When You Wish Upon A (Times Square) Ball

Last night, John did a comedy show in Times Square. The day before New Year's Eve and the area was already a complete zoo. It took us longer to get from the subway to the theater than from our apartment to Times Square.

Thousands of tourists were wandering around, staring at the giant crystal ball, or rather, where the giant crystal ball was going to be placed on top of the lovely Toshiba sign. Although right now the only thing that was dropping was people's resistance to buying those awful plastic hats and other accoutrements which are required for New Year's Eve.

I have actually never taken part in this New York City tradition. At one time I thought it would be a cool idea but as I get older, the idea of being trapped in a space with no bathrooms surrounded by thousands of people has pretty much lost its appeal.

Bathrooms and crowds aside, I was curious to learn just how eco-friendly this ball drop would be.

The Waterford Crystal Ball which weighs in at over 11,000 pounds, is illuminated with over 32,000 Philips LED lights. That was encouraging.

I also found out that Duracell will be illuminating the "2011" numerals with human power for the third year in a row! How is this done you ask? Last year, my good friend Audrey, her daughter Mackenzie and me rode stationary bikes that were set up in Duracell's Power Lab in Times Square. Each push of the pedal captures our energy and converts it into power.

So far, so good! But then . . .

Thanks to Carnival Cruise, there is a big wishing wall in Times Square where thousands of visitors can leave their hopes and dreams for 2011.

On an official piece of 2011 confetti.

And at the stroke of midnight, one TON of these wishes will be dropped on Times Square.

I'm sorry...I just have to catch my breath for a second.

ONE TON?!

That's one ton of paper falling to slushy, post-blizzard streets, clearly unable to be recycled. That's 24 trees that will no longer get to have their branches blow in the wind. All to say Happy New Year! (More like Crappy New Year)

I boycotted the wishing wall and vowed to make my wish on the crystal ball as it hits the "2011" numerals. Eco-friendly and magical.

I leave you with this...

Tonight at midnight

Anticipate with delight!

Forgo the confetti

And have your wish ready

For 2011

Will bring nothing but heaven!

Ornaments On The Tree

Even as a child, in the not-so-green 1970's, I remember traditions that helped make a Green Christmas.

My mom would bundle up my sister and me and take us for a walk down the block to Mrs. Randall's house. Mrs. Randall was an older woman who had a tree farm. She also was the only person in the neighborhood who would hand out apples on Halloween.

The four of us (mom, dad, Melissa and me) would pick out our tree (which I'm fairly certain wasn't covered with pesticides) and take it home, where my dad would then secure it to the bannister for dear life. (This was the result of my cousins and I running around our living room one December evening and knocking over the tree. Our parents came back from a night on the town to find all of their precious decorations in pieces on the floor.)

My mom would get our ornaments from the attic and my sister and I would run to the box and argue over which ones were ours.

We carefully hung each ornament, reminiscing about where it came from and fighting for prime front-of-the-tree real estate. Early on, my mom and dad made up a rule that was pretty eco-friendly -- only ornaments with meaning could go on the tree.

The ones I remember most clearly were the angels. Mine was green, Melissa's was pink. Although even that was debatable. They were gifts from my grandmother.

We had antique ornaments -- the kind made from glass -- from our neighbors, The Jobin's. They were very delicate and only mom was allowed to hang those up.

As we got older, my parents started a new tradition. Each year, we'd get an ornament representing something from that year. Like the year I went to Ireland with my mom and she got me a lamb. It's a tradition that I continue with my niece and nephew.

Our magnificent tree towered above us, its festive branches protecting us and our gifts while each ornament -- and its memories -- glowed from the lights. We marvelled at our tree every chance we got.

As the years went on, our real tree was replaced by a fake one because of my sister's asthma. Now we know that a fake tree is worse than a real one because of all the BPA's and formaldehyde used to make it.

Now in New York City, my Christmas trees come from city sidewalks. Temporary forests magically appear outside drug stores and Starbucks. This year, John and I went to find one in the arbor outside a local deli. Actually, I had already picked it out. It was this big, round, fat Fraser fir that I had seen on the corner for weeks. It was meant for us. Every time I passed it, it said, "Take me home!" (And "Don't settle for the asking price!")

The salesman saw how much I loved it and gave us a great deal. Like Upper East Side Paul Bunyans (or so we thought), we declined to wrap the tree in plastic (of course) and shlepped our new green friend four blocks to our building, where we carried it up six flights to our apartment. Once inside, we realized we had the perfect tree . . . and the smallest stand.

I went back to the nursery-deli to buy a bigger one. Our salesman looked both ways and told me to take it . . . his boss wasn't there. I thanked him profusely! We now call him Deli Claus.
Every night I lay on my couch and gaze at the ornaments. A penguin in a pink tutu from my dear friend Ruth in Ireland. A glittered sea shell from a trip to Florida to visit my family. A giant Paddington Bear - my most favorite bear of all. And a personal favorite -- a giant sequined ball with a snowman on it, taken when I was living in Washington, DC during a visit to see the National Christmas Tree. Many of the ornaments had fallen and broken and this was one of the ones we salvaged.

These ornaments allow me to remember my mom, dad, sister, good friends and memorable trips that have contributed to our special tree.

And every night I wander over to Mrs. Randall's house in my mind and remember the amazing childhood Christmases that I was blessed with.

I wish you all the greenest of holidays with lots of memories!

Picture Perfect Packages

One year, my mom gave me a photo album for Christmas. It's a cardboard album, kind of like a children's board book. It's red with a Christmasy design on the cover and a green satin ribbon that ties it together. Every year I put a picture of John, me and Bailey in it representing that particular year's Christmas.

I love pulling it out and looking through it but this year, I realized I forgot to add 2009's picture.

I went online to the Kodak Gallery where I store many of my pictures that I want to print and found the perfect one. I ordered it immediately.

A couple of days later at work, I was informed that I had a package. I went downstairs to our receiving dock and was handed a good-sized box. 12" x 10" x 1", to be exact.

I hadn't ordered anything so I couldn't figure out what it was. An early Christmas present perhaps?

I got it back to my office and opened it. Inside was a piece of heavy-duty cardboard covered in plastic wrap. I opened it and removed a blank, yellow piece of paper that had been resting against the cardboard. What was behind the piece of paper was appalling.

Behind the piece of paper was my Christmas picture. A 4" x 6" picture, to be exact.

I immediately went to Kodak's website and filed a complaint with their customer service.

After waiting for a response for almost three days, I finally received an email. After a token "we're sorry" and "we'll pass off your complaint to the powers that be," they blamed their packaging on the US Postal Service! They clearly weren't aware that the US Postal Service actually strives for a green footprint!

No, no. They weren't getting off this easy.

I wrote back. This was not acceptable! What were they going to do? They were at risk of losing a customer.

Two weeks went by. No response.

And then...I heard from them.

More token apologies for my inconvenience. MY inconvenience? How about the tree's inconvenience?!

They further explained how they strive to have your photos arrive safely. Really? I've ordered from other photo websites. Wouldn't a simple cardboard or padded envelope have sufficed?

The next paragraph: "You might consider our level of packaging to be way above standards, when compared to others within the industry. Please note that this is done to assure the overall safety of your placed order."

Above standards? What standards? I just want my small, flat picture!

They ended by "understanding my concerns," forwarding the email to their labs and offering me a $5 coupon on a future order. Don't think I'll be taking them up on that. Can you imagine how five pictures would be packaged? I'd need a cab for the box to get home!

After this atrocity, I started to re-think my shipping methods. Of course Christmas is the time for exchanging presents with loved ones near and far. And I, like many, will be shipping gifts.

So instead of buying boxes, I've been taking boxes from work. Not new ones! Ones that our orders were shipped in...reused.

I'm also cutting down on my wrapping paper supplies. During the holiday season, Americans will throw away approximately 4 million tons of wrapping paper and shopping bags.

This year, think of creative ways to wrap your presents. How about wrapping your gift in a brand new dish towel or a comfy sweater? Or use the funny pages, paper bags from the grocery store or recycled wrapping paper.

Regardless of what you use, make sure to reuse or recycle it and don’t forget to bring along your reusable bag on your holiday shopping spree!

But please don't send 4" x 6" good wishes in a 12" x 10" package!

Happy shopping (and shipping)!

Shopping in a Greener Wonderland

This past weekend, the Holiday Market in Union Square opened. There is a holiday market in Bryant Park, one in Grand Central and one in Columbus Circle, but this is my favorite as it has the most booths and I've been very lucky in the past finding fun, eco gifts.

I dragged John down there to help me go on my green expedition.

Or so he thought.

I really dragged him down there to give him ideas of what he could get me for Christmas.

I could barely contain myself as we made our way into the maze of red and white striped kiosks.

Hats, chess boards, hot apple cider and Turkish tiles. Nothing eco yet. Puppets, wooden cutting boards (not sustainable wood), ornaments. Zilch. Where were the green booths?

As we turned a corner, I saw a giant painting of a guy catching a wave on his surfboard. AH!

I grabbed John's sleeve and pulled him over there, almost tripping on a small child.

The painting was in a booth from She Hit Pause Studios. The photographer, Matt Schwartz, was there and I noticed he had several surfing paintings among other interesting pieces like a girl pulling a wagon full of record albums and one of bougainvillia flowers.

I struck up a conversation. Turns out, these weren't paintings but Polaroid photographs that he stretches and then transfers onto water color paper, creating a unique effect.

He travels the world and in between photo shoots, he grabs a wave (or two).

John and I looked through every one of his pieces and each one was more beautiful than the one before it.

It was hard to decide which surfing one I liked best. Was it the girl paddling out? Or the group waiting for the perfect wave with pelicans hovering above them?

I strongly suggested to John that one of them would be the perfect present. I figured I could let him decide as there should be some element of surprise!

As we were about to leave, Matt told me how he donated some of his work to a green school in Mexico and that he was hoping to volunteer there. I became instantly jealous. This is how I should be living my life. (http://www.shehitpausestudios.com/)

I thanked him, told him we'd return and we were on our way to discover the next eco booth.

We didn't have to walk far before we stumbled upon an old favorite, Engage Green. I found them several years ago and have many of their products, including my favorite make-up bag made from recycled paper and a messenger bag made from recycled plastic bottles. I was very excited to see their 2010-2011 line of products which included a very fun red backpack. (http://www.engagegreen.com/pages/shop)

I was feeling good, still high on the surfing photographs. At this point, John was overwhelmed by the sea of kiosks and I knew he needed a quick fix...of glühwein. This mulled wine is a German holiday specialty. Here in its non-alcoholic condition it was more like a really good hot grape juice.

My quick fix was from the organic chocolate shop called NibMor. The most amazing, delicious, creamy cup of hot chocolate you'll ever taste. I'm drooling just thinking about it. (http://www.nibmor.com/)

Down the aisle a bit was it's counter-part, MissTea. An array of organic teas that serve everything from the common cold to relaxing before bed. It's sold in simple glass jars that make for the perfect eco gift. (http://www.miss-tea.com/)

As we made our way through, we ended our journey at Copa Soaps. Again, an old favorite, their handmade, all natural soaps smell incredible while give a gentle exfoliation and a fantastic clean. This time, we went home with Ginger Carrot. (http://www.copasoaps.com/)
It was a successful mission and I got some great gift ideas for the wonderful people in my life.

As for me, I know the idea is to "reduce" but even a die-hard greenie like myself likes to open something on Christmas day. And what better present than a useful gift which supports a local artisan who is also respecting the environment?

I hope the glühwein didn't go to John's head and he'll remember what I showed him.

Happy Thanks-greening!

When I was young, Thanksgiving was one of my favorite holidays. It was always spent with my family (mom, dad, and Melissa), my uncle's family (George, Carol, John and Shannon) and my grandmother ("Babi" (pronounced Bobby) - Polish for grandmother).

After dinner, the kids would quickly exit the table. There were some serious games of hide and seek, Barbies or Star Wars but as we got older, the kids would head off to the movies to see the latest holiday release.

Every year, one thing was for certain...there would always be a good laugh.

One particular year, my mom had redone the house and took everyone on a tour, proudly showing off the new curtains she had just made for my sister's bedroom. After the tour, we made our way downstairs to the table.

By this time, everyone was quite ready for the turkey which had filled the house with that great Thanksgiving smell and had been sitting on the table just waiting to be eaten.

We all filled our plates, eager to dig in.

But even as our stomachs cried out for the food, the key was to create the perfect first bite.

A little turkey, a dollop of mashed potatoes, a taste of the green bean casserole, a bit of cranberry sauce and finally, a dip into the gravy.

Our forks quickly found their way to our salivating mouths when my mother said...

"If anyone's is cold, let me know".

Silence.

And then my grandmother lifted her plate from the table and announced "Well, mine is!"

We all looked at each other and held up our plates as well.

I miss those days very much, especially now that my mom, Sheila, and my Uncle George are no longer with us.

Back then, our turkey wasn't organic, our vegetables came from cans (that I'm sure were coated in BPA) and our milk wasn't from grass-fed cows.

Today, if my mom were still with us, I'm sure I would be saturating her brain with information on organic foods, locally grown foods, BPA's and anti-biotics...and she would soak it up like a sponge.

This year, I will be spending my Thanksgiving with John's family in Tarrytown. His mom, Maryann, has informed me that their turkey will be organic along with organic veggies!

Here are some things that you can do to green up your Thanksgiving:

1. Buy only as much as you need and carry it home in your reusable bags.

2. Recycle what you can.

3. Choose an organic or anti-biotic free turkey. (Local turkeys are the best!)

4. Choose as many local and organic fruits and vegetables as you can (and if you need to use canned food, look for BPA-free cans)

5. Use real plates and utensils instead of paper and plastic and wash them in the dishwasher which uses less water.

and finally,

6. Give much thanks for the people around your table. Cherish each one of them.

I would like to give my deepest thanks to all of you. I love your comments and your willingness to take this green journey with me every week.

Have a Happy (and green) Thanksgiving!

Picture Notes:

-Mom on our trip to Ireland, one month before her last Thanksgiving.

-The Marshall Family Thanksgiving Day table.

-John in front of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Earth Balloon - Thanksgiving Eve, 2007

America Recycles Day!

Today is America Recycles Day!

Your most likely are aware that our landfills are overflowing. Overflowing with objects that can take 500 years to decompose. Overflowing with food scraps that give off methane gas (more potent than carbon dioxide) as they decay. Overflowing with trash that finds its way into our rivers and oceans killing our marine life.

But you can help! Every item you leave out of your trash makes a difference.

We're all familiar with the easy stuff -- glass, aluminum, plastic and paper. But what those odds and ends that you're not quite sure what to do with? What about those things you didn't know could be recycled?

For instance...

Have you been throwing away your old eye glasses? "Recycling" those bottle caps? Trashing those ripped socks?

Stop!

There is a place for all those things...you just have to know how to find it!

Old Electronics - Look for an e-waste event in your area. Google "e-waste recycling" with the name of your city and you will get a list of recycling centers and events in your area. E-waste is usually limited to computers monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines, copiers, routers, hubs, modems, TV's, VCR's, DVD players, A/V equipment, cell phones, pagers and PDA's.

Eye glasses - The Lions Clubs collect used eye glasses then clean, sort and distribute them to people in need in developing countries.

Old Clothes - We all know you can take your old clothing to Goodwill or Salvation Army, but what about those socks where you can now see your beautiful little pedicured pinky toe? The t-shirt that has so many holes, it woudn't be fit for a lazy Sunday lying on the couch? Cut them up and use them as rags around the house. They're great for dusting and wiping up spills.

Old Towels and Sheets - Donate them to your local animal shelter. They wash and use them in the animal's cages. Some shelters will even take old t-shirts.

Brita Filters, Yogurt containers and all #5 Plastics - Most recycling programs don't accept #5 plastics because it's too expensive to recycle them -- but Preserve does. Preserve is a great company that makes razors, toothbrushes, plates, utensils, collanders and other products from #5 plastics. Click here to find your nearest Gimme 5 recycling box.

Bottle Caps - This is another one of those things that most recycling programs don't accept. Aveda will take them off your hands and turn them into new caps for their products. And sometimes, if you get a nice sales person, they'll reward you with a free sample or neck massage!

Finally, I've found that Earth 911 is an excellent resource for all your recycling questions and needs. And I recently found this website, "A Million Ways to Go Green" which has a page dedicated to the most important things to recycle.

So before you go to bed tonight, as yourself "What did I recycle today?" Whatever it was, you helped to Keep America Beautiful!

America Recycles Day - Monday, November 15th

Old Electronics. Paper. Plastic. Aluminum Foil. Old Pots & Pans. Plastic Bags. #5 Plastics. Old Clothes. Old Towels. Old Sheets. Used Brita Filters.

Collect them all this weekend and I'll tell you how you can particpate in America Recycles Day on Monday, November 15th...take the pledge!