April Heart List

IS IT May 2nd? Yes. Do I care? Not particularly. Here’s a list of things I loved in April.

This Editorial on “Languishing”

I’m a fan of organizational psychologist Adam Grant on social, and was eager to read this piece of his when a friend sent it my way. “Feeling Blah During the Pandemic? It’s Called Languishing.” In the piece, he discusses the mental grogginess we’re all currently feeling as we start shifting into a new phase of the pandemic, not necessarily burnout, but something different. It helped me articulate how I’m feeling these days – functioning but foggy. “It wasn’t burnout — we still had energy. It wasn’t depression — we didn’t feel hopeless. We just felt somewhat joyless and aimless. It turns out there’s a name for that: languishing.”

Climate Actions

Since April is “Earth Month,” I thought I would share some sustainable suggestions and actions to take related to climate control.

Sustainability Masterlist: This incredibly helpful and comprehensive list of sustainable swaps for the home & life was compiled by sustainability guru, Kristine Claghorn. Including everything from kitchen tools to clean beauty to a ton of sustainable clothing resources, this is your one-stop list to bookmark and refer to next time you replace anything at all.

• BONUS STEP:

• Once you’re replacing everything in your home with items from this list, utilize Amazon Smile, a branch of the website that donates 0.5% of your eligible purchases to donations of your choice.

Plant a Tree for Reforestation: For quite literally ONE DOLLAR, you can help plant a tree through One Tree Planted. Why? “Trees help clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and provide habitat to over 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. They also provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people, absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere, and are key ingredients in 25% of all medicines.”

Kiss the Ground: An organization focused on Regenerative Agriculture, Kiss The Ground’s site offers lots of ways to educate (including this documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson,) and get involved based on areas of interest.

Your Climate Questions Answered: Participate in this interactive article by the NY Times about how to “shop, cook and eat in a warming world.”

Learn More About Your Effect on the Planet with these Quizzes:

• Climate Change Quiz by Bill Gates

• How Dirty is Your Closet? from Thread Up

• Carbon Footprint Calculator from Conservation.org (I learned it takes 358 trees to offset my annual carbon footprint)

How Your Diet Contributes to Climate Change via the NY Times

Roselane Farms

Nestled in an industrial area of NoHo, this small rose farm is a hidden delight. They’ve been growing heirloom garden roses since 1996 and visiting there is a perfect Saturday morning (or Tuesday – the only 2 days they’re open) activity. You show up, and the incredibly friendly owner Lynne or one of the lovely employees will show you the ropes: Get a pair of gloves, clippers and a basket, and meander through the rows of garden roses clipping your own bouquet. I find so much joy in the process. They have SO many different kinds of roses, and I love learning more each time I visit. The price is $22 for a dozen stems, many of which have multiple blooms. (For reference, that’s the same price that my neighborhood grocery store charges for regular roses.) After you clip your selection, you hang under a covered workspace and remove the thorns, creating your own bouquet. They even give you a bag filled with water to transport it home in. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and super friendly, helping you along the way. This activity is so fun to do solo or with a group of friends (Ben actually came with me last week and loved it,) and it also seems like a really great activity to do with young kids too. (I always love seeing the moms with their daughters there together, usually in some rad matching Dusen & Dusen sets.) Find them here and on Instagram for more info.