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Welcome to Bluedot Living Los Angeles, a newsletter that gathers local good news, good food, and good tips for living every day more sustainably. |
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Welcome to Bluedot Living Los Angeles, a newsletter that gathers local good news, good food, and good tips for living every day more sustainably. |
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If you purchase anything via one of our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission. |
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES |
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When Notes From the Home Front columnist Krista Halverson decided to rip out her front lawn and replace it with drought-tolerant plants, she got her kids on board by promising them that bees, butterflies, and other pollinators would swarm their new garden, lured by the all the flowers and plants they love. She never expected, though, that hummingbirds would build a tiny nest in the tree hanging over the garden. “It’s a delight and an honor to host these little scraps of stardust,” Krista says. “We notice them in greater numbers every year, starting when our native plants have their first spring bloom.”
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Enter Bluedot Living’s Sustainable Outdoor Living Giveaway for a chance to refresh your outdoor space sustainably just in time to enjoy the spring weather. One winner will take home a $2,500 POLYWOOD gift card to shop durable, sustainably made outdoor furniture crafted from recycled and reusable plastics. Don’t miss the chance to create your dream Earth-friendly outdoor space — on us! |
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Enter between May 8 at 9 a.m. EST and May 22 at 11:59 p.m. EST for your chance to win. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open to U.S. residents aged 13 and older. See Official Rules for more details. |
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Quick Links |
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Skip scrolling! Here’s what you’ll find in today’s Bluedot Los Angeles newsletter: |
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Paid Advertisement with Money |
Go beyond homeowners insurance with a home warranty
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If you’re a homeowner, you know unexpected expenses are par for the course. One way to help shield your finances is to get a home warranty. Unlike homeowners insurance, which covers natural disasters and theft, a home warranty could help safeguard you against costly repairs of eligible essential home appliances and systems due to normal wear and tear. Check out Money’s list of the Best Home Warranties and take the sting out of appliance breakdowns.
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| VIEW PROVIDERS |
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–Illustration by Elissa Turnbull |
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Dear Dot,
This is more a comment than a question. It's too bad that catalogs aren’t recyclable or compostable.
– Maggie
Dear Maggie,
Your note threw me a bit, Maggie. Aren’t catalogs recyclable? Compostable? I thought they were both. So I did a bit of sleuthing.
The confusion seems to be due to glossy catalog covers, which can sometimes be coated in plastic — polyethylene, to be exact. Polyethylene (or PE for short) is a common plastic, widely used for packaging. But when it’s applied to paper, making that paper highly durable and water-resistant if not -proof, it renders that paper unrecyclable and uncompostable.
How can you determine if your fancy catalog is simply high-gloss paper or coated in PE? Easy. Try to tear it. If it rips easily, into the recycle or compost bin it goes! If not, it’s trash (or a candidate for upcycling). …
Read the rest of Dot’s answer.
Got a question for Dot? Write her at deardot@bluedotliving.com. |
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Paid Advertisement with Rooted Insight |
You have a powerful vision—an idea for the world, a business, an organization. **Let's make it real**. |
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Rooted Insight helps entrepreneurs turn ideas into structured, actionable plans that drive growth—while thinking beyond just the next step.
Let's talk about what's next. |
| Schedule a Free Consultation |
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If you make a purchase through our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission. |
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Memorial Day comes a bit early this year, on May 26, and with it, the (unofficial) start to summer. Here, we’re sharing just a few of our favorite items that you can use at the beach and all summer long. If you’re in the market for sustainable swimwear, mineral sunscreen, and lots more eco-friendly essentials for the beach, check out our handy beach guide. |
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Okabashi makes these comfortable, beach-ready flip-flops in the USA out of recycled materials and American-grown soy. Shop on Amazon or read our review. |
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Nomadix makes lightweight, compact, quick-drying towels and beach blankets out of plastic water bottles diverted from landfills — over 17 million to date!
Shop today or read our review. |
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Out of the Woods sells hip, lightweight coolers that make it easy to pack — and haul — a picnic. They’re also a great deal, with prices topping out at $59.
Shop today and save 15% off with code BLUEDOT or read our review. |
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Paid Advertisement with Hoka |
The Best Spring Deals on Hoka Shoes Are Here
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With the weather warming up, it’s time to treat your feet to Hoka’s ultimate comfort. Whether you’re out for a run, a walk, or just spending the day on your feet, Hoka shoes provide incredible cushioning and support to keep you cool and comfortable all season long. And thanks to Brad’s Deals, we’ve found the best places to score these high-performing shoes at great prices this spring. |
| UNLOCK THE BEST DEALS ON HOKA SHOES NOW |
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If you’re like us, some days you stand in front of the open refrigerator around 5 p.m., trying to figure out what to do with the vegetables left over from last night’s dinner. San Diego–based cook and writer Nicole Litvack has the answer with this frittata recipe, designed to be used with any veggies you have on hand.
Sign up for our Bluedot Living Kitchen newsletter, and get a free copy of our Bluedot Living Kitchen digital magazine.
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Fresh herbs, says Bluedot gardening maven Laura McLean, can “take a meal from drab to fab.” What’s more, they’re easy to grow, particularly in terra cotta pots that you can move around to give your plants more shade or more sun, depending on the time of year. And did you know that many herbs, like mint, oregano, and thyme, are perennials and will keep coming back season after season? Still not convinced? We bet Laura’s 10 tips for growing hearty, handy herbs will persuade you. |
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Pulitzer finalist Madeleine George didn’t intend to write one of the best-known and most-performed climate plays currently in rotation in U.S. theaters. But when Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, asked her to write them a play, she decided to set it in their neighborhood and make it about people grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. She also decided to make it a comedy. Hurricane Diane stars a modern-day Dionysus trying to inspire a quartet of housewives to do something about climate change, using some questionable methods. Bluedot contributor (and playwright himself) Christopher Lysik sat down with Madeleine to talk about the play, what inspires her, and why it’s so hard to write dramas about the climate crisis. |
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Dear Dot took a deeper dive into ant control. For more Bluedot Climate Quick Tips, click here. |
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Beach Days |
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Last weekend, the sun came out in my beach town, and so did the beachgoers, who flooded into my neighborhood, spreading their towels, staking their umbrellas, and settling in for the day with a cooler full of goodies. You might think that these beachgoers would leave the sand littered with trash and other forgotten items, like little plastic sand toys and deflated floaties. (I admit it, I did.) But I was delighted to discover on Monday morning that the beach was clean. The full trash cans were the only indication that anyone had been there at all.
It was a mood-lifting reminder that a lot of us care about the world around us and do what we can to make things better. If you’re heading to the beach soon, I hope you’ll consider some of our recommendations for eco-friendly gear and swimwear. And I hope you have fun! (Don’t forget your sunscreen.)
See you in two weeks!
–Robin Jones
Do you have a special Los Angeles photo or story to share?
Email laeditor@bluedotliving.com. |
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Robin Jones is a Southern California native who served as an editor at Westways magazine for more than a decade. She currently lives in Long Beach and teaches journalism at Cal State Long Beach, where she advises the award-winning student magazine, DIG MAG. She loves road-tripping across California, especially when the itinerary includes stops in Arcata and Trinidad. |
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