasonal flowers. Too expensive? Not more expensive than the internet. Too complicated? Nope. We can do it! I decided to write this post because I’m making handmade Valentine’s bouquets this year. The only problem? I don’t really know what I’m doing when it comes to flower arranging.

Could the right supplements help keep your skin safe all summer long? While it’s absolutely essential to use a quality sunscreen to prevent burns, these seven foods and supplements just may bolster your efforts and increase your skin’s tolerance to those red-inducing rays. Sign me—and my skin’s borderline superhero ability to burn in ten minutes—up. Wait, isn’t this the whole reason you’re out in the sun in the first place?

With the new year upon us, there’s no better time to start thinking more intentionally. The simple act of just thinking about what matters to you around your home is a step in the right direction. Whether it’s fostering a positive experience in your life, or just changing something that bothers you (like that pile of shoes in the entryway), there are plenty of small tweaks to make around the home to live a more intentional life.

Welcome to another installment of Beauty Bucket List, a series in which we roll up our sleeves to do some hard and fast testing of cult classic beauty products, because just hearing about how great something is just isn’t good enough.

A cautionary tale. Or, I brushed my teeth with a stick.

While natural beauty guru Rachel Winard (of the cult-favorite brand Soapwalla) and I were talking about good, easy facials to make with food that might currently be in your kitchen, I also asked her for pointers on how to start an essential oil collection. Essentially: What are the essential essential oils? She suggested these five (for which you could come up with your own mnemonic, too — my first attempt is “let little ponies eat … tea trees.

While the underlying causes of headaches can be pretty widespread (dehydration, lack of sleep and magnesium deficiency are just a few of the many options), it’s nice to have a remedy or two tucked away in your back pocket for times of need. And a natural remedy you can find in your own home? Even better. Here are seven options to help you cope the next time you find yourself dealing with a pounding head.

Remember that time you said you were going to double down on being less wasteful at home? Good news: It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking, as long as you’re willing to add a few quick and easy skills to your repertoire. Being more self-sufficient at home starts with relying less on outside services and wasteful resources. It’s the type of change that happens when you commit to a lot of small tasks in order to make a greater holistic impact on your home life.

Some of my favorite Re-Nest posts are the ones that share clever solutions to everyday issues (you know, the kind that make you think “huh, how did I not know about this?”). From removing pesky stains to keeping pests at bay and everything in between, here’s a roundup of our favorites from 2011!TOP ROW• 1 Use Citrus Peels To Start Your Seedlings• 2 Hot Tip: Wrinkles? Forget the Iron. Use a Spray Bottle.

According to the Boston University sustainability department, an average shower uses about 5 gallons of water per minute. That means if you shorten your shower by just 2 minutes each day, you can cut your water use by 10 gallons at a time. It really adds up–with major impacts to your wallet and the environment. Whatever your goal–lowering your bill or just your water usage overall–it’s quite the challenge to try and shorten your time in the shower.