If you want a more sustainable shower routine, but aren’t on board with shampoo and conditioner bars, I’ve tested another plastic-free option for you: Concentrated, waterless shampoo and bath products in aluminum tubes from Everist. They’re definitely a travel-friendly option, but read on for the rest of the details. I’ve been a longtime devotee of […]
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Review: Bite vs Everyone (All the Plastic-Free Toothpaste Options Compared)
These detailed reviews cover the best plastic-free toothpaste brands: Bite Toothpaste Bits, UnPaste (AKA DentTabs), by Humankind, Lush Toothpaste Tabs (much controversy there), and Georganics. Plus a few lesser-known alternatives: Crush & Brush (from Nelson Naturals), Ben & Anna, Noice, and Ojook. As you may know, toothpaste tablets are a fairly new, very travel-friendly and […]
Eco-Friendly Small Businesses Everywhere (Add More To This Growing Map!)
This is a collaborative map of eco-friendly small businesses from coast to coast – and hopefully, with your help, around the world. I created it as a useful resource for sustainable shopping that YOU can help build and share! When I started reviewing sustainable products on this blog, I didn’t set out to write about […]
How to Eat in Italy: an Expat’s Guide to Italian Menus & Courses
This Italian foodie guide is exactly what my friends and family ask for when they visit from abroad: A guide to Italian menus, with each meal and course explained, so you can figure out what you’re looking at. If I’ve learned just one thing in the past year living in Milan, it’s how to eat […]
The Most Embarrassing Thing You Could Do on a Sailboat Full of Scientists Studying Microplastics
Lots of tour companies in Greece can take you out on a sailboat for a day – usually with sunbathing, cocktails and swimming stops. But instead of hopping on one of those when I visited the island of Paros, I found my way onto a scientific research trip, sailing its way through the Greek islands, […]
Luxury Villas in Europe with Private Pools (+ Eco Credentials)
As I’m writing this article, I’m wondering if it’s almost too good to be true. These luxurious European vacation rentals are stunning, sustainable and – if you get a few friends together – bizarrely affordable. I’m talking less than $100 per person per night for a beautiful villa in Europe with a private pool. Here’s how […]
AirBnb Alternatives with Flair: 13 Unique & Sustainable Options
Traveling with Airbnb used to mean something pretty different from what it’s come to mean today. When it was founded in 2008, AirBnb was about staying in local people’s homes, helping them make a little extra cash, and having some level of cultural exchange at the same time. It was pretty close to what Couchsurfing […]
6 Excellent Plastic-Free Face Washes for Your Skin (Bars, Powders & Oils!)
Zero-waste face wash options have come a long way. These facial cleansers in bar, oil, and powder forms have top-quality skincare ingredients, and plastic-free packaging! (And of course, all are carefully tested and vetted by yours truly.) The brands that met my standards for this review: Dew Mighty, Activist Skincare, Earth Harbor, Ethique and HiBAR […]
Mississippi Blues Trail Guide: Local Businesses, Restaurants & Can’t-Miss Stops
Driving south from Memphis, down the famous Highway 61 through the Mississippi Delta, the area sure doesn’t look like much – and that’s the way many people have thought of the Delta for years. Although it could be an easy sell for tourists, with its deep music history, the Delta is just as famous for […]
8 Italian Habits You’ll Pick Up After Living in Italy
Let’s go beyond the obvious – talking with your hands, kissing cheeks in greeting and, yes, eating lots of pasta. These are some deeper Italian habits, cultural values, and personality traits that I picked up (and learned to love) as an expat in Italy. I’ve lived in a lot of places in my adult life, and […]
How to Use Ferries for Greek Island Hopping (And the Best Way to Book Your Tickets)
This is a guide to traveling by ferry in Greece (and between Greece and Italy), including how to buy Greek ferry tickets with FerryHopper, how far in advance to buy them, the truth about potentially saving money buying ferry ticket “passes,” and many more tips! At the beginning of a recent trip exploring two Greek […]
Paros Travel Guide: the Best Sustainable Hotels, Restaurants & Packing Tips
After a two-week trip to Paros and Naxos, I was amazed by how hard I fell for Greece’s Cycladic islands. Food is usually the first consideration in my travel plans, and the cuisine in the Cyclades does not disappoint! (The restaurants on Paros particularly impressed me.) But you’ll also find striking scenery – from the […]
