One of my favorite summertime treats is throwing a handful of fresh spearmint in my teapot, letting it steep a few minutes and enjoying an afternoon of sipping (hot or cool) fresh, tingly tea.

It tastes even better when it comes from your own garden.

In recently buying what looked and smelled like chamomile flowers from my farmers' market, I got to thinking: What else can I grow for my teapot?

Enter Herbal Tea Gardens.  It goes beyond mint and chamomile to help you design healing tea gardens to suit your needs.  Marietta Marcin includes growing and brewing recipes for herbs to help with headaches, colds, arthritis, and a multitude (100 to be exact) of pains (and pleasures!).

What's one of the best materials to soak up oil after messy, environmentally-disastrous spills?  Hair.  Human hair.

Just like when we neglect shampooing for a few days, we  (I anyway) end up with greasy tresses--that stuff is absorbent.

There are thousands of oil spills every year, not any as extensive as the Exxon Valdez in 1989 (which recently got wrapped up), but damaging nonetheless.

Matter of Trust partners with hair salons who sweep up their customers' brittle ends and send them to a facility that makes the hair into oil-soaking mats for clean-up efforts (creating green jobs while it's at it).

It's such a great idea, and the perfect opportunity to pass on to your stylist or barber next time you're in for a new do.  According to the organization, hair salons end up with about a pound of hair every day.  At over three hundred thousand across the country, that's a lot of lovely locks doing more than going to the landfill.

You can also sweep up your own and send it their way in an envelope.

The Whit Mcleod wine barrel folding chair is versatile, practical, well-designed, and made from discarded wine barrels from California wineries, thousands of which are tossed every year and 20% of which end up in the landfill--all that beautiful (grape-infused) oak gone to waste.

This chair gets those barrels out of the waste stream-- it's 90% recycled--pretty great for a chair.

It really moves beyond the beach, too, and is a perfect seat for a patio, yard, front porch, kitchen nook, or living room.

more (live-in dresses)

Plus, the designer literally fashions it out of sustainable fabrics right in the back of her store--no sweatshopping or factory-ing here.
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If you've seen the excellent documentary, The Future of Food, or are a member of the Organic Consumers Association, then you've heard of Monsanto.

Monsanto is a huge company and the maker of herbicides and the engineer and peddler of genetically modified seeds.  Roundup Ready soybeans are genetically modified to resist the very herbicides Monsanto sprays, those sprays being the kinds of chemicals that are toxic not just to weeds but to you and me and especially farmers.

Now, there's a film on DVD that explores what Monsanto has done, how, and how it's gotten away with it.  There's some pretty shocking stuff in here about what goes wrong when profit is the driving force of agriculture.  And, no it's nut a summer fluff film, but at least it's fodder for changing fall harvests.

And, buy the DVD here.

less (plastic)

Our easy-to-use plastic bags (and all kinds of other forms of the stuff that was hailed as the future in The Graduate) are a big culprit in the deaths of sea turtles, birds, and other marine creatures as while plastic almost never biodegrades, it does break down into little, easily ingestible bits.  Americans use 380 billion plastic bags every year.

more (time spent on two feet or two wheels)

And if you're still not on board, try this car cost calculator to see how much you spend on your car every year and how to put that money to good use elsewhere. After all, the average American spends 17% of his/her income on a car--that's the second highest percentage behind paying rent or a mortgage.

more (healthy glow)

I recently got some deep red Yolo for a dark corner of my apartment that needs some serious life, and a backdrop for the marvelous, detoxifying, feng shui-ing corn plant I recently put there.  (And, at my local paint store, it cost roughly the same as a can of paint at a big box store.)

more (leafy greens)

If you want to get away from the same old vegetable rut, and you're a fan of broccoli, bok choy, and kale, your are delivered.  Chinese Broccoli has a slight bitterness, along with a kind of meatiness to it.  I've been enjoying it steamed and the stalks might be my favorite part (I'm sure stir-frying is delish, too.)

Earth Cinema Circle is book club meets Netflix, with a conscience.  Every other month, you get a DVD with four films delivered to your door that you can hang onto.  And, rest assured, the packaging is recycled and the shipping is carbon offset.

Its offerings are full of lively little films that you aren't likely to see anywhere else and that will surely broaden your knowledge of what's going on in the world and what you can do about it.

If you still haven't worked out travel plans for this summer, should you be making any, consider an environmental disaster hot spot. Should be a blast. 

GOOD Magazine, one of my absolute favorites, has this feature on a handful of man-made disasters you can go and visit.  If mai tais and swimming pools or even rainforest romps aren't up your alley, consider visiting the Eastern Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch, the Salton Sea, or the Berkely Pit acid lake in Montana.

Even if you don't go visit, it's a fascinating piece on the messes we've made.

more (real food)

But, luckily movie nights do have something to do with lazy, warm summer evenings. 

In this engaging movie, two best friends from college travel to Iowa where they grow one acre of corn, with the help of Iowa farmers growing a whole load more than that.  It's their story, told inventively, and the story of our food supply.  Without being preachy at all, we get to hear all about what Michael Pollan exposes in The Omnivore's Dilemma, that we're mostly growing a monocrop--corn--that's not even edible but is used for all the "foods" we've filled our supermarkets with--soda and other products that are mostly made from high fructose corn syrup and the like.  Then there's the meat counter where all the cows have been fed, you guessed it, corn, which is terrible for their poor stomachs.

These guys follow the complicated route of corn from its origins in Mexico to our America in the present, showing how we now grow billions of bushels of it industrially in Iowa.  And, they make the whole ride really, really fun.  And, it just might turn you into one of us who scours the ingredients on food labels, trying to figure out what xanthan gum is and proud of ourselves for knowing it's just a fancy name for corn.

Watch an interview from ZapRoot with the guys behind the movie here.

It's really hard to find a bathing suit that isn't made out of, well, plastic--that's what spandex is made from. So, here is my big summer find: a swimsuit made of (mostly) organic cotton!

After all, there's enough plastic in the ocean already. And, who wants synthetic stuff so close to one's skin.

This can be a halter or strapless, sold in black or white, whatever you prefer.

Get it (122.00) here and be swimming in no time.

The questions surrounding what to eat abound.  Michael Pollan has definitely shed some light on them and we know that eating local, eating organic, and, if we're going to eat meat and dairy, eating the stuff raised humanely and sustainably makes a huge difference for the world and our own wellness.

Written by a city-dweller turned compassionate farmer who raises and eats meat, The Compassionate Carnivore shares how Catherine Friend makes peace with meat, peace with the world, and peace with herself.

I can only guess at the amount of pesticides and chemicals that would be saved if the world started making and wearing only organic cotton jeans and jeany-type items given their popularity.  And that would save heartache for farmworkers and the earth, in particular, our rivers which are in pretty poor shape, 70% of the damage coming from conventional agriculture operations.

Del Forte makes organic cotton denim wear that is high style and low impact.  Read about its commitment here.

I also love its recycling program in which if you send in your used Del Fortes, the designers there will make you a one or some of a kind funky skirt out of discarded jeans.  

more (generations of reuse)

It's likely that 27 billion plastic diappies end up in the ground each year.
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more (green design)

Designers have a whole lot of power to improve the state of things with what--homes, gadgets, and so forth--they design.  So, she's asking them to sign on and get greener to make a difference, offering green analysis to clients, engaging in sustainable product development, and being educated and transparent about their or their firm's environmental impact.  Three cheers!

more (plants)

I am also a huge fan of finding found containers to plant in--discarded wooden boxes, bathtubs, whatever works.

But then there are things that are made just perfectly for a certain purpose.  Like the food map container by Food Map Designs that is at the perfect height for preventing grownup back strain while permitting kids to get in on the action. And, it's on wheels!  Oh, and, it's on sale for a couple of weeks right now.

more (reinvention)

And here's my favorite, the Northrup, made from brown recycled rice bags and flecked with color.  Slide it on the shoulder, carry it with the hand, slip go to items into its outside pocket.

Haiku are lovely little nuggets of poetry, just three lines reflecting on nature and packing a surprise ending.  I like them because they help me slow down and breathe and because they're just so easy to fit into one's reading schedule.

This book--Four Seasons: Japanese Haiku Second Series--is from the '50s has four groups of haiku, each for a season, many written by some of the Japanese masters like Basho and Issa (here you can sign up for on Issa haiku a day in your inbox).  I got my copy at a swap meet during the spring and, as the calendar dictates, I have just started reading through summer (they're filled with loads of frogs and mosquitoes).

more (healthy supplies)

I haven't investigated the ingredients, but the smell of conventional putties gives me the willies.

The only thing we drink more of than bottled water in this country is bottled soda--a sorry state of affairs.

Elizabeth Royte's Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It is a keen look into the problems with what we're drinking.

To name a few, tap water in most of America is much more highly regulated than bottled water.  On top of that, when you drink from the tap, you don't have any of that plastic leaching into your fluids and into you. And finally, when you drink water from your own pipes, it's not laced with oil.  How so?  Bottled water is flown and trucked from who knows where, using gas to get to you.  And, it's relationship with petroleum is even more intimate than that, as plastic is made of petroleum. We use 15 million barrels a year to make plastic bottles, 8 out of 10 of which never make it t the recycle bin (read more about the uprising against plastic bottles from E-Magazine here).

According to this interview with Royte from KCRW's Good Food, your bottle of water can actually be considered a quarter petroleum given that's how much crude went into it from conception til it touched your lips.  Not so appetizing or sustainable.

If you aren't already toting a SIGG or other reusable bottle, this book will surely help you take the plunge into healthier, eco-friendly water.

more (recycled red, white, and blue)

They're totally one of a kind (with only one pair in stock!) and made from discarded aluminum cans.

And, since leaf blowers, the common alternative, are noisy, emitting, allergy-aggravating machines, the old-fashioned broom is the very best answer.  Yes, it takes a little more work, but gentle exercise done regularly is what keeps us fit as fiddles into old age.  

Made from 100% renewable sorghum grass and non-toxic dyes, this one is made Fair Trade in Thailand. (It comes with a little whisk broom and dust pan.)

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So, I've found a good alternative for anyone looking to support artists, support handmade items without funky ingredients, and support an online company that is mindful and green.

These sunhats are 100% cotton canvas and made by an artist who begins with nature, watercolors, and paper, and ends with these lovely, packable, sun-protecting hats.

President Bush called for an end to the moratorium on offshore oil drilling last week.

Offshore drilling is a bandaid to our dependence on, price of, and depleting supplies of oil.  Plus, offshore drilling (aside from being unsightly for our coasts), can increase the likelihood of spills and causes such loud noise and disruption that sea creatures' habits and habitats can be adversely affected.

more (fruitiness) 

If you make jam from fresh farmers' market fruit, you can enjoy apricots, peaches, and strawberries all year long.

I admit to never having made it, but that won't stop me from sharing a great resource with you in case you are more jammily inclined.

more (reflection)

The solstice can be a difficult time for the body as we transition from one season to the next, but it can also be a reflective, spiritual time as well.  So, even if you didn't take part in any parties or ceremonies, this time of year can be a good time to check in with ourselves (like at winter solstice/new year) on how aligned we are with our goals, ourselves, our intentions, and the like.  

For me, summer is also a time of renewed energy for things like new projects, further purging of stuff, and taking on new intentions like spending more time in nature, making a move or some kind of transition, or committing to even more walking and getting a good bike so I can spend even less time in the car--after all, the weather's not frightful at this time of year.

less (stuff)

In an age of clutter and consumption, I think 100 could be a really good guideline--a threshold of stuff.  Plus, you can play with it and make your own rules.  For example, Dave counts all his books as one but each item of clothing as its own number.  You can count all of your shoes as one whole item if you want--that's the approach I would probably take seeing that I think a number of pairs of walkable, rideable shoes are invaluable. I'd likely do the same with something like cutlery--never would each fork count for my tally.  (Bruno isn't including things like cutlery on his thing list as they're not his "personal" items.)

Whether you join the challenge or not, I think counting up the things in one room or one closet or one drawer could be a wake up call even for those of us who are already trying to live simply. There is truly freedom in living with less.

My personal fantasy is that storage rental places would become obsolete--why store stuff you don't use elsewhere?  Give it away! 

more (seasonal fruit)

Here's a book that will help you pick just the perfect one (think orange/red color): How To Pick a Peach.  Here's the best part, in it, Russ Parsons goes beyond peaches to pretty much any produce to help you figure out how to pick, store, and prepare it--the subtitle says it all: The Search for Flavor From Farm to Table.  This is an invaluable guide for the seasonal eater so that your lettuce isn't wilted or your celery limp by the time you're reading to dig in and serve it up. Send to a Friend

more (free, sustainable ingenuity)

But, if you don't want to spring for brand new organic cotton or hemp cloth napkins at the moment, or new ones in general, it's so easy to snip and clip and make your own.

When my friend C and I were having lunch last week, I noticed her napkins and was supremely impressed.  She just took some fabric and cut it up.  That's right, if you have fabric lying in your sewing basket, old curtains, or a t-shirt or dress or the like that doesn't fit or has seen better days, cut it up. How freeing is that?  Cut it up and voila, you have napkins.  (You can get fancy and sew them up on the sides too though it's not necessary.)

Reusable cloth napkins never go out of style.

Then, use them at home and bring them with you when you pack a lunch, or if you have to grab something at a takeout joint, at least you can forego the disposable paper!

Plus, no plastic!  That's hard to find in a baby product.