Dare I say happy spring?! With temps pushing the upper 50s and Luna Park open for the season, it feels like we may finally be out of the false-spring-just-kidding-it’s-cold-again loop that has plagued us all of March.
Which means, of course, spring cleaning is upon us. My mom used to joke that spring cleaning was a way to dig us out of our winter hibernation mess. We’d finally put away lingering holiday decorations and open up the windows to air out the house. And this year, I get the extra special task of not just cleaning, but also packing to move apartments.
Spring cleaning and moving are good life audits, I find. I recently read a piece by Ann Patchett in The New Yorker about cleaning out a house and how so much of the stuff we accumulate was meant for a different version of us, perhaps a person we no longer are, or one we only ever aspired to become.
When I was a cheerleader, it made sense to have multiple sets of pom-poms. Now, I can let them go. I'll also donate lots of the clothing I’ve acquired over the last decade. I think of myself as a conscientious shopper, but going through my closet, I see how many pieces I've acquired were in styles I never embraced or fads I tired of. None of this needed to take up room in my apartment or be boxed up and moved to my next place.
My partner and I have helped clear out more than one home of a departed loved one. Holding on to stuff feels important until, suddenly, it’s not. The china my grandmother so scrupulously saved and never used ended up in a donation bin because no one wanted a second set of plates. The binders of lesson plans from my partner’s mom went untouched for years, and we finally gave them away. Same with books, school notes, and art projects.
It all reminds me that the first and most important of the three R’s in reduce, reuse, recycle is reduce. Reduce my own consumption of goods, and I wouldn’t need to dig myself out in the first place. Reduce and I wouldn’t have had to sort through so many mismatched food storage containers just to realize I only use two.
Our new motto is: If we’re not willing to carry it in a box, we should give it to someone who is (and if we’re keeping it, we need to use it — I’m looking at you, fancy stationery!). In keeping this effort green, I’m attempting to donate or recycle as much as possible.
A few things I've learned from all this cleaning:
The NYC Department of Sanitation has drop-off bins for textiles, clothing, shoes, etc. Clothes that can’t be donated will be recycled. See the map here.
Staples will take nearly all forms of electronics for recycling, including old wires and keyboards. Best Buy will not.
Buy Nothing groups on Facebook or on the Buy Nothing app are amazing. I’ve given away beds, perfume, nail polish, computer monitors, and loads of kitchen gadgets. I highly recommend finding a Buy Nothing group and giving away items and furniture you don’t intend to use. Buy Nothing groups are also a great place to find moving boxes.
From Wirecutter, I learned that cloth diapers are superstar cleaning cloths. They don’t leave lint in their wake, are super absorbent, dust easily, and are endlessly washable. Ask for old cloth diapers in a Buy Nothing group. They also make for great padding in boxes (and when you unbox, you can use them to wipe things down before eventually retiring them to textile recycling). Plus, they are often cotton and therefore biodegradable, unlike microfiber cloths!
HousingWorks and the Big Reuse also accept donations of books, household goods, clothes, and more if these locations are closer to you.
For more ideas, check out the Bluedot Guide on How to Get Rid of (Almost) Anything.
The soundtrack to this weekend is “Happy Working Song” from the movie Enchanted. Wish me luck.
– Michaela Keil, Editor, Bluedot Living Brooklyn
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With vet costs rising 60% over the past decade, pets and pet parents both deserve a little relief.
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Climate News, In Brief
Free Trees: Roughly 3,750 free trees — including Pawpaw, American Persimmon, Flowering Dogwood, and Highbush Blueberry — will be given away by the New York Restoration Project from April 4 through May 16, with seven distribution events in Brooklyn.
Big Win for Cyclists: Mayor Mamdani announced that he will reverse an Adams-era policy that empowers the NYPD to issue criminal summonses to cyclists for minor traffic violations, such as running red lights or failing to stop at a stop sign. The policy was widely criticized as unfair, as drivers receive lesser penalties for the same violations.
U.S. Army Cleans Up Historic Beach: Soldiers from the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton and Marine Reservists from the Sixth Communication Battalion, assigned to Floyd Bennett Field, joined forces to clear the debris from Denyse Wharf. The cleanup supports preparations for a parade of tall ships and military vessels that will pass through the Verrazzano Narrows during the “Sail 250” event.
Rat-ical Ban on Glue Traps: Newly elected Councilmember Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan) recently introduced a bill to outlaw the sale of glue traps aimed at mice and rats in the city. The traps are small boards covered with an adhesive that ensnares the critters.
New BBP Conservancy Co-Chairs: Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy announced the election of Chris Coffey and Larkyn Sinclair as co-chairs.
Hanami Nights: Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s annual cherry blossom celebration, Hanami Nights, returns in April to the garden’s Cherry Esplanade.
Rendering of the Prospect Park Vale.
A $37.5 Million Project Will Overhaul A Little-Known, Much-Loved Wooded Corner of Prospect Park
The Vale of Cashmere in Prospect Park is a heavily wooded corner of the park known by few but loved by those in the know.
The section in question hasn’t been restored in over 50 years. Despite having fallen into disrepair, it is a haven for birdwatchers, those seeking a quiet retreat, and many in New York City’s queer community, especially Black queer men.
This restoration represents the city’s most significant capital allocation to the park since the development of the Lakeside complex in 2010.
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A Cocktail Feeling Without the Alcohol
Vesper is what a thoughtfully crafted cocktail feels like, without the alcohol or the next-day haze.
Pique's adaptogenic aperitif combines L-theanine, lemon balm, gentian root, damiana, and elderflower for a gentle mood lift and a clear, relaxed mind.
Try Vesper and get 10% off for life. 🍵🌿
BLUEDOT LIVING BUY BETTER MARKETPLACE
While it’s great to reduce, reuse, and recycle, some items are best replaced — especially those that are made from plastics that can end up in our food, our waterways, and even our bodies.
Here are a few easy swaps that will help you kick plastic — both obvious and invisible — out of your kitchen for good:
Better Boiling: Many electric kettles are lined with hidden plastics. The Saki Luna Electric Kettle Pro features a fully stainless steel interior, precise temperature controls, and a design that earns its place on the counter.
Smarter Disinfecting: Zero Waste Store’s Reusable Disinfectant Wipes DIY Kit replaces disposable canisters with washable cloths and a simple system you’ll actually use.
Modern Measuring: Bamboozle’s plant-based measuring cups and nesting bowls bring clean design and stackable efficiency to prep, with optional lids that turn them into storage.
Explore our Plastic-Free Kitchen Collection and save with code SIGNUP10.
Photo by Engin Akyurt on Unsplash
Reducing Plastic Waste: Three Ways to Replace Disposable With Reusable
Order take-out, and most likely your meal comes in plastic containers inside plastic bags with a set of plastic utensils — each item designed to be used just once. That beer you grab at a concert or basketball game is served in a plastic cup meant to be thrown away when empty.
Replacing these disposable items with reusable ones could help address plastic pollution by reducing the amount of waste generated.
But what are the best ways to accomplish that? Should the responsibility — or the opportunity — to use less plastic come from individuals, large suppliers, or the government?
Dear Dot: Any Recommendations for Building a Green Home?
Dear Dot,
My wife and I are looking to buy a newly built home and are talking to builders. Here in southeast PA (we’re formerly from Brooklyn), there is no discussion about environmentally sensitive building or efficient heating/cooling issues. We get blank stares when we mention these issues.
Is there a handy checklist you can recommend for us to ask a builder to include in a home in this area? Or things we should look for?
—Joe Lorusso
The Short Answer: If you want a sustainable home, according to Izumi Tanaka, green realtor, home advisor, and host of the podcast Home Green Homes, the first thing to look for is that it’s all electric. And she means modern all-electric, not outdated wires from the ’50s. If you have to prioritize one thing, she says, prioritize this.
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Starting in our 30s, some key cellular processes begin to slow down, making us feel tired and weak over time. This decline affects not just our physical strength and endurance, but significantly reduces our quality of life making everyday activities harder to enjoy.
Luckily, scientists have discovered a way to shape how we age. Mitopure®, by Timeline, targets the root cause of this cellular decline and is clinically proven to increase cellular energy, giving our bodies the energy they need to function optimally. The results? Double-digit increases in muscle strength without any change in exercise.
Take aging into your own hands. Bluedot Living readers get 30% off with code 30NEWSLETTER for a limited time, while supplies last.
BLUEDOT LIVING KITCHEN
Morning Glory Cocktail
Photo courtesy of Vodkow
Now that it’s springtime, I’m looking for any excuse to sit in the sun. This cocktail, a bright mix of orange and lemon, is the perfect way to bring the sunshine into the evening.
BROOKLYN BIRD WATCH
Wild Facts About the Great Horned Owl
The iconic great horned owl is one of North America’s most widespread owls. It will eat anything that moves and lives in nearly any type of habitat, from forests to swampy areas to suburban parks.
Photo by Thomas Shockey via Pexels
The Bluedot Brooklyn newsletter is edited by Michaela Keil. If you have any questions, suggestions, ideas, or want to tell us what you’re doing, email [email protected].
*Nibbles is not a bank. The Nibbles Card is issued by Lead Bank. Fees and T&C apply.
**500mg Mitopure® have been shown to (1) induce gene expression related to mitochondria function and metabolism and (2) increase the strength of the hamstring leg muscle in measures of knee extension and flexion after 4 months in overweight 40-65 year olds.
