Green Challenge #3: Say, why don't you do something useful with all this heat?

So, let's totally beat the dead horse and talk about how hot it is.

Holy cow, it's hot! And it appears as though it might be this hot for, oh, the rest of the summer. Mmm hmm. So, Greenologists. What're you gonna do with this heat? How will you harness all this free energy that's hanging around, making things generally gross and sweaty? Want a suggestion? Of course you do. That's why you're reading this. Here's one: Why don't you wash all those sweaty clothes, and then dry 'em. For free. No, we're not talking about jerry-rigging the dryers at the laundromat. Remember line drying? It's back, and it isn't better than ever, but it's still pretty good.

Why should you want to spend the extra effort line drying your shiz (other than the fact that it saves energy/fuel and is gentler on your clothes)? We crunched some numbers in order to increase the allure of hanging your unmentionables in the warm breeze. Here we go:

So. According to, like, every energy use source out there (we'll throw you this one in the interest of journalistic integrity, mostly because this guy's hair is awesome), clothes dryers account for around 12% of the average American family's household energy use. The average American family does approximately 400 loads of laundry per year at $0.15 per kWh, which averages out to around $156 in household energy costs per year, once you factor in the difference between gas and electric power/average drying times/yada yada. If your average American family is relegated to paying the ol' landlord/laundromat for your clean threads (like us), that expenditure rockets up to around $900 per year, at around $2.25 per load. NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS. That's three tickets to Guatemala, folks. Or a crazy-awesome new bike. Or a really nice charitable donation to a non-profit in need. It's a lot of money, OK? A lot of money, of which you could be saving 100% by simply stringing up your goods.

Don't have the time, you say? Let us point out that research (i.e.: our laundry day) shows it takes an average of four minutes to hang a load. It also only takes an extra forty-five minutes for our stuff to dry on the line versus in the dryer. Don't have the space, you say? Let us also point out that we live in an approximately 450 sq. ft. apartment, and we manage just fine. But, we know it's not easy to make the adjustment. That's why we're going to point you to TipThePlanet, and their sort of insanely comprehensive review of every imaginable drying rack -- indoor and outdoor -- in existence, so you can MacGyver your way into energy savings. We're also going to point out that you can buy whatever you may require to transition into clothesline country at these independently-owned businesses:

Back Bay Hardware
233 Newbury St., Boston
(617) 536-0193

Charles Street Supply
54-56 Charles St., Boston
(617) 367-9046

TAGS Hardware
Porter Shopping Exchange, Somerville
(617) 868-7711

Pills Hardware
743 Massachusetts Ave, Central Square, Cambridge
(617) 876-8310

As per usual, we are offering a reward for participating in this little challenge. Send us photos of your clothes on the line, post a comment here telling us how you line dry, tweet us about it at @gogreenologist, or post about it on our Facebook page, and you'll be entered to win some incredible-smelling, all-natural, totally biodegradable, super-concentrated Zum Clean lavender laundry soap. Huzzah! 


So harness that heat, Greenologists! And remember: Clothespins are not for clipping to your roommate/partner while they're sleeping. Seriously.

first round of deliveries/awesome shout out from a fun and fearless lady

We are SO SORRY that we haven't posted lately. So. Sorry. It's been a wild and crazy few months getting ready for the market season, and  -- we're not ashamed to say it -- we've experienced pretty much every bizarre and unexpected obstacle a wee little business like ours could possibly experience thus far. Phew. But it's OK! Because the markets are open, the local love is flowing, and we finished our first round of deliveries on Friday! We collected orders for garlic scapes from Siena Farms, marinated goat cheese from Crystal Brook Farm, baguettes from Iggy's, scones and cookies from the Danish Pastry House, and enough pints of strawberries to fill a 2001 Toyota RAV4 (almost). And it was awesome! The feedback has been amazing, and we're psyched that so many folks are excited about supporting local agriculture.

Speaking of lovely folks who have taken the pledge for local food, we are so grateful to Michelle-Kim Lee, of the super sassy food-centric blog Fun And Fearless In Beantown, for her post featuring Greenologist and why we do what we do (and why you should try it, too). We're happy to be bringing her fresh, local goodness this month and so excited about the response we've already gotten from her readers. Thanks, Michelle!

Have we made your mouth water? Bet we did! Do you want all this local goodness delivered to your door, too? Of course you do! Sign-up for June is sadly over (sorry!), but there will be even MORE delicious goodies available in July, so bounce on over to our website and sign up! 

we love these crafty bitches.

Check out the latest awesome produced by our fave Northern ladies over at Yankee Crafty Bitch! These gals take DIY to a new level, and we love them for it. We yet again enlisted them in helping with our Spring Cleaning, Zero Waste-athon, and they yet again came through with a bitchin' way to reuse our seemingly unusable stuff. Last time, they delivered a sweet organizer made of old paperboard jewelry boxes. This time? Our old, scratched CD's have been transformed into...

A home disco ball! Oh, man. 

It's kind of mod, it's kind of McQueen-meets-Martha, and we're kind of obsessed.

Want to make your own? Natch. Get all the info, photos, directions and encouragement you need on their blog. While you're there, you might want to check out all the other cool stuff they're up to (wood-fired Rice Crispies treats, anyone?) and shake some of that city livin'. Almost as good for the soul as dancing under the light of your very own disco ball.

you have no excuse not to do this.

Here we are, just about a month away from the first farmer's markets of the year. We're super antsy, crazy busy and -- we're not too proud to admit -- just a wee bit nervous. In order to give ourselves a break from the jitters-inducing act of produce data entry (don't try to tell us it's the caffeine), we're revisiting our favorite little project: Spring Cleaning, Zero Waste! Huzzah!

So far, we've tackled the wire hangers and the jewelry boxes (thanks to our bitchin' friends at Yankee Crafty Bitch for that one). Two of the most annoying, abundant clutter-culprits: conquered. What are we left with now?

Clothing. EVERYWHERE.

We would be lying if we said we weren't currently writing this blog sandwiched between two bags of laundry begging to be washed. We would also be lying if we said there wasn't another basket waiting patiently in the closet. We like fashion, OK? It's totally a problem, and we're totally working on it (kind of). In the meantime, however, what to do with the outmoded/ill-fitting (clean) stuff? You know, the sweater that's been hanging out, unworn, in the bottom drawer of our dresser for the past four years? The little black dress that was SO CUTE in the store but somehow morphed into a too-big-on-top-too-short-too-itchy-when-did-I-become-so-short-waisted tragic disaster when we got it home? Folks, it's time to take back our closets and rid ourselves of bizarre outerwear from the late 90's (see photo)!

As you may already know, there are several avenues through which you can unload whatever lurks in the nether regions of your closet. Here they are, laid out for you, with directions, explanations, pros and cons, and a slew of additional information you probably don't need.

Ready? Go:

Consignment:


Second Time Around
Locations EVERYWHERE -- just check the website

Poor Little Rich Girl*
121 Hampshire St.
Inman Square, Cambridge

and

166 Newbury St.
Boston, MA

*Poor Little Rich Girl consignors get 20% off inventory when they shop the store. Hooray! The Davis Square location has closed, however. Boo.

PROS: Probably the most obvious choice for vintage shiz, high-end shiz, etc. They're all over the place, they cater to different aesthetics, and they're run by folks who know fashion in, out, upside down and backwards, so you can pretty much rest assured knowing that you're getting the right price for your grandmother's Bakelite accessories/obscure Comme des Garçons jacket/premium denim. Additionally, some stores offer discounts to sellers, so if you buy used anyway (which you SHOULD, because it's GREENER -- it takes 700 gallons of water to grow the cotton to produce just one t-shirt and cotton is one of the most water- and pesticide-dependent crops), you can save some dough in exchange for supplying them with new stuff to sell.

CONS: Consignment means you don't get paid unless it sells, and it can be tough getting an appointment to have your stuff assessed. Most stores have pretty strict policies about what they'll take (designer only, current season only, etc.), how much they'll take, when they'll take it, how they'll take it, etc., and violating any of these rules can land you back home, bags full, wallet empty. Also, all consignment stores take a chunk of the sale; sellers generally yield only around 40%, so you're paying for the convenience of not having to figure out a fair price, photograph it, post it on eBay and ship it yourself (shipping is wasteful anyway). Finally, most stores send checks every few months, so you don't see any money for the goods for a while, even if it sells right away.

Resellers:


Buffalo Exchange*
238 Elm St.
Davis Square, Somerville

*Buffalo Exchange sellers get 50% store credit or %30 in cash for their stuff.

PROS: You bring them your shiz, they take what they want and give you a wad of cash/store credit in exchange. No worrying about whether it'll sell, no waiting months for a check, no appointment necessary.

CONS: These places usually sell at a lower rate than consignment stores, meaning you're likely to get less for your threads, so it's not the ideal spot to bring your fancy whatnot. (In the interest of journalistic research, we just let go of a $225 dress with the tags STILL ON for $27.50. Vomit.) But, if you're looking to unload your everyday H&M/Gap/Urban Outfitters garb, it's pretty much ideal.

The S.W.A.P. Team Presents: Take Off Your Clothes SoWa Clothing Swap:


When: Saturday June 5: 5pm-10pm
            Sunday June 6: 11am-4pm

Where: 500 Harrison Ave, South End Boston

PROS: Trade what you don't want for something you actually need (or just want). It's free ($8 donation suggested at the door), it'll be really fun, and whatever doesn't get taken gets donated to AIDS Action, so you're doing some good for the world while you shed your ill-fitting stuff. Also, they'll come pick your stuff up for you (email them at clothingpickups-BOS@theswapteam.org to schedule a time) so you don't have to haul it to SoWa, which means you can ride your BIKE to get there, which is EVEN GREENER.

CONS: If you're a weird size (like me) you're likely going to have limited swap options. But, there should be plenty of accessories and whatnot to choose from, so depending on what you're looking for, it could still be a great success.

Donations:

Boomerangs*
716 Centre St.
Jamaica Plain

and

1870 Centre St.
West Roxbury

*Proceeds from Boomerangs go to benefit AIDS Action. Check the website for drop-off hours.

Salvation Army
328 Mass Ave.
Central Square, Cambridge

and

483 Broadway
Somerville

Goodwill
520 Mass Ave
Central Square, Cambridge

and

965 Commonwealth Ave.
BU, Brighton

and

230 Elm St.
Davis Square, Somerville


PROS: Get rid of stuff consignment boutiques and resellers are unlikely to take, and contribute to the community while you do it.

CONS: ...? None. Unload a bunch of shiz no one else wants and help those in need.

And what about the stuff that's totally beyond saving? The stuff your kid colored on, your dog chewed in half, your lover ripped in a fit of passion (way to go, Casablanca...). Two suggestions:

1. Cut them up and turn them into cleaning rags. Dust, wipe, scrub, etc. Wash. Repeat. Greener than paper towels, cheaper than paper towels, sturdier than paper towels.

2. Drop them off at one of Planet Aid's big yellow boxes around Cambridge (the most convenient one is at 500 Memorial Drive, near MIT). They'll either ship the clothes to developing regions that need them or recycle the textiles into new ones. Either way, your stuff is staying out of landfills, and that's what this is all about.

Whew. OK, folks. We have given you an absurd number of options for ridding yourself of your rags, zero waste. You have NO EXCUSE now. None. We expect neat, organized closets by the end of the month. Send us photos! We'll post them here.

Then will you please help us do all this laundry?

Green Challenge #2: Water, Water Everywhere...

First of all, let’s just talk about what an awesome time we had at the D2E green living festival this weekend. Oh, wow. It was awesome. We met so many green business owners, so many folks trying to live a little more sustainably, so many adorable, cloth diaper-wearing babies.  We also met a bunch of you, dear readers! And we want to thank you for your words of encouragement, your high-fives, and your interest in what we’re trying to do to help this little city live a little greener! You are the earthworms in our compost, the breezes on our wind farm, the responsible politician voting in favor of our green legislation (basically, you’re helping us make it happen). We love you. A lot.

And on that note, we bring you: Green Challenge #2! Hooray!

Let's review what these Green Challenges are all about. Once a month, we’ll present you with a small, simple change you can make in your life to help you decrease your impact on the world around you. We’ll provide you with the tools and information you need to make the change easy, and we’ll even give you a little extra incentive in the form of a prize to recognize your efforts. The more people we get to participate, the more these small changes will add up to make a big difference. Why wouldn’t you want to join us?

This month, we’re focusing on something super basic: water. We all need it, we all love it, we all want to keep it clean for future generations. Funnily enough, one of the primary ways in which us city dwellers access water is helping to pollute the very thing we love so much. That’s right, folks. We’re talking about bottled water. We know a lot of you are already aware of the ickiness associated with purchasing bottled water, but there are still those of us who find our typically obsessively responsible selves out every so often, parched and desperate, caving to the quenching power of Poland Springs or Evian or Pellegrino or whoever. It happens, and that’s OK! But it’d be better if it didn’t happen at all, right? Enter the Green Challenge du jour (ou mois).

This April, as we move into summer and the season of thirst, we challenge you to rid your life of bottled water. Completely. Forever. Why? Here are some freaky facts from our friends (ah, alliteration) over at TreeHugger.com:

        Around 1.5 million barrels (barrels, folks) of oil are used in the production of disposable plastic water bottles every

        year. That’s enough to run 100,000 cars for a whole year. Not to mention all the oil used up in shipping these suckers 

        all over the country.

        An increase in water extraction near bottling facilities has lead to shortages for nearby residents and farmers.

        For every gallon of water bottled, two more are wasted in the purification process.

        90% of plastic bottles used for bottled water ends up in landfills, where it takes thousands of years to decompose.

        Bottled water can cost 10,000 more per gallon than the free-flowing tap kind.

Here’s the worst part about all of this: Even though bottled water companies go to absurd lengths to convince us their water is cleaner than the stuff we get in our own houses (for free), municipal water is actually held to higher standards than the bottled stuff. So basically, when we purchase bottled water, we’re paying to pollute our community and put questionable junk in our bodies. Gross.

But wait, there’s a solution! And it’s super simple. You’ve already got the stuff readily available in your house. Just… drink that. Nervous about what’s in it? There are a few things you can do: First, check out the water quality in your area at the EPA’s website, here. Got clean municipal water but old, questionably safe pipes? Get yourself a home filtration system (help finding the best one for you here). Need to take your water with you? Get yourself some reusable, BPA-free water bottles. (BPA is an organic compound found in plastics that’s been linked to some pretty unfortunate side effects.) Put them everywhere; keep one at work, one in your car (or messenger bag), one at your partner’s house, a small one in your purse (ladies/metrosexual dudes). This all seems pretty obvious, huh? It is. But we know that even the most ecologically diligent of you has found yourself at 7-11, thirsty and hanging your head in shame, at one point or another. Don’t let it happen again!

Need to hook yourself up with a filtration system? How about a slew of BPA-free bottles to stash around your life? Get them at these independently owned businesses, and support your local economy while you save the planet:

Boston:

Water bottles:

Bob’s Wilderness House

1048 Commonwealth Ave, Boston

(617) 277-5858

Hilton’s Tent City

272 Friend St., Boston

(617) 227-9242

Water purifiers:

Charles Street Supply Company

54 Charles St., Suite A, Boston

(617) 367-9046

Cambridge:

Water bottles:

Greenward Shop

1764 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge

(617) 395-1338

Water purifiers:

Inman Square Hardware

1337 Cambridge St., Cambridge

(617)  491-3405

TAGS Hardware

Porter Square Shopping Center

29 White St., Cambridge

(617) 868-7711

Bam! Easy peasy. Now for the incentive: Enter the Green Challenge by either tweeting about it (@gogreenologist), emailing us about it, commenting here, or otherwise letting us know you're on board. We'll randomly select a winner at the end of the month, and that person will receive either free ad space on our site for their local business (or the local business of their choice) for one month, OR a guest-blogging gig RIGHT HERE! Woo hoo!

Ready to go? Questions? Comments? Concerns? Get in touch!

P.S. Did we miss any independently owned shops where you can buy the aforementioned items? Let us know!

            

WEBSITE! MEMBERSHIPS! HOORAY!!

Our website is up! Our website is up! You can sign up for delivery of farmer's market produce! You can get recipes and discounts from local businesses! You can join and support a community of forward-thinking folks who want to eat well, support their local economy and have fun while doing it! You can help a new business get off the ground! www.gogreenologist.com! Hooray!

we're in paris. don't hate.

So here we are, on what is likely to be our very last vacation ever, what with this new business we've started and all. We've managed to eat our weight in unpasteurized cheeses and offal of every variety, and we have no shame. No shame! We'll be back on Monday to continue with Spring Cleaning, Zero Waste, put the finishing touches on our website so you all can sign up for home delivery of local produce, and gear up for d:2:e Boston (April 9-11!), but here's what we've been up to in the meantime:

Pain aux raisins at every appropriate/totally inappropriate meal.

Shopping for dinosaur plates. Naturally.

Crazy awesome lunch at la Bigarrade. We kind of snuck in here by accident and we're fully enjoying our new identities as Michelin Rebels -->

Daytrip to Strasbourg for choucroute and kitsch at Chez Yvonne and a biodynamic Alsatian wine tasting at Terres a Vin. Thanks, Clement, for getting us drunk and convincing us to spend WAY too much on bottle of Ostertag. Let no one doubt your sales skills, sir. Touche.

There also may or may not be some photos of this Greenologist with a statue of Gutenberg after several glasses of Pinot Blanc. We will neither confirm nor deny these allegations.


Anyway, we only have 3 days left. Any culinary delights you think we might be missing out on? Cash is tight (we blame Clement), but we're open to any and all suggestions. Let us know!

spring cleaning, zero waste. sneeze count: 7

Heyo! So, here we are, getting ready to launch our new website, putting all the final pieces together so we can bring even more people in the Boston area local food, and we're STILL up to our elbows in all of this junk. Still. We can start a new business, we can build relationships with farms from all over New England, we can get people excited about a new opportunity to live locally, but we can't keep our teeny tiny apartment reasonably clean and organized. Our mothers are so disappointed in us.

But wait! We are making progress. We've found a slew of terrific and sustainable ways to get rid of our clothing (check back for that post tomorrow), our pals over at YCB are working on that whole CD repurposing extravaganza, aaaand... We have a solution for all those wire clothes hangers that were taking up more space in our closets than actual clothes. Hooray! High fives all around.

As it turns out, wire hangers are a bigger boon to our environment than we ever thought possible. According to NBC News, 3.5 billion wire hangers are sent to the landfill EVERY YEAR. Say what? 3.5 billion? Ah, yup. Absurd. Luckily, recycling these things is pretty easy and doesn't require any more effort than you'd already be making. Wanna know what we mean? Read on, fellow Greenologist!

Our first plan of action was to call our dry cleaners and ask their advice. They are, after all, in the business of hanging clothes on wire clothes hangers. Well. Partly, anyway. We use Clevergreen Cleaners, not only because the solvents they use to clean are biodegradable, but because they use less water in the cleaning process AND they design their work spaces to be as energy efficient as possible. Awesome. Anyway, we called these folks up. We said, "Hey, Clevergreen Cleaners, what should we do with all of these wire hangers?" And they said, "Hey, Greenologist lady, why don't you just bring them back to us?" And we said, "Oh. That's really easy. 'Cause we'll be over there to drop stuff off again soon anyway." And they said, "Yup." BAM. Problem solved.

So here's the deal. Just bring the hangers back to your cleaners. Recycling them the conventional way (in that blue bucket on your sidewalk) might work. But it might not. Not all cities will recycle those hangers, and by bringing them back to the cleaners, you're keeping more NEW hangers from having to be made, which keeps manufacturing and shipping waste down, too. Which is kind of the point.

This whole thing took five minutes for us to resolve. If everyone took two minutes to just throw their hangers into their dry cleaning bags with their clothes on the way out the door, we could keep 3.5 billion pieces of metal out of landfills. Seven minutes for a cleaner, greener planet? Yes, please.

Also, if you aren't already using Clevergreen, you probably should. Our clothes smell WAY better than they did after hanging out at those other places, AND they're holding their color and shape longer. They're not giving us anything to say that, by the way. It's just the truth.

spring cleaning, zero waste: yankee crafty bitch edition!

So, in case you were wondering, this zero waste cleaning stuff is NOT EASY. As we sit here, blogging, sipping some deliciously local Rao's coffee we picked up last night at Sherman Market, we remain cluttered into a corner by stacks of magazines and broken appliances. It's looking like we might be here for a while.

Luckily, our crafty friends over at Yankee Crafty Bitch (twitter 'em at @yankeecrafty) have reached out to us in our time of need and picked up one of the challenges we were least excited about: finding a use for all of these paperboard jewelry boxes. They're EVERYWHERE. They're ALL EMPTY. And yet, they're boxes. And as such, they possess inherent usefulness. And as such, we can not simply throw them away. (We know, we know. We have a serious problem.) Dun da daaaa! YCB to the rescue! Check out the totally awesome solution they crafted up:

It's a desk/jewelry/craft organizer! It's all one unit, instead of a bazillion random free-ranging boxes! They used the lids, too! We can store our safety pins, sewing needles, spare buttons, earrings, thumbtacks, blah, blah, blah, without buying a desk or jewelry organizer and sending those boxes to the landfill. We love it! We know you love it, too. Want to make one? It's super easy. Check out their blog for the step-by-step here. 

Worried about us over here, under all this junk? Don't be; YCB has promised to make another appearance in our quest for Spring Cleaning, Zero Waste, so we've got a lifeline to organization. Check back here for another awesome YCB creation soon (follow us on Twitter @gogreenologist so we can let you know when it happens)! Until then, don't forget about our Green Challenge; while we slave away, you could be winning stuff. Pretty nice deal you've worked out for yourself, there, fellow Greenologist.

bees are delicious. no, wait. honey. honey is delicious.

We haven't had any coffee yet. The weather's doing this thing where it'll rain for 5 minutes and then snow and then rain again (just COMMIT already). Our apartment is in a state of total disarray (thanks, Spring Cleaning Zero Waste). But all is not lost! The doldrums of our day have been saved by a delicious peanut butter and honey sandwich using Eat Local Honey's raw honey from Boston-area bees! Honey from the streets of Boston? Who knew? Mike Graney did. He's been beekeeping in Jamaica Plain since 1997, according to his website, and we're pretty thankful, 'cause this stuff is delicious. We just have one question. Do the bees have tiny Red Sox hats? Because that'd be adorable.

Get Eat Local Honey here:

City Feed and Supply, Jamaica Plain

Pemberton Farms, Cambridge

Or enjoy it in the creations from:

The Fireplace Restaurant, Brookline

Cambridge Brewing Company, Cambridge

spring cleaning, zero waste. sneeze count: 12

Oh, wow. We have a lot of stuff. Like, a lot. And our apartment is SO not big enough for all of it. Not even close. We've got our own edition of Greenologist Hoarders happening over here, and it ain't pretty. Example? We've been holding onto the bottom half of a bathing suit we haven't worn since HIGH SCHOOL. Where's the top half? No idea. Is there any way we could still fit into it even if we had both pieces? Absolutely not. Somebody call Niecy Nash. Save us from ourselves!

It seems as though we've been recently led astray by our waste-not tendencies. Somewhere along the way, we lost sight of reality (and the floor of our closet) and forgot that not wasting doesn't have to mean saving every lone sock "just in case" its mate one day reappears. So now, here we are, 20 mate-less socks later, with nowhere to put... anything.

Enough is enough, we say! It's time to get serious. Seriously clean. It's time to commence Spring Cleaning Zero Waste. Check it:

Over the next month, while you crazy kids wow us with your Green Challenge photos and stories, we'll be cleaning and organizing our faces off. Not only that, but we'll be posting here to let you know all the best ways in which we're unloading our junk without sending a torn pillowcase, broken toaster or stained shirt to the landfill. Here's all the stuff we have to get rid of:

- CLOTHING: So. Much. Clothing. Some in great condition, some in OK condition, some that looks like it's been attacked by a fingerpainting bear.

- Books: Textbooks, novels... and a whole lot of Idiot's Guide To's. Don't judge.

- Jewelry: When did we ever wear rhinestone-encrusted hoops? Ick.

- Broken electronics: Our old Macbook had an unfortunate encounter with the floor.

- CDs/DVDs: Working and scratched (not working).

- Magazines: We like The New Yorker. And Dwell. And ReadyMade. And Smithsonian. And Mother Jones.

- Random household shiz: Working but worthless appliances, scented soaps whose scent we hate, baskets, candles, wire hangers, decorative pillows, unopened bath and body stuff, bad art. Worse art.

We'll be updating every day or so with our progress and solutions, as well as a sneeze count (it is DUSTY in here). You get all the best ways to de-clutter, we do all the sneezing. Sweet.

Wish us luck. If we get trapped under a mountain of socks, please tell Karen Oh we love her. Thanks.

first Green Challenge! win stuff! hooray!

Ok. So, sometimes we get busy and we can't cook for ourselves. We're blogging, we're writing content, we're working out our credit card processing (most annoying thing ever?), we're Facebook stalking our college crush (what?), we're Twittering... Throw in all the procrastination that has to happen before any of that gets done, and that's our whole day. Poof! Gone. So yeah. Sometimes we need a little assistance with the whole nourishment thing. Most recently, our appetites took us to a local falafel joint, which will remain nameless so as to discourage people to swarm their wee storefront and say mean things to them about their wastefulness. Why would anyone want to do that? Because we're about to write a blog post about how wasteful their takeout packaging was.

OH MY GOSH. This takeout packaging was so wasteful! It's rare that we actually get takeout, since it does tend to mean lots of bags and the possibility of styrofoam, which might be the only inanimate object we have a sincerely toxic relationship with (ha... ha?), so we didn't even think to ask about packaging. LESSON LEARNED. Check out what our falafel, hummus and tabbouleh got us -->

OH MY GOSH. That's so much trash. So much non-recyclable, non-renewable, landfill-filling trash. Part of us is flabbergasted that anyone would think it necessary to wrap a plastic container of hummus in a paper bag and then put that paper bag in a plastic bag. Part of us is upset that people still use styrofoam and that styrofoam is still being produced at all. But mostly, we're mad at ourselves for not thinking ahead on this one and helping to encourage this kind of waste. We really hate being unexpected accessories to the proliferation of environmental consumerism. Grrr.

As we have learned, however, simply being outraged solves nothing. Instead, it's time to learn from our mistakes and be proactive about keeping this from happening again. So. Here it comes... Our very first Green Challenge!

What's a Green Challenge? So glad you asked! A Green Challenge is Greenologist's way of keeping living green fun. Once a month, we'll be suggesting a Green Challenge to our fellow Greenologists; a task that's simple to do but that, done together, can make a big difference in the way we affect our environment and our community. Sometimes there will be prizes involved (oooo!), sometimes there will be discounts involved (ahh!) to help us do what we're doing on the cheap. No matter what, the challenge will be an easy step toward greening our lives while supporting the local economy. Once our "real" website is up, there'll even be a place for all you Greenologists to share your ideas and strategies for taking on the Challenge.

Sound fun? Here we go!

In light of what will heretofore be known as the Falafel Fiasco, this month's Green Challenge is all about a Takeout Takedown. (That's it for alliteration. Promise.) We propose that you and your families/roommates/cats take a look at the way those on-the-go, I-don't-feel-like-cooking meals affect the landfill. And do something about it. Here's how:

1. Accept that there might be plastic involved. Most of the plastics used in takeout containers can't be recycled by municipal plants, so have a plan for how to reuse them. We take those pint containers and save them to use for freezing summer soups and starting tomato plants on our windowsill. The lids usually lock tighter than Tupperware, too. Our friend uses them to organize her small craft supplies (buttons, pins, ribbon, etc).

2. Let them know you don't need all that extra shiz. Plastic cutlery, plastic bags, 27 ketchup packets, 349 napkins... If you use one of those online ordering systems, put a note in the delivery comments area. If you're speaking with a human when you order, tell them instead.

3. Pick it up yourself. Take a little jaunt, get the blood flowing, work off some of the calories you're about to consume, and cut the car out of the equation. Save a few bucks on tipping the delivery dude, too.

4. If there is Styrofoam on the premises, leave and never look back. Styrofoam is NOT recyclable, it NEVER decomposes and it turns to toxic gas as its molecular structure breaks down over time. Ew. If you're feeling ballsy, tell the folks there (nicely, of course) that there are other, less horrible packaging products out there, and that you won't be back until they start using them.

5. Eat out! No packaging involved! Besides, it's way classier than hovering over your laptop with a slice of pizza, typing one-handed and dripping sauce all over your pants. Not that we would know what that's like...

6. Bring your own containers. There are a bazillion sustainable packages out there just begging to be filled with country style pad thai. If they balk at filling up your Thermos, tell them (nicely, again), that you're sorry, but you and your Thermos have a very close relationship, and you can't go anywhere without it. Including their establishment.

There you have it. You do a few of those six simple things, we all get a greener planet.

Need some incentive to hop on the Green Challenge train? We've got you covered. How does a spankin' new To-Go Ware Three-tier Tiffin Action Pack ($43.95) sound? Pretty awesome? Uh, yeah. This thing is the bees knees. It's 3 interlocking reusable containers in a recycled cotton bag with a utensil pouch and two condiment caddies. And it's from an outrageously ethical company. Pretty. Awesome.

Want to win it? Email us (greenologistboston@gmail.com) a photo of you doing any one of those 6 Green Challenge tasks, and we'll throw your name in the hat! The winner will be selected at random on Wednesday, March 31st and announced here on our blog. Remember to include your name and contact info in the body of the email so we know who you are when you win. And if you're a Twitterererer, follow us and let us know you're up for the Green Challenge at @gogreenologist by retweeting any of our Green Challenge tweets, and you'll be entered to win a little something extra. Ooooo, we love surprises!

Questions, comments, concerns? Let us know! Otherwise...

Let the Green Challenge begin!

we refuse to make any kind of pickle pun here.

Woah! It's been, like, a while since we posted. Unacceptable! We will flog ourselves later. We do kind of have a good reason, though; we've been busy putting together all of the content for the website, which should be up and running at www.gogreenologist.com within the next ten days! Huzzah! That means that pretty soon you'll all be able to sign up for home delivery of farmer's market produce, get deals at local businesses, trade ideas and info with other Greenologists and access all kinds of super recipes from some pretty awesome local chefs. Excitement!

Until then, however, we must blog on. So. Obsession du jour: Grillo's

Pickles. We ate an entire quart container ($8) of these in three days. Solo. Don't judge.

If pickles are a beautiful thing, Grillo's are Brigitte Bardot painting a Tahitian sunset while the Royal Ballet performs Swan Lake on a mountaintop behind her. Or something. They're real good.

What's that you say? It's just a pickle? Pssht. Listen, here. We've eaten a pickle or two (or five thousand) in our day, and these are not your average limp cucumbers swimming in overly salty brine. These pickles are special. We never thought we'd talk about a pickle having a "complex" flavor, but these kind of do. They're perfectly salty and a little sweet (but not too sweet) and they're nice and garlicky (but not too garlicky) and they've got a great little zing that just cries out for a pulled pork sandwich and a Pretty Things St. Botolph's. And they're made with grape leaves, which keep them outrageously crisp. We love Grillo's even more because they're made locally by a guy using his Italian grandfather's 100 year-old recipe (the pickles aren't 100 years old). Also, a friend of ours met the pickle master himself, Travis Grillo, at Whole Foods on Prospect St. the other day and told us he was a really nice guy. Love.

You kind of want a pickle now, huh? Get 'em at:

Dave's Fresh Pasta, Somerville

Pemberton Farms, Cambridge

Brookline Liquor Mart, Allston

Grillo's pickle cart at the Park Street T stop!

Or trek on over to Alibi at the Liberty Hotel and get a spear in your Green Mile Martini. For reals. They're also at Whole Foods, but you know better than to shop at a big chain when you can support your local economy instead, right? We thought so.

Need a new application for your new obsession? Try our favorite: A toasted ciabatta sandwich with Meadow Creek Dairy's uber-stinky Grayson cheese (at S. End Formaggio and the Wine & Cheese Cask) and a few Grillo's pickles sliced and nestled in there. Thanks to Anne Saxelby, of Saxelby Cheesemongers in NYC's Essex Market, for opening our eyes to this perfect, if totally bizarre, marriage. Don't think, just do.

give the gift of goat.

So, a friend of ours just had new baby (as opposed to an old baby...) and while we've been stockpiling locally crafted books and toys in anticipation of this little dude for months, we kind of forgot about his mom, who we've known WAY longer. Whoops. What does someone who's just been through 9 months of what we can only imagine to be beautiful (stressful), magical (exhausting) and so special (kind of scary) want? We're gonna go out on a limb here and say... pampering? Maybe?

Being as it is that she's got her hubby on hand full-time for foot massages and bon-bon fetching for the next few months (right, Dave?), we had to come up with something else. You may or may not have noticed that we spend a lot of time obsessing over farms and local crafts. Sometimes, when the alignment of the stars is just right, these two things combine and we find... A local farm that produces crafts! Hooray!

Enter West Elm Farm, located in Pembroke, MA. A self-described "Micro-Eco Farm," West Elm is a haven for two former city slickers and their flocks of Icelandic sheep, Angora goats, and Pilgrim geese. The folks at West Elm also keep bees, from which they make these beautiful, all-natural, slow-burning candles ($19.95). A little romance for our favorite new mama? You betcha.

By now you might be thinking, "Get to the goats already!" Alright, alright. Everyone loves goats. They're cute, they have great personalities, they're walking disposals and their milk makes some of the best cheese ever. But that's not all! Did you know that goat's milk contains special proteins and triglycerides that are super-moisturizing and soothing? Hmmm... Our skin is so itchy and dry from this gosh-darn New England winter. It'd be awesome if someone put goat milk in our soap, to soothe and heal our little red elbows. Guess what? West Elm Farm makes soaps out of fresh goat's milk from their Angora goats! Look at how pretty they are! Not only that, but they infuse the soaps with lanolin, the oil found in sheep's wool that helps protect the little fuzzy guys from the elements and has been used for thousands of years as a natural moisturizer. That's pretty sweet. Since naturally super-soft skin has pampered written all over it, we got our favorite new mama a gift box of two soaps, one lavender-scented for a little aromatherapeutic sexy, one peppermint for some rejuvenation action ($13.00).

Hope y'all like soap, 'cause this is looking like it'll be our go-to gift for 2010.

we love yourenew.com more than eggs.

Don't look at us like that, eggs. What did you expect? Something better was bound to come along eventually, and just because that something turned out to be YouRenew, a totally awesome website that allows us to trade our old, quasi-functional electronics for cash completely hassle-free, doesn't mean there aren't things we still love about you, too. But, come on. They never asked for anything from us, not once. Not our money, not even our credit card number like those other recycling sites do. And they care about the environment, just like us. They even donate to environmental projects with every transaction. We just feel like we have more in common with them. They're a small business, we're a small business. You understand, right? We know, you've nourished us and made our hair shiny for years, but, well... We like money, ok? There, we said it. Let's still be best friends.

book review: the locavore way, by amy cotler

As mentioned in an earlier post, author and local food maven Amy Cotler got in touch with us via the magic of Twitter a few weeks ago about her new book, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food. This lady has some serious food cred, having worn the hat of chef, caterer, cooking instructor, cookbook author (she even contributed to the revised Joy of Cooking!) and founding director of the local food advocacy group Berkshire Grown, so you can imagine how thrilled we were when the adorably illustrated (yes, that's a cow in the bag on the cover) little manual showed up in our mailbox this week. Well, we're happy to say that after having spent the past few days getting cozy with Cotler's wisdom and advice, we're even more thrilled to have The Locavore Way as a permanent fixture on our "all things food" shelf. Let's get to it:

The book begins at the beginning (always a good sign), by answering that very popular question at the forefront of any locavore discussion: Why bother? Eating locally can seem like a hassle, a Sisyphean task or something only Vermonters can realistically enjoy, and Cotler knows it. She assumes nothing and doles out a pretty impenetrable argument for the cause, giving equal treatment to the economic, health and community benefits eating locally can afford her readers. We like where this is going.

Once she's got the "Why?" out of the way, Cotler wastes no time getting right to the "How" -- more specifically, "How the heck am I going to do this?" Here's the thing. What typically ends up turning us off of these kinds of local living manuals is that they tend to be more manifesto than helping hand. That's a bummer. Choosing to live local is a lifestyle change for a lot of folks, and it can be frustrating, confusing and a little alienating at times. People don't need someone telling them that if they buy an apple in March, they're part of the problem. Cotler gets that, and The Locavore Way never approaches the kind of foodie-righteousness that so frequently fills the pages of other local food guides. In fact, the three sentiments that seem to come up most frequently in Cotler's book are more akin to what our moms probably told us on our very first day of school:

1. Don't be nervous: This stuff is easier than you think.

2. Ask questions: There's no such thing as a stupid one.

3. Have fun.

There's a little bit of "It's OK to make mistakes, I'll still love you," in there, too, particularly when Cotler grants her readers the understanding that they probably won't be able to stop shopping at larger markets completely and gives them fifteen pages of the tools and advice they need (talk to the food buyer, read labels like a maniac, don't assume and if at first you can't find local milk, look, look again) to do the best they can as "smart shoppers" outside the realm of farmer's markets and CSA's.

Speaking of Community-Supported Agriculture, The Locavore Way has the skinny on that whole chestnut as well and deftly answers all the big CSA questions: What is it? Is it for me? How do I find one? Now that I have a share, what am I supposed to do with all this kale? Farmer's markets and buying clubs get equally explanatory treatment, and these sections are filled with great anecdotes from farms and locavores alike, factoids that remind you why you care (20% of industrial food dollars go to farmers; 80% to... not farmers), and the kind of checklists and timelines us scatterbrained urban folk need to keep us on tra -- wait, is that Ben Affleck?

False alarm. Anyway, once all that shopping's done and you've got a full pantry, it's time to eat. This is our favorite part, and something a lot of local food advocates forget -- that supporting local agriculture is important, of course, but people aren't going to do it unless it tastes good. We're human beings and we're a little tied up in that whole sensory experience thing. The Locavore Way comes through here as well and flaunts its prowess as a champion of taste buds everywhere. Need a flexible recipe to get you through the root veggie months? Found it. What else could you possibly do with cabbage? Page 152. Not really sure how to cook a Jerusalem artichoke? No problem. There are pickling tips, canning tips, drying tips, roasting tips and cold storage tips to help you get the most out of your harvest. An entire section devoted to herbs ensures your grass-fed beef (page 171!) will be maxed out with flavor. Don't feel like cooking? Turn to the section that gives advice on local eating outside your kitchen and support the restaurants that support your farmers. Want a little wine with your dinner? Yup, you can get tipsy locally, too. We wish there were a few more recipes here, but then again, The Locavore Way isn't a cookbook (unlike Cotler's previous publications, which can be found on her website).

Should you end up falling in love with the land, farms and food around you (like we have) and decide you want to spread the word (you will), The Locavore Way has you covered with an easy-to-follow overview of all the different ways in which you can either fund, volunteer for, or start a community organization to support your local food movement. Once again, we love the decidedly non-preachy vibe of this section, which basically encourages readers to do what they can, when they can. There's great info here for families and lone rangers (like yours truly) alike, and should you stumble upon some agri-jargon you're unfamiliar with in the cabbage patch of your community garden (monoculture is what, now?) you can flip to the book's glossary, which offers up quick definitions of all that farm-speak. You'll be throwing around terms like "foodshed" and "terrior" at your local Slow Food dinner in no time, glass of biodynamic wine in hand.

So. Do we have any qualms with Cotler's most recent foray into local learning? Honestly, not really. The Locavore Way is comprehensive, phenomenally organized, and fun without the fluff. It's an invaluable roadmap to all things local food for starry-eyed newbies and reusable tote-toting veterans alike, and though it's ever-so-slightly focused on the New England food scene, there's more than enough helpful stuff in here to rock any region's world.

Consensus: Ms. Cotler, we're pretty impressed. We might have to invent a Greenologist Woman of the Year award just for you.

we blame the previous administration.

You might be sitting at your computer right now, perusing the Interwebs, shirking your duties, thinking to yourself, "I wonder what food poisoning's like." Excellent question, fellow Greenologist! Having all the answers to all of your questions like we do enables us to tell you: It sucks. It might suck more than anything else in the world, ever. Like, combine getting your heart broken for the first time with hearing that Bush was re-elected for a second term and finding out your dog doesn't like you that much. Food poisoning is worse. Just trust us on this one.

Anyway, food poisoning sucks so much that we've been unable to post here or anywhere else for a few days. Sorry! We still love you! We'll be back in full force tomorrow with a review of Amy Cotler's book, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food, which we enjoyed immensely.

Until then, we leave you with this, which was our sole source of pleasure over the past 36 hours. Enjoy.

will work for local crafts.

Wow. We spent waayyy too much money on Saturday. Our usual penchant for sniffing out the best deals, the pride we take in finding something for almost nothing (preferably nothing), was overtaken by the bevy of crazy-awesome crafts and fashions we found at the SoWa Cabin Fever Gift Fair this weekend. We'll be on a steady diet of peanut butter sandwiches until our finances can shake it off and pay our rent.

But it's ok! We snagged some really sweet stuff, we supported local artisans, and in every case, we did it sustainably. Check it out:

Eco-Metalsmith Jesse Danger:

So, aside from the fact that this guy has the coolest name EVER (Danger's only our middle name), his gorgeous line of jewelry -- made entirely from recycled metals and conflict-free gemstones -- is the epitome of grace and simplicity. It's nature meets urban minimalism, and it reminds us that sustainable can be chic, and recycled doesn't have to mean wearing manipulated utensils as rings. Speaking of rings, we were particularly in love with two of his creations: the Metropolis ring ($175), whose twin gemstones mimic the city skyline, and the ethereal Dragonfly Wing ring ($495), which we'll happily accept as a Valentine's Day gift in place of -- or in addition to -- the previously mentioned "Let's Make Out" pillow. We're a size 4.5. Thanks.

"Neckties aren't just for dudes anymore:"

We think it's safe to say that artist Nicole Deponte pretty much brought the funk this weekend. Her "upcycled" fabric inventions, created from remnant ties, fringe, buttons, sequins, and vintage scarves, rocked our socks. You might be thinking, "Outmoded neckties? Like my dad/husband/weird uncle wears? Say what?" Ladies, we hear you. Suspend your skepticism and fashion phobias for just one minute while you try one of Nicole's creations on. It's OK that you don't ooze cool; we're here to hold your hand whilst you delve into something different... See? It's actually outrageously versatile! And not just for the painfully hip! We see our NH-bound mother snagging a piece that hints at its past as a nautical-themed knockoff Hermes, and we're going to rock a multi-layered, earth-toned piece in lieu of a bulky scarf this spring when our t-shirts and jeans beg for a little easy accessorizing. We know, we can't believe we can pull something like this off, either! This is the part where you go tell all your friends and pretend you discovered this all on your own through the power of the Internet and Nicole's Etsy page.

Guys like to look good, too:

Sorry, guys. You tend to get short shrift at these craft fair things, so full they are with jewelry, feminist magnets, jewelry, feminist stationery, jewelry, and jewelry. Nicole Keane feels your pain. She didn't create F. Rock sustainable carryalls ($235-$450) for that reason alone, but her booth, full of decidedly manly courier bags made from 100% reclaimed leather and menswear factory scraps, was a haven for our very patient male companion as we tried on about 45 different pairs of earrings. Her custom-made bags, fit to carry laptops, graduate theses, and more diapers than you ever thought could possibly be necessary, are unique, handsome (just like you!), and well-crafted enough to survive Boston winters, riding the MBTA, and whatever destructive force a toddler might unleash. Although, we know all you really care about is whether there's a pocket big enough for The Watchmen. There is.

egg hunt.

Ok, Twitter. Now you're just showing off.

We'd hit something of a roadblock with the post we were intending to... post... this morning. When coffee failed to fix the problem, we knew we were in trouble. And so we turned to our old standby: procrastination. No sooner did we log on to @gogreenologist than we heard from @onefoodguy, asking about where to get farm-fresh eggs. #Eureka!

Oh, eggs. We love eggs. They're full of protein and OMEGA-3s, they can be sweet or savory, hard or soft, scrambled or un-scrambled, carried on spoons, and hidden in the out-of-doors. And wow, are they cheap.

There are times at which we do not love eggs, however; this mostly has to do with the way the egg is introduced to the world. Is it laid, free of hormones, chemicals and antibiotics, in a town we have heard of, where its mother is allowed to peck and scratch and bob her head in the open air as free as her little chicken heart desires? Or is it pumped full of junk we can't pronounce on a commercial farm somewhere in Indiana and laid in a giant warehouse by a hen who's never seen the light of day? There's a big difference, and we can taste it.

The point is, local is better for more reasons than just the carbon emissions created in the shipping of goods. Local eggs, for example, from the small-production dairy farms around Massachusetts, are more likely to be hormone/antibiotic-free and laid from hens who are actually allowed to free range (none of that "open-cage" stuff). Why do we care about this? Aside from the fact that we figure we're exposed to more chemicals than we'd like just by breathing and don't think we need any more from our food, local eggs, in our experience, actually taste better. For reals, yo. Flipping delicious. They're creamier, more flavorful, and the yolks (we swear) are the yellowest yellow we have ever seen. (Probably because free-range chickens eat leafy greens, which help turn their yolks yellow. How do commercial farmers get yellow yolks? They put dye in the chicken feed. Yup.)

Where can you get your hands on some local eggs? Lots of places. If you want to stick to the mean streets of Boston (or Cambridge or Somerville), we've listed the places we've found the little local ovums below. If you feel like daytrippin' for your dairy (do it, do it!) check out FarmFresh.org (a Rhode Island-based site, but works for MA, too), and search their database for a farm to visit and buy from directly.

One final thing we love about eggs: shells. Go here to see all the glorious ways in which you can harness the power of what you probably thought was nothing more than a fragile little membrane. Think again!

Find local eggs at these locally owned businesses:

Boston:

Savenor's Market
Lionette's Market
Foodie's Urban Market
South End Formaggio

Cambridge:

Savenor's Market
Formaggio Kitchen
Harvest Co-op
Sofra Bakery

Somerville:

Kickass Cupcakes
Sherman Market
Dave's Fresh Pasta

Of course, it's always a good idea to call before you go; inventory at a lot of these places is small, just like the farms they source. Happy hunting, folks.