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Welcome to Bluedot Living San Diego, 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 San Diego, 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.
All Dear Dot illustrations by Elissa Turnbull. |
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES |
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Eggs are much in the news lately, mostly for being expensive, but also for concerns over environmental and humane issues. Luckily, we have choices that are better for both the chickens and the planet. Food writer Nicole Litvak first reported on Happy Hens Farm in 2023. She recently went back for an update and found they’ve expanded the business. |
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Quick Links |
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Skip scrolling! Here's what you'll find in today's Bluedot San Diego newsletter: |
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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! |
| Enter Now |
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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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– 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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If you make a purchase through our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission. |
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As spring puts on a show all around us, we can’t help but want to bring those flowers inside. If you find yourself longingly admiring public displays of daffodils and tulips, you deserve to treat yourself to some flowers. Or, spread the love and give flowers to someone else. Our Marketplace editor, a flower fiend, trusts these companies when she wants to liven up a room or needs a special gift. In fact, they’re stepmother-, mother-in-law–, and sister-in-law–approved.
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FreshCut Paper makes greeting cards that go from flat to fabulous in just seconds. Our Marketplace editor first spotted them in a botanical garden shop, and they’ve become one of her go-to gifts. Today, she also spotted one in the background on a team Zoom call. These lovely arrangements look even better in person than they do online — and they look great online.
Shop on Amazon or read our review. |
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Keeping fresh flowers in the house year-round is pricey, and while dried flowers make a nice alternative, they can shed and get messy. Enter Unwilted, a woman-run, Michigan-based brand that makes beautiful paper flowers by hand. Our Marketplace editor keeps Unwilted peonies in her Airbnb, and guests often ask her where they can find paper bouquets of their own. Save 20% with code BLUEDOT20. Shop today or read our review. |
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We always recommend shopping for fresh flowers at a local farmers market, but if that option isn’t available, or you’d like a cut-flower bouquet for someone out of town, we suggest Bloomsy Box. Bloomsy sells Rainforest Alliance Certified bouquets and potted plants. When your stepmother, who’s a stickler for quality, is impressed by two separate Bloomsy bouquets, it’s no small feat.
Shop today or read our review. |
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In the neighborhood we call her Farmer Laura, and if putting positive energy into the world was an Olympic sport, she’d have a raft of gold medals. Just read her helpful and information-packed article on herbs … “Some herbs, like chives and garlic, are natural pest deterrents, making them multi-functional. Other herbs (basil and rosemary) will bring the pollinators or act as host plants (dill) for swallowtail butterflies.” Did you ever imagine herbs would be so interesting? We did not. |
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The Naked Truth |
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Sixty-five years ago, a TV show about New York cops (“Naked City”) famously told us, “There are eight million stories in the naked city.” Well, there are eight billion stories on our naked planet, one for each of us. Our environment affects every one of us differently, and the more we talk about it, the more we learn about how many people are fighting for a greener, better future. People like Catherine Gaynor, who built a business based solely on utilizing wasted fabric. We also learn how we can join them in our everyday lives.
At Bluedot Living, we are telling these stories to uplift, inspire, and encourage. We hope you’ll help us by contributing to our journalism, subscribing to our newsletters, and forwarding this email to your like-minded friends.
We’ll see you in two weeks.
– Nicki and Jim Miller
Editors, Bluedot Living San Diego
sdeditor@bluedotliving.com
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We live in San Diego and love the opportunity to be on the water and in the mountains in one day. Nicki, a writer and editor, and Jim, a writer and environmental economist, are excited to combine skills as the editors of Bluedot Living San Diego. Since we’re avid cyclists, you may see us riding along the Silver Strand or hitting the trails in Cuyamaca (probably not on the same day). Thank you for joining us on this Bluedot ride! |
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