Sara Snow - Sara Snows Fresh Living: The Essential Room-by-Room Guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home

T he process of writing this book brought me more pleasure than I ever dreamed it would. My heartfelt thanks goes out to my editor at Bantam Dell, Philip Rappaport, for his tireless support and willingness to explore things like recycled papers with me. And to so many others at Bantam: Nita Taublib, Paolo Pepe, Virginia Norey, Jill Weber, Glen Edelstein, Barb Burg, Theresa Zoro, Melissa Lord, Betsy Hulsebosch, and Loren Noveck, thank you for helping to design and distribute a book that meets my goals of being accessible as well as informative. I offer huge words of thanks to my book agent, Kim Witherspoon at Inkwell Management; who allowed me to dream that I could write this book; to my publicists and good friends, Denise Arrigali and Reenie Kuhlman, whose day-to-day support means more than they know; to Robin Albin and Susan Hunter at Brash Creative for their encouragement and creative contribution; to Alan, Tera, Lisa, and Amie at CAA for their help in so many other arenas, and to my colleagues and comrades at the Organic Center, the Organic Trade Association, the Environmental Working Group; and so many other organizations for working so hard toward a greater goal every day.

This book is not the result of a year's worth of research and writing; it is the result of a lifetime spent among people who have lived their lives with a dedication to the creation of healthy foods, continued research; or simply a more healthy and sustainable planet. Of these people, some have passed but most are still with US; and I am filled with knowledge; passion, and encouragement from their careers; their lives, and their generous spirits: Mark and Terry Retzloff; Drake Sadler, Denny Deschaine, Jonathan and Katrina Frey Mark Blumenthal; Morris Shriftman; Steve Terre, Walter Robb, Peter Roy Marci Zaroff, Robyn O'Brien, Dr. Lev Linkner, Bill Bolduc, Peter and Betsey Murray, Vic and Martha Leabu, and Jim and Marylee Fuchs.

Of course, I would be a different person today were it not for the nearness of my family every day of my life. I thank Tom and Nancy for their love and their willingness to voyage with me. To the Prentices and the Krueger/Bolduc clans, I pray that as our families grow we find a way to give them the fresh air and wide-open spaces we enjoyed as kids. I give thanks for and to my grandparents: to Grandma and Grandpa R for teaching me how to enjoy life and for passing on this entrepreneurial spirit; and to Grandma and Grandpa S, whose love for the natural world has served as a constant reminder to me that green is not about headlines and certificates, it's about living as if what you take can't be replaced. Thank you for your lessons and your encouragement.

I owe an enormous amount to my parents, who gave up so much so that we could live the life we were blessed with. Your dedication and exploration empowered four children to go among others and live according to the practices and ideals we learned under your roof. You two have been my leaders and my best friends.

To my siblings, Nate, Joe, and Elizabeth, I say this: it has been one of my greatest pleasures growing up and growing older with each of you. As I watch you carve your ways in this world still using sustainable energies and materials, local and organic foods, and lighter living as your compass, you inspire me to do more and to live better. I know it's not easy to have your family stories splashed across all media platforms, but you've ridden this wave with me and have kept me grounded and honest.

And finally, to my husband, Ryan: every day I am astounded by your steadfast support, your ability to adapt, and your willingness to travel this road togethereven when it means giving up things you once loved. Thank you for your unwavering encouragement, for letting me be who I am, and for journeying with me. I couldn't do it without you.

M y unusual upbringing and family story are fundamental to who I have become. These days, what fuels my passion and activism are not only the changes I see happening in the world around me, but also the way I was raised and the environmental lessons my parents taught as I was growing up. For this reason, any time I speak to an audience, whether through television or on stage, whether I'm talking about ways people can create healthier homes or how businesses can green their practices, I always start out with a primer on my upbringing. And the first line of my story is almost always I grew up in a home that was different from most. But I started wondering one day if I was exaggerating. Maybe most people's homes were a little like mine, and they lived off the land the way I did growing up. When I tell the story I'm not trying to imply that my family's lifestyle was better than everyone else's, just that it probably was different; and, in truth, it was likely more sustainable. And though it was also rough and tough in many senses, we were doing our best to live in a low-impact way and in tune with nature, or to be harmonious with the world around, to use a family term.

In the pages that follow, you'll learn about all that, but you'll also discover that as I grew older I fell off the eco trail for a short while. I didn't intend to, but it didn't take long before I could feel the difference and it was the process of getting back on track that proved ultimately to be my most valuable lesson. I learned a lot about myself, and about how to get back to a more natural state of living, about what works and what in particular is easy for people who are just starting out and moving toward greener, more natural living.

I also learned that there is no such thing as perfect. My parents weren't perfect, I'm certainly not, and I won't ever expect you to be. Choosing to live more sustainably isn't one-size-fits-all and it's not all-or-nothing. It's about a series of small steps and changes toward greater health and harmony. I was lucky; my parents started taking those steps before I even came into this world.

I was born at home, in my parents' bed. There weren't many naturopathic Ob/Gyn's at the time, and home births were not very common, but my parents found someone they trustedsomeone who would make house calls and home deliveriesso that our first breaths wouldn't be in the sterile environment of a hospital. My older brother took a