Your Home and Lifestyle

Home Goods

So much of living a chic lifestyle involves spending a bit more money up front but reaping the benefits later on. Think about it: Would you rather dine with scratchy paper towels or luxurious linen napkins? The linen variety might cost you more initially, but the savings over time—and your improved dining experience—clearly tip the scales toward the eco-friendly choice. Extend this attitude to other areas of your life. For instance, with summer-style backyard entertaining just around the corner, switch from paper plates to compostable varieties or, even better, buy a nice set of outdoor-friendly plates that you can wash and reuse throughout the season.

If you are buying goods for your home, first evaluate whether you can repurpose a piece from another room. For instance, could that extra pedestal dining table sitting in storage stand in as a desk in your home office? Consider repainting, refinishing, or reupholstering pieces to fit into the style of the desired room. If repurposing is not an option, look to the past. When you buy secondhand, you are cutting out the energy used in the production process and also doing your part to rescue pieces destined for the landfill. But secondhand doesn’t have to mean shabby—visit antique and vintage stores for a carefully culled selection of beautiful pieces that have stood the test of time, alongside pieces that can easily be spruced up to fit into your home’s decor scheme.

Everyday Foods

Buying locally grown, organic foods; adjusting the amount you buy; and creating your own everyday indulgences are three ways to make beneficial, environment-protecting adjustments to your food intake. Your main mantra when grocery shopping should be, when possible, to buy only what you need from local producers who produce their foodstuffs with eco-friendly practices in mind. Specifically, buy locally grown, organic ingredients, which taste better because they’ve been grown without harmful pesticides and last longer because they don’t have to travel as far to reach you.

For recipe inspiration, check out Louisa Shafia’s Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, which is a blend of adventurously gourmet recipes celebrating a locavorian life and educational tips for making earth-friendly food choices. Need help deciding what’s in season when and how to cook it? Pick up Jamie Oliver’s Jamie at Home for a season-by-season look at many common whole-food ingredients with simple yet elegant ways to prepare them.

Another simple way to protect the environment is to cut back the amount you are buying. Do it without noticing the difference by analyzing your family’s grocery intake and then cutting out unnecessary items. If you find you are throwing away large amounts of food that’s gone bad before you can eat it, cut down on what you buy at the grocery store and adjust portion sizes of recipes as necessary. You can also start composting these food scraps to create nourishing plant food for your garden, which gives food that’s past its prime a second purpose in life.

To further green your kitchen, come up with clever ways to create everyday indulgences with less waste. For instance, if sparkling water is a summertime staple in your home but you mourn the use of all those glass or plastic bottles, buy a water carbonator that will make the bubbly for you. You’ll save money in the long run with this luxe kitchen contraption. Similarly, many of the items we depend on—from cleaning products to vanilla for baking—can be made at home, often for a fraction of the cost.

Traveling Near and Far

In an ideal world, we wouldn’t use any forms of transportation that negatively affect the environment. For most of us, however, making a switch to walking or biking won’t cover our transportation needs. For the times when you need to drive, Christie Matheson, author of Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style, suggests doing what you can to reduce the CO2 your car releases. Specifically, she says, keep your tires pumped up to the pressure recommended for your specific vehicle. (Find it on the sticker on the driver’s side window.) Change your car’s oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, using the correct grade of oil. Replace dirty air filters—Matheson shares that installing clean filters can improve your fuel efficiency by ten percent. Finally, get your car tuned regularly to keep it in prime condition.

When jet-setting, keep in mind that an eco-friendly vacation doesn’t require a camping tent and a National Parks pass. From the traditionally styled Heathman Hotel in Kirkland, Washington, to luxe destinations such as the Bardessono in Napa Valley, California, many top-notch properties throughout the continent are creating destinations that ooze chic while wasting as few resources as possible.

Experience the charms of your destination by dining at restaurants that source local, organic ingredients to prepare from-scratch dishes. You can also test out the wine made in your destination—visit www.allamericanwineries.com for a state-by-state list of wineries. Canadian wine production is also on the up and up, with the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia and the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario making notable wines.

Indeed, with the regional pride many chefs, vintners, and distillers are taking in their respective locales—and the eco-friendly methods they’re using to do it—it’s a great time to expand your palate by traveling and soaking up the culture of another place. Written by Amber Lindros.



						Living an eco-friendly lifestyle doesn’t have to equate to bare-bones minimalism. In fact, there’s a luxe side to green living that respects the environment but also allows for a bit of self-indulging. Here we share our favorite tips on how to live the life you love, with eco-friendly elements woven throughout.

						Home Goods So much of living a chic lifestyle involves spending a bit more money up front but reaping the benefits later on. Think about it: Would you rather dine with scratchy paper towels or luxurious linen napkins? The linen variety might cost you more initially, but the savings over time—and your improved dining experience—clearly tip the scales toward the eco-friendly choice. Extend this attitude to other areas of your life. For instance, with summer-style backyard entertaining just around the corner, switch from paper plates to compostable varieties or, even better, buy a nice set of outdoor-friendly plates that you can wash and reuse throughout the season. If you are buying goods for your home, first evaluate whether you can repurpose a piece from another room. For instance, could that extra pedestal dining table sitting in storage stand in as a desk in your home office? Consider repainting, refinishing, or reupholstering pieces to fit into the style of the desired room. If repurposing is not an option, look to the past. When you buy secondhand, you are cutting out the energy used in the production process and also doing your part to rescue pieces destined for the landfill. But secondhand doesn’t have to mean shabby—visit antique and vintage stores for a carefully culled selection of beautiful pieces that have stood the test of time, alongside pieces that can easily be spruced up to fit into your home’s decor scheme. Everyday Foods Buying locally grown, organic foods; adjusting the amount you buy; and creating your own everyday indulgences are three ways to make beneficial, environment-protecting adjustments to your food intake. Your main mantra when grocery shopping should be, when possible, to buy only what you need from local producers who produce their foodstuffs with eco-friendly practices in mind. Specifically, buy locally grown, organic ingredients, which taste better because they’ve been grown without harmful pesticides and last longer because they don’t have to travel as far to reach you. For recipe inspiration, check out Louisa Shafia’s Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, which is a blend of adventurously gourmet recipes celebrating a locavorian life and educational tips for making earth-friendly food choices. Need help deciding what’s in season when and how to cook it? Pick up Jamie Oliver’s Jamie at Home for a season-by-season look at many common whole-food ingredients with simple yet elegant ways to prepare them. Another simple way to protect the environment is to cut back the amount you are buying. Do it without noticing the difference by analyzing your family’s grocery intake and then cutting out unnecessary items. If you find you are throwing away large amounts of food that’s gone bad before you can eat it, cut down on what you buy at the grocery store and adjust portion sizes of recipes as necessary. You can also start composting these food scraps to create nourishing plant food for your garden, which gives food that’s past its prime a second purpose in life. To further green your kitchen, come up with clever ways to create everyday indulgences with less waste. For instance, if sparkling water is a summertime staple in your home but you mourn the use of all those glass or plastic bottles, buy a water carbonator that will make the bubbly for you. You’ll save money in the long run with this luxe kitchen contraption. Similarly, many of the items we depend on—from cleaning products to vanilla for baking—can be made at home, often for a fraction of the cost. Traveling Near and Far In an ideal world, we wouldn’t use any forms of transportation that negatively affect the environment. For most of us, however, making a switch to walking or biking won’t cover our transportation needs. For the times when you need to drive, Christie Matheson, author of Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style, suggests doing what you can to reduce the CO2 your car releases. Specifically, she says, keep your tires pumped up to the pressure recommended for your specific vehicle. (Find it on the sticker on the driver’s side window.) Change your car’s oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, using the correct grade of oil. Replace dirty air filters—Matheson shares that installing clean filters can improve your fuel efficiency by ten percent. Finally, get your car tuned regularly to keep it in prime condition. When jet-setting, keep in mind that an eco-friendly vacation doesn’t require a camping tent and a National Parks pass. From the traditionally styled Heathman Hotel in Kirkland, Washington, to luxe destinations such as the Bardessono in Napa Valley, California, many top-notch properties throughout the continent are creating destinations that ooze chic while wasting as few resources as possible. Experience the charms of your destination by dining at restaurants that source local, organic ingredients to prepare from-scratch dishes. You can also test out the wine made in your destination—visit www.allamericanwineries.com for a state-by-state list of wineries. Canadian wine production is also on the up and up, with the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia and the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario making notable wines. Indeed, with the regional pride many chefs, vintners, and distillers are taking in their respective locales—and the eco-friendly methods they’re using to do it—it’s a great time to expand your palate by traveling and soaking up the culture of another place. Written by Amber Lindros.