Articles Written by Julie Hancher

We sure do love browsing Instagram for inspiration, cuteness and overall as the alternative to whiny Facebook feeds. And when we start to get a little gloomy about the shorter, colder days of fall - a picture can say 1000 words. Like "there's still hope outside!" Or "Look at the cool things people are doing in Philly." We searched the web to share our favorite Instagram accounts that capture the best of sustainable and healthy living in our city! (And make sure to follow us on Instagram while you're thinking about it.) Find out which are Philly's 10 Best Healthy Living Instagram Accounts, after the jump!

America Recycles Day is today. Woo, recycling. Recycling is something that was emphasized to me since I was a wee little lady. Let me state for the record: I recycle every product I can and keep waste out of the landfills. But is recognizing America Recycles Day really a celebration and motivator to Americans? Does it further the green 'exhaust' problem? Or is there a dark, greenwashing secret lurking behind that recycle symbol?

Greenbuild, the world's largest green building conference is coming to Philly next week! The Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) is hosting a few events that you can attend to celebrate green buildings in our city!

We’ve already reviewed how to green your cat adoption and given our feline a chance to chat about his sustainable lifestyle, but what can those with canines do? My good friend Maria has an adorable dog, Baxter. Today, we’ll address how to green your dog to help Maria and Baxter become as sustainable as possible. From the moment you bring home your pup until their old years, here's 8 ways to green your dog:

Hope you didn't miss it: The Philly Bike Expo was this past weekend. For bike lovers, this was THE place to be. As soon as I rolled up (pun intended) to the convention center, I was psyched to take my bike indoors for the free bike valet courtesy of Fuji Bikes & Neighborhood Bike Works. No lock needed for me! Once I got to the expo floor, there were rows and rows of vendors with products from t-shirts, bike accessories, baskets, denim and much more.

There's trash, recycling and composting at the Philadelphia Marathon start line. But which goes in which bin? Who you gonna call? Waste Watchers! More about Philadelphia Marathon Waste Watchers Program, after the jump!

Hey Villanova Students - the L.L.Bean's Bootmobile is coming to your campus tomorrow, encouraging you to get outside in between classes, parties and the bar. The last time we saw the L.L.Bean Bootmobile was with the Outdoor Discovery Schools while we kayaked & SUP'd. L.L.Bean’s 2013 Wintervention College Tour is visiting the Villanova campus Friday, 11/8. It's one of the 15 stops at colleges throughout the Northeast to help remind students to get active and outside, no matter what the temperatures are. The next stop for the Bootmobile is on Saturday November 9th at Lehigh University from 11 AM - 2 PM by the Stadium Entrance. 

Who's ready to talk, gawk and love all things bike? Good news, readers. The Philly Bike Expo 2013 returns this weekend! Find out about what to expect and when to go, after the jump:

Have leaves in your yard or 3' of city sidewalk in front of your house? What can you do them? In this week's Where Can I Wednesday, we're filling you in on where to put those leaves. The Philadelphia Street Department's 2013 Philly Bagged Leaf drive runs for 6 weeks, beginning Mon, November 11th through Fri, December 20th. Leaves collected are used for composting in local parks, trees and gardens (and so you can do the right thing). You can put your leaves in (only) biodegradable bags curbside on trash day for collection.  Find out the Bagged Leaf Drive: 2013 Rules, after the jump