Home Tips of the Month from Bonny Lamb

We all have different interpretations of privacy, sort of pro-Alexa or not. Recently I read that when you make a call and are placed on hold, you can’t hear the person on the other end, but sometimes they don’t turn off their mic and can hear you and whatever is being said in your house. Additionally, while you are on hold, some companies listen to your background activities/conversation for data collection. Discomforting, isn’t it?

Try hydroponically grown salad greens—they really are good. Whole Foods carries a brand called Lef that is pesticide free. Unlike the usual salad greens, these greens taste fresher, last so much longer, and don’t get wet, soggy and spoiled in a few days. Also, I suspect the chance of getting contaminated leaves is far less.

I love grilled cheese sandwiches—they’re my favorites with sliced tomatoes. Instead of using butter on the outer slices, add olive oil/evoo to a skillet—I use a generous amount—and fry your sandwich in the heated olive oil. The first time you try it, you’ll notice the difference; afterwards and considering the benefits, I’m quite sure you’ll happily adopt.

The debate about the SPF number with sunscreen continues and now Johnson & Johnson has informed us that Neutrogena, etc., are not safe to use. And to prevent staining, let your sunscreen dry before adding clothing.

Another reminder about English ivy, an invasive species that strangles and kills trees, like this one in West Cambridge. It’s our local kudzu, all too evident in Cambridge, Belmont and Somerville, taking over gardens and climbing trees. At the beginning of the climb, the roots can be pulled from the trees; once securely attached to the tree or wedged within the interstices of the trunk, the thick stem at the bottom of the tree needs to be sawed to destroy the vines.