Memorial Day Weekend (for some of us) means the beginning of
having and/or being house guests for a few months. We fall into the
houseguest side of this equation. As urbanites, we want our
daughter to have time out of the city, especially when the weather
is good. So we spend a lot of the summer visiting family (and
sometimes friends and friends-with-kids) who live outside the city
or have second homes.
Whatever side of the equation you fall on, house-guest season can
equal eco-related awkwardness. For environmentally sensitive hosts
housing environmentally insensitive friends or family members,
situations can arise over things like the Hummer they drive up in,
requests for non-dairy creamer, too many towels used, extra long
hot showers and so on. For environmentally sensitive guests staying
with environmentally insensitive hosts, similar issues can arise
over sheets that have been washed in conventional detergents and
reek of synthetic (hormone
disrupting!) fragrance,
BBQs involving lighter fluid and frozen conventional packaged
beef patties, and garden pesticides misted near crawling
babies.
It's a delicate dance, but here are a few ways to manage.
If you're hosting, you have home court advantage. Chances are
whoever is coming to stay with you knows you well enough to
understand your eco tendencies. Keep in mind that guests are not
people attending a lecture you're giving! Welcome them. A few
simple ways to avoid the worst pitfalls:
*Offer to cook all meals, or to do the grocery shopping for meals
well meaning guests offer to cook. Take them to the farmers'
market Saturday morning and let them do whatever they want to
there. Shrug off any stupid comments regarding your
"hippie" diet. Or offer them other tasks you might want
done - mowing, weeding, whatever - instead of cooking.
*Do the dishes if they're using too much soap and water for
your liking. No one minds a host that does everything - green or
not.
*If you have a
no-shoes in house rule, make that clear from the get go.
*Explain to them (gently) that you're giving them one towel for
shower/bath, and one for swimming. Imply that there will be no more
where those come from.
*Tell them you have hot water heater problems.
*Try not to get into post dinner tipsy clean up discussions on the
merits of bleach vs.
vinegar unless you think your guest is truly asking your
opinion rather than picking on your (wise) choices.
*Don't forget to be gracious - serving a gift-from-your-guests
dessert or a wine that isn't up to your
organic standards won't kill anyone and will go a long way
to smooth over any other glitches.
If you're a guest, being gracious is equally crucial.
Here are a few thoughts on how to (quietly) green your weekends
in non green spaces.
*There's a lot that can be done under the radar. If fragrant
sheets make you toss and turn at night, pack a few pillow cases
from home that don't smell. Your host will be none the wiser
and you'll be more comfortable. Baby blankets and sarongs can
be spread over sheets as well. And hosts are always thrilled when
people pack their own beach towels -- less laundry for them once
you go.
*People with specific dietary needs (i.e. vegans, diabetics, those
with food allergies etc.) are pretty used to traveling with their
staples without offending hosts. Why not do the same for whatever
organic musts you feel like you can't spend a weekend without?
This is easily done when traveling with (notoriously picky) kids.
Arrive with some of their preferred milk, cereal, noodles, cheese,
whatever, and everyone will just be pleased they're eating. So
what if you're also using that milk for your coffee or snacking
on what they're snacking on? Chances are no one will notice.
Especially if you bring enough to share. Don't make a big deal
of it.
*Head to the
farmers' market. Most weekend spots have great local markets on
Saturday mornings. Go with your hosts (if they want to go) and load
up on all of the fresh local goodies you'd like to be eating
for the weekend. Offer to cook them all up into a lovely meal for
everyone. Win win.
*To avoid garden pesticides, offer to help. When the hosts hand you
a spray can of weed killer, just bend down and start weeding by
hand. It's addictive and effective. I should know -- I've
been hand weeding at my less-green-than-I'd-like-them-to-be
parents' house for years now.
*Arrive bearing green gifts -- a bag of better charcoal for the
grill, beeswax candles, organic mosquito repellant, biodynamic wine, natural
soap, an
organic gardening book. With any luck, they might just use them
while you're there. Just don't over explain or lecture
about what it is you're giving them and why. That's
obnoxious overkill.
One person's green lifestyle does have the odd tendency to make
others who aren't living green uncomfortable, especially in
close quarters. But all it takes is a certain level of sensitivity
and openness on both sides, and cohabitating during the summer
months is truly possible.
Happy summer.
posted by Alexandra
Related links from the Daily Green:
*
Most Recent Toxic Toy Recalls
*
The Dirty Dozen: 12 Toxic Foods to Eat Organic
*
Take the Quiz: How Green Do You Want to Be?
*
DIY Organic Baby Food
*
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