Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff
by Ali
Founder, Editor and CEO of EcoStiletto.com
1. You run a stylish site about the environment. You’re not about forcing people to change, but rather giving alternatives to reducing your carbon footprint. When talking about sustainability, I love your term that nobody should be a “sustainabully”. What proud changes have you made over the last few years?
Where to begin? I think I’m proudest of the vegetable garden that’s flourishing in my back yard, and the compost bin that feeds it. I was so resistant to composting—the flies! the smell!—but last year we started by putting a bowl next to the sink for veggie scraps and found that those little phobias were so not a problem—plus, it’s too easy to give up! Composting cuts down our trash by a third, recycling takes care of another third—there’s nothing more gratifying than pulling out the bins each week and having the actual trash bin be light as a feather, while the recycling bin and compost are bulging. Maybe as gratifying as all the money that I save at the grocery store by gardening. Last night I made a yummy arugula, tomato, mint and green bean salad for pennies. Take that, recession!
2. I’m never without _
My reusable bag. I have a bunch in my car for groceries, but for every day I keep one in my purse, wrapped up on itself like a tiny umbrella. It even fits in my clutch! I use it at the farmer’s market, on a quick stop to the drug store, even shopping for clothes. There is really no reason to take a bag any more—and with all the non-biodegradable plastic piling up in our landfills and oceans, there’s every reason to BYO.
3. Name a few of your favorite brands from beauty, fashion and home that make a fab mom like you feel glamorous and living well?
I truly get the most excited about vintage fashion. Vintage shopping is totally guilt-free, since you’re reusing. But if I’m buying new, right now for summer I’m loving Olsen Haus vegan shoes, Green Bees recycled-tire soled sandals (we’re giving two pairs of their boots away on the site in August), and Doie’s little sustainable silk sundresses—perfect for packing! In my beauty bag is Josie Maran’s new SPF 30 skin tint—it’s so awesome, just the perfect amount of coverage and a little bit o’ glow—and Surf-Vival’s organic zinc-based sunscreen stick for beach days. Finally, after three kids and two dogs, my living room furniture is totally falling apart and I’m basically coveting everything in the Environment Furniture showroom in LA—their couches are made from recycled army tents so I’m guessing my brood can’t do too much damage.
4. Your site has grown much from the shoe contest offers. Why do you think we girls are so hooked on shoes?
Shoes don’t make you look fat, they fit even when you’ve gained five pounds, good shoes can transform the most boring outfit into something sensational and there’s something about a great shoe design that’s beautiful both on and off your foot. And when they’re sustainable, they’re guilt free!
5. Any changes you wish you could embrace but due to cost or lifestyle can’t make be on your To Do list this year?
We tried to put solar panels on our home but they told us we’d have to cut down the giant tree that shades it—not the most eco-friendly option. So until they have panels that we can install on the sidewall, we’re putting that idea on hold.
I would love to drive a more eco-friendly car, but because I have the aforementioned three kids and two dogs I need a seven-seater, and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is totally out of my price range. When I bought my Volvo in 2005 they told me that ethanol converter kits were on their way—five years later Volvo seems to have dropped that initiative. But I just heard about this at-home ethanol manufacturing machine that you can actually put in your garage! The first one was installed in a private home last week and the owner described it as like when microwaves first were introduced—people didn’t really understand them but now they’re part of every kitchen’s design. I’d love to figure out how to make that work and stop buying gas!
6. My favorite new find from “The Good Life” on my site _
Oh the raw food chocolate cake, hand’s down. No cooking! Believe me, I was skeptical but it is seriously mouth-watering—it tastes like a really intense chocolate ganache cake, but the frosting is made from avocado! The raw food chef who taught me how to make it, Ani Phyo, swears that you can eat it every day without getting fat. She just launched it as a cake mix. I’m planning on testing her theory.
7. What are your next aspirations for EcoStiletto?
Continuing to grow. We went from 1,000 to 34,000 subscribers so far this year—I’d like to hit 100,000 by the end of the year! And I’d also like to develop the Mommy Greenest blog into a similar website specifically tailored to greener parenting. I have three kids so those issues are always first and foremost with me. It’s not all about eco-fashion and beauty—okay, it is all about eco-fashion and beauty, but kids, too!
Some ouf our favorite pics from the recent EcoStiletto.com one year anniversary
Where to begin? I think I’m proudest of the vegetable garden that’s flourishing in my back yard, and the compost bin that feeds it. I was so resistant to composting—the flies! the smell!—but last year we started by putting a bowl next to the sink for veggie scraps and found that those little phobias were so not a problem—plus, it’s too easy to give up! Composting cuts down our trash by a third, recycling takes care of another third—there’s nothing more gratifying than pulling out the bins each week and having the actual trash bin be light as a feather, while the recycling bin and compost are bulging. Maybe as gratifying as all the money that I save at the grocery store by gardening. Last night I made a yummy arugula, tomato, mint and green bean salad for pennies. Take that, recession!
2. I’m never without _
My reusable bag. I have a bunch in my car for groceries, but for every day I keep one in my purse, wrapped up on itself like a tiny umbrella. It even fits in my clutch! I use it at the farmer’s market, on a quick stop to the drug store, even shopping for clothes. There is really no reason to take a bag any more—and with all the non-biodegradable plastic piling up in our landfills and oceans, there’s every reason to BYO.
3. Name a few of your favorite brands from beauty, fashion and home that make a fab mom like you feel glamorous and living well?
I truly get the most excited about vintage fashion. Vintage shopping is totally guilt-free, since you’re reusing. But if I’m buying new, right now for summer I’m loving Olsen Haus vegan shoes, Green Bees recycled-tire soled sandals (we’re giving two pairs of their boots away on the site in August), and Doie’s little sustainable silk sundresses—perfect for packing! In my beauty bag is Josie Maran’s new SPF 30 skin tint—it’s so awesome, just the perfect amount of coverage and a little bit o’ glow—and Surf-Vival’s organic zinc-based sunscreen stick for beach days. Finally, after three kids and two dogs, my living room furniture is totally falling apart and I’m basically coveting everything in the Environment Furniture showroom in LA—their couches are made from recycled army tents so I’m guessing my brood can’t do too much damage.
4. Your site has grown much from the shoe contest offers. Why do you think we girls are so hooked on shoes?
Shoes don’t make you look fat, they fit even when you’ve gained five pounds, good shoes can transform the most boring outfit into something sensational and there’s something about a great shoe design that’s beautiful both on and off your foot. And when they’re sustainable, they’re guilt free!
5. Any changes you wish you could embrace but due to cost or lifestyle can’t make be on your To Do list this year?
We tried to put solar panels on our home but they told us we’d have to cut down the giant tree that shades it—not the most eco-friendly option. So until they have panels that we can install on the sidewall, we’re putting that idea on hold.
I would love to drive a more eco-friendly car, but because I have the aforementioned three kids and two dogs I need a seven-seater, and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is totally out of my price range. When I bought my Volvo in 2005 they told me that ethanol converter kits were on their way—five years later Volvo seems to have dropped that initiative. But I just heard about this at-home ethanol manufacturing machine that you can actually put in your garage! The first one was installed in a private home last week and the owner described it as like when microwaves first were introduced—people didn’t really understand them but now they’re part of every kitchen’s design. I’d love to figure out how to make that work and stop buying gas!
6. My favorite new find from “The Good Life” on my site _
Oh the raw food chocolate cake, hand’s down. No cooking! Believe me, I was skeptical but it is seriously mouth-watering—it tastes like a really intense chocolate ganache cake, but the frosting is made from avocado! The raw food chef who taught me how to make it, Ani Phyo, swears that you can eat it every day without getting fat. She just launched it as a cake mix. I’m planning on testing her theory.
7. What are your next aspirations for EcoStiletto?
Continuing to grow. We went from 1,000 to 34,000 subscribers so far this year—I’d like to hit 100,000 by the end of the year! And I’d also like to develop the Mommy Greenest blog into a similar website specifically tailored to greener parenting. I have three kids so those issues are always first and foremost with me. It’s not all about eco-fashion and beauty—okay, it is all about eco-fashion and beauty, but kids, too!
Some ouf our favorite pics from the recent EcoStiletto.com one year anniversary
Rachel, Annette Wassom, me and Josie Maran, model and founder of Josie Maran Cosmetics
Me, Annette Wassom and KaDee Strickland from "Private Practive"
Rachel and Urban Foxes
EcoStiletto.com was created by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, a writer, producer and marketing consultant who focuses on sustainable fashion, beauty, lifestyle and parenting. She co-founded GreenGirlGuide.com in May 2007 (until National Geographic sent a cease-and-desist on behalf of The Green Guide) launched EcoStiletto.com, an online magazine devoted to eco-friendly fashion, beauty, lifestyle and parenting, in June 2008, retaining archived GreenGirlGuide content.
As a small-screen environista, Rachel has guested on eco-lifestyle “Extra,” “Hollywood Green,” “Good Day L.A.” and “The Fashion Team” segments. She has spoken on behalf of Healthy Child, Healthy World and Whole Body by Whole Foods market and was a Los Angeles correspondent for Treehugger.com. Rachel spent 10 years as a magazine reporter and editor and holds a MA in journalism from USC and has edited or contributed to numerous publications including SELF, Women's Wear Daily, Spa and Children, among others. A mother of three, Rachel and her family reduce, reuse and recycle in Los Angeles.
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