Resolution Week: Have Fun With It

I can be an intense person.  (Intense people often start out blog entries with unambiguous opening statements like that.)  If that's not clear from this blog, you should visit my office. Here's what my desk looked like in September:

(I should say "work station" instead of desk, because I was using the floor as part of my filing system.  Anyway.)


So one of my New Year's Resolutions is to have more fun and be present in the activities I enjoy.  Like thrifting for gems at local shops, taking time to cook a good meal and not scarfing it down, moving around outside, savoring a hot cup of tea with a kitty curled up in my lap, singing in the room that doesn't share any walls with my neighbors, making plans with people I love (and following through on them - Katye, we're GOING to Vancouver this summer, eh?!  Canadians, am I allowed to use "eh" that way?).  


And we should have fun with saving the planet/boycotting bad companies/saying no to the man/hugging trees, because then we just might stick with it.  The following project accomplishes all of these things:

DIY deodorant.  Seriously.  Nobody's complained yet, and I firmly believe that friends should tell friends when they stink.  Just not in the comment section here, ok?



A basic mix is ¼ cup coconut oil, 3 tbs baking soda, 2 tbs cornstarch, and your choice of 10-20 drops essential oil.  Try grapefruit for an invigorating scent, or tea tree oil, which has antibacterial properties that make it an effective natural deodorant.  It may take a few days to settle into a more solid consistency, but there’s no aluminum, it’s great for sensitive skin, you can customize the proportions to your own body chemistry, it's cheaper than buying it, and best of all, no more white streaks on your favorite black sweater!  


I just put the mix in an old lotion container, and apply the stuff directly with my hands.  You could also put it in an old deodorant container and apply it like a normal person.  Either way, this is a great party story/icebreaker.  I dare you.

Resolution Week: Save Water and Energy

1. Turn off the water while you're doing dishes or brushing your teeth.  It's that easy.  If you want to be a real rockstar, try a navy shower: turn off the tap while you're sudsing.  (Or, move into an apartment that has an extremely limited hot water supply so your showers are never more than 5 minutes anyway.)

2. Toilet Talk: older toilets use up to seven gallons of water per flush, but less than a gallon is required.  The simple fix is to place a brick or a plastic bottle filled with water/gravel in the toilet tank.  Another easy fix?  If it's yellow, let it mellow, unless you've eaten asparagus.  (That's not part of the original phrase, but it's an important caveat.)

3. If you're a renter like me, it's hard to be motivated to make upgrades to your living space.  However, for just a few dollars, you can save money AND energy.  My drafty apartment had leaky doors, so for $3.75 at my local Ace Hardware, I added weatherstripping to the front door.  Whereas before I could hear and feel the cold air seeping in, my space is now quieter and retains heat better.  Everybody wins!

I'm pretty sure this is the same stuff I used - the website carries a 5-pack.

Resolution Week: Buy Less Stuff

1. Could you wear the same six items for an entire month?  That's the challenge over at Six Items or Less.  What started as two friends examining their relationship with clothing has expanded into a global experiment.  (In case you were wondering, undergarments, shoes, accessories, work uniforms, outerwear, and pajamas are excluded from the six items.)  

2. Look around at what you already have.  I've gotten to the point where I continually evaluate the "things" in my life: am I actually using this?  Do I still enjoy it?  Do I really need it?  I keep a box in my closet where unused/unloved/once-loved-but-haven't-looked-at-in-six-months items are placed for donation.    When you make a concerted effort to be aware of how much you already have (read: how did I end up with all of this junk?), it curbs the desire to buy more.  

3. Buy less NEW stuff.  We right-brained creative types are stimulated by having pretty things around us that other people think are…crap.  Shopping at thrift stores can help feed that visual craving without hurting your wallet or the planet.  For a listing of places near you, try the National Thrift Store Directory, or your local Wiki page.  (I'm not even going to mention the wonders of Etsy here.  That place is dangerous for those of us who drool when we spy a vintage brooch or scarf made out of recycled materials.)

found these beauties at the thrift store across the street!

Resolution Week: Reduce Your Waste

1. Stop annoying credit card offers - and save paper - for free at https://www.optoutprescreen.com/opt_form.cgi.  (Concerned about providing personal information on this website like I was?  Here's more information on the Federal Trade Commission Website.

2. Bring a mug to the coffee shop and reusable bags to the grocery store.  If you're forgetful like me, I've started leaving a mug at my desk at work for the days when I jones mid-day, and keep a Chico Bag clipped to my keyring so I'm never without.  (I've heard people claim that coffee tastes better in the disposable cups the store hands out.  In that case, may I suggest that you keep empty cereal boxes at your desk and add scraps to your taste?)

3. Examine your recycling routine.  Most of the waste we produce can be recycled in one form or another - are you tossing things in the trash that could actually be reused or recycled?  If it looks like it should be recyclable but you're not sure what to do with certain items, try Earth911.com 's search engine. Enter the item in question, and the website will display results for local recycling programs or organizations in need of that particular good.

earth911.com shows you where to go!

New Year's Countdown: Resolution Week

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!  I hope that this season has brought you time with loved ones and space to reflect on the past year and think about what's to come.  As a perfectionist I love the idea of resolutions: coming up with a list of ways I'll be better in the New Year.  And as with most people, my resolve to exercise every day and be a generally more patient/loving/awesome person quickly dwindles.  So over the next week, I'm going to offer up some easy ways to make small life changes for a healthier, happier planet.  Sound good?  Be sure to name your own resolutions, too!

Egghead - or, What To Do With Old Textbooks

I think every college student I know  - including me - has hung onto at least a few old textbooks believing that we will one day use them again.  Won't it be helpful for grad school?  What if I want to feel smart again?  Plus, their presence on my bookshelves makes me look intelligent to outsiders (even if my pets know I'm a fraud).  And every college student I've talked to eventually realized that they will never pick up that book again.  Most likely, everything you learned in college is now obsolete (even if it was just a few quarters ago), and if you've joined the real world workforce, you've had the sad realization that most of the material you learned in college is basically useless.  Learning how to write a strong paper, managing time well, getting involved in social causes, figuring out how to express yourself in a group discussion - these are the things will stick with you, and they're not in your textbooks.  Besides, you can always discretely look up those social theories on Wikipedia if it comes up in a conversation.


So, what can you do with the volumes you amassed?


The easiest answer is to donate them.  If they're current, libraries would be happy to take the books of your hands.  Thrift stores will usually take any book no matter their publication date, and anything they can't use will be donated to another charity or recycled.  Other locally-based options include posting your inventory to sites like Facebook, Freecycle, or Craigslist.  If you're thinking internationally, Books for Africa takes in-kind and financial donations to support local initiatives throughout the continent.  Read more about their individual projects here.


If you're interested in earning back a bit of what you shelled out for that overpriced stack of paper, try your campus' buyback program, or check out online marketplaces like eBay's half.com or Amazon.  I've used both websites and made some decent money, and the advantage is that you can set your own price.  However, you are responsible for standard shipping, regardless of how much it costs to send each individual order.  You are also at the mercy of the customer, who will be expecting their book to be shipped within 2 to 5 business days regardless of your own schedule.


Looking for instant gratification?  I just discovered the wonders of Cash4Books.net, a locally-owned business out of Beaverton, Oregon.  They have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and are committed to green business practices.  Just type in the ISBN number(s), and Cash4Books will tell you if they'll buy it - and for how much.  Shipping is free, and you get paid (via check or PayPal) when they receive the books.  Since Cash4Books typically only buy books that were published within the last four years, most of the titles I entered were rejected.  However, they offered me about $15 total for four books that were otherwise languishing on my shelf, and would only have been worth pennies on another online marketplace.  For a half-an-hour of work, that's a good deal.  


Do you have any other tips for finding new homes for your old textbooks?
Shared over at Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways

Giftwrapping

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!  When you’re getting ready to wrap presents, instead of buying new wrapping paper and bags, consider getting creative with your present-ation (sorry, it was just lying there). 

via A Woman's Haven

Instead of wrapping paper, look around for:

• Pictures from your 2011 calendar
• Maps - the free ones you got from AAA or the places you never visit (or never want to go back to).  Or, find a map from a place that holds significance to your loved one!
• Wrap the gift IN a gift - dish towels, a scarf, a mug, reusable cloth napkins, or a billion other things.  

In lieu of a giftbag, why not:

• A reusable bag from your local grocery store that you wanted to get rid of anyway
• Tins or glass jars
• If you're giving wine - or a shampoo bottle? - and have an ugly sweater lying around, check this out!

Plastic ribbons?  How about:

• Twine
• Yarn - available for cheap at thrift stores, or maybe leftover from the scar you never finished
• Scrap fabric

When the party's over, see how little actually needs to be thrown away.  My family has been using the same gift bags, ribbon, tags, and tissue paper for YEARS.  

Blood:Water Mission – 48 Hours Left to Match Your Donation!

1000 wells later, Blood:Water Mission is still going strong in their fundraising efforts to invest in African communities most impacted by the HIV/AIDS crisis.  Cement is now sexy (note to B:WM – you might want to use that catchphrase), as it’s an important component in water and sanitation projects.  Half a bag of cement goes into a bio-sand water filter, seven bags can build a well, and 54 bags are needed for a rain-catchment tank.

http://www.bloodwatermission.com

If you buy two bags of cement by December 15^th, a matching grant will provide a third bag to Blood:Water Mission – that’s $50 for three very valuable bags of cement.  Will you consider “Cementing Your Love” this holiday season? 

The Magic of Vinegar

via Google

Happy Monday!  This week, an easy way to be green is to switch from traditional cleaners to vinegar.  This magic liquid can be used to clean just about anything, and is acidic enough to kill most mold and bacteria.  White vinegar is dirt cheap, nontoxic for people and animals, and isn’t harmful for the environment.  Add some lemon juice for a fresh scent and extra shine. 

• To unclog drains, try pouring baking soda followed by vinegar, and your inner chemist can sit back and delight in the ensuing fizz.  
• I mix one part vinegar, two parts water, and a splash of  liquid castile soap to wash floors squeaky clean.
• To absorb unfortunate household odors (burn those cookies?), place small bowls of vinegar around the house.  When I moved into an apartment that still smelled strongly of cigarette smoke, we wiped down the walls directly with vinegar 

Any other vinegar cleaning tips to share?  They're all over the internet!  What's worked well for you?

'Tis the Season - Good Resources for Great Gifts

Not done with your holiday shopping?  Consider some of these sources for unique presents that support good causes!

Handcrafted Silver Bangle

Worldstock Fair Trade (Overstock.com): 60-70% of the sales dollars go directly to the artisans responsible for the lovely wares of Worldstock Fair Trade.  One easy location for housewares, art, clothing, and accessories from projects in approximately 40 countries worldwide.  Plus, your purchase ships carbon neutral!  My personal favorite is the jewelry selection...


Ten Thousand Villages: one of the biggest fair trade organizations in the world, Ten Thousand Villages is another good resource for a variety of treasures from around the globe.  This is a favorite source of earrings for one of my best friends.


Etsy.com: a marketplace for handmade and vintage wares from individuals and small businesses.  You can find just about anything here, and the price ranges from pennies to much more for custom-made goods or vintage duds.  I find Etsy to be much less intimidating than eBay  and I love connecting with such creative people.  I once bought my boyfriend a light switch cover made out of an old Sesame Street plate with his namesake Bert striking a GQ pose.

Mercy Corps

The gift of giving: one year, I donated a goat in honor of my family via Heifer International.  I took a cookie cutter (yes, my grandma had one in the shape of a goat) and traced out tags to put in each person's stocking.  Mercy Corps has an excellent gift guide for your friends and family members based on their interest in animals, health, the environment, and so on.  For a friend who is sweet-as-can be, how about giving her a bottle of local honey with a note that you have made a donation to provide a family in Central America with a hive of bees?  Or for your stinker of a little brother, the gift of compost.


Thrift store challenge: my family has always encouraged homemade or practical gifts for Christmas (hmmm, I wonder if mom got me any socks this year - I'm really running low).  In the past few years, this has morphed into a year-long challenge to find the most creative thrift store presents.  I am now the proud owner of a mushroom salt-and-pepper shaker set and vintage Parisian travel poster thanks to this fine tradition.  And several people have individually gifted me with books on "How to Talk to Your Cat."  After all, Christmas is the season to make fun of the people you love.