Each summer for the past several years, our family has taken part in Camp Semedo, a family reunion of sorts based in the great outdoors. This tradition was started many years back by my cousin Susie, who found this terrific small campground just a couple of miles from where our families grew up in Massachusetts. The site is on the other side of a pond where we used to swim when we were young, so it holds a lot of fond memories.Hardcore campers would get a good chuckle if they saw our set-up: our buffet-style meals with all of the trimmings, the kitchen complete with coffee maker and toaster, …

My daughter is part of an environmental club at her school. Over the past several weeks, the club had been gearing up for the Trashion Show, which was part of the City of Alexandria’s Earth Day celebration last Saturday. Although we had plenty of notice about the show and the various ways in which to participate, we were slow to act. My daughter, who tends to shy away from the limelight, was content to collaborate with others on a costume, but did not want to walk the plank at the Trashion Show. For a couple of weeks she worked away with a team and created a fabulous wedding dress and veil …

At the beginning of this month, I shared my commitment to avoid shopping at big-box stores during the month of April in honor of Earth Day. It is hard to believe that we are already in the homestretch with April coming to a close at the end of this week. So, how is it going so far? Have there been any slips? Has it been as big a challenge as it seemed? While I did have a couple of slips, I also consider the effort a success because it has raised my awareness on a number of fronts. For me, the challenge was not in avoiding the stores on a daily basis, because I am not much of a daily shopper, …

For some people, Earth Day comes and goes without much notice. For others, it represents an opportunity to ride the wave and bring attention to issues that are important to them, their families, businesses, communities and so on. Earlier this month I wrote about my own commitment to avoid shopping at big-box stores for the month of April in honor of Earth Day and in a couple of weeks, I look forward to sharing what I have been learning. Where ever you are on the green and simple spectrum, there are dozens of ways to get involved, for a day or for a lifetime. It all starts with one action. If …

While I have always been drawn to nature and all things green, I do not have the greenest thumb in the world. For me, growing a garden is a huge commitment. Because of time constraints and space limitations, I have been more of a dabbler and I look forward to dabbling again this year. My next-door neighbor and I are contemplating sharing a garden plot in her backyard. Since we already share a fence, sharing a garden is a wonderful extension of our friendship and neighborly connection. Whether your thumb is evergreen or you are about prepare your first plot, here are a few great gardening …

It’s April … the month that is home to Earth Day and many things green. At the start of each year and again in honor of Earth Day, I make a personal commitment and we make household commitments about something we will do differently to have a more positive planetary impact. For the past couple of months, I have been contemplating a commitment that is a huge personal challenge. It is one that I am even hesitant to write about here, in such a public space, because I am not sure if I am quite ready to take the leap. But, since this column is about our family’s quest to have a more positive …

Over the past couple of months, my kids have attended more birthday parties than I recall attending over the past year. A slight exaggeration, but there was quite a flurry - we had three weekends during which two of our kids had parties on the same day! I am not a gal who plans big birthday parties. We have never rented a venue, entertainer, or horse (at least not yet!). We are more backyard-party-type-people. When our parties outgrew our postage-stamp-sized-backyard, classic in Old Town, we moved our parties to the shaded, grassy stretches nestled between the Potomac River and the George …

The birds are back, the daffodils have sprouted and the cherry blossoms are approaching peak bloom. Spring rains have arrived and so, too, has the time for spring cleaning. It is a little bit early for me, but since this weekend marks the start of the city's Spring Clean Up program for residents and businesses who receive refuse collection through the city, I am looking forward to an early start. If you missed the postcard, are new to Old Town, or are unfamiliar with the program, it is the one time each year that city’s refuse customers have an opportunity to leave it all at the curb. Well, …

The concept of going green can be overwhelming. Where should one start? How should one prioritize? Is it going to hurt? We are fortunate to live in an area that is at the forefront of the green reovlution in many ways. This weekend there are several events in the Washington, D.C., metro area offering opportunities to learn more about how to have a more positive planetary impact. Eco-City Green Building Workshop: Home / Small Business Energy Audit Saturday, March 19  |  9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Charles E Beatley, Jr. Central Library, 5005 Duke Street, Community Meeting Room, AlexandriaLearn what …

Life runs at such a fast pace. We hear this all the time. There is much debate about whether this "rush" is self-imposed, is the result of trying to stay afloat, or is just plain fashionable. "So much to do. So little time." You know the mantra. There is so much talk about our busy-ness and so much advice about how to get better at being busy. Is it more effective to micro-manage or multitask for a better sense of control? And, how far does that get us? Is that what we really want or need ... to control all of the variables? Or is it something else all together? While there are a multitude of…

I love Dr. Seuss! Who doesn't, really? Dr. Seuss lovers everywhere will celebrate the birthday of the great word wizard on Wednesday, Mar. 2, which is also celebrated as, "Read Across America Day." Like most kids, I read Dr. Seuss books repeatedly as a child. Today, as a mom who has come full circle and now enjoys reading those tongue-twisting tales with my own kids, I am thrilled to have found that there are even more Dr. Seuss books than I ever imagined as a kid. One of my favorites, which I discovered as an adult, is The Lorax. Whether or not you have children, if you have not read The …

Do you pack lunches for school, work, picnics, or for eating on the go? When I worked an office job, I would pack lunch most days and I made an effort to use reusable containers in order to reduce the amount of waste that went into the trash. When our oldest child started elementary school and preferred to pack a lunch as well, we did the same. Although it took a while to get into a groove and to find the right tools, we think we have finally nailed it! Here is a summary of some of the key things we have learned over the past three and a half years: Three Quick Tips for Getting Started A …

The bright blue skys and warming temps give one the sense that spring is not too far away and that this topic no longer relevant. But, as well all know, you never know. Give it a read, remember the tips for next year and send it to your friends in far away snowy places. It’s winters like this one that reaffirm my decision to escape the long, dark and snowy winters of Boston more than a decade ago. The Northeast and many other places have really taken a beating and winter is far from over.  I wonder … are they still using folding chairs (and old TVs, furniture, cones and other no-longer-useful…

Christmas was barely over before the Valentine’s Day decorations and associate puffery began to fill the stores, and now the big day is just around the corner! In the spirit of keeping things simple, this is not a holiday we make a terribly big fuss about. But, I do like to celebrate it as a day for showing love and caring to those around us. For Valentine’s Day, our kids like to make cookies or cupcakes and leave them on the doorsteps of neighbors. Since we don’t eat lots of sweets at our house (aside from my nightly dish of mint chocolate-chip ice cream), any excuse to bake and use frosting…

As I've mentioned before, by nature, or perhaps by nurture, I tend to like complexity. For me, the process of simplifying is most gratifying when it evolves from complexity and sometimes, for better or worse, self-imposed chaos. It's this self-imposed chaos that led me to the place of really wanting and needing to simplify. And, though I'm sure my husband would say I still have a long, long way to go, I’ve made lots of progress. So, here are three strides, more mindsets if you will, to get you started on the road to simplicity. Get Curious As with greening one's life, simplifying starts on …

It was about this time last year that I began organizing, which evolved into purging, which evolved into a concentrated effort to simplify. It started with a kitchen drawer that had amassed such a community of junk that miscellaneous objects would jump out of the drawer when it was opened. As I explored the contents, I asked myself what it was all for … Does any of this stuff ever get used? Will it ever get used? Do I even know to what this cap, that cord, those clips belong? The answers to those questions enabled me to purge without guilt and motivated me to tackle neighboring drawers. …

My quest, which has grown into our family's quest, to have a more positive planetary impact really took hold when the kids came along. They really help us to be our best selves, don't they? With their literal view of the world they innocently point out the contradictions in everyday life, stretching and emboldening us to find creative ways to live our values. "So what if the park doesn't have a recycling bin. We can take stuff home to recycle it, and that stuff over there, too!" We started out with small steps, many of which were inspired by the New York Times Best Seller, "The Green Book: …

Over the past couple of weeks, this column has focused on creative ways to green your holiday gift giving. In the third and final segment of this series, we'll cover ways to incorporate green giving throughout the year.Gift giving provides a wonderful opportunity to have a positive planetary impact while embracing the spirit of caring and sharing, and there are so many ways to take advantage of such an opportunity. But, green gift giving isn't always so easy, or clear cut. Here are a few strategies to get you started.1. Start smallEven small tweaks can add up to major changes over time. When …

In my last column, I shared strategies about things you can do before you make a purchase to "green your giving" this holiday season. In part two of this series, you'll find suggestions for simple, creative and environmentally friendly ways to wrap your gifts now and throughout the year. Exquisite holiday decor abounds: it's on the streets, in the stores and even on automobiles! You can't escape it. Holiday gift trimmings help to complete the portrait. Sure, gifts wrapped in paper with coordinating bows and gift tags look splendid. One can also create a festive atmosphere with an …

As a kid growing up in a huge family (10 siblings!) the holidays were always a blast. My dad would take a small handful of us out into the woods not far from our house where we would embark on an adventure to find and cut down our Christmas tree and return home for a critique by those who'd stayed behind. Despite our best efforts to select the fullest and most balanced of the bunch, once we plucked said tree from the community of fellow pines, ours more often resembled the meager and wanting tree of the Charlie Brown Christmas special. No matter to us ... the tree would soon be plastered, I …