Subaru of America’s marketing messaging centers around the Subaru Love Promise, and one of those promises is “Subaru Loves the Earth.” While the brand is involved in a number of sustainable and earth-friendly initiatives, for the first time, Subaru aimed its promise at its events, creating for its National Business Conference for Subaru dealers, a zero-waste event experience. In fact, some 33,000 pounds of trash was diverted from landfills.   The show, held this year in June at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, attracted more than 2,000 attendees and was designed to celebrate the previous year’s successes and offer news from executives on the coming year as well as long-term goals. Ultimately, retailers leave the National Business Conference armed with insights to improve their businesses. And, as was the case this year, they left with insights to inspire green initiatives in their businesses, too.   “We’ve always strived to be environmentally-friendly. We definitely believe that in our plants, which are zero-landfill,” says Todd Lawrence, auto shows event manager, Subaru of America. “We figured if we can do it in our automotive plants making cars, we should be able to do that at a conference.”   For Lawrence, the idea of a zero-waste event seemed “far-fetched” at first. “We found ways to make it happen, so you have to just try to overcome obstacles and believe it can be done,” he says. Here, tips on keeping an earth-friendly promise, the Subaru way.  

Find a green partner.

  In addition to working closely with Mandalay Bay to determine waste streams and the best ways to solve them, Subaru partnered with the organization TerraCycle, which, according to its mission statement, can recycle “nearly everything.” Materials that could not be recycled and would have otherwise been sent to the landfill were donated to that organization, which turns waste into thinks like park benches, playground equipment and other civic-oriented products.  

Rethink your furniture.

  Rather than rent furniture from convention centers, Subaru buys it all directly through online retailer Wayfair. After its shows, Subaru then donates the furniture to local organizations. In Las Vegas, the furniture went to Veterans Village, which provides housing for displaced veterans. The carpet was donated to the local Habitat for Humanity chapter.   Food was donated, as well. Subaru donated extra food from the show to local charities and sent food scraps to local farms to feed animals.  

Build it into communications.

  Throughout the show, attendees were immersed in the zero-waste goal of the event. Subaru ceo Tomomi Nakamura discussed it as part of his general session address on the first night, and attendees were able to see the mission in action as they walked the grounds. In fact, at each recycling and trash station, there was a brand ambassador stationed to make sure attendees knew what the brand was doing, and exactly how to sort their waste.   “Subaru strives to be more than a car company. We want to do what’s right for the communities where we are and we push that down,” Lawrence says. “One of the goals of the conference is getting our retailers on board with that and we want our retailers to do similar things within their communities. This was a way to show that we’re walking the walk, not just talking the talk.” Agency: One10, Los Angeles.    

If you’re looking for somewhere to ditch an old car seat, Walmart has a deal for you.   The retail giant announced that from Monday to Sept. 30 it will offer customers a $30 gift card if they trade in an old seat. The promotion is good at nearly 4,000 U.S. stores.   If you’re interested in cashing in, contact Walmart Customer Service. There is a limit of two gift cards per household and booster-seat recycling is not included in this event.   “Safety — especially car seat safety — is a top priority for Walmart’s Baby department, so we wanted to use our size and scale to create an event that offered unprecedented access to trade in an outgrown car seat,” Walmart Baby Vice President Melody Richards said in a statement.   She added that sustainability is of “equal importance. So we’re happy to work with TerraCycle who will recycle every component of the car seats.”   The promotion comes as part of National Baby Safety Month and is held in conjunction with TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based recycling business that works with manufacturers to reprocess difficult products that would normally be thrown away.    

Parents with car seats their kids have outgrown, listen up: Walmart is offering a sweet deal — that also helps the environment.   Beginning Monday and running through Sept. 30, the retail giant is running a program where shoppers can bring their old car seats to a store’s Customer Service department in exchange for a $30 gift card that can be used online or in-store, Walmart shares in a release.   The company’s inaugural Car Seat Recycling Event, in honor of National Baby Safety Month, is being held in conjunction with TerraCycle, “and each component will be diverted from the landfill,” the release states.   Vice President of Walmart Baby, Melody Richards, says in the release that car-seat safety “is a top priority for Walmart's Baby department, so we wanted to use our size and scale to create an event that offered unprecedented access to trade in an outgrown car seat for a gift card — perfect for using on your baby’s next car seat.”  

(CNN) Walmart is partnering with TerraCycle -- a global waste management company that works with consumer product companies, retailers, cities and facilities to recycle "difficult-to-recycle" products and packaging -- to offer the nation's largest car seat recycling event, with nearly 4,000 Walmarts participating across the country.   People who participate in the program will receive a $30 gift card to Walmart for trading in their old car seats. The program began Monday and runs through September 30 in celebration of National Baby Safety Month.   TerraCycle founder and CEO Tom Skazy expects to "divert the plastic equivalent of approximately 35 million water bottles from landfills."   "Through the Walmart Car Seat Recycling Program, traditionally non-recyclable car seats are now nationally recyclable," said Szaky. "We are proud to work with this forward-thinking company to offer families from coast-to-coast a way to give their car seat, the item that has kept their little ones safe, a second life."   Using a material disassembly model for car seat recycling, TerraCycle will work with subcontractors around the country to take the car seats apart and separate them by their components. Once disassembled, the company will use each component to be processed further into a usable raw material in order to manufacture new products.   All of the work will be done in the US, and none of the car seat materials will make it into a landfill or be incinerated, said Brett Stevens, TerraCycle's global vice president of material sales and procurement.   "Safety -- especially car seat safety -- is a top priority for Walmart's Baby department, so we wanted to use our size and scale to create an event that offered unprecedented access to trade in an outgrown car seat for a gift card -- perfect for using on your baby's next car seat," said Walmart Baby Vice President Melody Richards. "Sustainability is of equal importance to Walmart, so we're happy to work with TerraCycle who will recycle every component of the car seats."   While this is not the first time that TerraCycle has worked with Walmart, this is the first time that the two companies have teamed up to offer Walmart's first national take-back program for car seats.   "TerraCycle's mission is to eliminate the idea of waste by collecting and recycling traditionally non-recyclable materials," Stevens told CNN. "Anytime we can team up with a retailer or consumer goods company to drive awareness around the fact that these everyday items can see another life, we are happy to be involved."  

Need to clean out your garage and get a little extra spending money? Walmart is hosting a child car seat recycling event this week that will pay $30 for seats your child has outgrown.   Nearly 4,000 Walmart locations are taking park in the event, which runs through Sept. 30. Customers can take their used car seats to the service desk and receive a $30 Walmart gift card that can be used to buy items for their child.   Parents can swap up to two seats per household and booster seats are not eligible for trade-in.   The event is being done as part of the company's observation of National Baby Safety Month. Walmart is working with TerraCycle to recycle the car seats and keep them out of landfills.   “Through the Walmart Car Seat Recycling Program, traditionally non-recyclable car seats are now nationally recyclable,” said Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle in a statement. “Through this event, we expect to divert the plastic equivalent of approximately 35 million water bottles from landfills.”   Competitor Target recently completed a car seat trade in event. Life to date, that retailer says it has recycled 11.9 million pounds of old car seats.   The program comes as Walmart looks for ways to keep its competitive edge against Amazon and other large retailers. The company is also more susceptible to the China tariffs than some other retailers, because so many of its products are made in that country.

Walmart is doubling down on car seat safety for National Baby Safety Month with a first-of-its-kind recycling event. The longtime top retailer kicked off a car seat trade-in event Monday that will span nearly 4,000 Walmart stores in the U.S. until Sept. 30, according to Walmart. Customers can take used car seats to the service desk at participating stores and trade it in for a $30 Walmart gift card that can then be put towards other baby items and used online or in stores. Walmart joined forces with private recycling company, TerraCycle, for the sustainability initiative and said each component of "traditionally non-recyclable car seats" will be diverted from the landfill.   "Safety -- especially car seat safety -- is a top priority for Walmart’s Baby department, so we wanted to use our size and scale to create an event that offered unprecedented access to trade in an outgrown car seat for a gift card," Melody Richards, vice president of Walmart Baby, said in a statement.   TerraCycle CEO and founder, Tom Szaky, added, "We are proud to work with this forward-thinking company to offer families from coast-to-coast a way to give their car seat, the item that has kept their little ones safe, a second-life. Through this event, we expect to divert the plastic equivalent of approximately 35 million water bottles from landfills."   For more about the gift card terms and conditions visit the company's website.

Gillette, in partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle, announce for the first-time in Canada, that all brands of disposable razors, replaceable-blade cartridge units and razor plastic packaging are recyclable on a national scale.   Through the innovative partnership consumers are invited to recycle their razors in two ways:   ·              Gillette Razor Recycling Program – Participants wishing to recycle their razors from home are invited to sign up on the program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-CA/brigades/gillette-razor-recycling-program-ca-en. When ready to ship their waste, they can simply download a free TerraCycle shipping label, package the razors in a secure, puncture proof package and send it to TerraCycle for recycling.   ·              Gillette Razor Local Recycling Solutions – Businesses, gyms, colleges, cities and community organizations are invited to become public drop-off points for the Gillette Razor Recycling Program. Participants interested in becoming a drop-off point are invited to sign up on the program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-CA/brigades/gillette-razor-retailer-recycling-program-ca-en. After acceptance to the program, they will be sent an exclusive razor recycling bin developed by TerraCycle and Gillette. Once full, they can simply seal and return the bin to TerraCycle via UPS and a new one will be sent back to them. The address listed in the account will be posted on the publicly available map of local recycling solutions on the Gillette Razor Recycling Program page.   “Through this innovative, first of its kind program, disposable razors, replaceable-blade cartridge units and their associated packaging are now nationally recyclable through the Gillette Recycling Program,” said TerraCycle CEO and founder Tom Szaky. “We are proud to partner with this forward-thinking company to offer consumers a way to divert razor waste from landfills.”   “We are very excited about our partnership with TerraCycle to offer recycling for Gillette, Venus or any razor brand across Canada. This is an important first step towards sustainable solutions for shaving products and the start of an exciting journey with Gillette and TerraCycle.” said Gillette Canada Leader, Jennifer Seiler.   For every shipment of waste sent to TerraCycle through the Gillette Razor Recycling Program or the Gillette Razor Local Recycling Solution, collectors earn points that can be used for charity gifts or converted to cash and donated to the non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice. The collected packaging will be recycled into a variety of new consumer products such as park benches, bike racks, pet food bowls and recycling bins.   To learn more about the program, please visit www.terracycle.ca.   ABOUT GILLETTE For more than 115 years, Gillette has delivered precision technology and unrivalled product performance – improving the lives of over 800 million consumers around the world. From shaving and body grooming, to skin care and sweat protection, Gillette offers a wide variety of products including razors, shave gel (gels, foams and creams), skin care, after shaves, antiperspirants, deodorants and body wash. For more information and the latest news on Gillette, visit www.gillette.com. To see our full selection of products, visit www.gillette.com. Follow Gillette on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.   ABOUT PROCTER & GAMBLE P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.com/ for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.   About TerraCycle TerraCycle is an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste®.   Operating nationally across 21 countries, TerraCycle partners with leading consumer product companies, retailers, cities, and facilities to recycle products and packages, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts, that would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated. In addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies to integrate hard to recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic, into their products and packaging. TerraCycle has won over 200 awards for sustainability and has donated over $44 million to schools and charities since its founding 15 years ago. To learn more about TerraCycle or get involved in its recycling programs, please visit www.terracycle.ca.

Antonio Brown's accuser to meet with NFL

  The woman who has accused New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown of sexual assault and rape is scheduled to meet with the NFL on Monday as the league investigates the matter. Britney Taylor filed a civil lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida on Tuesday alleging the incidents occurred in 2017 and 2018. Brown, a 7-time Pro Bowler, denies the allegations. The NFL opted not to place Brown on the commissioner's exempt list, and Brown played in his first game for the Patriots on Sunday since signing with the team earlier this month.  

United Auto Workers go on strike 

  The United Automobile Workers started a nationwide strike against General Motors at midnight on Monday. It's the first national UAW strike since 2007, coming against the backdrop of a federal corruption investigation that has implicated union President Gary Jones and his predecessor, Dennis Williams. The union represents about 46,000 GM autoworkers at 55 facilities in the United States. No talks were known to be scheduled.  “We are standing up for our members and for the fundamental rights of working-class people of this nation,” said Terry Dittes, the union's GM department vice president.  

Walmart's first car seat recycling event starts today

  In an effort to make American roads safe for babies, Walmart will kick off its first car seat recycling event Monday at nearly 4,000 stores. The retail giant, which is following Target's similar trade-in program that would keep car seats out of landfills, will offer customers a $30 gift card to recycle their old car seats. Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle, the company that will be recycling car seats collected at Walmart, said that through the event they "expect to divert the plastic equivalent of approximately 35 million water bottles from landfills."    

After soaring avocado prices, it's time to save on green!

  Looking to celebrate National Guacamole Day with your own special recipe without breaking the bank on Monday? Well, you might be in luck. The average national price of a Haas avocado was $1.16 last Friday down from $2.10 July 5, according to the most recent Department of Agriculture weekly retail price report. This comes after a summer of record-high avocado prices that was fueled by a growing demand, a smaller California crop and seasonal production in Mexico. There also will be restaurant guacamole deals Monday, including at Chipotle Mexican Grill, where some customers have noticed a recent change in the chain's guac.    

Saudi oil attack roils global energy markets

  Global energy prices rocketed higher Monday after a weekend attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia that disrupted more than 5% of the world's daily supply. The incident has reignited fears of a U.S. military confrontation in the Middle East.  The U.S. government released satellite images showing the extent of the destruction at the Abqaiq oil processing plant and a key oil field, where an estimated 5.7 million barrels of oil are produced each day – and suggested that the assault originated either in Iran or Iraq rather than Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Brent crude oil, an international gauge, surged nearly 20 percent when markets in Asia opened before settling down to about a 10 percent spike as trading continued.    

Monthly Expenses Rent: $0 (When my then boyfriend and now husband, C., and I moved in together, I moved into the apartment he'd purchased just before we met. Ever since we've lived together, he's paid the mortgage on our place and I've put money toward our monthly travel fund instead. We started this arrangement as a way to pay for our wedding on our own and have kept it up ever since.) Loans $0 (paid off the last of my student loan debt almost two years ago, thanks to a little help from C.) Gym: $65 Monthly MetroCard: $127 taken out of my paycheque pre-tax Cell Phone: $67.13 (C. and I share a family plan, but we split the costs by line each month) Monthly Donations: $135 (across several charities, including the National Abortion Fund, Children's Inc., EarthJustice, the DNC, and PBS) Savings: $500, plus I transfer 18% of my paycheque to a 401(k) account each month pre-tax Credit Card Payment: $450 (If my expenses are less than that, I add the balance to my savings.) Amazon Prime: $0 (C. pays) Netflix: $8.70 Hulu: $5.99 Internet: $0 (C. pays)     Day One 7:45 a.m. — My alarm goes off a little later than normal for me. I'm currently empaneled on a federal grand jury, and I have to report to court today so I won't be going into the office. Reporting time at court is 9:30. Before heading out the door, I make myself a smoothie using Greek yogurt, some plant-based protein powder, spinach, a banana, and some frozen berries. I also make myself an iced coffee using chilled coffee from our French press I made last night.   8:45 a.m. — Kiss C. goodbye and head downtown using my prepaid monthly MetroCard.   9:42 a.m. — Arrive in the jury room a little late due to an unusually long line at security. I'm informed by my fellow jurors that juror number 16 is currently a no-show. We need at least 16 jurors in attendance to hear a case, so we're in limbo waiting for her. Instead of getting dismissed, we're kept waiting for several hours while the office tries to track her down.   11:30 a.m. — After waiting around for almost two hours, we're notified our missing juror has been located and she's on her way in. We're expected to start hearing cases at 12:30, so we break for lunch. I take a short walk to a ’Wichcraft near the court. I'm usually not a huge fan of their sandwiches, but they do an amazing seasonal BLT sandwich in August and September. I get a BLT, a bag of chips, and a can of fancy seltzer. I almost die when the cashier rings up the total and it's $17. That's a hefty price for a sandwich, but it is an amazing BLT. $17   3 p.m. — After hearing several cases, we are dismissed for the day and I get ready to head home. On my way to the subway I get a notification from FedEx that they attempted to deliver a package to my address, but no one was available to sign for it. It's medication from a specialty pharmacy that I need for my next round of IUI treatment next week, so I'll need to go pick this package up from the FedEx shipping centre in the Bronx tonight. Annoying.   4 p.m. — I get back to my apartment to find out that the dryers have finally been turned back on in the laundry room! Our building is slowly updating all the gas lines, and the line connected to the dryers has been out for almost two months. We've been line-drying most of our laundry during this time, but I've let some items like sheets and towels build up. I instantly drop everything and throw four loads of laundry in before it gets too crowded. I have to top up the laundry card to get it all done. $35   5:49 p.m. — I get a notification from FedEx that my package has returned to the shipping facility, so I head out to pick it up. I text C. on my way, asking him to get supplies for dinner while I go pick up the package. He obliges.   7:10 p.m. — Successfully collected my package and headed home. On the subway back home I sit in a huge puddle of water I didn't see on the seat. This day, man.   8 p.m. — Glad to be home, but grossed out about the (hopefully) water I sat in on the subway. I immediately jump in the shower. When I get out C. is home and making dinner. He makes us pasta with chicken sausage, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Yum! We settle in for a relaxing night of Netflix. We begin the second season of Mindhunters, but I'm asleep before the credits roll on the second episode.   Daily Total: $52

Day Two

5:45 a.m. — A few times a month I volunteer at a women's health clinic as a clinic escort. We meet at 7:30 and help escort patients to their appointments through the group of protestors who come out every weekend. It's an early call time for a weekend, but I'm happy to do it. On my way to the subway I realise I left the Clomid pills I am taking this week in anticipation of my next IUI treatment at home. I try to take the pill the same time every day, but it's too late to turn back. Oh, well, it will be fine. I stop at a local bodega for an iced coffee and a blueberry muffin. $5.25   10:30 a.m. — Pretty uneventful day at the clinic, but we did have an Academy Award–winning actress join us on the street today! It was almost comical how her being there tripped up some of the regular protestors.   12 p.m.— On my way back to my apartment, I stop for a grilled cheese and tomato, a bag of Fritos, and a can of Diet Dr. Pepper from a different local bodega. $7   1:45 p.m. — I decide to watch BlacKkKlansman on HBO via our Amazon Prime add-on subscription (which C. pays for) and chill. C. is training for a nine-day bike ride across the U.K., so he's out of the house for the day and I have the apartment to myself. I try to resist the urge to nap, but I know I'll probably cave.   4:30 p.m. — I knew I would fall asleep! No matter what time I go to bed the night before, that 5:45 wake-up call kills me. C. has texted me while I was sleeping to say his ride is going a little longer than he thought. I like having the apartment to myself, so this is fine with me. I lie on the couch for a little bit longer, scrolling through social media before I get up. I'm feeling a little hungry again, but I want to wait for C. to come home so we can have dinner together. I eat Greek yogurt with peanut butter, honey, and frozen fruit on top as a snack before putzing around the apartment.   5 p.m. — While I wait for C. to come home, I decide to catch up on the episodes of Mindhunter that I slept through last night, so C. and I will be in the same place for later. While I'm doing this, I make plans with my dad to come to New Jersey tomorrow to visit my grandmother, who has recently transitioned from living with my parents to a nursing home nearby. I also text my friend K., who still lives in our hometown, to see if she wants to have lunch when I come to town tomorrow. While I relax, I order us a new Zero Waste box for our kitchen through TerraCycle. C. and I are passionate about lowering our impact on the earth, and TerraCycle is one way we do this. They work hard to recycle products that would otherwise end up in landfills. One small box lasts us about three months. $109   6:45 p.m. — C. texts to say his cycle group is going REALLY slow and they are getting the 8:40 p.m. train from Poughkeepsie, so he won't be home before 10. So much for having dinner together. I decide to heat up leftover pasta, sausage, tomatoes, peppers, and onions from last night and settle in for a quiet night with Netflix. I travel a lot for work and for pleasure, so when I'm home over a weekend, I tend to stay in and enjoy it.   10:30 p.m. — I finally give up on waiting for C. and head to bed. I'm feeling lazy tonight from all my relaxing, so I just brush my teeth and call it a night. I fall asleep listening to a Headspace sleepcast and don't hear C. when he gets in an hour later. Daily Total: $121.25     Day Three 8:45 a.m. — Up 30 minutes before my alarm, but C. is up too so we snuggle in bed and he fills me in on his ride. We make plans for the day, and he decides he'll come to New Jersey a bit later on to visit my grandmother with me, but will pass on lunch with K. I ask him if he'll grab us breakfast while I shower. I've been trying out different shampoo bars to see which one works best for my hair. Today I try one that I bought at an arts fair in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, when I was there back in June. The vendor said it was specifically good for dry hair, but I'm not really feeling the difference. I've found a bunch of shampoo bars that I like, but I have yet to find a good conditioner. I make a mental note to read up on conditioning products on the train ride to New Jersey.   9:50 a.m. — C. and I finish up a breakfast of bagels and coffee. He got the bagel at our local bodega, and we made the coffee at home in the French press. I get ready to head out to catch the 11:11 train to New Jersey. We have a good-natured debate about the best way to get to Penn Station from our apartment, each of us having a preferred route.   11:11 a.m. — Off to New Jersey! I took C.'s route to Penn Station, mostly so I could stop by our neighbourhood coffee shop for another iced coffee. I use my monthly MetroCard to get to Penn and remember I have train tickets that were never collected from the last time we went to visit my family, so the trip to New Jersey costs me nothing. $3   12:25 p.m. — I am a little early to meet K. for lunch, so I stop in Bluemercury to check out their hair products. I end up leaving with a small bottle of Moroccan Oil. I want to try it out and see if it will work well for me before committing to a larger bottle. $15.99   2 p.m. — K. saves me the walk to my parents' and drops me off on her way home. She's had some health issues over the years that have made it hard to make plans, but I am glad we had a chance to catch up. She is starting a grad program next week, and I'm excited for her. We shared fried pickles, and I got a Diet Coke plus a mixed-greens salad with chorizo, black beans, and avocado. K. had a Chicago-style pork roll with sweet-potato waffle fries. We split the bill down the middle. $21.32   3:15 p.m. — C. texts to say he is a few stops away, so I leave my parents' and drive to pick him up. We head directly to my grandma's nursing home. She's sleeping when we get there and a little groggy for the rest of the visit, but we stay for about an hour before letting her rest. I stop at a CVS on the way back to my parents' to get some styling mousse. $4.68   5:25 p.m. — My Dad drives us to the train, and C. and I head back to NYC. We discuss what to do for dinner and decide that I'll stop at the grocery store on my way back to the apartment, and C. will head straight home with some of the stuff I brought back to the city from my parents' place. I still have a ticket from our last trip to NJ, so the train trip back costs nothing.   7 p.m. — I part ways with C. at Penn Station so I can head to the west side to go to Trader Joe's and he can head home to the east side. I wish the UES had a Trader Joe's, but it's not the worst getting to the west side location. Except, of course, the 1 train isn't running this weekend, so I have to take a detour. I make it to Trader Joe's and leave with breaded chicken, frozen berries, Greek yogurt, plant-based protein powder, mustard, potatoes, peaches, bananas, and an impulsive purchase of some gummy candy. $39.72   7 p.m. — On my way to the crosstown bus, I make a second stop at Fairway to get some more veggies. I hate that Trader Joe's packages so much of their vegetables in plastic, and I don't mind making the second stop to avoid this. Especially since there is already so much plastic packaging involved in the items I did buy (most of which can go in our TerraCycle box, but still). I pick up some green beans in my reusable produce bag and two carrots. $2.02   7 p.m. — One last stop on the way to the bus! I stop at Lush to pick up a few items from their Naked range. I get a body-lotion bar and a hot-oil hair treatment, plus one of their shampoo bars that I love because I am still thinking about my disappointing shampoo bar from this morning. Besides the hot-oil stick, which is single-use, these items will last me a while. $39.03   8:30 p.m. — Arrive home and pass the groceries over to C. I don't like cooking, nor am I very good at it, so C. does most of the cooking for our joint meals. I get comfy on the couch while he does his thing. He uses the food I just bought to make us breaded chicken with veggies. He also makes himself mashed potatoes, but I stick to the green beans.   9:30 p.m. — We settle in to watch Mindhunter. We discover I watched one too many episodes when I was trying to catch up. While C. catches up to me, I make my lunch and coffee for the morning. I basically eat the same thing for lunch during the week. Each night I make a spinach salad with capers, feta cheese, and frozen shrimp from Trader Joe's that I defrost overnight. I top it off with Trader Joe's Greek feta dressing. I also pack a peach and a green pepper I slice up for a snack and make coffee that I will chill overnight for an iced coffee in the morning. We watch one more episode of Mindhunter before calling it a night around 11.   Daily Total: $125.76   Day Four 6:05 a.m. — Alarm goes off, but I snooze. I use the iPhone bedtime feature as my alarm so the sound builds gradually, which makes me feel like snoozing is not so bad. C. would probably disagree.   6:45 a.m. — I finally get out of bed and start getting ready for the day. I jump in the shower and bring my new Moroccan Oil with me. When I get out, I make my standard breakfast smoothie using Greek yogurt, plant-based protein powder, frozen berries, and a banana. I realise I used all the spinach I had to make my lunch last night, so I grab a reusable produce bag and make a note to get some on my way home from work. I gather the lunch and coffee I prepped the night before and give a sleeping C. a kiss before heading out the door.   8:15 a.m. — Arrive at work. I am usually one of the first people in the office in the morning. I like to get a jump on the day before all the meetings start up. Today I have to report to jury duty at 10:30, so I am extra grateful for the time to get stuff done. I reply to emails and keep a few projects moving before heading to court at 10.   12:45 p.m. — We break for lunch, and I eat my salad in the juror break room. I also help myself to a small pack of Welch's fruit snacks that are in the break room for jurors and other court officials to snack on. We have some downtime until our next case at 2, so I take the rest of the time to read my book.   3:45 p.m. — After hearing two more cases, we're done for the day and I head back uptown. I take it as a huge personal triumph that I remember to stop for spinach, and as a result treat myself to a black-and-white cookie. $9.18   5 p.m. — I arrive home and throw a load of laundry in before digging into work emails that came in while I was in court. I still have money on the laundry card from the weekend, so no need to top up.   7:30 p.m. — C. gets home just as I am putting away the last of the laundry. Per usual he is on cooking duty, and we have the same meal as last night —chicken with veggies, plus potatoes for C. I do my Lush hot-oil treatment while he cooks.   9:30 p.m. — Dinner is done, and C. and I settle in for some more Mindhunter. While we are watching, I prep my standard lunch salad and coffee for the morning. We call it a night around 11.   Daily Total: $9.18     Day Five 5:50 a.m. — Ugh. Another early morning, but it can't be helped. I need to go to the NYU Fertility Centre this morning to have blood drawn and an ultrasound to see if I am ready for my trigger shot for the next stage of my IUI treatment. I make my standard breakfast smoothie (today with spinach, since I remembered to buy some yesterday!), pack up my standard lunch salad, and prep my iced coffee that I made last night. I'm out the door in about 40 minutes. Since this is a walk-in facility, I try to always go first thing in the morning, so I don't have to wait too long.   7:10 a.m. — I use my monthly MetroCard to take the bus downtown. I am the second patient in the waiting room. After several attempts to find a vein, I get my blood drawn and get to see my actual doctor for the ultrasound. I'm not ready for the trigger shot, and she tells me I'll probably have to come back on Thursday, but the office will call to confirm once they've processed the blood work. Thankfully, my insurance has been great so far, so this visit will cost me nothing.   8:15 a.m. — I have jury duty again today. This makes three days in a row, which is a first. Since I was selected on August 1, I've only had to report a handful of times, but I guess things are picking up. I don't need to arrive at court until 9:30, so I take the subway to the office to answer emails and get some work done.   9:30 a.m. — We have three cases to hear this morning, so I settle in for a few hours of civic duty.   1:15 p.m. — We're dismissed for the day, and I take the subway the two stops to my office. I'm really getting the full use of my monthly MetroCard today! When I arrive in the office, I catch up with my friend N., who has been on vacation for the last two weeks, and then eat my salad at my desk.   3:20 p.m. — I snack on the peach I brought with me this morning before heading into a meeting. I have two easy meetings this afternoon, and then we have a company mixer. We recently moved to a new building, so this is an attempt to get us to socialise with our new floormates. I usually hate the idea of forced fun, but hopefully this will be a good afternoon distraction.   6 p.m. — The mixer is very crowded and very loud, so I grab a cupcake, say hi to a few people, and then head back to my desk. I call in and find out I have jury duty again tomorrow, so I am glad I bailed on the party early, since I will be out again. I check a few things off my to-do list and text C. to see when he was thinking of leaving work. If our schedules line up, we try to take the train home together in the evening, but he is taking a spin class at the gym tonight in preparation for his upcoming nine-day bike trip, so I head home alone.   7 p.m. — I am beat from my early morning, and as previously mentioned, I hate cooking, so I keep it simple and have some Greek yogurt with peanut butter, honey, and berries for dinner. I don't have much motivation for anything else, so I lie on the couch and read for a little until C. gets home. He makes himself cereal for dinner, and we settle in for the last episode of Mindhunter. I fall asleep about 20 minutes into the episode.   Daily Total: $0   Day Six 6:45 a.m. — I was honest with myself about what time I thought I would ACTUALLY get out of bed this morning so I don't disturb C. with my snoozing. I take a quick shower and then make my breakfast and lunch. It's the same as previous days: smoothie for breakfast, spinach salad with shrimp, etc. for lunch. But I fell asleep last night before making my lunch salad, so it takes me a little longer this morning. I'm still out the door by 7:30.   8:15 a.m. — I arrive at work, determined to be productive until I have to leave for jury duty at 10, but I get sucked into chatting with my other friend N. about work and lose at least 30 minutes. Oh, well!   10 a.m. — Take the subway the two stops to jury duty and put in an hour at the courthouse. Two of the cases we were meant to hear today got canceled, so I'm headed back to the office way earlier than expected!   12 p.m.— I'm starving, so I eat my salad and the peach I brought for lunch promptly at noon, while getting my to-do list in order and prepping for my afternoon meetings.   3 p.m. — I'm still hungry, so I head upstairs to the vending machine and grab a Twix AND a packet of Smartfood popcorn. $1.50   5:30 p.m. — I call the jury office and find out I need to report to jury duty AGAIN tomorrow. Being on a grand jury is no joke. I set my out-of-office and call it a day. I text C. on my way out to coordinate evening plans. We're both headed to the gym, but make plans to eat dinner together.   7 p.m. — I do 30 minutes on the elliptical before heading home. C.'s taking a class downtown, so I eat a spoonful of peanut butter to hold me over until he gets home.   8 p.m. — C. arrives with groceries in hand. He makes us open-face toasted cheese sandwiches with tomato and onion. Afterward, we share a fancy yogurt I bought a week or so ago but forgot in the fridge and settle in to watch some Netflix. We've finished Mindhunter, so we're looking for a new show to watch. We settle on Orange Is the New Black and watch the first few episodes before calling it a night at 11.   Daily Total: $1.50   Day Seven 5:50 a.m. — Ugh. Alarm rings waaaaay too early, but I'm headed to the NYU Fertility Centre again this morning. I take a quick shower and then make my regular smoothie and an iced coffee before heading out the door at 6:30 a.m. I skip making my lunch, so I'll have to pick something up later.   7:15 a.m. — Arrive at the clinic, and it's more crowded this morning. Luckily, I don't have to wait too long, as I have to report to jury duty again today and am hoping to swing by the office first. The nurses get me through quickly and notify me I'm ready for my trigger shot. C. and I will have to come back tomorrow for the final step in the IUI process. Then we'll cross our fingers and wait.   8:15 a.m. — I'm able to swing by the office to take care of emails and pass off some meetings, since it looks like I have a full day of court ahead of me. I leave the office at 9 and take the subway the two stops to court, where it is confirmed that we do indeed have a full day of cases.   11 a.m. — We have an hour between cases, so I take the opportunity to retrieve my cell phone from the clerk to see if NYU has called with a schedule for tomorrow. I'm also starving, so I stop at a deli by the courthouse and grab a sausage roll. $4   1 p.m. — We break for lunch, and all I want to do is go to my favourite dim sum place in Chinatown for dumplings, but just as I am about to reach the restaurant, I see our foreman coming around the opposite corner, about to enter the restaurant. Something about this guy has been rubbing me the wrong way, and I can't stand the idea of spending my lunch break with him, so I retreat and grab a sandwich and a ginger beer at Pret. It's not the same. $9.98   4:30 p.m. — We're dismissed for the day (and, I'm hoping, the week). I'm meeting a friend for dinner at 6:45 downtown, but I decide I have enough time to head home to the UES and lie down for a little before.   6 p.m. — After lying down for a little and freshening up, I head out to meet my friend D. at Murray's Cheese Bar. We met at work a few years ago, and even though we work at different companies now, she's remained one of my very best friends. We decide to share a lobster mac 'n' cheese, buffalo cheese curds, and a cherry tomato and ricotta salad. D. has two glasses of wine, but since I'm being inseminated tomorrow, I stick to an artisan ginger ale. When it comes time to pay, we split the bill down the middle. $69.79   9:30 p.m. — Back at home, and C. is home making dinner. We watch an episode of Orange Is the New Black before calling it a night.   Daily Total: $83.77

As self care continues to rise in popularity and importance, it is increasingly easy to get your hands on high-quality skincare. But the kicker is finding products that work without breaking the bank or relying on nasty chemicals and fillers. Bliss, a long-standing skincare and spa company, has been making natural, cruelty-free offerings for years, so we decided to test out some of its top sellers to find just how well these budget-friendly, natural skincare products work.     We received six items: That’s Incredi-peel (glycolic resurfacing pads); Eye Got This (foil eye masks); Eye Do All Things (hydrating eye gel); Drench & Quench (cream-to-water hydrator); Ex-Glow-Sion (super-rich moisturizer); and Lemon & Sage Body Butter. Inhabitat editors Gaby, who has combination skin that can get oily throughout the day, and Paige, whose skin is drier than the Sahara Desert, tested and evaluated each item for packaging, ingredients, effectiveness and cost.    

That’s Incredi-Peel

  First, we tested the resurfacing pads, which promise to “smooth and brighten” skin after swiping the pad across your face. This treatment works best before bed, as it does leave a sort of filmy feel on the face as the product works to improve the texture of skin. Overall, the product didn’t burn or cause any redness, even on sensitive, dry skin. The box, which retails for $22, contains 15 single-use pads that are meant to be used nightly; for a month’s worth of this product, you’d be spending about $44. We enjoyed how That’s Incredi-peel initially felt on our skin and how soft it left our faces in the morning, but we aren’t in love with the disposable nature of the pads. Each single-use wipe is wrapped in foil, also single-use, which comes in a recyclable box.      

Eye Do All Things

  Eye Do All Things was quite the eye-opener (pun intended). This eye gel is applied with a metal roller ball that you swipe along the soft, delicate under eye area. This creates a cooling sensation that softened our dark circles and truthfully just helped wake us up each morning. Although Bliss recommends this for day or night use, we preferred it as a morning wake-up call. Again, we are coming across a plastic tube that isn’t reusable, although it could be recycled through a program like TerraCycle. The tube costs $22, and we imagine it lasts well over a month with daily use, because just the smallest amount is needed for each eye.      

Eye Got This

  Perhaps because we are all just running on fumes and walking around exhausted, we tested yet another under eye treatment: eye masks. Eye Got This is a box of five iridescent, star-patterned eye masks that is priced at $15, or $3 per mask. These eye masks were the ultimate definition of a guilty pleasure — we loved how refreshing and relaxing they felt, but we were saddened by the disposability after 15 minutes of pure joy. The single-use items include two small masks, one for each eye, in a packet — all of which goes straight to the trash can after use. The cardboard exterior packaging is recyclable.    

Drench & Quench

  This cream-to-water hydrator is a shocking blue gel that you massage into your face day or night for a boost of moisture. The product moisturizes without leaving skin oily and seeps into the skin quickly, but the added fragrance in the product did cause some redness and tingling on extra-dry and sensitive skin. Some of the more impressive ingredients include vitamin C, chamomile, purified micro algae and passion fruit seed oil. A 1.7 ounce jar, which will last several weeks with twice-a-day use, is sold for $20. The plastic jar can be recycled, or you could repurpose it to hold DIY skincare concoctions, earrings or other random trinkets.      

Ex-Glow-Tion

  We loved Ex-Glow-Tion, a deeply hydrating and thick moisturizer free of nasty chemicals. There’s no added fragrance here, plus the added shea butter and cucumber and pear extracts keep skin from drying out or flaking. Just a small amount is needed for a huge boost of moisture. For dry skin, this cream works well day and night. For normal to combination skin, we would recommend this as a night cream as it is a heavier lotion. Like the Drench & Quench, a 1.7 ounce jar sells for $20, and the plastic jar can be reused or recycled.        

Lemon & Sage Body Butter

  For full-body moisture in a refreshing, summery scent, the Lemon & Sage Body Butter is a good option for a lightweight lotion. The smell is delightful without being overpowering, and the lotion itself is very effective in moisturizing hands, elbows, legs — you name it. We didn’t experience any burning or irritation after use, but do recommend reapplying the lotion if you have drier skin. The 6.7 ounce tube, only $12, will last for months. If you really love the stuff, Bliss also sells a massive 32 ounce container for $60. The tube and the larger container can be recycled, although they may require a specialized recycling program.      

Our thoughts on the ingredients

  There are so many ingredients in Bliss products to love, such as added vitamins, plant-based oils and extracts, minerals and more. In fact, Bliss even offers an entire ingredients glossary on its website to list the ingredients it uses in all of its products. Every product is free from parabens, phthalates, sulfates and more, and of course, we love that all of Bliss’ skincare items are cruelty-free. Our only ingredient complaint is added fragrance, which can irritate sensitive skin, but this isn’t an issue for everyone.    

So, should you buy Bliss natural skincare?

  With plant-based ingredients and cruelty-free products, Bliss natural skincare is impressive, especially when you consider its affordability and accessibility at many major retailers. If you have sensitive skin, we recommend checking ingredients of specific products to avoid fragrance, but most of the items really rejuvenated our skin and worked even on completely opposite skin types. We also prefer the items that came in recyclable and reusable packaging, like the jars of moisturizer, over the single-use products. All-in-all, Bliss is a natural, vegan and cruelty-free skincare you and your skin can feel good about.