Off Season | Leonard J Buck Gardens

A few weeks ago we finally visited the Leonard J Buck Gardens in Far Hills NJ.

Each year we travel north to go to a giant rummage sale in that area and each year we try to also catch this gardens before it closes for the day. We never make it! So we decided to take a special trip just for the gardens.

We recently bought a fancy camera, so we thought it was a good time to test that out as well.

Since every other visit we never made it more than a few steps from the front gate, I had no clue what the rest of the garden would be like or how big it was. Bc of covid, the garden was set up as an all one way walk, but there were still several paths you could take.

Each path meanders thru natural woods with planted out crops, ponds, streams, rocky arrangements, and lawns. Although much of the flora is planted and curated, the garden feels natural, beautiful and exciting. There are foot bridges, steep paths, natural stairs, wood banesters, lots of interesting plants to look at, and tons of chipmunks!

There were a few other critters we noticed, too. And some very strange plants that we had never seen before. If anyone knows what the some of these weird flowers are, be sure to identify them in the comments.

We happened on quite a few fungi.

The park asks you to keep your trip to about an hour, which due to the one way course is about enough time to walk thru twice, and take two different paths. I can imagine under normal circumstances, one could spend a lot more time trying to see everything there is to offer.

The gardens are free, but there are donation boxes available at the entrance. The staff were helpful. Everyone visiting wore masks and maintained social distance. It was a great way to spend an hour or so and I would love to return in different seasons to see changes through out the garden.

Have you visited the Leonard J Buck Gardens? Do you have a garden similar near you?

Zero Waste Travel Review 2019: Nashville, Pheonix

It’s been a lovely year for travel. We like to travel but we can’t always find the time. We have demanding jobs and cats. This means we don’t always get to stay as long as we would like to. This makes it hard to take the time to assess the city and it’s zero waste features and possibilities. But even a few days can give you an idea of how it is to travel zero waste. Here are my impressions of the 2 of the 4 major cities we visited this year.

There is a mix of old school spots, like the Nashville Biscuit House, and new more sustainable options in TN.

Nashville, TN
I’ve visited Nashville a few times previously but as we have family there, we usually stick close to home. This trip we got to visit with family and friends, but also ventured out a little more. There was a lot of plastic bags, styrofoam and plastic take out containers. Single use plastics and plastic packaging seems to be the rule with very little exception. When we went to restaurants of cafe, there was always disposable napkins. It was super hard to find vegetarian, let a long vegan options, but We did hear of a few new vegan places to try next time we are in town. A few places we visited had more eco friendly options and we saw a few places that let you use your own cup, or didn’t offer straws unless asked. We did happen upon a great zero waste shop, The Good Fill. And there were other signs of getting clued into a more sustainable lifestyle. Many people did carry their own grocery bags! There is a light rail that people can take in to the city center, but the entire time we were there I never saw it moving, let along in use. Driving is the main form of transportation and traffic was thick most of the time we were there.

Nashville seems to be a city on the edge of a possible sustainable revolution. But for now, the downside of waste seems to be catching up to other major cities, especially where to go containers, public transport, low cost zero waste alternatives, and normalizing non plastic options are concerned.

Overall, I think Nashville is a city to watch out for. Right now, it’s not anything too special where zero waste is concerned but it’s poised to turn an important corner. I feel like Nashville could use more zero waster citizens and tourist to keep it’s progress moving.

Being in the middle of the desert makes Phoenix unique.

Phoenix, AZ
This is probably the city I have visited the most out of all my travels this year. I’m always surprised by Phoenix. When I think of it, it is a waste land, a desert of similar looking houses and chain stores. But on this visit I took note on how many indy businesses there were, how many vegan options there were, as well as grocery shops with bulk sections and other low key resources for zero wasters. Disposable plastic is still the norm, but I saw many people carrying their own grocery bags, bringing their reusable cups and being more conscious about sustainable options. Phoenix is water conscious and so they are used to taking care of precious things, if they can make the mental leap to also care for reusables, it would go a long way. No one seemed to mind me bringing my own to go container, or to go cup but it was still an oddity. Hiking and out door activities are common there, so people are health conscious which can easily translate to being heath conscious for the planet. Driving is the only transport as far as I could tell, and traffic in the city can be pretty sticky. I was visiting and helping friends on this trip, so I didn’t do too much exploring, but I’m excited for the next visit to suss out more sustainable options and seeing how one can to be more zero waste in Arizona.

A downside of Phoenix zero waste is definitely awareness and communication. I saw resources in Phoenix that I had never seen before, like person who shreds documents and recycles the waste (he even reused any plastic bags that were brought in!) but generally no one is talking about reducing waste. Asking for “no straw” was still a novelty as was asking for other small things to reduce waste in restaurants or shops. People didn’t know how to react and were confused a lot of the time. A way to combat this would be for all those wanting to reduce waste and promote a low impact lifestyle to speak out more and make those conversations a more normal activity.

Overall, I think Phoenix has come a long way but has a longer road ahead.

These two cities had frustrating aspects for someone who wants to reduce their waste, forgo plastic and lead a more low impact life. But they also had exciting possibilities. I’ll be interested to revisit these cities and watch the progress that is made.

It was fun to think back to my travels this year and how they relate to zero waste. Each time I returned home, I was happy to be back in my comfort zone with my waste consumption but it also made me thnk of the changes I still need to work on and how my own city could improve.

Did you travel in 2019 with zero waste in mind? What were your observations?

Zero Waste Travel Review 2019: New Orleans and Denver

It’s been a lovely year for travel. We like to travel but we can’t always find the time. We have demanding jobs and demanding cats. This means we don’t always get to stay as long as we would like to when we do get to travel. It is some times hard to take the time to assess a city and it’s zero waste features and possibilities. But even a few days can give you an idea of how it is to travel zero waste. Here are my impressions of two of the four major cities we visited this year.

Jackson Square in the French Quarter on a cloudy day.

New Orleans, LA
NOLA is pretty much an anything goes kind of city. So it’s easy to ask for things in your own cup or bag, no one looks at you funny for bringing your own utensils or to go containers. There’s tons of cafes, restaurants, and shops that are easy to eat-in so as not to create waste. New Orleans is pretty environmentally conscious due to it’s precarious nature and history. When I was there in February, I noticed some places with paper straws, paper packaging, and other signs of awareness. There are a few places I have read about that are specifically geared towards zero waste, but I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting them. Hey! Cafe (where environmental activist and zero waster Rob Greenfield visited in 2017) and the New Orleans Food Co-op are definitely on my list for my next visit. There is a broad network of trolleys and buses, but it’s also easy to get around on foot as a visitor. I love New Orleans and think that it is definitely in my top ten cities that I would gladly move to.

Washington Square in The Marigny section of NOLA.

The downside of NOLA waste would definitely be the souvenirs, beads, and decoration waste mostly associated with Mardi Gras.

Overall, I think being zero waste in NOLA is pretty easy, as long as you stay conscious and avoid the really touristy things, like to go beverages in plastic cups, drive throughs and all the plastic trinkets. You can walk or take trolleys to explore the city. And feel comfortable that asking for no plastic is not the weirdest thing anyone has seen all day.

A vista near Buffalo Bill’s tomb outside of Denver.

Denver, CO
From what I had heard about the hippy dippy nature of Colorado (and I guess my preconceptions about all the pot smoking) I thought Denver would be very progressive. A “hippy” city. I was quite surprised with my observations. One of the first places that we went to get a bite to eat was billed as a veg and eco friendly. It seemed to be neither and didn’t herald a prosperous start. throughout our 3 day trip, I saw a lot of plastic, lots of straws, a lot a disposables. Some restaurants we visited, like Uncle Ramen, did have higher standards. Uncle uses disposable chopsticks and napkins but also makes sure these all go to composting. There were quite a few farm to table restaurants, used book shops, thrift and vintage shops that we found and really enjoyed. No one seemed to mind when I asked for things in my own cup and it was clear that water was a necessity in the hight elevation. We saw lot of reusable water bottles. Being a very health conscious and outdoorsy place, I’m sure there are a lot of resources for those activities, but we didn’t find them on this first visit. The main transport seemed to be driving but there was a light rail that went to the airport and the heart of the city.

The downside of Denver Waste seemed to be that it’s a very large and spread out city. It didn’t seem possibe to travel easily by public transport and walking was impossible. With that and the seemingly lack of awareness, it made it hard to feel comfortably zero waste. Many places still presented purchased items in plastic bags and the city streets had a lot of litter.

The Chatsfield Reservoir south of Denver.

Overall, Denver felt like a big dirty city to me. I felt that I mostly had to go out of my way for zero waste options. That is how it is in much of my day to day experience is, to be fair. But it surprised me bc of my preconceived notions about CO. After visiting Denver once, I would really like to see more, get a better feel for it and visit some of the surrounding cities that are supposedly more progressive (CO Springs, Boulder…etc…). But upon first visit it didn’t strike me as a place I could ever see myself living.

I definitely have a bias where these two cities are involved, as I LOVE New Orleans and already feel comfortable there. I did the minute I got there on my first visit. So it would be helpful to hear from my readers! Have you visited these cities? What were your thoughts on them from a zero waster or generally traveller?

We visited two other cities this year, stay tuned for the reviews on those places!

Zero Waste Travel | The Good Fill

One thing we love to do when we travel is visit the kind of shops and spaces tat we enjoy and see how they are different in each town or city. We always try to find thrift shops, toy shops (especially vintage toys), groceries, comic book shops and more. A new kind of place that we have started looking for is Zero Waste shops.

When we were in Nashville last week, our family told us about The Good Fill, in the Fatherland District of Five Points.

This was a very neat shop filled with zero waste supplies and refillable options. The stock was mostly focused on bathroom swaps like shampoo bars, shampoo in bulk, safety razors, dental floss, etc…

The shop is very tiny, nestled into an area where there are many such small shops. It carries a variety of items to help you shop in bulk, like cotton produce bags, food tins, keep cups, etc… The had cleaning supplies, and even some pet supplies.

While we were there, the shopkeepers were sorting out recycling that they collect. Hard to recycle items, like makeup cases, toothbrushes, and more are collected there. They also offer a discount for bringing an empty jar to donate for refills.

Like all the ZW shops I’ve been to, the items at The Good Fill were pretty pricey. This might be a constant problem in the ZW world, especially as it gains popularity, but I did feel this shop was trying to combat it to some extent. By providing other services and information and by allowing customers to bring their own bottles and bags to be filled The Good Fill is providing options for lower cost zero waste lifestyles.

I would highly recommend this shop to anyone looking to learn more about zero waste in the Nashville area. I was happy to support them on this trip and I plan to purchase from them again online.

Do you have a zero waste or package free shop in your area? Leave it in the comments!

Denver Botanic Gardens

When we went to Denver last month, we tried not to plan too many things to do. We were visiting friend and wanted to go with the flow. One of the only things we heard was not to be missed was the Denver Botanic Gardens. We made sure to get there on our trip and they did not disappoint.

These Botanic Gardens have a nice mix of inside and outside spaces. I enjoy gardens that have a good balance of both. The weather was very hot, but with no humidity which made both spaces enjoyable in their own ways.

This indoor room drenched in mists were definitely a Jurassic Park lover’s dream.

Outside, there were a lot of neat little areas as well. We sat for a while in this bamboo grove.

And my friend dreamed of quant weddings in this airy outside pagoda.

We saw a lot of little creatures while we were there, all enjoying the garden as much as we did.

Admission to this garden was very reasonable at $12.50, I felt bc of the size and variety of things to see and do. They had a separate kids garden that also had a lot of fun things in it. We were disappointed to learn we missed their annual plant sale by only one day!

Overall, I would highly recommend this Botanic Garden and would definitely consider returning if we ever end up in Denver again.

Have you been to the Denver Botanic Garden? What are your thoughts? What city has your favorite garden?

Something Nice: Visiting a Friend's Garden

When I was in Brooklyn last month, I was able to spend some time in a friend’s garden.

Modern Art at the New Orleans Museum of Art

It seems like we were in New Orleans ages ago!! It was really only about two month ago that we traveled with my husbands family to one of my favorite cities. The only thing that I put on our family trip agenda was to go to the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA).

Although I had been to New Orleans several times, and had visited the free sculpture garden adjacent to the museum, I had never visited the museum itself. It’s a very small museum but it’s pretty jam packed. We had a limited time for this visited so we did end up skipping some of the more classic art, and heading right to the modern art. We were pleasantly surprised that the modern and contemporary art areas were quite large. That’s usually our favorite part of any museum and this was no exception.

Many of our favorite modern artist were on display including Rauchenberg, Picasso, Ernst, Pollock and more! There were also some super fun new artists and peices to learn about and explore.

I think a trip to NOMA is a must at some point for those visiting New Orleans. The museum itself is great, it’s also a very doable size, and the attached free sculpture garden is also awesome. Both are right at the entrance to City Park, which is a stunning free park to visit. The museum is a little pricy at $15 for adults. I think this is worith the price and feels good to support, but it makes the free garden and park even more exciting and inclusive as you can still see some amazing work while on a budget.

Has any reader been to this museum? Does anyone have suggestions of other museums to visit in New Orleans, LA?

Pack With Me: Three Day Trip

When I travel, I tend to only take a backpack. For a longer trip, I might take a carry on. But mostly a backpack will do me. When packing for New Orleans, I realized that it was basically, more or less, what I pack when I go anywhere.

My packing always starts with what I’m going to wear for the actual traveling. Since I was flying this trip, I knew I needed something that would keep me very warm and comfy. But since I was traveling from a cold place to a warmer place, I didn’t want to wear a big coat.

So naturally I opted for lots of layers that I could use later in my trip, too. I wore a tank top, a mockneck, a sweater, one of the two pairs of jeans that I brought, a sweatshirt, and a jacket. As always I had a scarf and a hat. I chose to wear my new vans that I had bought the day before leaving. I love to wear slip on shoes when I fly, bc they make the security check much simpler.

Once we arrived, I broke up this outfit, changed into a tee shirt, and switched to my broken in shoes. On such a short trip, I ended up wearing many items over and over, like the sweater.

On this trip, I wasn’t sure how warm it was going to be so I packed a two dresses. These didn’t end up getting orn, but they are small and easy to pack. I could have also worn one as a top if I ran low on tee shirts. The other items that didn’t get used was pajama pants and top. I always pack PJs but rarely end up using them. Better safe than sorry!

Here is the final packing list:
4 tees
2 pants
2 dresses
3 tank tops
1 mock neck
1 sweater
1 sweatshirt
1 bathing suit
under garments and socks
2 sneakers
1 scarf
1 hat
1 jacket

Overall I think I packed a little too much, but with not knowing what the weather would be doing, I the best I could. I’m always trying to streamline packing, use layers, rewear items, and be comfortable when traveling! I also packed my toiletries, my zero waste kit, and my accessories (books, noteboos etc…) for this trip and fit them into a backpack and 1 small tote. Let me know if you would be interested to see those items!

Are you a minimalist packer for trips? Are you an over packer? Share your advice in the comments!

Back to Cape May for 6th Anniversary

We are not big occasion people. We don’t buy xmas gifts, we don’t go on dates, we don’t dress up. But one thing that we have celebrated for the last six years is our wedding anniversary. We always try to take a little trip around this time and this year, we headed back to an old favorite: Cape May, New Jersey.

We took a leisurely time to drive down to Cape May and stopped at a few thrift shops we enjoy along the way. We arrived just in time for the sunset. They are usually quite spectacular in this town.

The night was easy and we took advantage of a warm room and a strong shower. In the morning we ate at the hotel restaurant before heading out into the snowy landscape.

The Victorian homes and square are particularly striking in the snow.

We always like to take a look at the sunken concrete ship at the end of the state.

Our trip was very brief but relaxing and lovely. Here’s to another year to decide where to go next.

Past trips:
Philly
Princeton
Cape May
Washington DC

Off Season: Moth Coffeehouse

We recently headed to one of our favorite small towns, Allentown NJ, and finally got to stop in at a Moth Coffeehouse. I’ve been wanting to try it for a long time but somehow always visit the town when the cafe is closed. I was not disappointed. I love that this coffee shop is in a hundreds year old building and that it offers a lot of healthy and vegan options.

The whole cafe and aesthetic is lovely. They have plenty of low waste options, to stay cups and plates. It’s cozy and if I lived closer, I could easily see myself becoming a regular.

What’s your favorite coffee shop?

One Day in Cape May

Last month we took an impromptu trip to one of our favorite places, Cape May NJ. We left pretty late as it was a last minute decision to go, but it was a ridiculously gorgeous day and once there, we went right to the beach! It’s about an hour and a half drive so it was really relaxing to swim and lay out.

Congress Hall is a favorite of ours when we stay in the area, but it’s also great to pop in and see how it’s decorated or for a bathroom break.

We walked around town and popped into a few shops, but then made our way down to Sunset Beach. We love the weird gem shop there and that there is a sunken ship still visible. We even got to see a flag ceremony with muscat salute! It’s also known for it’s sunsets, of course.

On our way back into town we stopped at the Animal Outreach Of Cape May. It was too late for it to be open, but we got to see a few kitties.

On the way back north, we stopped at Big Wave Burritos. It was pretty tasty! I was happy to try a few local spots this trip that we hadn’t before. Earlier in the day we also got a nice coffee at Out There Coffee.

I’m so glad that we live so close to Cape May now and it makes for easy day trips to one of our favorite places! One day in this town is plenty to see and do a lot and I highly suggest a visit if you are close by.

Do you have a near by getaway that you love to revisit again and again.

On Not Being in Vermont

Can you be homesick for a place you never lived? 

My mother and I had vacationed in the same part of Vermont for 17 - 20 Summers (after that amount of time, one losses track!). We spent almost a month there year after year until about 7 or 8 years ago. Bc of work, and wanting to save to buy a house, we decided not to go. It was a tough choice to break the tradition. If we hadn't made that choice, I'd be in Vermont right now. 

Every year, leading up to August, I think more and more about Vermont. I can't completely describe why it's such a special place. It's more than a place to me, in fact, but a symbol of a way of life that I strive for. Vermont to me embodies slow, simple lifestyle, no waste mentality, fresh food resources, community reliance, and a balance between nature, industry, and a peaceful life. 

Obviously that's just want it embodies, to me, not what it actually is. But it is a state that strives to keep big box stores out, to value different and alternative lifestyles, renewable energies, farming, clean living, and statewide community. 

While thinking about it this year, I want my nostalgia to motivate me towards my evolving lifestyle. For the end of August, I'll be meditating on what I want my life to look like for the end of this year, what I want my life to look like going forward, and what that means for this blog space. My time in Vermont will be an inspiration for me.  

Hopefully getting back to Vermont will be part of our near future, but for now, I can use my memories to motivate my present!  

Is there a place that inspires your day to day? Where is your home away from home?

Art and Nature in Cleveland Ohio

Whenever I go on a trip I like to take some time to see some art, a museum, a gallery, and I try to see some nature, a park, a garden, And I love to see a combo of the two. 

When I went to Cleveland in June, I didn't get to seek out any museums or botanic gardens, but luckily, just walking around the city, I got to see quite a bit of art and nature!

I loved how much street art and how many murals were just peeping out around town. It gave the city a very new and cared for feel. With the old architecture, and repurposed spaces, made the whole city feel like it would survive anything and still live on. 

A city on a body of water is a glorious thing and it was nice to walk only a few minutes from the heart of town and find yourself on a curving river or expansive lake at sunset. 

Parks and little bits of nature were all over, and people were out enjoying them at the start of Summer!

Although Cleveland isn't the most ideal walking city, it was the perfect way for me to get acquainted with it! Next visit, I hope to get to a museum, park, or combo of art and nature, but for a first visit I got the perfect taste!

Five Days in Cleveland Ohio | Part Two

In my usual style, I crammed a lot into five days when I recently visited Cleveland Ohio. I wanted to highlight the architecture and the feel of the city and you can see that in my last post. There was so much more I wanted to include, so for this part two post, here are some of the places I went and saw. 

Bc I was in Cleveland for a wedding I stayed in the Hyatt Arcade, a very historic and fancy hotel I most likely wouldn't have chosen myself. This ended up being perfect for me bc it exemplified the reuse of historic buildings that I enjoyed so much in this city. 

I visited a few cute coffee shops, one was right in the ground floor of the hotel!

Cleveland is known for having a ton of great breweries and I was lucky enough to visit four of them in the 5 days I was there. My two favorites were Great Lakes Brewing on the West Side and Noble Beast which is in Downtown. 

A must visit for Cleveland is the West Side Market and I almost missed it! The first day I tried to go, it was closed! I made it a point to go back and it was well worth it. I could have spent a lot of time and money exploring this classic indoor food market. 

I went to a bunch of other sweet spots and I'm sure there are many more to explore when I go back!

Have you visited Cleveland Ohio? Do you live there? Do you have suggestions of places to visit?

Five Days in Cleveland Ohio | Part One

In late May and early June I had the opportunity to visit Cleveland. I had never been there before, except briefly passing through. I had a few days to wondering around and I loved the city! 

I stayed in Downtown Cleveland and spent time walking around, seeing some landmarks, and going to the aquarium. One of the things that struck me most about the city was the amazing architecture and how many old buildings were repurposed into something new. Many were also used for their original purpose and still going strong, like the West Side Market, a bustling food hall full of shops and restaurants. Or small local spots that seemed straight from the 40s. 

Here are some of my photos from Cleveland, OH. 

West Side Market

5th Street Arcades

Tower City

Heinen's Grocery

I have so much more to show of Cleveland! Look for a Part Two of my trip! Do any of my readers come from or live in Cleveland? What are your favorite places? 

Whitesbog Revisited

This is our third year going to the Whitesbog Blueberry Festival and it's one of our favorite June events!! This year was much cooler and cloudy than previous years. It was really nice to do some exploring, eating and observing when it wasn't a million degrees. 

We also saw this amazing dog!! How cute and tough is he?

I love to visit and revisit the places we love around NJ. It's so great to see an area in all different weather. Where are your favorite places to visit in your state?

Zoo at Home, Zoo Abroad: Greater Cleveland Aquarium

Last week I found myself in Cleveland Ohio and decided to visit the Greater Cleveland Aquarium.

This is a really sweet little aquarium on the West Side of the Cuyahaga River. It's under ground, housed in the lower levels of the FirstEnergy Powerhouse Building which was built in 1892. It's a gorgeous brick building and being right at the edge of the river makes one feel that they are going deep under the water.  

This aquarium is pretty kid friendly, with touch tanks and little activities to do throughout. It is a little pricey to get in at $20 for adults. I understand that these attractions need money to survive as well as our support. But I often wish they could find a way to be more accessible as well. 

By far the main attraction and the big finish for this aquarium is the shark tunnel! This is a really neat feature towards the end of the space and it's worth the price of admission!!

I found Cleveland to be an extremely nice and interesting place to visit and this aquarium was no exception. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you are in the area! 

Has anyone else visited the Greater Cleveland Aquarium?

Morris Museum Hall of Rocks and Minerals

Last week we had some time to explore NJ and headed to the Morris Museum in Morristown, NJ. I had never been to Morristown before and it was not at all what I expected. The area has a lot of beautiful landmarks, including churches and Fort Nonsense (a revolutionary war historic site). But mostly the town has a lot of financial businesses, a million banks, and a lot of big name brand stores. 

The Morris Museum is located outside the main part of town and boasts a large collection of working automata. This was the main reason we went and worth the price of admission. They have daily shows at 2pm, which we unfortunately did not know before going and missed. 

The Morris Museum is also well known for it's large collection of gems, many of which were found in NJ. 

I always really love to see a big collection of gems together and this was a really great gallery. 

I was really glad to visit this museum, and I would definitely recommend it! We will be back soon to see an exhibit on kinetic art. Ans of course to revisit the gem room!

What are your favorite galleries to visit in museums?

Modern Art at The Fabric Workshop and Museum

While we were in Philly at the beginning of the month, we discovered that our hotel was right near the Fabric Workshop and Museum. Before we visited, I had never heard of this little  museum and didn't know their mission. Here's how they describe themselves:

The Fabric Workshop and Museum was founded in 1977 with a visionary purpose: to stimulate experimentation among leading contemporary artists and to share the process of creating works of art with the public. Providing studio facilities, equipment, and expert technicians, FWM originally invited artists to experiment with fabric, and later with a wide range of innovative materials and media.

The exhibit that was at the museum when we went was a sort of retrospective of many of the artists that had come to the Fabric Workshop. Process and Practice: 40 Years of Experimentation showcases many of the artist's work as well as their notes, sketches, scraps, prototypes, etc... that they generated while working on the major project. We didn't know what artists there would be or what to expect, but it was really lovely to see the process and production of notable artists like Kiki Smith (next three pictures). 

There were a ton of recognizable artists, and many that I had never heard of. I really enjoyed the way the museum was laid out and the way each artist and their work was displayed. Being primarily a textile museum, there were lots of clothing, a quilt, some stuffed toys, some embroidery, and other fabric works. But there were also works of paper, film, and projection. 

The Fabric Workshop and Museum is right in the heart of center city, one block from the Reading Terminal Market. The entry fee is only $5 suggested donation. This museum and exhibit is a great way to see some more obscure pieces of your favorite modern artists, or to introduce people to modern art and textile arts. I love how accessible this museum is and I would highly recommend checking it out! 

Has anyone else visited this museum? What is your favorite suggest donation museum near you?

24 Hours in Philadelphia for 5th Anniversary

For our fifth wedding anniversary we weren't sure what we wanted to do, if anything. I have been trying be mindful about marking events that are important to me where my family is concerned. It's easy for me to just let an event or special day pass with little fanfare. 

After much hemming and hawing, we decided to spend one night in Philadelphia. We haven't visited for several years and not since we moved to NJ. Philly is only about an hour and twenty minutes from Asbury Park! We left a bit late in the day and made a stop at one of our favorite vintage toy shops in Allentown, NJ. 

We only spent about 24 hours in the city and plenty of that was sleeping, but we got to walk around china town, eat ramen, dim sum, pastries, have a cocktail in the hotel bar, see a cool museum, smash some pennies, see some historical sites, and walk around some more! 

I didn't get to explore any zero waste resources on this trip but I'm excited to do more research next time!

Philadelphia has so many interesting pockets and neighborhoods and it's really easy to see a lot in a short time. We will definitely be going back for day trips and easy overnights. Especially concidering how easy it is to drive there for our house!

Please leave your Philly recommendations in the comments!