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A couple of weekends ago, I attended the Environmental Working Group’s EWG Verified Popup in Soho, having heard about it from Norwex — short for ‘The Norwegian Experience’ — a direct sales company I joined nearly two years ago.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping people live their healthiest lives. The EWG Verified mark is reserved for products that meet EWG’s strictest standards for safety, ingredient transparency and sustainability. This ensures they’re free from harmful chemicals and have undergone a rigorous review process.

A midmorning train allowed me to enjoy a leisurely stroll around Soho before attending the popup. I felt an easy familiarity walking to the subway within Grand Central and boarding a Downtown 6 train, even though it’s been some time since I’ve made that trek.

Navigating my way around Manhattan on a beautiful October Sunday was a lot of fun. The tiny Balthazar Bakery (next door to the restaurant) was my first stop; it’s conveniently close to the Spring Street subway exit. Years ago, I used to stop by after work in the early evenings to pick up half price salads and entrées that hadn’t sold earlier in the day (and a scrumptious pastry or two, bien sûr!) The barista told me they stopped the half price specials during the pandemic. This time I ordered an iced ginger tea with lemon and honey — it was sweeter than I remembered but it still tasted fresh and delicious.

My next stop, about a ten minute walk down Spring Street, was the Dominic Anselme bakery — the birthplace of the famous cronut, which debuted at the beginning of the pandemic.

On the way, I saw a huge line that took up several blocks. Intrigued, I asked one of the waiting young women what the line was for. She answered that it was for Wild Fox apparel. Another young woman corrected her: the line was for a White Fox pop up boutique.

I hadn’t heard of either brand, but later read that White Fox is an Australian fast fashion retailer that has achieved huge success thanks at least in part to their adept use of social media. Their popularity with Gen Z illustrates that generation’s intention gap — they care about sustainable fashion and brands, but can’t always afford them.

A few minutes later, I had arrived at the DA bakery. There is a cute enclosed outdoor patio at the back, where I enjoyed a spinach quiche and salad, along with an iced decaf oat milk latte and cannelé. Everything tasted really fresh, and it was nice to enjoy a calm, quiet respite in the city. I brought home a couple of cronuts for me and my husband, since we hadn’t tried them. We both decided they were delicious, but that it wouldn’t be a good idea to make it a habit — we indulge in the occasional treat, but the vicissitudes (and privilege) of aging have crystalized that eating healthy foods helps us feel better.

Then it was on to the EWG Verified Popup, which was about a half mile away. Automatically cutting over to Broome Street, I found that as usual, it was not as crowded (and less dirty) than Spring Street, which was still showing signs of the previous Saturday night and early morning’s revelry and smells — not my favorite!

Feeling thirsty, I made an impromptu stop at Harney & Sons Tea — the day’s herbal iced tea blend was hibiscus, rosehip, apple and peach. The EWG Verified Popup Shop was now only a few steps away, and when I got to the corner of Lafayette Street, I was surprised to see there was a line. I learned the line was for ticketholders, so I took my place at the end. While waiting to enter — only 20 people were allowed at the same time — I learned that attendees would only have ten minutes inside the small space. EWG staff verified our reservations while we were waiting on line, and offered a tote bag and ten raffle tickets. Each ticket could be exchanged for a free product from one of the brands.

My first stop of course was the Norwex display: a quick hello to Amy (Chief Brand and Mission Officer) and Johanna (a top Direct Sales Leader), who I’m familiar with, thanks to their appearances in Norwex consultant training videos. When I introduced myself as a consultant, they offered to take a selfie of all of us, which was nice. Then we parted ways: I knew their focus would be on talking to the remaining attendees, and I only had a few minutes to start making my rounds to the various other brands. I was pleasantly surprised that some of the brands were exchanging full size products for the raffle tickets. In some cases, attendees had two or three products to choose from.

On the way back, I found myself walking to Prince Street to catch an uptown train. Once I got onto the platform, I happily remembered that the N and R trains had always been less crowded and hectic than the 6, and it’s still the case now, years later. I exited at Bryant Park, using a South East exit that is quieter and less crowded than the main exits. From there, it’s a short walk to Grand Central and to a train back home.

It was fun to learn about super clean and safe brands and products, and I enjoyed the positive ambience and friendly atmosphere. Later, I tried the various products I had been given — they were all very nice and pleasant to use, but Norwex is still at the top of my list!

Self care is multifaceted; it can encompass beautiful skincare, clean household products, a fun day trip, spending time in Nature, and a multitude of interests and activities. Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts about self care and why I love Norwex.