In search of a low-waste frum life.
At the end of last week’s parsha, the Torah shifts into what appears to be a long genealogical list—Esav’s wives and children, the clans of Seir, the kings of Edom. But names matter in Torah. They remind us that who we are is shaped by who came before us, and that mesorah is built step... Continue Reading →
I’ve had ideas over the years to reuse the plethora of event and organization magnets I wind up with, but like too many of my best ideas, they got outpaced by laundry, carpools, and other to-dos.
In my work as a consultant, I often remind clients that perfect is the enemy of good. A perfect software solution that takes five years to build is decidedly not better than a good solution you can implement in six months and then continually improve while benefiting from its “goodness” for four and a half... Continue Reading →
Because of how much ink had been pulled out of the pen and into the quilt, the stain showed on both sides. But other than that, it was beautiful and in good shape.
Some of my favorite home upgrades come from the conscious habit of making use of what is no longer perfect and perfecting reused objects.
With grocery prices increasing the way they have been, not wasting food is good for the planet and your pocketbook. In the lead-up to Passover, it takes special effort.
The longer I live a low-waste life, I find that my gratitude becomes deeper and more multifaceted.
As of this early Tuesday morning, we’ve lit the menorah (or chanukiyah if you want to be picky) for two nights. In addition to olive oil for lighting, we’ve got plenty of canola oil for frying donuts and latkes, and I’ve been using yet another miraculous oil of late. But to tell you about it,... Continue Reading →
Pesach is one of the biggest projects we undertake as frum families. One of the most powerful planning tools in my toolkit—one I use for managing projects both at work and at home—is the after-action report. While any project or endeavor I will undertake again in the future is fresh in my mind, I make notes about what worked, what didn’t work, and what could have worked better with a little bit of tweaking. This way, I can reduce, reuse, and refuse my way to a more sustainable, less stressful holiday.
Pesach reminds me that limiting my choices and not having exactly what I want doesn’t have to mean feeling deprived.
The Bal Tashchit Balabusta 