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Q&A How do you get the most bang for your buck in the city?

Stash Slabinski

Seattle firefighter and father of two I was a stay-at-home dad for 10 years. We’ve loved the city’s summer camps. Memberships at the zoo and the aquarium are a wonderful value. In two visits, you pay off an annual pass. I love taking the boys on light rail to the stadium for an afternoon baseball game. It’s all moms and dads there.

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Lively + locally made

Things we love Recycled baby style Broadview mom Annette Sindel upcycles thrift store sweaters into the softest baby gear. Originally a painter, Sindel started making children’s clothes when her

teens were babies. Her handmade line includes merino wool baby pants and hats, and cashmere leg warmers and fingerless gloves. 3 etsy.com/shop/ BlumenKinderSeattle

The Lentz family hopes to share their passion for zero-waste living with Scoop Marketplace. Cutline here cutline here cutline here cutline here.

Smaller footprints

How a new zero-waste store on First Hill is helping families to be better, not perfect

by JIAYING GRYGIEL / photo by JOSHUA HUSTON

New York blogger Lauren Singer is famous for fitting four years’ worth of trash in a single Mason jar.

Very impressive, but a little extreme?

Stephanie Lentz, a Renton mom with a 2-year-old and 4-year-old, started her own zero-waste journey four years ago. She posts daily on Instagram (@scoopmarketplace), where she’s grinding her own wheat into flour for bread, and dipping sliced apples into homemade peanut butter. She acknowledges that’s not realistic for every family, but her goal is to model what zero waste looks like in action: “Especially for a mom. Because there is no way my trash fits in a Mason jar.”

Case in point: when her kids were in diapers, she used cloth, but allowed for disposable CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >

Instant gallery

When she had a preschooler, Ballard mom Leslie Pierson needed a fast and easy way to display the avalanche of kid art. So she created GoodHangups, using stickers and magnets to hang up work without damaging the art (or the walls). The stickers are removable and reusable, and will stick to any surface. 3 goodhangups.com

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overnights (less laundry, fewer rashes, well-rested kids).

In June, Lentz opened a zero-waste grocery store, Scoop Marketplace, which sells all-organic, package-free food and home goods. Her First Hill storefront is a bright and airy space shared with The Works. She hopes the store can help people learn to shop with less garbage.

“I just needed a grocery store that better aligned with my family values,” Lentz says. “There wasn’t one, so I created it.”

Scoop Marketplace packs a lot into its small footprint. The shelves are lined with neatly labeled glass jars of bulk dried foods: staples like rolled oats, beans, lentils and flour, and all kinds of spices and teas. You’ll find everything from black lava salt to spirulina powder to Ashwagandha root powder.

Bring your own containers (or buy them at the store), fill them and pay for your purchases by weight. It’s perfect if you’re trying out a new recipe — just buy the amount you need.

Scoop Marketplace also carries sustainable personal care items handpicked by Lentz. Take the reusable menstrual cup and custom cloth pads, for example; Lentz tried them out for two months before ordering them for the store. Other home products include vegan wax wraps (no bees involved here), stainless steel lunch boxes, glass straws and reusable facial rounds and nursing pads.

“I’m more focused on improving the overall quality of life, and what is creating a more sustainable future for our community and planet. Having the store helps me with the mindset,” Lentz says. “Even if my family never used a single plastic fork, I still wouldn’t be having the impact I’m having with the store sharing what I’ve learned with people.”

The former elementary school teacher is passionate about teaching people how to waste less and live more. She

Products including vegan wax wraps and glass straws can be found at Scoop Marketplace.

and her husband switched to a plant-based diet four years ago. As they learned more about how polluted the planet is, they embraced the zero-waste lifestyle, which is all about making intentional choices to reduce the amount of trash you create.

If you’re trying to cut back, Lentz suggests thinking about what is sustainable for your life. Focus on being better, not perfect. You’re not comparing yourself with the person with the Mason jar; you’re comparing with where you were last year.

“My values are sustainability, community and education,” Lentz says. “I love sharing what I’ve learned and modeling a different lifestyle. I hope with what I’m passing along, you can improve the quality of your life while walking more gently on the planet.” q Scoop Marketplace, 151 12th Ave., Seattle, @scoopmarketplace

BE CURIOUS. BLAZE A NEW TRAIL.

Let Mother Nature inspire you with wetlands, waterways, and engaging educational programs for all ages.

Book your visit today at pacsci.org/mercer-slough.

The Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center is a collaboration between the City of Bellevue and Pacific Science Center.

» TheBook Corner

FOUR JOURNEYS

THROUGH NATURE As Pacific Northwest authors, we love children’s books that encourage readers to get outside and listen to nature. Here are our four favorite books for turning up the volume on story time. — Laura McGee Kvasnosky and Kate Harvey McGee Squeak! by Laura McGee Kvasnosky, illustrated by Kate Harvey McGee Ages 4-8 How could a mouse’s small “Squeak!” awaken animals all across the meadows and mountains? In a surprising cacophony of cause and effect, that’s exactly what happens. A lively, humorous read-aloud!

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Patrick Benson Ages 3-7 All the mystery and beauty of the woodland at night, plus a trio of adorable owlets who are missing their mother. With stunning illustrations and memorable text, this is a family favorite.

Run Wild by David Covell Ages 3-5 This book challenges you to chase the wind! Two children race across a day: through mud, a forest, a beach, and a thunderstorm. Loose, exuberant art shows the joys of running wild. How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham Ages 3-7 In the busy city, a small boy notices a bird is injured. With the help of his parents, he nurses the bird back to health. Minimal text packs a punch in this tender tale.

WE’RE HERE FOR YOUR HEALTH

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