What is resiliency? Vocabulary.com defines it as “a quality in objects to hold or recover their shape, or in people to stay intact. This is a kind of strength.” According to Merriam-Webster, being resilient means that someone is able to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens. Likewise, resilient design is the design…
I began writing this about a month ago, but a heavy work load led to zero time for completion of my post. I realize that what I started is even more relevant now than it was then. Here is what I started (with incomplete thoughts included, which I hope gives you better context): I typically write…
Sometime in the last decade or so, I discovered how easy it is to grow plants from seed, especially vegetables. My husband often jokes with me about how many different vegetables I try to grow each year. I don’t even know how to narrow it down to just one or two types. I have this…
Upcycling is a term used to describe reusing a material or object which produces something with higher value than the original. Any quick search on Pinterest will bring you to an abundance of items made from repurposed or upcycled materials. Of those, garden markers (a.k.a. plant markers) seem one of the most practical. If you have…
Many of us agree with the idea of reclaiming materials that have fulfilled their original purpose, yet may still have some valuable life left in them. The benefit of reusing materials includes cost-savings, aesthetics (who doesn’t love the look of #shiplap?!), and less impact on the environment (both for keeping materials out of the landfill…
Recently I heard about a woman named Lauren Singer (watch the video), who recycles everything and produces only about one Mason jar worth of trash every year. I found it a little hard to believe and then I thought that it was probably possible for a single person to achieve, but never for a family. Then, I…
Right-sizing is a philosophy that I have been advocating for almost 20 years. I was introduced to the idea of not so big by Sarah Susanka‘s Not So Big House. I devoured that book. The concepts Sarah introduced spoke to me on so many levels (you can imagine how happy I was not just for…
By far, one of the best libraries I have been able to patronize was the Palatine Public Library, in Palatine, IL. The extensive selection and regular display updates made it possible for me to happen upon Wanda Urbanska‘s Simple Living DVD series in 2012. I had recently begun running again (indoors, on a treadmill, during…
Some of us have had the experience of living in a town where we are able to commingle all of our recyclables into one big toter. It’s fantastic — cardboard, paper, plastics, metal, and glass all can be placed in the same bin to be picked up at the curb, destined for sorting at the…
A new pilot program in New York City proposes to cut down on pollution from Food Trucks (also sometimes affectionately known as grease trucks). According to Margaret Rhodes, most food carts run off diesel generators, sometimes for almost 14 hours, which can pollute the air with carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and particulate matter. The Queens, NY-based…
Positively Grounded 