Con Vivo Music will celebrate Earth Day weekend with a unique performance of “Not Less Than the Good,” a 60-minute musical sunrise and celebration of morning as embraced by Henry David Thoreau in “Walden” at the Barrow Mansion (83 Wayne St.), this Sunday at 6pm. The concert is free; all ages welcome.
“Not Less Than the Good” simulates a sunrise by combining the meditative playing of the saxophone quartet with ambient synthesizers. The music grows from a single quiet note, adding notes and timbres, growing in fullness and depth, much like the literature does with words (Ed. note: I’m only making that comparison because I wrote a term paper on “Walden” while at NYU).
Underneath this are real, pre-recorded sounds during the pre-dawn and early morning hours at Walden Pond: a chorus of insects, the lone song of dawn’s first bird which is joined by others in a raucous counterpoint, and the splashing of morning swimmers.
And keeping even further in trend with Beyonce, the hour-long performance is punctuated by readings of excerpts from “Walden”, considered a secular prayer of hope for enlightenment, that are narrated by poet J. D. McClatchy.
Spring Clean your Jersey City Home! The best tactic when taking on a gargantuan project is to tackle it one area at a time over a series of sessions — no need to overwhelm yourself. Whether the area is as big as one room or as small as one drawer or cabinet, break up the task into achievable 10-minute segments, and conquer each 10 minutes when ready. If you are not hiring out, here are some useful tips for each section of your home life.
CLUTTER I have a place for everything so I don’t have to look for things. Umbrellas and keys hang by the door, takeout menus have their own upright file box, makeup and jewelry items are organized by casual/edgy/fancy. And my roomie and I have a huge box of items designated “the party box,” full of plates, plasticwear and decorations for every occassion that resides in our storage unit in the basement for other things we don’t need year-round, like beach chairs, skis, and yearbooks.
Takeaway: Have a place for everything, and especially for those things you need in everyday life. At the very least, group like things with like things in each designated area. Looking for necessities saps your time. And time is the most valuable commodity.
KITCHEN
♦ Check expiration dates and toss all expired food items along with non-perishables that you will never eat. Save all fun, outdated holiday cards, announcements, and children’s artwork from your refrigerator in a memory box (or toss) to make room for new news.
♦ Rearrange items in cabinets so the ones you use most are at the forefront.
♦ Go through all pots, utensils, and appliances. Remove what you don’t use regularly for donation.
♦ Scrub the oven, stove, and microwave, and wipe down the fridge once you’ve rid the dead items. Oh the power of mistolin.
UPHOLSTORY/ RUG STAINS Rugs and furniture unfortunately collide with pets, babies and accidents. Several people in my life cannot be controlled in tiny spaces with their grand, gestural movements (hello, #happyhands) and therefore, stains are inevitable. Here is a quick guide to treating every household stain. And there’s always club soda and vodka.
BATHROOM I stick to the basics: Clorox bleach and Lysol. But the winner with tough bathroom grit is Bar Keepers Friend. It made my tub shiny new with 1/20th of the scrubbing effort I was doing with a traditional brush and formulas. I mean, I think it erodes surfaces via intense chemical exfoliation that is probably extremely unhealthy BUT, there is nothing like looking at a blindingly sparkling white tub.
BEDROOM I recently developed bad allergies and my awesome allergist put me on a regimen that includes covering my mattress and pillows with dust-mite covers (from Kennedy’s), something I never had to think of before in the past. In addition to washing my stuff with All Free & Clear, the covers have really kept invisible dust out of the air—and out of my lungs.
WINDOWS Power-wash away bad-weather grime; then Windex.
LIGHTS/LIGHTING Simple soap and water is all you need to clean lights. Change the bulbs if necessary. This is also a good time to check the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
CLOSET Purge, purge, purge.
Clothes, shoes, jewelry, handbags: Toss as much as you can to feel lighter. Basic rule: If you haven’t worn it in a year, you probably won’t. Sweaty, ratty stuff can be re-purposed as rags for your household cleaning portion of this segment. Outdated denim can be cut and reconstructed into a purse or a skirt or something it wasn’t. But for the most part, toss.
Specialty items (like personalized handmade knit sweaters, say, that have significant emotional value) should be kept in preserved storage or put on display. Same with family heirlooms. Other tips
DONATE
♦ Schoola allows clothes to be donated to raise real dollars for your local school. Just request a bag (free), fill it with items, and leave for the postman. Schoola sells the clothes at a discounted rate, and the proceeds go directly to fund important programs in schools (22,000 schools involved so far)
Now, if you’re moving your home or your office, you will have a lot of ish to get rid of. That’s where the mastermindsJunk-a-Holicscome in. They come to you, pick up your stuff and donate, recycle, or re-purpose it accordingly. You do none of the work, but can still feel great being green.
ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE CLEANED
POLISH Jewelry and silverware can simply be cleaned with hydrogen peroxide, whereas wood loves Murphy’s Oil, Orange Glo and Endust
LAUNDRY 2 Boys Laundromat is my fave, but we should all go to the one on our corner we like best. Support local businesses!
DRY CLEANING Leon’s One-Hour Cleaners on Prospect & Webster St. is my go-to. They have re-lined my antique coats and made them prettier than the originals; transformed old whites to look newer than new whites, hemmed my jeans and pants with tighter, better seams. They are my fairy seamstresses (and inexpensive!)
UberEATS has arrived in Jersey City, partnering with Hudson County and over 100 of the best local restaurants to get your food to you faster.
It’s as easy as Uber: Download the appUberEATSon your smartphone (or go online to ubereats.com), order from your favorite local restaurants, and get excited as you track your delivery in real time. Use the app to explore other local restaurants you have yet to try and discover something new.
Some of my faves made the list, like The Hamilton Inn, Just BeClaws, Iron Monkey, Ayame Hibachi & Sushi and Elysian Cafe.
Dan Richer, owner of Jersey City’s Razza Pizza Artiginale, uses UberEATS exclusively for delivery: “Uber has logistics down to a science and I am super confident in their ability to provide the same level of care in delivering our food as we provide our guests in-house,” he says.
There was Jersey City Beer Fest, then Wine Fest and now…Whiskey Fest.
On Friday, March 24th, Whiskey lovers are encouraged to go to Harborside Atrium (34 Exchange Pl.; entrance on 210 Hudson St.) from 7-10pm and enjoy 100 different styles of the fine spirit while viewing the Manhattan Skyline.
Meet distillers, master blenders and other whiskey connoisseurs while tasting single malt and blended Scotch, Irish, bourbon, rye, Tennessee, Japanese, Canadian, and craft-distilled whiskies. High-end rum, cognac, and other spirits will also be available.
You’ll get a 5-oz. sample cup upon arrival. Tastings are unlimited, so I’m interjecting to say that this is far more dangerous than Beer or Wine Fest events. Please choose your tastings wisely and be careful!
There will be live music and food stands at the Atrium, plus vendors selling their cool, unique goods. Almost all are small, local businesses. Please always support local talent and shop it small in JC.
Tickets: $60. Buyhereand use code jerseycitygal to get $15 off.
Jersey City hosts its first indie wedding showcase – Bespoken – this Saturday, April 29th at Cathedral Hall (380 Montgomery St.) from 1-5pm.
