Tiny Choices Survey: Jenn Sturiale
By Jenn (TinyChoices.com) | July 27, 2007
Vital statistics (name, age, location)?
Jenn Sturiale, 35, Brooklyn NY
How do you reside (apartment or house, roommates)? Are your housing decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
I live in an apartment, along with a roommate. My reason for sharing my home with a roommate are twofold: 1. I much prefer having another human being around to living alone, even if we don’t see each other for days/weeks, as often happens, and 2. the additional rent helps to pay my mortgage.
How do you travel (transit, car, etc)? Are your travel decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
I travel almost exclusively by subway, with some bike riding dolloped on top, and a smattering of buses swished around the sides. I also love to walk long distances. These really are the only sensible ways to get around NYC… though I readily admit to missing an (imaginary retrofitted biodiesel VW bus) for weekend escapes.
Tell us about a Tiny Choice you’ve made in your life.
When I moved into my current home, I was faced with a vast expanse of white walls. I realized that I needed to make a decision to be as envirofriendly with my paint choices as I could, because otherwise I was about to slather many gallons of toxic chemical-laden paint throughout my home. And who wants to (literally and figuratively) live with that? So for my living room I purchased Benjamin Moore Eco-Spec paint, and for my bedroom I made a batch of homemade milk paint. My first choice of pigment curdled the milk, requiring me to try again. Details of this experience, and lessons learned for the rest of the walls, coming soon to a Tiny Choices post near you.
What is the one environmental dilemma you personally struggle the most with?
Hair care products. I’ve only dabbled in the realm of natural product, because I’ve got this curly hair that’s kind of crazy and hard to control, and the few natural-er products I’ve tried just don’t work. So I go with the not-tested-on-animals-but-still-full-of-NJ Turnpike-chemicals goo.
What is one Tiny Choice you can make in that direction?
Well, I can certainly begin to research this, and see if anyone’s got the goods for me. Would be really neat to find some kind of natural product that keeps my curls from frizzing out. Suggestions welcomed!
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you make that people question (in either a positive educational or a negative hassle way) you the most about?
Many people are totally confused as to why I would possibly choose to accumulate my kitchen food scraps in my freezer and bring them to the awesome amazing kind folks at the Lower East Side Ecology Center table at the Union Square Greenmarket, so they can vermicompost for me. Cause seriously, if I attempted this myself, I’d kill all the worms.
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you would like every single person to adopt?
No.More.Plastic.Bags.
Do you feel like you make sacrifices for environmentalism? Please explain.
Sacrifices? No way! For me, being conscious of how my choices affect the earth makes me feel more present in my life. We’re not riding on top of this planet, we’re completely connected with it- so my Tiny Choices just constantly remind me of that.
Are you generally: optimistic, pessimistic, neutral about environmentalism and the future?
I am: optimistic that we’re hitting the tipping point with this here green thing; pessimistic that we’re going to be able to turn the tides before some kind of major envirocalamity befalls us, and; neutral about the kinds of trees that Bloomberg plants, as long as he plants them, and gives my bare block at least 10 bloomin’, air-purifiyin’ beauties.
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So, on the hair-stuff. Yours is possibly curlier than mine, but mine is pretty dang curly. I’ve been doing the no-shampoo, conditioner only thing for a while and I don’t put additional product in my hair and for the most part, it doesn’t get frizzy. Sometimes, if I need a little insurance, I’ll add a wee little bit conditioner on as leave-in conditioner. And, I buy my conditioner from the co-op (well, I used to, when I had a co-op).
Let me know if you need more info
i am totally with you on the no plastic bag thing except i haven’t figured out a few instances: take out food that could drip and byuing loose veggies, fruit, grains, etc. do you have a solution?
Kayte- check out these produce bags (made of superlight cotton), and make yer own!
As far as the drippy takeout Chinese food… I dunno about that one, really. Perhaps bringing your own pre-used plastic bag is the only answer? My local takeout joint thinks I’m nuts because I try to never take the plastic bag… they laugh at me. However, they also used to laugh at me when I requested brown rice every time I went in there, and now they have brown rice! So…
kayte-there’s a tutorial on fusing plastic bags on etsy that you could use with the bags you or someone else already has accumulated (you could make a reusable bag)- and shawnee has a tutorial on a produce bag made from tulle on her blog (here: http://lifewithmonkey.wordpress.com/2007/04/15/it-is-easy-being-green/). i haven’t taken these steps yet but i really would like to for the produce (the cashiers look at me funny when i don’t use a bag).
Stacey- wow, I am amazed at your no-product lifestyle! I also skip the shampoo (although sometimes I use Deva No-Poo when I’ve got to wash it- chlorine, etc). And if I didn’t also put additional goo in there to hold the curls somewhat in place, it gets frizzy and messy. Is your hair also dry? Maybe that’s the difference…
Have you tried MOP products to tame your curls? My hair is moderately curly, and their d-curl helped control my frizz. The defining cream is also pretty good. My hair is short, but even as it grows out, a little goes a long way. I probably only buy product two or three times a year.
Molly, thanks for the suggestion! I’ve seen the MOP line but haven’t tried it. I’m gonna go scout the products at Ricky’s tomorrow!
Jenn, I’m not that hardcore - I may have been unclear, I don’t use shampoo (well, occasionally) or gel, but I do use conditioner (like a fiend). I don’t not use shampoo because of the consumer aspect, but because it dries my hair out (see: v for vanity) I think my hair use to be dry-ish, but with no shampoo, good conditioner and incorporating walnuts (omega-3s) into my diet, I think my hair is better. Also, I presume you’re not using a hair dryer either, that, of course, can cause dryness and frizzies. Sometimes my top gets a little bit frizzy, but that’s why G-d invented barrettes. I go to Devachan - what a racket, a litlle cult-ish, but I won’t stop - I still love them and I’ll never again have to hear someone ask me if I wanted my curls relaxed.)
I usually do fruits and veggies bagless, though berries & cherries at the farmers market posed an interesting problem, which I just solved towardds the end of the season. If I’m buying a pre-packed pint, I’ll just toss the berries into a different container, such as a large soyyogurt tub. For bulk grains & nuts & such, I also like to bring my own containers. This of course, only works if you know in advance that you’ll be going shopping. Or, if you travel by car and keep this stuff in the trunk.
Stacey- hair dryer? My god woman, are you mad? I would never stoop so low! ;)
I went to Ouidad recently and got an amazing haircut- finally, someone actually knew what to do with me! But I don’t like their products (and also, I didn’t love the attitude), so I’ll try Devachan next time, I’ve heard that’s a fun experience.
Hey Jenn,
My friend has really curly air and she puts almond oil in it to tame the frizz. She learned this in India.
Hey Alexis! I do put almond oil on my hair- post-conditioner and pre-goo. It really helps! I think curly hair is just really dry by nature.
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