Welcome to The New Homemaker!

Diary of a New Homemaker
for Friday, February 5, 2010

What's on the needles?

So glad you asked! I've taken up my crafting again in earnest after a couple of years of lackluster inspiration.

Newest Article

Boxed Wine: A Green Option for the Holidays

There are no bottles in these boxes of wine -- just wine and the plastic pouch that holds it. It's a great "green" option for holiday parties. Boxing instead of bottling wine saves half the shipping weight (and associated carbon emissions) and keeps the product fresher longer. Photo: BotaBox.

ear EarthTalk: Apparently boxed wine (instead of bottled) is becoming all the rage for environmental reasons. What are the eco-benefits of boxed wine over bottled?
--Justin J., Los Angeles, CA

With more and more wineries offering organic varieties to lower their eco-footprint, it’s no surprise that they’re looking at the environmental impacts of their packaging as well. The making of conventional glass bottles (and the corks that cap them) uses significant quantities of natural resources and generates considerable pollution. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the process of manufacturing glass not only contributes its share of greenhouse gas emissions but also generates nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and tiny particulates that can damage lung tissue when breathed in.

A Seasonal Taste:

Massage: The Right Touch

hether you're the type of person who likes to learn a little about a subject or someone who goes whole hog, try massage. Now seen by some as a true holistic alternative medicine, the types and purposes of massage are varied enough to appeal to most anyone. An upstate New York teacher says her husband goes every week for an hour and a half. "He feels this is one of the only times he is actually able to 'empty his mind' of the week and finds that very beneficial to his health and to his productivity at work (as an ad director)."

A Taste of the Healthy Living Section:

Essential Medicines

: What are the must-haves in a medicine cabinet?