Author Archives: sclarkhamel

The first time I spotted San Francisco’s skyline from the side of Mt Tam, I felt like Dorothy when she first glimpsed Oz from the Yellow Brick Road. That same enchanted surprise stopped me in my tracks on a crystal clear day in the Pedro Point Headlands. On a trail that’s normally shrouded in fog,Continue reading “The Emerald City.”

The Marin headlands were in fine form today.  My breath taken away and given back by Salt air. Sunshine. Wildflowers. Waves. Sometimes living here breaks my heart. And then suddenly I’m looking at the sea,  the mountains at my back,  supporting me,  safe and whole.  If only I could stay on that beach forever. 

Last summer I went to a yoga studio in the Mission. After a rushed bike ride and huffing up five flights of stairs, I emerged into a bright, expansive studio. Wall-to-wall windows opened to hills, sunshine, and rooftops. A jungle of plants hung from the ceiling. I smelled my favorite teakwood & tobacco candle. IContinue reading “The Mission.”

30 days. A fraction of a lifetime. A snapshot between seasons. In this case, mud season, as it’s affectionately known in Maine. That brownish, grayish period after the snow melts and before any green leaves appear.  I completed my sit-spot challenge between March 23 – April 23, 2020.  I sat in my sit-spot (defined asContinue reading “The sit-spot challenge: 30 days of attention, presence, and sitting in the woods”

*Disclaimer: This is just one gal’s view on a topic that happens to do with money (and not to be construed as investment advice)*  Full of idealism as I started my career in finance, I wanted to learn everything I could about this mysterious “sustainable investing.” In the early 2010s there were many preconceived notionsContinue reading “Making Money Moves: The What, Why and How of Sustainable Investing”

Ah, the holidays. The most wonderful, consumeristic time of the year. Trees are chopped down or made from plastic and decorated with more plastic. Electricity usage balloons with light displays that envy Las Vegas. Consumer goods are bought, gifted, then stuffed in the back of a closet.  And yet, I find holiday traditions absolutely magical!Continue reading “How to be as Green as the Grinch Without Stealing Christmas”

“First of all, this is perfectly normal and can happen to anyone.” This was the mechanic’s response to my distress call about the mice that had invaded my brand new car last week. Indeed, these words did make me feel better as he detailed how to take back my car and prevent it from ruin.Continue reading “Of Mice and Women.”

Pre-2019: Background of the New Year’s Resolution I’ve been dressing myself since age 2. Much to my mom’s (the anti-shopper’s) chagrin, I desired to find a personal style quite young (I wish I still had that tie-dye tank dress from age 4…).  This love for beautiful clothing blossomed while I was living in Manhattan. IContinue reading “A Year With No Clothes: The Evolution of an Earth-Friendly Closet”

You know those cheery sales people that you try to avoid eye contact with? Well, thank goodness my friend Noelle stopped to speak with the alternative energy rep at the farmers market back in 2014, or we wouldn’t have discovered the sustainable electricity options at our fingertips. After that fortuitous encounter, I opted for renewableContinue reading “What Goes In, Must Come Out: Tips for Earth-Conscious Apartment Living”

If you had to choose between an actual oven in your apartment and a washer/dryer, which would you choose? When I moved to New York City in my early 20s, I discovered that most apartments were too small to have both. So, in order to roast vegetables in winter and bake zucchini bread in summer,Continue reading “How to Have Your Crispy Rice and Save the Earth Too: 3 Simple Steps to Low Waste Eating”