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Adventures in Greening: Welcome to NYC recycling, rigid plastics!

By Catherine Moran

So, I’m a bit late on breaking this news, but good news is never late, right? Late last month, Mayor Bloomberg announced that New York City’s recycling program would be accepting rigid plastics, i.e. takeout containers and yogurt containers, which had previously not been included in the program.

This is the win for those of us who recycle, and either a) save up our rigid plastics (commonly #5s) to bring on the subway to Whole Foods or b) save up to take home to Massachusetts where they can be recycled (I’m not the only one who does this…am I?)

NYC will save about $600,000, so it’s a win for the piggy bank, as well.

Although the policies are already in place, the new rules won’t be enforced until July, when we’ve all had a chance to try our hand at including rigid plastics in our recycling bins. Change can be hard, and memories can be faulty, but we’ll get there.

I’m uproariously excited about this step forward (I did in fact cheer when I first heard the news). I am taking heart from this move, and hope that it inspires other areas that do not do so currently to begin accepting rigid plastics. If New York City can do it, you can do it, too!

Hopefully, the next initiative will be to get NYC residents composting (could be, according to the article linked to above). Summer is coming, and, with it, the stench of rotting garbage that can confront city residents at any moment. I know that my trash has stopped smelling almost entirely since I began composting, and I need to take it out less, saving trash bags. But more on composting to come!

For now, three cheers for recycling rigid plastics! If you want to learn more, you can check out NYC Recycles’ web page, or keep up to date with new efforts on their Facebook page.

A final note: I thought I might keep a log of the Plastic Bag in the Tree Outside My Window each time I post. It’s still hanging on there (pun intended).

Adventures in Greening is a column running on Kate-book.com every other Monday at noon. It is written by the very eco-conscious Catherine Moran. Follow Catherine on Twitter @folowbredcrumbs, or check out her excellent book blog.

Tagged adventures in greening, catherine moran, green, NYC, plastics, recycling

May 07 2013

Kathleen’s kitchen: Cinco de Mayo chili

By: Kathleen Neafsey

Technically, it’s May 7th, but this great chili recipe shouldn’t be limited to just one day a year! I did make it for Cinco de Mayo so that should count for something, right? This is another one of those recipes that was passed along to me, and little by little became my own. At times I’ve doubled the ingredients, and made it for a crowd. I can’t tell you how many compliments I’ve received, it’s always a hit! My favorite part of this recipe is that there’s only one pot to wash!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Captainess Kirk: Con Life

By Kathleen S. Kirk

Every so often, some people find themselves in a situation that makes them wonder how on earth they got there. It’s like falling through a trapdoor and you look up to leave the way you came, but the door snaps shut and you can only go forward with a sore rear and terror-born heart palpitations.

I found myself in one of these situations not too long ago, when I decided that I was going to start a web digest. It wouldn’t be just any web digest, but rather a web digest devoted to being a female nerd. And now, two months later and 20+ staff members later, we have Feminerdity.com and I have a new job as editor-in-chief.

Sometimes I look around at the giant whiteboards full of things to do and upcoming content, the overflowing inbox, and pages and pages of both physical and virtual notes and I wonder how I got here. I wonder how on earth I thought I was capable and competent enough to run such a web digest.

And then I move my cat off my keyboard, fire off a bunch of emails, and remind myself that, so far, the force is with me and everything will be okay. Continue reading →

Tagged captainess kirk, comic books, comic conventions, kathleen kirk

Apr 29 2013

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Adventures in Greening: Letter to a plastic bag

By Catherine Moran

Last year (holy moly!) I wrote about my issues with plastic bags. Since then, I have had the less-than-distinct pleasure of getting to know a plastic bag. It lives in the tree outside my window. This is my letter to The Bag.

Dear Bag,

We’ve gone through a lot together these past few months. When you appeared in the fall, I didn’t think you’d stay long. But as the temperature has changed, as has the tree you are mooching off of, I can tell you’re in this for the long haul.

You were the only thing I saw on the naked tree outside my window. I’m sure the tree appreciated your company. In some ways, I did, too: on those dark winter mornings, you were the only moving object in the wee hours near dawn. No cars, people, or animals disturbed the silence, but you kept on your undulating wave; a sweet acknowledgement from your perch for those who glanced your way.

You have been a reminder to me, every day, of how little humans can care for our home. As day after day went by, you remained, unchanged as a statue. Sometimes, I imagine I can hear your crinkling when the breeze is soft.

We know one another now, you and I. But, you know as well as I do: it’s time for you to move on. It’s time for you to share the lesson your very presence implies with someone else, someone who still uses plastic bags. Our tree is in bloom––look at all its tiny leaves! Your presence has become a suffocating one, detracting from the beauty that nature is trying to unfold.

Perhaps you will find others like you, in some faraway land of plastic bags.

You have lingered far too long.

Adieu, Bag. Adieu.

Tagged adventures in greening, catherine moran, green, letter, nature, plastic bag, spring, tree

Apr 23 2013

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Fabri-Kate: Oh baby!

By: Kathleen Neafsey

Oh baby! Do you know a new mom or mom-to-be who likes colors? Plain, boring white just won’t cut it? Well I do, and I’ve been trying to think of what I can make for her to brighten up the nursery. Since I have yet to master the fine art of sewing, but I can wield a pretty mean glue gun, the search was on! Here it is: a one-of-a-kind wipes box.

I know that mom-to-be, Francesca, is a lover of animal prints so that’s what inspired my initial trek to the fabric store. I did discover, however, that unless you’re looking for heavy fleece of slippery rayon, animal prints are hard to find. There were no soft cottons or flannel for baby’s room. I did find this cute giraffe print, and a lovely,soft green to go with the room. I haven’t given up my search just yet, the baby isn’t due until July so I still have some time!!

Here’s what you’ll need to cover a few boxes:

The Lazy Girl’s Guide To Health And Fitness: The Results Are In…

By Kate Richlin-Zack

This past weekend I competed in the INBF/WNBF Bodybuilding Competition. I’ll just cut right to the chase … I won 1st Place in the Best Body Tall Division and 2nd Place in the Open Figure Tall Division.

What does that mean?

I got two shiny medals and a life changing experience so truthfully, the results are irrelevant.

What? How can you say that? You’re a perfectionist. A straight A student!

True. But to be completely honest, this experience has taught me more than any medal or award could possibly represent … to the point that when it came time to announce the results, I wanted to leave so that the judges’ opinions wouldn’t tarnish the joy I got out of all the preparation that came before I even stepped foot on stage. This experience has given me a whole new perspective on the world and more importantly on MYSELF.

Here’s what I learned…

Spray tans are really gross

The kind of spray tan you get for a bodybuilding competition takes spray tanning to a whole ‘nother level and trust me when I say I put Snooki’s complexion to shame this weekend. I was so dark I was unrecognizable and if I hadn’t sent my mother a photo of me all bronzed up, she would not have recognized me.

Tagged best body, bikini, bodybuilding competition, INBF, lazy girl, lazy girls guide, WNBF

Apr 18 2013

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Entertainment, Gossip, Real Kates, Relationships

A Dear Kate Letter to the Readers

By Katharine Luckinbill

Dear Readers,

Tomorrow, April 19^th, marks the first anniversary of this column and my first year as an officially published writer. Over the past year, I have been included in some of your funniest, most moving and most honest moments, and every single one has been an honor and a pleasure to be a part of. Each of you let me into your lives and entrusted me with advising you on everything from whether you were too old for a bikini wax to coming out of the closet for the first time. You wrote in, tweeted, texted, emailed and commented with your own thoughts and advice. You made the column what it is and for that I am truly grateful.

When I first applied for this position to the fabulous Kate Torgovnick, I had no idea how much I would grow to love being your “Dear Kate”. I also had no idea how difficult it would be sometimes when I was thrown a truly hard-hitting question and had to be absolutely unbiased to give you the best advice possible. I did not ever take it lightly that your final decision could very possibly rest in my hands. I truly hope that I have done right by all of you – as you have done by me.

So – looking back on the best thing that happened in my life this past year I wanted to share some recaps of my favorite seven columns of the last year with you and how they helped me in my own life through writing each of them. (Also peppered in will be some of my favorite graphics from the whole site over the past year)

Tagged advice, books, dear kate, katharine luckinbill, real life kates, relationships, thank you, work anniversary

Apr 18 2013

Captainess Kirk: Reflections on my cat’s first birthday (party)

by Kathleen S. Kirk

Today, my Hannele turns one and tonight she’s going to go through the shock and horror of having a party in her honor. I’ve dealt with this shock and horror for two decades. It’s time she joins the club.

We ordered cupcakes from what is considered the best bakery in the city, invited cat people to come over, and will hopefully have a nice time. Hopefully she doesn’t bite anybody or hide on the floor under the furniture the whole time.

Hopefully.

Much like a human child, when, as a parent, you fear the inevitable meltdown or tantrum, with cats it can go either way. They can be the perfect snugglebuddy or reflect their larger, more violent cousins’ nature. Continue reading →

Tagged captainess kirk, cats, first birthday, kathleen kirk

Apr 17 2013

My CompliKAITed Life: Cold Front on the Job Front

Spring has officially sprung, ladies (and Kates)! The sun is shining, when the rain’s not falling, and the flowers are starting to bloom. It’s time to deep clean your house and purge all that winter clutter. It’s also time for me to re-double my job-hunting efforts. It’s hard to believe that this time last year I was hunting for jobs, and even posting about my failure to acquire said jobs, and here I am again. Still at square 1. Still secretary-ing my heart out in the daytime hours, and hunting for gainful employment more geared to my degree (and personal aspirations) by night.

This is what my never-ending job hunt feels like

In the last two weeks I’ve been recovering from my dasterdly bowling injury, and I’ve also been assisting on a contract project (thanks to a hook up from my best friend) for a prominent PR firm in Chicago that might generate some job leads for me. Fingers crossed, of course. I’ve also spent some time tidying up my LinkedIn profile, adding content to my online portfolio, and trying to expand my professional wardrobe with a few cute professional dresses–all in time for Spring. I’ve even been channeling huge amounts of time and energy into my personal blog with the hopes that some company, somewhere, will stumble across it and become wholly twitterpated with my writing style. (I often day dream about some benevolent, old lady-millionaire discovering my blog and deciding that I deserve a 1 million dollar donation–because that’s totally plausible, right?)

Despite all my work, the forecast on the job front is still quite frosty.

Tagged job hutning, kaitlin marie, my complikaited life, spring

Apr 15 2013

Adventures in Greening: Bottlemania book review

By Catherine Moran

Elizabeth Royte’s Bottlemania was published in 2008. While many of her research is from years prior to 2008, it is still relevant. Without extensive research, I’m not sure if these facts have changed for the better or the worse; though I am inclined to think many aspects of the bottled water industry have stayed the same. The commodification of water is, let’s face it: pretty silly. What’s next, bottled air? Well, yes, if you live in China.

The central model of how the U.S. population is being hoodwinked by large corporations who want to bottle a resource that should be free is a fresh water source in Freyburg, Maine. At the time of Bottlemania’s publication, Poland Spring was involved in a battle with the residents of Freyberg to possess this water source. This battle was waged for five years. As of 2010, Poland Spring won the right to build a water pumping station in Freyberg.

While the Freyberg case was a good way to exemplify many of the problems associated with the right of ownership of fresh water, much of what intrigued me about Royte’s book was not directly related to Freyberg. If you want more information about how corporations are harnessing water rights, definitely give this a read. I’m discussing points the relevant points that affect us as individuals.

Royte lives in New York, so her information about the drinking water in NYC felt particularly relevant to me. I had no idea that NYC “has the largest drinking-water system of any city in the nation. […] When most New Yorkers fill a glass today, they drink what fell as rain or snow in the Catskill Mountains, west of the Hudson River and more than a hundred miles away.” This may sound like a great distance to travel, but it is not so bad compared to how far bottled water travels to people in other states.