It’s been exactly one year since I published my first shampoo bar review. (Actually the first of all my sustainable product reviews!) While I’ve learned a lot in that year, and added a few brands to my original review, none had swayed me from my favorite – until this spring. So I’m declaring a new […]
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Thinx Review & Alternatives [7 Styles Compared + A Forever Discount]
A detailed review of my latest sustainability upgrade on the road to zero-waste: Underwear that absorbs your menstrual flow, from NYC-based Thinx. What are period underwear? It’s the same concept as a pad – except washable, reusable and better in every way. I know, it sounds weird and unlikely to be effective, but after a year […]
Alaska: Covid-Safe Travel with UnCruise (& Stories from the Before Times)
This post is sponsored by UnCruise – a name on my short list of sustainable travel companies that I’m looking forward to adventuring with! My first and, so far, my only visit to Alaska was a long, winding road trip just a few months before travel went on hiatus. My husband and I flew into […]
PAPR & byHumankind Deodorant Reviews [Why They Beat Other “Zero-Waste” Brands]
A short list of reviews of two natural, plastic-free deodorant brands: PAPR and byHumankind. (And why they’re more sustainable and – I think – just better options than Dove, Native, Myro and Ethique!) If I’m being honest, here’s how most of my other sustainable product reviews have worked: I tested pretty much every plastic-free brand I […]
What It Was Really Like Visiting Maui During COVID-19
This is my personal experience of visiting Maui during the COVID-19 pandemic, in December, 2020, including testing options and requirements, mask rules vs. reality, and what we can learn from Hawaii about travel during a pandemic. At the end of a year mostly spent in quarantine in the cold climates of Chicago and Montana, two […]
Bite vs Everyone [All the Plastic-Free Toothpaste Options Compared]
Toothpaste tablets are a fairly new, very travel-friendly and eco-friendly alternative to standard, non-recyclable tubes of toothpaste. Here, I’ve reviewed the top sustainable brands in detail: Bite Toothpaste Bits, Crush & Brush, byHumankind, UnPaste (AKA DentTabs), Mouthful, and Georganics. I’ve already mentioned my favorite brand of plastic-free toothpaste tablets in my master list of sustainable […]
Pasta With Broccoli: A Recipe Stolen from My Italian In-Laws
This is one of my favorite Italian family recipes – Pasta with Broccoli. It’s healthy, easy, meat-free, and can be vegan or vegetarian if you want it to be! When the pandemic started, and everyone started cooking at home for the first time, and realizing they didn’t know how to make anything that was both […]
How Hard Is It to Go to Hawaii Right Now? (And Should You?)
This is a timeline of my experience traveling to Hawaii from the mainland US in December, 2020, plus current COVID-19 restrictions for Hawaii, the pre-travel test I took in the airport, and whether the trip makes sense during a pandemic – ethically or otherwise. A long, long time ago, I wrote a pair of posts […]
Master List of the Best Plastic-Free Toiletries [A Full, Travel-Friendly, Eco-Friendly Routine]
My thoroughly-tested, less-waste travel routine: After lots of trial and error (which I’ve covered in other product reviews) this list is the best of the best. Plastic-free toiletries that are mostly gender-neutral and feel like a treat to use – not a sustainability obligation! I’m calling this my “travel” routine because it’s travel-friendly, but really […]
What Makes Cruising THAT Bad for the Environment?
An overview – in plain English – of the biggest sustainability problems with cruise ships, and some solutions for how to fix them. (From interviews with experts!) Among other foiled travel plans this year, I had scheduled a dreamy sounding trip in Mexico with UnCruise, a company that bills itself as a sustainable alternative to […]
LastSwab vs EarthSider Review [How to Avoid Zero-Waste Greenwashing]
What’s your biggest pet peeve? If you know me, you probably know that I can’t stand anything fake. Things, people or companies that claim to be something they’re not drive me insane. And the market for eco-friendly, natural, zero-waste, or any other category of sustainable products is absolutely flooded with fakes. Two brands make a […]
How Do You Actually Move Abroad? (11 Ideas & Personal Experience)
A few weeks ago, I got a text from an American friend asking me one simple question: How can I move abroad? Understandable. Especially this year. So I thought about it. I’ve moved abroad a lot – to Spain, then back to the US, then to China and from there on to Italy and France […]
