Guest Algorithm-Free Reco List, No. 2

Emily Grubman endorses soil health, banana ball, and other summer essentials.

Hello!

Welcome to the second edition of ~*GUEST*~ Algorithm-Free Reco Lists.

Each month, I’m thrilled to introduce you to a brilliant person and the things they can’t shut up about. If you’d like to write one, please feel free to respond to this newsletter (or email me directly).

My guest today is

Emily Grubman

!

Emily is a writer, permaculture designer, fruit tree specialist, yoga teacher, and so much more. She writes

Farstruck

, a sporadic but delightful newsletter (and maybe soon-to-be podcast?) about her nomadic adventures, permaculture projects, and miscellaneous musings.

Here are Emily’s recos—straight from her:

Booty radish via Emily Grubman

Getting your ass in water this summer

As a summer-loving water sign, I think this goes without saying BUT sometimes folks need a reminder that the best thing you can do to “beat the heat” is to get your butt to a beach or pool. Now, this might seem somewhat impossible if you live somewhere like NYC, but I promise you it is not. While I absolutely support day trips to Rockaway Beach (via the ferry) and Fort Tilden (if you are lucky enough to know someone with a car), I find it more accessible to take advantage of NYC’s FREE (and clean!) outdoor public pools. My personal favorite is the Kosciuszko Pool in Bed-Stuy because it is big, has plenty of space to lay out, and is always far less crowded than the McCarren Pool in Williamsburg (don’t even bother trying to go on a weekend). The pools have pretty strict rules for what you must and mustn’t bring (no food, electronics, or even newspapers; you have to bring your own lock; no phones allowed on the pool deck) and they will check your bag upon arrival—but I personally think this vigilance is what makes the pool experience so perfectly present and unplugged.

If you live in LA, like I currently do, then I suggest you make your way to Zuma Beach in Malibu. It’s north of the fire line so you don’t have to worry about post-fire water quality. Or, it’s very likely you have a friend with a pool?? Ask everyone you know—it’ll be worth it. If all else fails, there are also public pools which only cost $4 for adults. I have yet to dip my toes in those waters, but I’ve been meaning to check out Glassell Park Pool if anyone would like to join me this summer.

Do you live anywhere else between these two coastal cities? Go float on a river! Head out to a lake! Climb a fence and make friends with your pool-having neighbor! Or just set up a hose and sprinkler situation on your lawn and run back and forth through it like we did as kids.

SUAY + Community Dye Bath

SUAY is an extremely cool, LA-based, 100% vertical sewing and production shop focused on textile recycling, reuse, and repair. I happily pay $20 (which turns into store credit) for them to actually upcycle/recycle clothes that Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange won’t buy from me. That $20 becomes store credit that I can use on their remade clothes and home goods (I’m obsessed with my towel jacket), thrift racks, OR their Community Dye Bath.

The Community Dye Bath stylishly fights textile waste by reviving your stained, dingy, or just-plain-boring clothes and linens in a communal dye bath. Each month, they offer a fresh variety of interesting colors, including some tie-dye options. I’ve already dyed a sizable percentage of my wardrobe (tees, tanks, hat, jumpsuit, dress, duvet cover, etc.) and currently have two completed orders that I need to pick up.

Suay also does repairs, custom orders, and hosts a ton of community events. The best part? You do not need to live in LA to support this awesome company! They offer mail-in services for the dye bath, repairs, textile recycling, custom orders, and more. I recommend following them on Instagram—where they announce the monthly dyes and show off their cool creations—to stay abreast of all the amazing work they do.

Being the hero that brings s’mores supplies to a fire

Without fail, anytime I am invited to an event involving a fire pit, I make sure to show up with:

• 1 bag of regular-size marshmallows (Jumbo marshmallows have a harder time thoroughly roasting all the way to the center due to their lower surface-area-to-volume ratio. If you want more mallow per s’more, you can always roast 2 regular marshmallows.)

• 1 box of graham crackers

• A couple bars of chocolate: Hershey’s milk chocolate for the classic vibe, and any dark chocolate of your choosing (but try to opt for thinner bars for better meltability)

  • Optional: If you really want to wow people, grab some Andes mints or Reese’s cups, too.

• LONG skewers or sticks (Do not be fooled into purchasing the short ~12” skewers designed for kabobs that will likely be hanging right by the other s’mores ingredients. Take the time to search out longer skewers or forage for some strong sticks/branches.)

Roasting marshmallows and making s’mores is an undeniable delight for people of all ages. It’s an activity. It’s a sweet treat. It’s messy, thrilling, with just a hint of danger. It’s quintessential Americana (invented by the Girl Scouts in 1927!)—and perhaps the last good vestige that we have of this country? It’s ancestral, nostalgic, and downright delicious. I promise, if you bring s’mores to the party, you will be celebrated.

Mulch!

If you are the steward of even a tiny bit of land (perhaps you are lucky enough to have a small square of dirt or raised bed in the backyard of your NYC apartment), you need to get familiar with my good friend, mulch. Without getting too deep into a rant about soil health and the dire need to regenerate what we have left of it—if we don’t have soil, we don’t have food, people!!!—mulch is a really easy way to keep your soil safe and happy.

Mulch improves soil water retention, regulates temperature, reduces erosion, and suppresses weed growth. You can use just about any organic material for mulch: wood chips, straw, dead leaves, pine needles, and even wool. I would advise against buying the bagged wood chips you often find at hardware stores; the reason they’re all a uniform color is because they’re treated with chemicals and will therefore not break down as well in your soil. Plus, the best mulch is typically free! Check out ChipDrop for free mulch deliveries in your area.

The Savannah Bananas & Banana Ball

A couple months ago, my cousin texted me asking if I knew who the Savannah Bananas were. I said no, guessing that it was a band I’d never heard of. Turns out they are “the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball” and she had an extra ticket to a game.

The Savannah Bananas do not play regular baseball; they play Banana Ball, which is sooo much better. The athletes-turned-dancers (or are they dancers-turned-athletes?) can all do backflips while simultaneously catching and throwing at the level of any professional baseball player. The umpire can twerk. The whole game is blessedly capped at two hours and is filled with music, acrobatics, choreography, skits, celebrity appearances, and a sexy banana mascot. The experience is clearly designed to be family-friendly but there’s really something for everyone, even a childless 34-year-old such as myself. The only type of person who might not enjoy Banana Ball is a serious baseball purist—but they can stay home! In any case, I am now a fan-ana (they are welcome to license this coined moniker from me) and I hope to never watch a regular baseball game ever again.

An alarm clock that isn’t your phone

I’m sure you’re aware that it’s considered unhealthy to look at your phone immediately upon waking, or to even have it in your bedroom at all. If you are having a hard time not doing this because you forgot how people managed to wake up on time before the advent of cell phones, let me remind you about a cool, old-timey invention: the alarm clock. Its job is to sit by your bed and then yell at you when it’s time to get up in the morning.

There are many varieties of alarm clocks out there, but here are some features that you might want to consider:

• Minimal Ticking. I used to have the prototypical alarm clock with the bells on top but I had to get rid of it because it ticked SO loudly every second of the night.

• Clock Radio. Nothing makes me feel more like a healthy, informed adult than waking up to the soothing voices of my local NPR station. I have always struggled with staying informed of current events, and this makes it easy to sorta know what’s going on in the world. I bought a refurbished 1979 Panasonic flip clock radio on Etsy and it is one of my most prized possessions.

• Battery Powered. If you’re concerned about a 3am power outage resetting your clock and fucking your morning, opt for something that uses batteries. I have this one at my mom’s house, which conveniently doubles as a conversation piece.

Not only will a physical alarm clock improve your sleep hygiene, but it will likely also make you much more sexually appealing to anyone you invite into your bed. I don’t make the rules!

A giant thank you to Emily for sharing her recos!

If you were influenced, perhaps subscribe to her newsletter, which is my number one source for learning about permaculture and other adjacent delights.

This newsletter brought to you by:

• My first ever Scotcharoo.

• My first ever Kneecap.

• Not my first ever cheese curds, kringle, and Seroogy’s.