It's the end of March. The last piles of asphalt-speckled snow in our Western Massachusetts neighborhood have melted, and the winter coats and snow pants have gone into the wash. Crocuses are blooming in sunnier spots, and we've all caught one last drippy cold for the season. Hopefully. It feels weird to do ordinary things… Continue reading It’s Early Spring in this Weird, Weird World
I have a lot of clothes. I wouldn't call myself a clothes horse, but when I tally up the items in my wardrobe, I'm sure it's a lot more than most individuals owned throughout human history. Globally, the average person owns about 148 items of clothing. And that average doesn't represent disparities between—and within—countries when… Continue reading Exploring Compostable Clothing
I'd like to say that my love of thrift shopping stems entirely from eco-friendly, frugal, and charitable intentions, but I have to admit: it's also just really fun to hunt for treasures in places where every individual piece feels one-of-a-kind. My home region, the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, is rich with thrift shops, antique… Continue reading Buying Second-hand in the Pioneer Valley: a 2023 Review of Local Shops
[Note: This article was originally published on Medium, but I've begun migrating all of my content to this blog.] When I developed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, or collectively ME/CFS) over eight years ago, I assumed it would be a brief detour in my life, and I’d soon be back to saving the world with… Continue reading How to Fight Climate Change When You’re Tired All the Time
It's taken me a long time to realize that, when you add things to your life, you usually have to subtract some things, too. Unless what you've added is more time or help, and then you might be subtracting money. The holiday season fools me each year, especially now that it includes Thanksgiving, Chanukah, three… Continue reading December: Taking Time to Celebrate and Be Sick
When I first started knitting and crocheting, and for many years afterward, quick projects were delicious to me. I enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction and relief when I completed a project. I like finishing things. I don't like putting them down, or waiting, or being patient. And I most certainly do not like boredom. But… Continue reading How I learned to love slow knitting
I've always loved little notebooks. I used to love buying just the "right" one and filling the first five pages with whatever that notebook was supposed to hold---to-do lists, journal entries, craft patterns, or doodles. I did not, however, love my embarrassing stash of pretty, abandoned notebooks that didn't serve their intended purpose for very long.… Continue reading Two years of using the “Bullet Journal”: my favorite thing about a trend that actually worked for me
It’s mid-morning on the first day of the new year. I’m sitting in my living room, which is still scattered with gift wrapping, almost-stale cookies, and boxes of holiday decorations. My life hasn’t changed much since yesterday, aside from the vaguely shameful memory of going to bed at 10:30 after a night of card games… Continue reading Why we need the “clean slate” rituals of the New Year
Upcycling is fun, en vogue, and arguably a good practice for the planet. The popularity of this form of creative reuse has exploded over the past decade, even making its way into luxury brands. It's got a little problem, though—we can't seem to agree on what it actually is, and which items qualify as "upcycled"… Continue reading Upcycling vs. creative reuse: what’s the difference?
Before you launch into the rest of this blog post, I want you to sit back, take a deep breath, and say these words to yourself: I won't let plastic pollution drag me down or overwhelm me. No, you don't need to fit all of your trash for the year into a mason jar. You… Continue reading One thing you can do to reduce plastic pollution right now
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