I don’t know about you, but I didn’t grow up “green.” My mom, brother, and I lived a rather typical, suburban lifestyle, eating packaged foods, driving our minivan all over town, and throwing mostly everything in the trash without a second thought. During my sophomore year of high school, however, I had a most auspicious encounter at a friend’s house. Built by her parents over the course of several years, my friend’s log home was simple, rustic, and elegant. It was there I was first introduced to the practice of giving simple, handmade gifts for the holidays (I visited her place for the first time the day after Christmas), to tofu hot dogs (she might have also been the first vegetarian I’d ever met), to backyard chicken-keeping (her mom to this day owns a thriving local free-range egg business), and to the art of composting. That visit left an indelible mark on me and factored heavily into the person I would become and the interests, concerns, and practices I would later adopt.

As an adult, I now make (or bake-my favorite!) a large quantity of the holiday gifts that I give; I am mostly vegetarian (eating a bit of fish a few times a week, and almost exclusively local seafood, at that); I both keep chickens and have written an upcoming book on the topic, “Keeping Chickens;” , and I compost everything I possibly can. I was surprised to learn recently that by composting for one year, it’s possible to save an equivalent amount of CO2 produced by your washing machine in 3 months. With composting, not only can I do more to prevent the production of harmful greenhouse gases (like methane-created when waste trapped in plastic garbage bags breaks down in landfills with no oxygen circulating around it), I get to reap the rewards in spades months later with rich, nutrient-dense soil to use in my garden, hanging baskets, and containers. Compost is loaded with potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus, minerals desperately needed by plants to not just survive but thrive. It also plays a key role in balancing alkalinity and acidity levels present in soil, making it more hospitable to growth. Furthermore, compost works to retain soil moisture, so important as more and more areas experience both long and short-term drought during growing seasons.

So, whether you’re a pavement-pounding urbanite or a forest-dwelling denizen, compost glory can be yours. You don’t even need a yard to compost! A very close friend of mine lives on the 8th floor of an apartment building in Center City, Philadelphia. She successfully composts all of her kitchen scraps in an apartment composter. When the compost is ready, she either spreads it over her houseplants, or carries it a block over to an open lot, where she tosses it for future fertile soil (albeit someone else’s!). If you’ve never composted before, there’s no time like the present to get into the mix. Fall is a really wonderful time to get your compost going. As annual plants and vegetables die, branches fall from trees, and leaves gather on the ground, collect them, along with your kitchen scraps, and transition them to your compost area.

CLICK HERE for the rest of “Home Compost-Piling on benefits” (and tons of home composting tips!) after the jump!

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I’m what you might call a bit of a “timid” imbiber, when it comes to alcohol. If it doesn’t taste good, I won’t drink it. If it has to be downed in quick shots, it’s not really my gig. If it must be sipped, savored, and consumed with attention to flavor nuance, however, then I’m on board. I’ve allowed myself to be “over-served” only about five times in my life (those Italian Surfers-a fruity blend of Disaronno amaretto, Malibu rum, and pineapple juice-that I sampled at that ’80’s-themed party whilst dressed as Molly Ringwald were lethal!), every time by mistake. I guess you could call me an intentional drinker, appreciating the flavor and aroma of my chosen brew as much as the individuals responsible for crafting it. I really enjoy a well-made cocktail, a hand-crafted ale, and a nicely aged wine, so much so that, in a previous career, I was a sales representative for a distributor of small-production organic wine and beers. [image sources, clockwise from top left: cocktalia, st. george spirits, plant green, ashley english, pdx plate]

With Halloween past, the holiday season is now officially upon us. For a number of people, that means cocktails! From holiday parties to family meals, from impromptu dinners in with friends to a host of seasonal celebrations, the stretch from October 31st to January 1st is characterized by libations. My small measure topic today highlights the upswing of small-production, domestic liquor producers. Gin, vodka, brandy, whiskey-you name it, someone is making it. In the United States, a number of new distilleries have opened, many of them using locally sourced and organic ingredients.

There are far more than I could list in this post, but a few of my favorites include: Koval Distillery , for their organic grain spirits and Rose Hip Liqueur; St. George Spirits , for their dazzling selection of eau de vies; House Spirits , for their Apothecary Line, including small-production runs of ouzo and rum; Anchor Brewing , for their Junipero gin; Greenway Distillers , for their Crispin’s Rose Liqueur; Square One Vodka , Crop Vodka , Rain Vodka , and 360 Vodka for their organic vodkas; Art In the Age for their Root liquor; and, lastly, Sazerac for their New Orleans-produced Herbsaint, an absinthe substitute that was developed when absinthe was outlawed in the US.

CLICK HERE for the rest of Ashley’s “Getting Into the Spirit: Domestic Liquor” post after the jump!

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For the first eight years of my life, we celebrated Halloween in my house. From Wonder Woman costumes to Lambchop get-ups, come All Hallows Eve, we got down. Things changed when Mom became a born-again Christian. During the remainder of my time at home, I have recollections of church soirees, with my brother and I dressed as Mary and Joseph, or something similar. It was…different, to say the least. You can only imagine, then, the fervor with which I embraced the holiday back into my life once college rolled around and I’d moved away from home. I was shameless, hitting up houses dressed as a nun. I looked forward to the dark evening with a fever possessed by children on Christmas Eve. Or their birthday. Or a trip to the toy store. [image sourcing, clockwise from top left: blue jake, the farmer's wife, strite's orchard, mariquita, the daily green]

While I still feel this way, as I’ve aged, I’ve begun to look at Halloween through a new lens-through “green-colored glasses,” if you will. The holiday is ripe for critique, from an ecological vantage point. From the synthetic, packaged costumes to the additive/preservative/synthetic-everything content of most Halloween candy, this holiday could use a green make-over. I’m certainly not advocating an abolition of the night and all its attendant guilty pleasures (I don’t yet have children, but when I do, this might be the one time of the year that this high fructose corn syrup-free, all-natural, mom-to-be lets her hair down and gives the kiddos carte blanche). I’m merely suggesting that it might be worth giving the annual night of debauchery a once-over. Here are a number of simple, easy, small measures that will help in greening up the ghostly hour.

CLICK HERE for Ashley’s Hallow-Green (Putting the Eco in Ectoplasm) ideas after the jump!

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I have a number of ongoing questions I like to pepper my husband with. “If you could live anywhere, where would it be?” “Should I cut my hair?” “What’s for dinner?” (lucky, lucky me has an incredible cook of a husband). And, most relevant to today’s small measure, “Where would you most like to travel?” I’m continually planning trips, respites, rendezvous, and getaways. I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember, always managing to make it through each day because of some excursion, jaunt, journey, escapade, outing, or field trip I’ve got in mind, just over the horizon. [image sourcing, clockwise from top left: the sharp single, fairy cakes, clever games, trip advisor, appliancist,country living, about.com]

Couple an expedited writing schedule to bring four books to market in 1 1/2 years with a global recession and my dreams of far-away adventures have moved decidedly closer to home. Enter the “staycation.” Defined by Wikipedia as a “neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions,” the staycation is here to stay. Literally. The word was added to the 2009 Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, lest you think the concept is only a passing whim.

A growing number of cash-conscientious (or devoid) folks still desiring a bit of hard-earned R&R are trading in extensive travel plans for staycations. Why spend loads of money (and burn through non-renewable fossil fuels) trekking off to far-flung destinations requiring lodging, transportation, and eats (not to mention the cost of boarding your animals or paying a house-sitter during your absence) when you can stay put and enjoy the offerings of your nearby stomping grounds? An old friend of mine and I used to take what we called “mini adventures,” setting off for area towns, villages, and attractions often forgot about in the hustle and bustle of daily life. More recent personal staycation activities have included, in no particular order: Visiting a local apple orchard , going on an impromptu hike and picnic on the Blue Ridge Parkway , enjoying a canning party/brunch with girlfriends, hosting an “India Supper Club” potluck chez moi, taking a hiking/shopping/gelato-eating/beer-with-a-friend day trip to Black Mountain , checking out the gardens and grounds at the Biltmore Estate , and breaking in my birthday fondue pot with friends.

CLICK HERE for more great stay-cation ideas from Ashley after the jump!

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Once upon a time, I was a real fashion fiend. Obsessed with clothes, I hoarded copies of Harper’s Bazaar, continually redressed strangers on the street in my mind, and fretted for hours about what I’d wear to school the next day. I took all of the costume design classes my small, public liberal arts university offered, read fashion designer’s biographies, and even aspired to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology and soak up all of the fashionably turned out eye candy the Big Apple has to offer. [image sources clockwise from top left: dawndh, your green review, greenloop, inhabitat, jane goodall]

My preoccupation with fashion was nurtured by my mother. Her closet and it’s accompanying ever-expanding accessory empire is the stuff of legends. She is the sort of woman who has a purse for every occasion, an earring for every fashion whim, and who never met an animal print she didn’t like. In high school, when my fashion cravings really began to kick in, it was her closet I’d regularly raid. I’d curate outfits like I was putting together an installation for the Met. My budget was limited, so mom’s closet was a saving grace. So were thrift and consignment stores. My local Salvation Army store knew my fashion preferences so well, they’d set aside items for me. I wore vintage gowns (REALLY vintage, as in, 1920’s) to my junior and senior proms, both found for bargain-basement deals tucked away in dusty antique stores.

Although I eventually moved into the natural food and lifestyle career path and away from haute couture, I still remain committed to certain aesthetic ideals. Durability and, whenever possible, sustainability now top my list of fashion musts. Fortunately, a number of “green” designers are moving to the fashion forefront, taking to runways on the local, national, and international level. Recent New York , London , and Paris Fashion Weeks presented a number of eco-chic designers,while Portland, Oregon showcased green fashions on a smaller scale.

CLICK HERE for the rest of Ashley’s post on green fashion after the jump!

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Some of my favorite memories were made outdoors. The time when I was two and insisted on riding a horse by myself (a request to which my mother willingly acquiesced)? Happened outdoors. Straddling a creek-side fallen log cowgirl-style for a zany family photo one chilly November? Outdoors. Falling asleep in a tent on the Northern California coast after driving cross-country from North Carolina with my best gal pal Bonnie (it was August, the car had no A.C., she was moving to San Francisco-memories were made)? You guessed it. For me, indoor gatherings have their place, but couple fresh air with friends and family and it’s bound to be good. [image sources, clockwise from top left: anna wolf, andrew a. comb, tripadvisor, garden of leah, sonshine kids]

Which is precisely why I love U-Pick farms so much. Not only do you get to score some amazing produce, you do so in a decidely low-fi, slow-going, oxygen-rich manner. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take quietly catching up with a friend I haven’t seen in some time in an apple orchard or berry patch over jockeying for air space in a loud, crowded bar any day. I’ve been blackberry-, blueberry-, pumpkin-, and apple-picking with friends and family. Not only did we benefit from a leisurely paced outdoor activity together, we supported the local food community, providing income for farmers and helping to support economies within communities.

U-Pick farms offer something for pretty much every season. Come autumn, you’ll find apple, pear, pumpkin, fig and even cranberry offerings. Pick-and-Cut tree farms are a blast for selecting the perfect specimen for winter. In the spring, it’s time to pick strawberries, while summer U-Picks are a veritable feast for the senses, presenting opportunities for picking berries, peaches, cherries, plums, tomatoes, and beyond. Also, pick-your-own flower farms are becomingly increasingly serviced by thrifty and ecologically-minded brides. Can you imagine the heady aroma your car will exude after leaving a U-Pick lavender farm? Intoxicating! Remember Madeley’s Stamped Lavender Sachets ? They were crafted with buds sourced from a U-Pick farm!

If you’re going to U-Pick, why not incorporate all of your senses? Bring a picnic lunch (or brunch!) to enjoy on the premises. Alternately, you could host a post U-Pick potluck, with guests bringing dishes paying tribute to a specific seasonal offering (such as the upcoming “Sweet & Savory Apple Potluck” my husband and I will be hosting later in the month; we’ll provide the hard and hot cider, while the guests bring the eats!). Another idea might be to U-Pick with friends or family, and then head back to someone’s home for a group canning session. I’ll be doing that myself, next Friday. My editor and I are heading to a nearby apple orchard to harvest many, many bushels of apples. They’ll be rendered into small jars of apple butter and given to the publishing sales staff in promotion of my upcoming book series . Harvesting and making your own batch of something sweet or savory is also both an economical means of creating holiday gifts and stocking up your pantry for winter.

To find a U-Pick farm in your area, check out Pick Your Own . This comprehensive site offers both domestic and international U-Pick listings. You can also search your state’s government website for pick-your-own information. Now, go pick a winner and start creating your own outdoor memories to delight in and savor for years to come!

A cold wind swept into my cove this weekend. I don’t know if it was from the north, the south, the east, or the west, but I do know that it has moved me firmly out of tank tops and flip-flops and into thermal henleys and wool socks. In addition to a wardrobe shuffle, the change in temperature got me thinking about the impending need to have firewood delivered for the wood stove and propane brought in for the furnace. Firewood and furnaces got me thinking, in turn, about money (and the recession) and the environment. I know I’m not alone here. Not only does the use of winter fuel cost us our hard-earned dollars, it exacts a hefty toll on planet, too. All of those combustible materials disperse into the atmosphere when burned. According to the National Resources Defense Council , electric power plants are the single largest source of pollutants that contribute to global warming in the United States. [image above: swans island blanket and alpaca hot water bottle cover]

In an effort at saving cash and reducing carbon emissions alike, I try to turn low-fi when the mercury dips. I realize what I do won’t warm everyone. My grandmother is perpetually chilly, even in summer, while my brother’s internal temperature renders his cheeks always warm and rosy. In my 1920’s house, though, (way overdue for an insulation makeover, which will happen, when time and funds allow) I’ve found the cold-warrior methods listed below bring a bit of much needed warmth ’round the old hearth. I know the time will eventually come when supplemental heat will become necessary. Until then, and even once that need arises, my heat-saving (and heat-retaining!) small measures provide a hugely welcome thermal injection. Many will seem obvious, others will induce “Ah Ha!” moments (hopefully). I’m not trying to re-invent the wheel or be the high priestess of cold-warring endeavors here, just merely offering a few tips on helping you feel the heat while saving Benjamins.

CLICK HERE for ashley’s heat (and money) saving tips after the jump!

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