Open your fridge. Take a snapshot. What does this say about what/how you eat - and about YOU?

Check out these fridge shots: which one is like yours?

Posted by Michelle at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At the Brooklyn Food Conference, I attended a workshop about how climate change affects the food system. What I got most out of it was learning how our casual, daily behavior here dramatically impacts smaller civilizations around the world and that that, in turn, impacts our own food and sustainability issues. It was enlightening, and inspiring to realize that those daily decisions we make - from conserving energy to voting with our wallets - do make a difference.

In a related light, The Nation has published this list of "Ten Things You Can Do to Fight World Hunger"

Not surprisingly, many items on this list - tailored to address world hunger, a very important issue in its own rite - also would directly impact our own cultural food issues. Suggestions like

"Write letters to the editor and op-ed articles in your local paper calling on the government to cut or end subsidies that encourage large agribusinesses to overproduce grains and dump their surpluses on the developing world at sub-market prices."

"Eat less meat"

It's a great list - I only wish it provided more actionable resources.

Posted by Michelle at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Since having my daughter 14 months ago, I have become so very hyper aware of the shortness of the 24-hour day. Every single day, I create ambitions for my day that must be clipped in half to remain somewhat realistic - and even then, I feel like I ran a marathon trying to accomplish them. Before having a child, I got these lists of things done and still had time to lounge, grab a coffee, call a friend, and take a long shower - and if something unforeseen popped up, I could probably find room for that, too.

Often, my reality is 1-2 things can be accomplished each day (grocery shopping & playground; work & making dinner; work, ordering in, & catching up on email). It's been really hard for me to grasp that when that one little thing I'd love to do pops up, I simply cannot 'rearrange this' or 'not do that' to make room for it. Part of me rebels. ("there must be time here somewhere... maybe - oh. maybe! - oh. hrm...") there simply isn't any more time to be squeezed out of my day. I sometimes find myself eyeing people on the subway who look young enough to be childless and thinking "if she wanted to go to yoga, she could just CHOOSE to go - she has no idea how free she is!"

And now for my little secret - between me and the birds: rising early. I have reclaimed a couple hours of me-time and it's happening when no one else is awake. Often, for me, I wake early to exercise (- I NEED exercise). But sometimes I just go for a quick walk and come back and get organized about something, or write email, or journal. It feels so good to get something quietly accomplished.

I started this in the winter, and I will say: it was a huge challenge. it was dark and cold and not very welcoming to the early riser. But now spring is upon us, and the birds know nature's loveliest secret - that the wee hours of the early morning can provide you with an amazing, fulfilling jump start to your day, and the gorgeous spring morning is like your own little private gift of sunny newness. Ok, yes, that is a little rosey for 5:30am, but after you've gotten over the initial pain, you really do realize how amazing it feels. And the weird truth is that you really can steal the time: funny enough, I go to bed at pretty much the same time, and I have more energy than when I slept in later.

So, here's to a couple of delicious early-morning reclaimed hours. If you'd like to give it a shot at waking earlier, I recommend this fantastic post: How to become an Early Riser.

Posted by Michelle at 07:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On my neighborhood listserv, there was a vigorous discussion about the best 'green' cleaning products and brands - there are many out there. But among them was this link, full of common-sense and wallet-friendly advice about how to make your own non-toxic household cleaners, including window cleaner, soft scrub, oven cleaner and mold killer. They look so simple and sensible... check it out:
How to Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit

Posted by Michelle at 08:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)