In my second “My Favorite Things” blog post, I’m focusing on items I have with me every day when I leave the house, and I’m out-and-about
running errands, traveling, or just existing.
Most of these items come from smaller companies, who are focused on sustainability,
reducing or eliminating waste, or just doing things in a better way. We’ll start from the top of my head, down to
the tips of my toes for this one!
About two years ago, when it was time to get a new case for
my phone, I didn’t really want what was available at the Apple store. It all seemed overpriced for what you got,
and it was essentially just a slab of plastic, which wasn’t appealing to
me. I had just started to see ads for this
new company based out of Canada, called Pela.
They made cases out of flax seed and natural polymers, and they were
compostable! I decided to give them a shot,
and I haven’t been disappointed yet! I’ve
dropped my phone numerous times, and it’s never had a problem. I’ve since gotten cases from Pela for my
husband and my mom. They often have
sales, and you can get even more discounts if you buy more than one case at a
time. Many of their different styles
support various kinds of sea life charities.
They are a great small company with wonderful customer service, and ship
without unnecessary packaging or any plastic.
Junk mail drives me crazy.
And because we live in a few places, it really gets out of control when
things need to be forwarded, mail needs to be held, or we need friends or
family to check mail for us periodically.
I started using the Paper Karma app a few years ago, back when it was
free. They eventually moved to an annual
subscription plan, but I find it to be totally worth it. It’s the only app I’m willing to pay for,
when I think about it! For any junk mail
you receive, such as letters, mailers, or catalogs, you just take a picture that
shows who the mail piece is from, put in the name and address of the person it
was sent to, and you can opt out of receiving future mailings. It has worked really well. I even use it to opt out of mail for people
previously at our addresses. It’s worked
especially well for our FL address, where we were receiving junk mail for at least six previous occupants who lived in our condo before we bought it from their
landlord. It takes just seconds, but it
saves so much wasted paper and annoyance every day! Paper Karma was even featured in a New York Times article last year about how to reduce your junk mail.
Because I love my Pela phone case so much, I was excited to
see they came out with sunglasses, too!
As with the phone cases, the glasses are also compostable and made out
of biodegradable acetate and flax. I
just got two pairs of the Rachel style in the brown and clear, and I’m going to
have my eye doctor put prescription lenses in them (I checked with Pela first,
and their very friendly customer service person told me they were compatible
with prescription lenses, and she had just had it done herself!) Once I’m done with the sunglasses, I can ship
them back to Pela for recycling. How
cool is that?!
I don’t leave home without shopping bags. I always have a ton stashed in the trunks of
all our vehicles. But sometimes, I’m out
somewhere where I don’t expect to need a bag, or I’m going somewhere in a friend’s
car, or we are traveling without a car, and I love to have a RuMe bag with me. It
folds up really small, weighs next-to-nothing, easily fits in a pocket, and can
hold up to 50 pounds. I am always amazed
at how much I can fit into this bag, and always relieved to have it with me and
not need another plastic bag! I got my
first RuMe bag at a marketing conference several years ago, and it has traveled
with me everywhere!
Produce Bags
While shopping in Whole Foods a few days ago, I stopped and
looked around the produce section, and all the little plastic bags people were using
for their produce. Each shopping cart
had at least 6-10 of these bags. It made
me feel sick. All of those bags being
used, every day, and for maybe a half hour, before they are all thrown
away. And then it repeats again the next
week. I’ve always stayed away from
produce bags, unless absolutely necessary for something that I couldn’t easily
place in my shopping cart without a container, such as loose mushrooms,
brussels sprouts, or green beans. Two
years ago, I got my first set of reusable produce bags from Mighty Nest, and I
love them. I also got a free set from
Public Goods as a member perk, but you can easily find sets on Amazon for a
cheap price. I keep my produce bags in a larger reusable
bag in my car, so they don’t get lost and stay together.
Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle
I personally don’t own a real S’well bottle. I bought one as a gift once at the Biltmore,
and it was really nice! However, all the
ones I have are knock-offs, but they seem to work just as well, and are about
1/3 the price. You can score a vacuum
insulated bottle for $10-12 at a TJ Maxx or Marshall’s, or for under $8 at
Public Goods. They work great at
keeping water cold all day long, even if you leave your bottle in a hot car in
the sun in Florida! And if you want to
keep tea, coffee or soup hot in cold weather, they also work perfectly for that
as well. Really, there’s no excuse to be
walking around with a plastic water bottle.
Plastic bottles often don’t get recycled, and you’re drinking microplastics!! Yuck!
Just fill up your reusable bottle each day, put it by the door with your
keys, and grab it when you’re walking out for the day.
Over the years, I’ve realized wool doesn’t have to be
itchy. In fact, it can be soft and very comfortable. It’s moisture-wicking, temperature-regulating,
and generally something that’s of good, long-lasting quality. My best friend got me hooked on Darn Tough
socks, which are made up in Vermont. As
the name tells you, these socks are made to last. You’re not going to be busting your big toe
through these babies! They come in so
many fun prints, and I look forward to it getting colder, so I can wear their
socks again. I don’t recommend putting them in the dryer,
as they will wear out faster, and possibly shrink a bit, since they are all
wool. I like being able to support a
small company and one that’s based in my home state of Vermont!
If you’ve seen me at all in the last two years, you’ve
likely seen me wearing Allbirds. It’s
generally all I wear anymore. And unless
my husband needs to be dressed up, all he wears is Allbirds. And we’ve gotten several friends hooked on
Allbirds as well. They are the most
comfortable shoes we’ve ever worn. Anything
else just doesn’t feel right! Not only
do they make your feet feel good, but you can also feel good about the materials
used to make them. They are made from
merino wool or eucalyptus for the uppers, wool for the insole, castor bean oil
for the sole, and recycled plastic water bottles for the laces. Allbirds use 60% less energy to manufacture
than a traditional shoe. The shoes are
washable, you can wear them without socks without your feet stinking, and they
are just so comfy. I tend to wear the eucalyptus
ones more in FL or in PA in the summer, and the wool ones in PA in the fall and
winter, or when I’m flying, since my feet get so cold. I have a bunch of the Wool Runners and Eucalyptus
runners, but my new favorites are their Tree Breezers, which are like ballet
flats. My husband loves their Tree Loungers, which are slip-ons. Once you
try on a pair, you’ll be an Allbirds convert as well! They don’t have too many physical stores, so
you’ll likely have to order them online, but they do have a 30-day trial
guarantee. And take their sizing recommendations
on the styles. I’m a 10 in a few styles
and a 9 in others, and all their size recommendations were spot-on. I did have the
opportunity to visit one of their flagship stores in NYC a few months ago, and
that was amazing!
