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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES

We love working with Caroline Saunders, a pastry chef and writer who launched a newsletter called Pale Blue Tart, which is dedicated to the proposition that saving the world is a piece of cake. She also comes up with planet-friendly pastries and cakes. “The day we covered madeleines at Le Cordon Bleu, I went home to my tiny apartment … and developed a butter-less, plant-based version,” she writes in this story. Lots of good recipes there if you’re looking for a sustainable Easter treat. Bluedot founder Victoria Riskin talked with Caroline recently for our Imagine If  podcast. 

Trash Without the Plastic

Traditional trash bags can sit in landfills for up to 500 years. These 13-gallon compostable bags are plastic-free, BPA-free, and certified compostable — so your kitchen waste doesn’t last for centuries. Shop this and other products for a more sustainable home in the Bluedot Living Collection.

“There is something deeper than hope, and that is engagement. We are creating, together, a new way of being. Nature is in constant upheaval and renewal, as we are. This can be its own form of grace.” – Terry Tempest Williams, author of “The Glorians”

• Securing a Waterwise Future at Santa Barbara’s Lotusland

• Podcast: Can Dessert Help Us Address Climate Change?

• Happy Hens Lay Thousands of Eggs

• A Q&A With Midwest-Based Chef Lane Regan

• Climate Quick Tip: Practice Garden Mindfulness

• Recipe: Kale, Mushroom, and Fontina Slab Pie

• What’s Sustainable Investing? How It Works and Why It Matters

• From the Archives: Iowa Farm Companion

• Dear Dot: How, Eggs-actly, Can I Support Happy Hens?

• 10 Tips for Growing Your Own Herbs 

FEATURED STORIES

BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

Connect to all your senses and engage with nature with this garden mindfulness exercise.

Bluedot Kitchen

Paid Advertisement with NativePath

Why Cranberry Alone Isn't Enough (And What Actually Works)

You've probably heard that cranberry juice helps with bladder health. And while cranberries do offer some benefits, they're not the complete answer—especially when it comes to stopping nighttime urination and regaining bladder control.
The real solution involves targeted nutrients that work together to strengthen your bladder, reduce nighttime urgency, and help you finally sleep through the night. It's simple, natural, and backed by science.

Readers loved our regular feature by Iowa farmer and columnist Joe Villines, who routinely shared the struggles and successes of farming with intention and integrity to the land. We’re revisiting this column about how, sometimes, we have to go back to the start, to rethink our path forward, to get where we want to go. Give the column a read and, then, read the collection. 

With tax day approaching, you might be thinking about some last minute retirement fund investing. Green Century has fossil fuel–free investing in funds that perform as well as or better than those that include them. Check it out. 

For just $5/month, you can become a Bluedot Living member — investing in a healthier planet while unlocking real, everyday benefits for yourself. You'll enjoy 10% off every purchase from Bluedot Living Collection, our editor-curated marketplace of planet-friendly brands and products and you'll receive additional member-only store discounts each month. Many members recoup the cost of membership in just a handful of purchases from our store. From there, the savings continue — making sustainable living more accessible, affordable, and impactful.

Dear Dot: I Want Eggs from Happy Hens

Illustration by Elissa Turnbull

Dear Dot,

What is the difference between pasture-raised hens (and therefore eggs), cage-free, or free-run? I want eggs only from the happiest of hens.

Rona

Dear Rona,

Oh, my hen-loving friend … your innocent question has opened up a can of mealworms that has, no yolk, seriously ruffled my feathers. It would seem that the $6.1 billion U.S. egg industry has more than its share of rotten ova. Egg producers have taken carton blanche to mislead us with labels, and making sense of the various egg classifications is enough to scramble our brains. But let’s crack this open. I hope my response meets your eggs-pectations.

What does Dot have to say? Keep reading.

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER: 
Plastic-Free Picks for the Kitchen

If you make a purchase through our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission.

From cling wrap to the hidden linings inside everyday appliances, plastic is ubiquitous in modern kitchens. As research continues to reveal how microplastics move through our water, food, and bodies, it’s worth re-assessing our reliance on this ubiquitous material. Here are a few thoughtful swaps that can help you kick plastic out of the kitchen. 

Better Boiling 

Many electric kettles place plastic in direct contact with boiling water, where repeated heat exposure can accelerate wear and increase the potential for microplastics or trace compounds to leach over time. The Saki Luna Electric Kettle Pro avoids that concern with a fully stainless steel interior, so water only touches steel from start to finish. Precise temperature controls and preset options make it easy to dial in the ideal heat for green tea, black tea, oolong, coffee, and more, while its streamlined design brings a refined, countertop-worthy look to the kitchen. ($155.95)

Upgrade Your Kettle

Smarter Disinfecting

If you like the convenience of cleaning wipes and hate the waste, consider Zero Waste Store’s Reusable Disinfectant Wipes DIY Kit, which replaces disposable canisters with washable cloths. It’s a simple system you’ll actually use, and quickly pay for itself. ($42.99) 

Do It Yourself (Sort of)

Made to Measure

Bamboozle’s plant-based measuring cups and nesting bowls bring clean design and stackable efficiency to prep. They come in cheery colors and optional silicone lids make them more versatile.

Prep with Precision

Use code SIGNUP10 at checkout to save 10% off your first order! 

This season’s issue is all about cooking with intention, using what you have, and setting the tone for a more thoughtful spring. We’re sharing waste-not soup and a closer look at planet-conscious chocolate. You’ll also find guidance on raising backyard chickens, what to know about amla powder, and ideas to help you cook seasonally while we head into spring. Subscribe now to read the latest issue of Bluedot Living Kitchen and get a full year of low-waste recipes, sustainable kitchen tips, and mindful cooking inspiration for every season.

Want fresh eggs and feathered pets? Then let Bluedot contributor (and self-confessed “crazy chicken lady”) Laura McLean guide you through raising backyard chickens. 

The Keep-This Handbook

Herbs are a great intro to gardening. They are forgiving to grow and useful; they pack a big punch when you want to spice up a dish or add a garnish to your cocktail. Laura McLean offers 10 tips for growing hearty, handy herbs right outside your door.

The Story behind Bluedot

With Earth Day in mind, we want to share the inspiration behind our company name and mission. Astronomer Carl Sagan wrote this in 1994’s Pale Blue Dot: “There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” Sagan’s humbling words guide us to deliver stories to you that reflect his and so many others’ work to cherish this blue dot. We hope you’ll share this newsletter with your friends and family to inspire all of us to take real-world actions in our houses and in our communities that celebrate and preserve this planet, our home. 

Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll see you next week.

– Jamie Kageleiry, Leslie Garrett, Emily Cain, and Robin Jones

Editors

Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com

Leslie Garrett has been covering climate stories for close to two decades.  She makes her home in Canada, west of Toronto. She’s still figuring out her favorite spot but it’s definitely near the water.

Jamie Kageleiry, a longtime magazine and newspaper editor from Martha’s Vineyard, says her favorite spot on earth is out on a kayak there, looking at birds.

Robin Jones is a Southern California native who served as an editor at Westways magazine for more than a decade. She lives in Long Beach and teaches journalism at Cal State Long Beach.

Emily Cain is a recent graduate of Cal State Long Beach, where she wrote and edited for the university’s award-winning magazine, DIG.

Our audience is informed, intentional, and tuned in to sustainable living. Reach our 300,000 readers by advertising here, or contact adsales@bluedotliving.com to reserve your space.

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