wordless Wednesday Archives | Groovy Green Livin

We finally dug out from under the piles and piles of snow left behind by winter storm Nemo. It was an incredible storm. We were among the fortunate who didn’t lose without power or heat. There are many still reeling from the effects of Nemo and my heart goes out to them. More than 400,000 customers lost power in Massachusetts. Much of the power has returned, but there are still some without.

It was an official snow day as the storm moved in. School was canceled and we settled in to watch the snow begin to fall. The state took extreme steps to assure that no one was on the road when the snow picked up. They issued a travel ban. No cars on the road. It was the first travel ban on roads since the Blizzard of ’78, a ferocious storm that dropped 27 inches of snow, packed hurricane-force winds and claimed dozens of lives. State police credited the travel ban, which was lifted late afternoon Saturday, with only 30 drivers needing to be rescued.

During the two days of the storm my kids, along with neighbors, managed to sled, build an igloo, a fort and several tunnels throughout our yard.

This double tunnel was one of their favorites and mine too. It provided hours of entertainment.

The snow was incredibly deep-over 2 feet in some spots.

This tunnel ultimately collapsed as the plows went by.

The day after the storm was gorgeous. The sun was shinning and everything looked white and beautiful.

Did Nemo find you? 

It’s no-so Wordless Wednesday so this is a simple post which features photos to convey a message that speaks for itself without using many words.

In honor of  not-so Wordless Wednesday I’ve linked up with Better in Bulk, Dagmar’s Momsense, Live and Love Out Loud, Project Alicia, Mama Dweeb, Farmer’s Daughter and I Thought I Knew Mama.

I’ve mentioned before that I have an addiction to Instagram. For those of you who have yet to join, Instagram is a free photo sharing network that lets anyone take photos with their smartphone and apply some pretty cool filters to make the photos extra special and then share with other Instagram users or on Facebook and Twitter.

Yes, Instagram has had some pretty big issues that caused a lot of user backlash after they changed their terms of service giving the company commercial rights to user accounts and images. Initially the changes seemed to allow Instagram to sell our photos to advertisers without our permission. After many users threatened to leave Instagram the company took a step back and said they wouldn’t make those changes.

So for now I’m sticking with Instagram and really enjoying  all of your photos and sharing some of my own.

Here are a few of my Instagram photos from this week.

My nine year old son made the best organic fruit salad.

My 12 year old got some pretty fancy new kicks. He designed these himself.

I stumbled upon these vegetables at the market. I was amazed by how many of you knew what they were called. What’s your guess?

If you want to see the rest of my photos come on over and find me on Instagram at GroovyGreenLivin. Let me know how to find you!

It’s Wordless Wednesday so this is a simple post which features photos to convey a message that speaks for itself without using many words.

What’s your favorite thing to photograph?

In honor of  not-so Wordless Wednesday I’ve linked up with Better in Bulk, Dagmar’s Momsense, Live and Love Out Loud, Project Alicia, Mama Dweeb, and I Thought I Knew Mama.

Plastic wrap is my nemesis.  Have you ever asked yourself  ’why is there plastic wrap on that?’

I have never touted myself as perfect when it comes to green living, but there are some things that seem so simple, so intuitive that it’s beyond me why they happen.

Take for example this organic cucumber that I recently bought at the market. Yes, it was wrapped in plastic wrap.

My kids love cucumbers and this was the only organic version available. I’m having a hard time with this one. Plastic wrap on a cucumber? It reminds me of Del Monte wrapping their organic bananas in plastic. They added a layer of plastic wrap to a fruit that comes with its own natural, biodegradable packaging. Cucumbers, like bananas, have a peel. Maybe its not as thick as a banana peel, but still.

Needlessly covering fruits and vegetables with plastic wrap is an enormous waste. Also (and probably more important on my end) I really don’t want plastic touching anything I’m going to eat.

So I was torn. Standing there in the supermarket staring at the fruits and vegetables I saw a sea of plastic wrap. My choice was to buy the organic cucumber or leave it behind. I opted for the cucumber along with the plastic wrap.

I wonder if plastic wrap is really necessary for packing fruits and vegetables? If packaging is needed for transporting produce there must be a better alternative.

What do you think about plastic packaging on a cucumber or any other fruit or vegetable?

Wordless Wednesday, a simple post which features photos to convey a message that speaks for itself without using many words.

In honor of  not-so Wordless Wednesday I’ve linked up with Better in Bulk, Dagmar’s Momsense, Live and Love Out Loud, Project Alicia, Mama Dweeb, and I Thought I Knew Mama.

photo credit: Ksayer1 via photopin cc

It’s officially winter. Today my thermometer reads 8 degrees. There’s no denying that winter is upon us. There are days where I sit at my desk bundled in a coat and scarf. I’m always cold. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. There’s nothing like being outside in the winter. Skiing, running and exercising in the cold weather is invigorating and ideal in my humble opinion.

Part of New England’s charm is the distinct four seasons. But I’ve noticed a change. Snow cover is decreasing, storms have become fierce and spring arrives earlier.

I worry. The planet continues to get hotter with 2012 being the warmest year ever recorded, by far.

President Obama thankfully talked climate change during his inaugural address.

We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.

We need more than just words, we need action. Betraying our children and future generations just isn’t an option. Let’s all agree to take action.

In honor of  not-so Wordless Wednesday I’ve linked up with Better in Bulk, Dagmar’s Momsense, Live and Love Out Loud, Project Alicia, Mama Dweeb, Organic Mama, Savvy Suburban and I Thought I Knew Mama.

Wordless Wednesday, a simple post which features photos to convey a message that speaks for itself without using many words.

Have you noticed any climate changes in your neck of the woods?

Puzzles have always filled our toy closet. One of our first was a 6 piece wooden puzzle with different shaped airplanes. Each  piece had a handle, making it easy for little hands to manipulate and practice spacial orientation.

We have since graduated from 6 piece puzzles to 1,000 plus pieces. Some are 3D and others come in strange shapes and packaging. According to my kids, the more challenging the better.

We just received the coolest puzzles as a gift and I had to share. Have you heard of MUJI?  MUJI  is a Japanese company which sells a large variety of household and consumer products, including really awesome puzzles.  MUJI is known for it’s minimal designs, emphasis on recycling, avoidance of waste in production and packaging, and no-logo or “no-brand” policy. The name MUJI means No Brand Quality Goods. They spend little money on advertising or marketing. Most of their success comes from word of mouth. How cool is that? There are a few stores in New York City and others sprinkled around the globe.

We received three different puzzles, one for each child.

At first glance, the puzzle pieces are extremely plain. No color or fancy design. They basically look like pieces of cardboard made from recycled paper.

The instructions were relatively simple and when they finished we had three incredible, 3D puzzles.

We quickly discovered that the puzzles could be shared. They took the pieces apart and swapped. The elephant above was put together and taken apart several times.

The owl was one of my favorites. It looks somewhat daunting in this photo.

The airplane was an interesting gray color. If you look closely you can see how the numbers are used to match up pieces.

These interesting puzzles make a fantastic gift!

Do you have a favorite puzzle?

In honor of  not-so Wordless Wednesday I’ve linked up with Better in Bulk, Dagmar’s Momsense, Live and Love Out Loud, Project Alicia, Mama Dweeb, From PDX With Love and I Thought I Knew Mama.

Over a foot of snow fell last week while I was on vacation. That might make some of you want to run as fast as you can to a warmer climate and to others it’s a windfall. I’m in the latter camp. I can’t get enough snow. I love to ski, hike, skate, sled and anything else that involves spending time outside. Yes, I get cold but hand warmers have completely revolutionized my love of the cold outdoors.

But the party’s over. I’m not going to lie to you, it was rough waking up this morning and getting back into the groove. After spending 11 solid days with my family in ski country you would think that I would have been just plain giddy when the yellow school bus pulled up to take my children back to school, but that didn’t happen. No giddiness, no relief, only a hint of sadness that another vacation has come to a close. But this vacation felt different than others. The toll of the Sandy Hook tragedy was next to impossible to ignore. The hugs were that much bigger and the ability to remain present in the moment was that much simpler.  This vacation represented a much needed break from reality and it’s sometimes harsh consequences.

I spent my days skiing, hiking, sleeping and watching movies, snuggled on the couch with my three children because I could. Remembering that there are so many who couldn’t.

Hiking up the mountain in snow shoes

This time of year is a bit iffy if you’re a skier. There’s no guaranty that there’ll be any natural snow. We really lucked out this vacation with over a foot of snow. We actually skied in powder! Take that west coasters.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program. I’m feeling renewed, refreshed and ready to see what 2013 has in store for all of us. There are some pretty cool things in the works here at Groovy Green Livin and I can’t wait to share them with you.

Wishing all of you a New Year where all your dreams come true.

~Lori

How did you spend the holidays? 

photo credit: Palojono via photopin cc

In honor of  not-so Wordless Wednesday I’ve linked up with Better in Bulk, Dagmar’s Momsense, Live and Love Out Loud, Project Alicia, Mama Dweeb and I Thought I Knew Mama.

Eco-Warrior. What does that word really mean?

When my sweet friend Kim gave me this bracelet I thought it was such a thoughtful gift. I pull it out of my drawer from time to time and wear it proudly on my wrist. As I reached for it today I spent a few seconds actually thinking about what the word ‘eco-warrior’ really means. In its most general sense eco-warrior represents a person who works hard to protect the environment from destruction or pollution. What I love most about the word is that anyone can be an eco-warrior. Thankfully the stereotype has changed and eco-warriors no longer are only Birkenstock wearing proverbial hippies (although some eco-warriors still fit into that mold and I’m OK with that). We are all unique and all have one thing in common: we want to take care of our planet. Our actions can be big or small. It doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that we feel confident that our actions are making a difference.

I’m so grateful to have so many eco-warriors in my life.

In honor of Wordless Wednesday I want to thank all the eco-warriors out there for doing what you do. Together we can and will make a difference.

Do you consider yourself an eco-warrior?

Wordless Wednesday is meant to be a simple post which features a photo to convey a message that speaks for itself without using words; well not a lot of words!

In honor of Wordless Wednesday I’ve linked up with Better in Bulk, Dagmar’s Momsense, The Progressive Parent, Live and Love Out Loud, Project Alicia, Mama Dweeb.