I am a generation xer who is trained as a film & video producer. I was raised in the concrete jungle, New York City. That's why I say, "If I can do it, then you can too!" I'm just like everyone else. I am a mother, a daughter, a wife, a professional person, and now an urban sustainable living pioneer. Ultimately, I am a Modern American Homemaker and an Urban Homesteader. I got the nickname "GardenGirl" by the sales associates at the Home Depot who helped me load my car for years.

After my daughter Alejandra was born, I looked in the mirror and saw that I had gained seventy pounds and I decided I had to do something about it quick. As a new mother, in a new house, I decided to start getting into shape by working on landscaping my yard. It wasn't a yard. It was a vacant lot with intact foundations of homes that stood there before with who-knows-what thrown in. I worked that little spot as hard as I could and made some progress, but there was lots of failure too. I was able to refine some of my methods, but it wasn't until I moved into my new home, that it all began to take shape for me. I hate to work hard needlessly, but I like to be outside, so all of my methods and the methods of others that I use, are based maximum efficiency. I was a manager of a Gap store in college, so efficiency had been drilled in my head, and as a film producer we are always looking for better ways to do more with less. If there is an easy way, then I will find it.

After my gardens began to produce in great quantities, I learned how to cook. Feeding my family food that I personally grew and prepared was a treat. When my first flock of hens starting laying a half a dozen eggs per day, I must have tried every egg recipe. My friends and neighbors would come over and say you should videotape this. One day while watching how-to shows on cable, I said, "I can do that", and then I realized that I had to do it. So, I combined my homemaking skills with my film producing ability, learned how to work in front of the camera and have launched GardenGirlTv.com to spread the word!

Urban Sustainable Living is a term I coined when trying to explain to friends and neighbors what I was trying to accomplish with the days, which turned into weeks and then months of experimentation and construction of my garden. They would look at me with faces turned quizically and ask, "What are you doing that for? You can buy that already done." One of my friends, Joel W., who is a vegetarian, had the nerve to say "I don't want to eat a rabbit poop carrot." With this I realized that I had a lot of work to do. Urbanites act is if organic food is something new, when in fact, factory farming is new. Organic farming has been in practice for thousands of years and what we now call traditional farming is mearly an outgrowth of the industrial age and biochemical revolution of the 20th century.

As I looked around the city and talked to my fellow Urbanites I realized just how dependent we are on the outside world, and after Katrina devastated the gulf coast, it became clear that not only was I on to something, but maybe sharing some of the innovations I have been working on for years would be important in preserving our culture for future generations. Starting a garden and growing your own food isn't as important as knowing how-to live sustainably and build Urban Sustainable Living systems. Ultimately what I do is find ways to innovate and invent methods under the umbrella of permaculture design principles to fit into Urban landscapes and lifestyles.

Urban Sustainable Living is about using what you have to make and produce as much as you can. My gardens produce stunning amounts of food, and have become a focal point for the green culture of my inner city community. My weekend farmstand has become a place of fun and enjoyment for kids and adults from all around my Boston neighborhood. The farmstand can also bring in about $200 dollars by selling seedings for my neighbors' gardens and organic produce such as eggs, lettuce, cucumbers, kale, and whatever else is ripe. I now know one hundred of my neighbors by name. It's like bring a little bit of country back into the city.

Whether you have a patio, window box, or a back yard, start off small and expand gradually. Anyone can live sustainably even in the city, by doing your part no matter how small. If I can do it, you can too!

Vacations are a wonderful experience for the whole family. Probably the worst part of going on vacation is the traveling to and from part of the vacation. Airports are hectic and flights are the most expensive they've ever been. Have you ever considered vacationing locally? Do you know what's within 100miles of you? One of my favorite places to vacation locally is the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. It's around 100 Miles from Boston. It takes about 2 hours to get there. In this video, I check out the sites, go to a horse farm and do one of my favorite things, antiquing! I met some pretty interesting people along the way too. Don't underestimate your surroundings. Vacationing locally can be a lot of fun and a new experience for you and your family. It can be a lot cheaper which means you can spend more while your there. And what better way to spend your vacation money than to put it back into your regional economy. Because your travel time is reduced you can plan weekend trips during off peak times, saving you even more. The Monadnock region has a lot to offer in the way of outdoor activities. Climb Mt. Monadnock, go horseback riding, fishing, watch some motor sports, you can even gamble at the Hinsdale track. For a real adventure stop along the road when you see something interesting. I stopped and met a potter and an Artist and antique shop owner who lives her dream everyday. Artists have such great taste. On previous trips I've visited The Friendly Farm, a place really up my alley, a kid friendly space where you can visit a real farm. Your local region has so much to offer, put the brochures to Hawaii away and create wallet friendly lasting memories with your family right in your neighborhood.