How Chocolate Chips Inspired Me to Reduce our Waste.

On Monday, Mike and I (and Gabe, our trusty sidekick) went to the bulk foods store to get him some popcorn, which he eats by the pound. While there, I decided to get some other staples, like, say, four pounds of chocolate chips:

(aaand peanut butter chips. What? I couldn't say no. And now I am happily making Reese's cups by the handful, ie: shoving a little of each in my mouth. It's a great way to celebrate finally reaching my pre-Gabe weight, don't you think?)

Anyway. After I put all of the goodies (popcorn, oats, nuts, chocolate chips,  beet sugar, quinoa, and so on) in jars, I took a look at the waste left over:

(How much do I love this hanging Ikea spice and utensil rack? More counter space, more convenient, more awesome. Booyah.)

Ahem. I sure am distractible today, huh? 

Anyway. I took a look at the waste from the bulk food store purchases, then I took a look at our recycling pile which is taking over the kitchen: 

And firmly resolved to start shopping more at the bulk foods store and reduce our packaging waste.

I mean, really. If only for reducing the amount of recycling we have to schlep around (the greatest downfall of apartment living, alas).  Though, it certainly makes me more aware of how much waste, even recycling, that we are creating.

It got me thinking about the ways in which we already reduce our waste and the ways we can reduce our waste even more. And since tomorrow is Earth Day, I thought I'd share.

 

• Participate in a CSA in the summer and fall - we get locally grown fruits and veggies in our own cloth bag. The only waste is a rubber band or two.
• No paper products - we use cloth napkins and kitchen towels instead of paper towels.
• Bake our own bread - using either this or this recipe.
• Cloth diaper Gabe.
• Pack our lunch in reusable containers and reuse zippered baggies.
• I love Lunapads.
• Use a water bottle instead of bottled water. 
• Bring cloth bags to the grocery store.
• Use baking soda and vinegar to clean just about everything, including my hair.
• Buy dried beans instead of canned beans; buy cheese in a block instead of shredded.

• Make our own peanut butter. No more time spent futily trying to clean out peanut butter jars for recycling! We go through a few jars a month of this. Yum.
• Start making jam again (I use this since I don't use pectin). PB&J from scratch makes me feel accomplished.
• Also: start making yogurt again. Those #5 plastic tubs are the worst.
• Shop online less; in fact, shop less, period. (April is currently a Buy Nothing month for us, but still! Shopping less is always a good plan, right?)
• Buy absolutely everything we can from the bulk foods store or aisle. 
• Reuse produce and bulk foods bags.
• Try to make cheese. (!) 
• No coffee unless we've remembered our travel mug; no shopping unless we've remembered our grocery bags; no excuses!
• Make ketchup (I've done this once in a pinch and it was stupid easy).
• Less convenience food - like frozen waffles and breakfast cereal and more cooking from scratch (I've started to slack off since having a baby).

It's exciting to be inspired again to challenged ourselves to grow in this way; I've missed it!

(If you're interested in this sort of thing, you might want to check out my green baby steps page, which I just updated. Also, this video about a zero waste family was ridiculously inspiring.)

(Happy Earth Day! And Good Friday! Free coffee if you bring a reusable mug to Starbucks or Caribou! Hurrah for caffeination!)

Ten Things about Cloth Diapers.

I've known since I was senior in high school that I would cloth diaper one day. That may seem a little crazy, but we had a debate in my Environmental Science class and I was convinced. The decision wasn't a big deal and figuring out what cloth diapering entailed was as easy as turning to my awesome cloth diapering aunts. By the way, cloth diapers are way, way different now than when we were babies. I don't claim to be an expert, as I've only been doing this for two months. This isn't as much of a how-to post as it is a how-and-why-I-do post. (For how-to guides, this is a great starting point, as is this.) I will try to answer any questions you have, though!

1. I don't have enough. But I don't have the money to buy more right now. Maybe we'll get some for Christmas? Our current stash is seven one-size and three smalls (mostly gifts). We do a load of diapers every or every other day, with some disposable supplementing thrown in.

2. Washing isn't gross at all. Since he only consumes breast milk, his poop is water-soluble and the diapers can just be thrown in the washing machine, no pre-rinsing required. If you can handle wiping a baby butt, you can handle dumping a bag of dirty cloth diapers in the machine. Promise. Our set-up involves this pail liner. You could probably just use the same trash bag over and over, too.

3. One-size FuzziBunz are my favorite. Now, I've only tried three types - FuzziBunz one-size, FuzziBunz perfect size and GroBaby one-size. My aunts have tried them all and found that FuzziBunz were the best for not leaking and have snaps instead of Velcro, and since I intend to use these diapers for future babies, I prefer snaps since they don't wear out like Velcro can. The GroBaby diaper inserts take longer to dry and tend to bunch up. Plus, FuzziBunz are soft fleece. I think I'll also try BumGenius 4.0, since they also have snaps.

4. Newborns CAN wear cloth diapers! Once he reached eight pounds - he was maybe 10 days old? He grows like a weed. A chubby weed. - I threw cloth diapers on him. We just made it work - adjusting the snaps as tight and small as possible.

5. He doesn't wear cloth overnight. In order to get our beauty sleep, I put a disposable diaper on him for 10-12 hours a night. Disposables hold more pee and wick the moisture away from his skin. (I think I've gone over the importance of sleep here before. When I was a rookie, I'd change his diaper and re-swaddle him and sit up to nurse him...now Gabe and I stay half-asleep while he nurses. Sleep is priceless!)

6. No more poop explosions or diaper rash. Period. (Though there is still some pee leakage now and then.)

7. We've saved money. Like, a lot. I've only had to buy two packs of diapers since he was born, which is sort of amazing since most people go through that much in a week. Saving money is the number one reason I cloth diaper (waste and keeping Gabe away from yucky chemicals are the other reasons).

8. So. Much. Less. Waste. I am amazed at how much waste we created when we used disposable diapers for a weekend while traveling. It's a little crazy, really. Babies create so much extra waste already (har har), no use in adding to it with disposable diapers!

9. We cloth diaper on the go. Usually. It's easy to throw used cloth diapers in a wet bag like this, and just bring along a few extra cloth diapers. If I'm leaving him with my mom, I bring disposables.

10. Big baby booty. The cloth diapers add some bulk to Gabe's behind, which means he tends to grow out of onesies more quickly.  No loss, really, since I get impatient for him to wear his cute clothes in the next size!

Shampoo Free. Seriously.

If you follow me on Twitter or read my blog, you may think that I am consumed by my pregnancy. Not so. (Okay, mostly so. Let’s not address my complete and utter inability to focus on anything work-related. Ask me my opinion about a project that’s happening in September and I’ll probably stare at you with glazed over eyes. I’m busy Googling birth stories, thinking about maternity leave, and wondering what taking care of a newborn will be like. Sorry, boss.)

I’ve done lots of non-baby or pregnancy related things this summer. I had a tire blow out on the highway. We went camping. I worked a lot. We redecorated our apartment and I love it. We went across the state to visit with Mike’s niece and nephews. I created a new budgeting system. We saw my extended family a lot. My commute became really freaking long. My sister moved back across the country and asked me to be her maid of honor (yay!). I continued to take on blog design work and have new hopes and ideas for how to grow my little business. And I stopped using shampoo nearly four weeks ago.

Let’s talk for a minute about that last one. First, I promise you I’m not a scuzzball. See?

So maybe I haven’t used shampoo or conditioner from a bottle, but I have used baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and water to keep my hair clean.

Why?

I ran out of conditioner and was trying to figure out if there was a plastic-free option for conditioner when I stumbled across this great post (the whole website is fabulous, by the way). Intrigued by the idea that baking soda and apple cider vinegar could get my hair clean, I figured I’d give it a shot. If it worked, I’d be saving tons of money, not using any chemicals, and reducing my waste. If my hair became greasy, tangled, or dirty – I’d just wash it. No commitment, nothing to lose.

That was on July 22nd. I haven’t touched my (giant!) bottle of shampoo since.

How?

Tsh recommends a mixing a tablespoon of baking soda per cup of water for the shampoo part. (I have thicker, wavy hair, so I increased the baking soda.) I keep the mixture in a plastic squeeze bottle that used to hold chocolate syrup. Just squirt and rub into your scalp, massaging as you go. The baking soda acts as a clarifier on your scalp and removes dirt and oil.

For the conditioner, mix a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar per cup of water. I keep this mixture in an old conditioner bottle and apply mostly to ends of my hair. I have even stored it in a cup and dipped the ends of my hair in the cup to really make sure they get good and conditioned. I have pretty dry hair, so I make sure and apply lots of it and leave it in for a few minutes while I finish showering.

Since my hair is typically pretty dry, I sometimes use a teensy bit of coconut oil (we’re talking a dab on my finger) and rub it through my hair to get rid of flyaways and such. It’s sort of like this stuff, minus the cost.

What are the results?

My hair is soft, clean, and manageable. I don’t have to choose between chemically-laden, but cheap or expensive, natural shampoo. My new ‘shampoo’ and ‘conditioner’ cost me very little and create hardly any waste.

I am going to continue on my happy shampoo-less existence until a problem arises.

Wanna try?

I've told a few friends what I've been doing, and one of them tried it out as well. Here's what she said:  "Also, Teej and I have been 'poo free for a week now! Just baking soda and apple cider vinegar! I LOVE the vinegar as conditioner... I think it works WAY better than store bought conditioner."


Check out this post for more details, ideas, and links to other blogs. And let me know how it goes!

The One With the Pile of Crap.

See, rounded corners even make old onions and rotten apple cores pretty! (What's that? The snow helps? NO! It's all the rounded corners! Lah lah lah I can't hear you.)

[I've been meaning to write this post for ages, and now I've waited for so long that our compost pile is completely covered in snow.]

Composting. It can be stinky, messy, and gross, I won't lie.

But! It's ridiculously easy, makes some awesomely potent garden juice, and reduces your waste.

There's some science behind it, which I never bothered to learn - but basically, put food waste (well, raw fruit and veggie scraps), yard waste, and/or dryer lint in a pile and let it sit. Rotate it every once and a while. And it turns into dirt. Or some sort of natural fertilizer, I'm not quite sure....Let me consult my sources. Oh, Mike says it's both. Sweet mother, who wouldn't want some rich topsoil? Sign me up.

(Okay, so I don't actually have a yard that I can plant in. But I'm sure the future tenants of this house will appreciate the rich topsoil that's coming their way.)

What works for us:

• We tried a big pile at first, and that was no bueno, so Mike took some chicken wire and some wooden stakes and whipped up up a nifty little compost pile. (You could also buy a fancy pants compost bin or tumbler. But we do things on the cheap 'round these parts.)
  
• We have a few old yogurt containers in the kitchen: we keep some scraps in there until we can take them out to the pile out back.
  
• Every few months, we stick a shovel or pitchfork in the pile and mix it up a little to aerate it.

Pretty easy, right? And it makes a huge difference in the trash we have to throw away each week.

Do you compost? Do you know anyone who composts? Does the idea gross you out?

Saving Money. So Hot Right Now.

I’ve been voraciously devouring two fantastic books: Craft Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business by Meg Mateo Ilasco and The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube by Michelle Goodman. I am alternating between the books at whim, but I just can’t get enough of them. They are seriously amazing. Part of me worries that I’m getting my hopes up too much – they make it seem quite possible to do what you love for a living. I’m admittedly a wee bit nervous to allow myself dream up grandiose ideas – what if they don’t come to be? What if I am disappointed? And worse, what if I fail?

Anyhow, we’ll talk about my career aspirations another time. I noticed that both books, particularly The Anti 9-to-5 Guide, place a lot of emphasis on downsizing your lifestyle in order to do what you want. To not be limited by your Starbucks habit, shoe addiction, or huge cell phone bill, but be free to pursue your deepest desires and aspirations.

Let’s say you despise your job, so you invest heavily in retail therapy. But then you're trapped in your job in order to maintain your standard of living (like those pretty designer handbags and those yummy lattes). Would you be happier with a job that you dread and lots of expensive things or a career that you adore and living simply?

Many of the authors’ suggestions on how to downsize your lifestyle or spend less are things we already do, so I thought I’d share some ways that Mike and I are frugal and ask you to share your ideas as well!

• No cable. We had free cable last year, but when it came time to choose spending $40+ a month on TV? Nope.
• Library instead Netflix or buying books and CDs.
• One car for the two of us. (I walk to work.)
• Biking to the grocery in the summer. Mmm, summer.
• Aside from washing dishes, I do all our cleaning with baking soda and vinegar.
• Buying in bulk – rice, oats, almonds, etc.
• Dried beans instead of canned beans. So super cheap it’s amazing!
• I cut the coffee habit a few months ago – which means my coffee runs have drastically reduced.
• Planning meals – less waste, more eating healthy, and less chance we’ll decide to just order a pizza instead!
• Reusing everything you could ever imagine. I reuse packaging and brown paper bags for my Etsy and Amazon packages, I rinse out Ziploc bags, I reuse aluminum foil, our “Tupperware” is reused yogurt containers, and we have almost no disposable paper products in our house.
• Love hand-me-downs, thrift stores, consignment shops, and ridiculously cheap clothing stores.
• Never spring for manicures, pedicures, salon hair cuts or coloring (Best Cuts is my friend. As is hair dye-in-a-box!).
• No pre-cut, pre-washed veggies or fruit. I'd rather do it myself and save a lot of money.
• Try to make do with what I have. (My husband is laughing at me right now. I kind of like Target. And Joann Fabric.)

Here’s to spending less money and living more.

[ETA: I think it's important to point out that I don't advocate cutting costs at the expense of human rights, the environment, or so on - I choose to spend my money more intentionally - instead of buying a whole lot of junk I don't need from Wal-Mart, I buy it from Target one nice, quality item that is fair-trade, made locally, or something like that. :) I'd never want to promote saving money above all else. It's about spending it more wisely. Right?]

{Don’t forget to share your frugal tips. Be proud of your penny-pinching prowess!}

FAQ Round Two.

Can we call them FAQ even if one one person asked the question?

Anyway, a few more questions and their answers...

Lily asks: What were the first changes you made to your life(style) when you decided that living green was a priority for you?

What a great question, Lily! The very first, most important change for me was reducing waste. This has taken different forms as I've grown and learned more in this lifestyle. At first, it was simply getting a water bottle to avoid all the plastic water bottles I was going through. I started to refuse bags at the store if I could just throw what I'd bought in my own big purse-slash-bag. It slowly, naturally spread to other things. One day my senior year of college, we ran out of paper towels in our house. We just started using normal towels instead. And never bought more paper towels. I didn't think twice about it. And we saved tons of money. I am convinced that no one has an excuse to not be doing these things. It's insanely easy to get a water bottle. Or wash your towels instead of getting disposable ones. It saves money and resources. Win-win.

Now, I avoid most all disposable plastic containers (particularly if they're non-recyclable). I make a ton of my own stuff, including cleaning exclusively with baking soda and vinegar. It's all come so easily and has made so much sense.

I still have some areas where I know I can improve - less driving, not getting coffee if I've forgotten my reusable mug at home, keeping the house colder, and so on. I think the more you become aware, the more you are inclined to want to do. And that makes me happy. Nothing seems to take an unusual amount of effort or thought - it's just the way things are done.

Ashley asks: What about your top 5 fave blogs to read and what your fav blog post you've written so far.

Ah! A hard one. I hate picking favorites - because then someone ALWAYS feels left out, you know? Since I am often one who feels left out (I am so sensitive that I am sad when a blogger I love doesn't have me in their blogroll. It's pathetic.), I'm going to a few awesome blogs that might be under the radar, how's that? Those bloggers who I love and think, More people need to read this!

Hilary @ Alt Christian.
Callina @ The Gingerbread House.
Sara @ Walk Slowly, Live Wildly.

And a few bloggers I've discovered fairly recently and love them to bits. (Hi Kyla Bea and Nicole Antoinette!)

My favorite blog post I've written might be my post for Steph's summer contest about summers at my grandparent's growing up. I had such a unique childhood with my growing up overseas, and sometimes that part of me gets buried, so it was kinda of romantic to remember.

Laura asks: How did you find the courage to open your shop & how do you keep yourself motivated?

Ha. Truth be told, I often act and then think. So, with my Etsy shop, it wasn't so much an issue of having courage - mostly because I figured, Eh, let's give this a shot. We'll see how it goes. Maybe people will like what I create?

I haven't sold a ton yet, so I'm probably not the best person to ask about motivation. I get so much inspiration from books and photos and other Etsy creations that if I happen to be successful with my Etsy shop (when, not if! power of positive thinking, right?), I'm not concered about motivation. There are so many beautiful things in the world. Plus, I aspire to do many things - add candles, soap, and graphic design services. So, I already have big plans and motivation!

I say you go for it, create that Etsy shop! What have you got to lose, honestly?

And I want to share my latest creations for my brand-spankin-new Etsy shop.

Blue Dots Tote $13, Purple Birds Boxy Pouch $5, Hot Pink Star Mini Pouch $4.25

From Scratch. Hardcore.

I never do things the easy way.

My senior year of college, I made a pledge to stop buying bread. I thought, Why buy when you can make it? Plus, I have a bread maker! Homemade bread is so delicious.

I ended up just never eating bread. (Due to a combination of aversion to lugging huge machines and pure, unadulterated laziness and naps. Lots and lots of naps.)

My little "pledge" didn't stop there- I can count the number of times during our marriage Mike and I have bought bread from the grocery store on one hand.

I confess - I'm, uh, sort of addicted to making things from scratch.

I've made everything from scratch - from ketchup to crackers to hummus.

It started out as avoiding excess packaging and convenience food preservatives. Buying blocks of cheese instead of shredded cheese, avoiding plastic tubs of butter and getting olive oil instead, or never, ever buying brownie mixes.

Then, it became an addiction. I couldn't get enough of it - I wanted to see how much I could make from scratch. I made tons of homemade spaghetti sauce and raspberry jelly last year and froze jars in our freezer. I started buying dried beans instead of canned beans. We ran out of ketchup one day, so I made some. Yep - you can make ketchup (and it's sans high fructose corn syrup. Score!)

I never keep breadcrumbs, eggs, or those frozen veggie bags on hand - I make them all from scratch.

Why am I telling you all of this?

Because I feel the need to justify the 25 pounds of apples currently sitting on my counter.

I'm making applesauce. Jars and jars of applesauce tonight.

I've gotten a lot of questions from people about how affordable it is or isn't to buy local, organic, fair trade, and so on.

The thing is, I've come to realize, is that most people buy frozen dinners, canned beans, canned frosting, canned soup, bagged salad mix, pre-made, pre-mixed, pre-done-for-you convenience food.

And that, my friends, is what racks up the grocery bill.

You might say, "But, Ashleeeey, I have no timmeee! Can't I just buy my Healthy Choice chicken dinner and some Hamburger Helper?"

Sure! But, also - you could save some money and be a little healthier. :) Try cooking in huge batches on the weekend and store the leftovers for later in the week. (For lots of wonderful cooking ideas, check out Eileen. My real-life wonderful friend and also a chef extraordinaire!)

Maybe you're thinking, "Ugh! I'm awful at cooking. And this doesn't seem very 'simple,' Ashley!"

(Apparently, I think you guys are really whiny.)

(No, actually, I'm really whiny and I'm channeling myself here.)

Anyway, man up, Non-cooker! Just follow the recipe. Then, experiment with new recipes and flavors. Give it a shot. You cannot go wrong with allrecipes.com - you simply cannot. They have reviews and you can search by ingredients in your pantry.

Maybe it's not so "simple" to cook more. But for me? It's a hobby. It's relaxing and it makes me feel productive. Chopping vegetables, baking bread, and doing it all myself is surprisingly empowered. And utterly enjoyable.

Give it a try. And check out this awesome article on whether it's cheaper to buy sustainably or conventionally.

[My locally-grown apples, by the way? Cost 90 cents a pound. And it was a fun date with my husband, to boot!]

Exposed: The True Story of Yogurt

Let's talk about yogurt.

Yes, yogurt. (Do I have the most random blog ever or what?)

Yogurt is good for you. There are all kinds of probiotic, enzyme-y thingamabobs. It tastes delicious, too.

BUT! Two big problems, guys. 1) What the heck is IN most yogurt? and 2) The plastic. OH! The plastic.

First, let's check out what's in a typical cup of, say Strawberry Light N' Fit Yogurt:

Nonfat Yogurt, (Cultured Grade A Non Fat Milk, Modified Corn Starch, Kosher Gelatin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3), Strawberries and Water, less than 1% of Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sucralose, Sodium Citrate, Malic Acid, Potassium Sorbate (to maintain freshness) and Red 4.

I used to eat a cup or two of delicious, sugary (or, Splenda-y, I guess) yogurt a day in college. I never once noticed it had all these ingredients. I stopped eating yogurt for a long time because I felt so guilty about all the plastic (non recyclable plastic!) single-use cups left over.

Then I read French Women Don't Get Fat this year (yeah, like, waaay behind the craze. It was actually a good book, surprisingly. I don't do the diet thing.) The author raved about plain yogurt with a sprinkle of wheat germ and a dribble of honey as a an alternative to our chemical-and-sugar-laced stuff. It took a few days to get used to - but OH MY LORD! It was amazing. I would add some frozen peaches and take it to lunch. The other yogurt paled in comparison.

Plain yogurt has two ingredients: Milk and active cultures {I still don't really get what those are, but apparently they're good stuff}. Seems a little less sketchy than fake colors, malic acid, and gelatin.

So, any of you who are yogurt lovers like myself but haven't spun the container around to see the 5 inch list of ingredients - you've been warned! There's so strange stuff in there.

Now, onto the domestic-y part of the problems of yogurt: the plastic. Buying a bigger, resealable container is a short term solution, but we still quickly accumulated TONS of plastic containers. And there's only so many of those you can reuse, ya know?

Enter: YOGURT MAKING.

Yes, that's right: People make their OWN YOGURT. How cool is that?! I desperately want to try, but I haven't found the time. (I did try once, but didn't read the directions and ended up with buttermilk. Which meant we had pancakes and muffins. Equally nutritious as yogurt, right?) All you need is milk, a thermometer, a pot, and some glass jars. It seems pretty simple...You save money and avoid those darn plastic cups from accumulating. And homemade is always (always!) more delicious.

(Sometimes I really wish I was a housewife and just got to sit around making food and cleaning the apartment. Then I remember I'd probably just end up on the computer or watching Friends reruns in my PJs...)

Holiday Weekends and Stimulus Checks

This long holiday weekend, we had planned on going to Mike's twin niece and nephew's first birthday party and to my sister's college graduation party. With gas at four dollars a gallon, we opted out of driving over 500 miles round trip and stayed here instead. Good for gas, good for the environment, and good for us supporting local businesses!

Yesterday, we took a day trip to Yellow Springs - the most fantastic place I've been in Ohio. It's slightly okay, really, "hippie" - with TONS of local stores and restaurants. It's a small little town, home of the recently closed Antioch College and Dave Chapelle. But it's tons of fun and full of energy.

We blew through some of our stimulus check at the local shops in town (what we didn't, we made up for later in the day at Gabriel Brothers, Target, Delia's, and Sephora...we I splurged, okay?).

It was so much fun. SO much. I really needed a perfect day like yesterday.

On the road - I like the passenger's side.

The sign to the Asian Goods Market -- I love it, but am curious why it's "Welcome IN"?

We're here!


Like my new earrings? Product of the fair trade store. Sweeet.

All of their street sign posts are covered with knit cozies. The telephone poles even had knit peace signs on them.


Michael.


This made me laugh. Dirty Pop now considered...rap!?


Tiniest chocolate bar EVER. (Dark chocolate, too!)


Greatest pizza known to humankind. For real.


A store devoted to green living. Great stuff here - I got my godson an environmentally-harvested wood toy for his birthday, my kids at work organic, fruit-sweetened, chemical free lollipops, and some great buttons! It a great, new store.

There are more pictures on my Flickr page.

Paper Towels are for WIMPS

Wanna know something quirky about me?

I make a point not to use paper towels in public (or work) restrooms.*

I just shake my hands little and wipe them on my pants. Why not? They're clean. I also enforce an "Only One!" rule with my kids at work when they're using paper towels. That goes for napkins at dinner, too.

Otherwise, I point and them and ridicule them, "Do you hate trees or something??".

Okay, only joking. or not.

If you pay attention to how much paper you waste - you make a baby step. That's what I tell my kids, anyway.
________
Side notes
1: I'm curious: responding to comments on your blog - how do you do it?? Do you ignore them? Do you email them? Do you reply back underneath their comments? Each individual comment? Help! I rarely go back and visit blogs to see if the author responded, but I've done it a couple of times myself. I have a lot of questions - do you have answers!?

2: I think I heard a ghost in the elementary school girls' bathroom today. It was creepy. I know I'm supposed to be an adult and be all, "That was NOTHING, guys. No big deal. Do do do do." But when you hear a door close and you ask if any one's in there and you hear a small "Yes" but don't see anyone, you have reason to be scared. Right!?

*In particularly nasty restrooms, I totally use a paper towel just so I don't have to touch the door. *Shudder*

Friday Fun

Some of the searches that brought people to my blog...

Indulge me grammar: Indulge you in what? Bad grammar? Nope, don't think so. Indulge you in your quest to rid the world of bad grammar? Sweet. I'm totally there.

i'm happy weirdo: Maybe you can help this guy with his grammar. And his life. (Only joking. I'm a happy weirdo, too. It's cool. Let's just love ourselves, mmm kay?)

the bad stuff styrofoam and plastic: Dun Dun Dun DUUUUUN. Yeah, use less of it, you guys!

No coffee makes me: Oh oh! Is this a fill in the blank? Hmm...sad? Moody? Grumpy? Less poor? Stupid?!

personalized salsa jars: Interesting concept. Maybe you could talk to Jan to get some tips about starting your own business. (Serenity by Jan is the next big thing.)

Calories and nail biting: Either you're wondering how many calories you burn biting your nails or how many calories you consume by biting your nails. Either way, you are a leeetle too obsessed with calories, my friend.

smells that make you burn calories: Again, perhaps a little calorie obsessed? And perhaps also a bit of a fantasizer? The only ones I can think of would be a smell so nasty it makes you vomit. And that is just wrong (and technically not burning calories). Why don't you try going for a walk instead? It's much more enjoyable than smelling or vomiting. Also, less of a disorder.

can you burn calories with coffee: Gosh, that'd be wonderful, a dream come true, really. Mmm, maybe I'm burning calories as we speak - sitting in a coffee shop. (What is it with you people and burning calories strange ways?!)

Have a fantastic Friday, you guys!

And if you go out to eat tonight, remember to either:

• Ask for foil (so much better for the environment!) to wrap up your leftovers; OR
  
• Bring a reusable container to the restaurant; OR
  
• Eat all your food! Then you won't have leftovers (but don't you wanna leave room for dessert?! Mmm.)
  

I promise, no one will think you're weird if you do the first two things. I've done it tons of times! Pizza wrapped in foil creates much less waste than bringing home a little cardboard box. And a Tupperware full of mushroom ravioli is so much better than a Styrofoam container of it. (Less waste, you can reheat it, and it's airtight. Score.)

Buy Nothing '08

Ladies, I appreciate the kind, awesome empathizing y'all showed me when I was so upset. This job is NOT permanent, it's a one to two year position. So, yeah. I am learning a lot and growing because of difficult situations, but it's difficult. And I should probably stop talking about work in case I want a job someday and someone comes across my little blog and won't hire me because I'm a whiner about work. Whew.

Anyhow, it's been 10 whole days of April, so I figured I should give an update about how Buy Nothing is going.

Things I want to buy but can't:

• A new SD memory card for my camera. My puny one (512 MB) has stopped working for some reason. (Excitedly telling me it had "No Image!" and "Memory Full!" simultaneously.)
• Hair products! My mousse and curl spray are almost out. (And you know how I love wearing my hair* curly now!) Thank God my interview this Monday is over the phone. (Yes, a job interview. Maybe that helped me feel better yesterday...) Also, I will have to stop being lazy and break out my flat iron.
• Clothing. Last weekend, I was going to Columbus for a conference and SO BADLY wanted to stop and shop. Not because I need anything in particular. To be honest, I can't shop with Mike. He's so freaking reasonable and asks questions like, "Why do you need that?" I feel guilty and materialistic. So being alone, I wanted to stop and just see if I could find a cute spring trench coat. Or maybe a pair of flats. Or, you know, some retail therapy.
• Really, that's all. So far, I have not slipped up. Grocery shopping is my new retail therapy.

The part I realized I have more of a problem with is disposable, individually packaged food. Like coffee stirrers, sushi containers, Panera stuff (organic chocolate milk juice box and a chocolate croissant. The cashier made fun of me for my child-like lunch), sandwiches with wrappers, and plastic straws for my iced caramel macchiatos, because let's face it, the best part is sipping straight caramel through straw as it mixes with the milk and espresso. It's just not the same without a straw! Although - my threat to myself that I could not have coffee if I forgot my travel coffee mug was verrry powerful. I have not left my travel mug at work in TEN DAYS. This is pretty much a miracle for me. (I'm the kind of person who puts leftover spaghetti in the freezer, cereal in the fridge, and milk on the pantry shelf. And, most recently, lost my husband's bank card without realizing it. Thank God for honest, kind joggers.)

It's been a bit of a challenge, but not too difficult (so far). I need to do better in my disposable usage (No Impact Man has a great list up today to get me started.) I'd save more money if I forced myself not to drive to work. Maybe this summer when it's nice out and I don't have to work until 8:30 at night, I'll break out the bike as my mode of transportation...

* PLEASE disregard those gross pictures of me. Don't judge.

At Least Some of The Coffee Was Fair Trade

This weekend I went to a conference about 3 ½ hours away. (It was a fantastic conference, if you’re wondering, about youth and conflict – specifically conflict resolution education. Enthralling, important work presented by people from 19 countries…and yours truly.)

On the way to my parents’ house the night before the conference, I stopped at a gas station for a Starbucks double shot of espresso. The next day I got an iced coffee drink in a plastic cup, because I had forgotten my travel mug at work. (So this was pretty ironic!) At the conference, I drank a Diet Pepsi from a can and at a boxed lunch. The next day, I succumbed to the coffee again and used two Styrofoam cups. (Two because they wouldn’t let me bring any food or drinks into the keynote speaker, so I never got any of the first coffee). There was another boxed lunch, Diet Pepsi, and a good cup of coffee (Whole Foods, dark chocolate mocha. Sigh.) for my drive home.

It made me feel AWFUL.

On a normal weekend, I create little waste – maybe some plastic bags from carrots or a paper bag from flour. And some food scraps because we stopped composting. (It smelled. SO. badly.) We use small plastic bags for our trash (reused grocery bags) and take it out once or twice a week.

Here was my waste this weekend:

* 3 aluminum drink cans
* 2 Styrofoam cups
* 2 boxed lunches with disposable napkins, forks, plastic containers, plastic bags, etc
* 1 plastic cup with lid and straw
* 1 coffee cup with plastic lid and cardboard sleeve
* A take out box and paper bag for my Tofu Pad Thai
* Oh, okay, and a little paper bag from Taco Bell (Cinnamon twists are my secret love!)

In two days, I created as much waste as Mike and I create together in about 10 days.

It makes me feel guilty, especially because I could have avoided using 3 cups if I had remembered my travel mug.

And I really didn’t need to drink the Pepsi. But it was free. And I was thirsty.

It might be really silly that I felt a major twinge of guilt for creating so much more waste this weekend. I know the nature of traveling is disposable items, but still.

Maybe I should view this as progress – that I’m becoming more aware of my consumption; that I can’t just mindlessly create trash without thinking about my actions.

Now, I just need to work on that pesky Target habit.

Oh! How convenient! Crunchy is challenging us yet again; this time, to not purchase anything new for the month of April. Not counting food, of course.

I’m going to challenge myself one step further – and say no disposable convenience food. That means if I forget my travel mug at work, I’m stuck with nasty office coffee.

And if I’m hungry, I either eat at home or somewhere that doesn’t use disposable products. If I eat out, I’ll either ask for foil for my leftovers or bring my own Tupperware.

It’s against my American nature of impatience and laziness. If I’m hungry, I want to eat NOW. If I’m craving something, I want it ready, NOW.

But I’m going to try and make a conscious effort in April to be less selfish and less of a consumer.

Baby steps.

A Reusable Coffee Mug - Easy As 1-2-3

I’ve heard (seen?) a lot of confusion on different blogs/comment/forums* about using a reusable coffee mug at a coffee shop. As someone who frequents the coffee shop QUITE regularly (They recognize me by my mug; and last time, veteran barista told newbie, “She brings her own cup” as newbie reached to grab me a disposable cup.), I can speak with some authority on this matter.

Here’s a little “how to” for using your own coffee mug at a coffee shop.

1. Get a reusable mug – avoid plastic if you can; it’ll last longer and not affect the taste of your delicious coffee (or tea or hot chocolate!)
2. Measure how much liquid your mug can hold, so you can order coffee at the shop. Mine’s a tall (12 oz), FYI.
3. Bring clean travel or ceramic mug with you to coffee shop (this means don’t forget it at work the night before!)
4. When you order, show them your coffee mug and say, for example, “I’ll have a 12 oz Highlander Grogg in this.”
5. Make sure to unscrew the top from the mug if it has one and hand them the cup part. There are some reports that at Starbucks they put the lid in a plastic disposable lid so it doesn’t touch the counter. So just keep it yourself!
6. Enjoy your coffee and the fact that there is a little less waste because of you.

I’ve heard people complain that Starbuck baristas sometimes mark your drink on a disposable cup and then throw it away – they’ve created new post-it note stickers to help avoid this, but it’s possible they could be out of stickers or just hate trees or something. Most times when I go to Starbucks, the cashier just verbally tells the barista what my order is as he hands her my cup. (Though now I normally go to the local coffee shop – so there is never any cup writing). If you’ve experienced the wasted cup phenomenon, maybe just casually mention something about not wanting to waste cup?– or just order plain coffee so no marking is required!

* Hey, I spend a lot of time, online, what can I say? Yesterday my husband sent me this article. Maybe he was passively trying to stage an intervention?

Coffee Makes Me Smarter

So, I might like coffee. Just a little.*

Let be honest, I could have an entire blog on coffee. It’s addictive nature, the best places to get coffee, the best kinds of coffee, how happy I get when I drink coffee (I mean, really, it’s my Prozac!), how I’m scared of the no coffee rule if I get pregnant some day, and the best lattes to try.

But, I’ll spare you the pain of my ruminating on the joys of coffee.

I never had a coffee pot because I didn’t want to enable my addiction. So I unloaded what possibly amounted to thousands of dollars at coffee shops (and subjected myself to some cheap, nasty instant coffee into which I melted Snickers bars. I am not joking. Although am possibly really gross.)

Upon getting married, we were gifted a veritable mountain of money. In Target gift cards, that is. We had discussed getting a coffee pot to help defray the cost of my addiction, but didn’t register for it because we couldn’t find the Perfect Pot. Oh I wanted all the bells and whistles. I wanted to be able to program a pot of coffee for the instant I woke up, at the temperature I desired, made with a little plastic as possible.

Then I got this pesky email that annoyingly made me consider the most energy efficient way to brew coffee. I mean, it’s a blessing and a curse, really, to learn about something like that. It’s always great to know that there are better ways to do things – but, I reallywantedthebellsandwhistles, darn it!

According to Ideal Bite, here are the coffee brewing methods from most-to-least energy efficient:

1. Cold water brewing (no idea how THAT would work or taste)
2. French press
3. Moka pot on the stove (again, no idea)
4. Plain old electric coffee pot

So we went right out and bought ourselves a cute little French press from Target. It’s pretty easy to use, but I’ll admit it’s more work than a plain old coffee pot.

Why I love our French press:

• Less waste! You don’t need filters so just wash or rinse it out every time
• Cheaper – it was less than $20 and there are no filters to ever buy.
• Smaller – we live in a teeny space. Have you seen our kitchen?! So we need every square inch we can get! It doesn’t use up a plug and takes up about a 5 inch circle on our shelf. Plus, we don’t really need a 10 cup coffee maker, so our little 24-oz press is perfect for us.
• Materials – it’s made out of 80-90% glass with just a plastic handle. So someday I can recycle it! Plus, it’s just a lot less resource-intensive than a hunk-o-plastic coffee pot
• Saves energy
• It tastes SO GOOD since the coffee is freshly ground and brewed by hand. Plus it’s kinda fun (except when I’m running late and rushed! Which is every. single. morning. without. exception.)

Why it can be a pain:

• We can’t use ground coffee for drip coffee makers; we buy whole beans and have to grind so we don't get little tiny particles of grounds in our coffee.
• We have to manually boil and pour the water. Just a little more work and a little less convenience.
• No bells and whistles. At all.

Happy coffee drinking!

This is actually a freakin' awesome coffee shop in San Francisco - they have a compost bin next to their trashcan so you can compost your wooden stirrer and compostable coffee cup. SO cool.

* My heart flutters at the mere mention of coffee.

Leggo My Pesto

We got a basil plant as one of our wedding gifts. It's great! It naturally repels insects, smells yummy, and tastes delicious. Since we live in an apartment, sans balcony or courtyard or any greenery, we adore houseplants. We have quite a few. Don't ask me what they are or you'll hear descriptions like "it's a potted plants that's green with long leaves. or maybe they're called strands? there are little sprout thingys off some of the strands." Wow, I'm making myself sound ditzy. I'm not. Promise.

Where was I again? Oh yeah, making your own food in your own jars is cheaper and creates less waste and more fun (cheesy much?). You can reuse the same jars over and over, and you don't have to drive to the store, so you save some CO2 as well. It's a win-win-win-win situation.

Here are some pictures of what I did:

I picked ALL of the leaves off the basil plant (which, by the way, is pretty much a fool proof plant if you give it enough sunlight.) Notice the sewn-by-Mike curtain and chives to the left and the Ikea bamboo-esque plant to the right. :)

I put the basil along with olive oil, garlic, and walnuts in the food processor. It was soooo easy and the best pesto ever. The mess left a little to be desired. (Notice our teeny tiny sink. At least there's a garbage disposal. But nope, no dishwasher. That would be Mike.)

We got really pretty antique jars at one of our wedding showers:

Ta-da! (That whole basil plant made this little jar. But a little pesto tossed with spaghetti goes a long way.) Looks yummy. You can either stick it in the fridge and eat it in 2-3 days, or freeze it.

Yay! I did it! 30 days!! It's only the beginning, though. :)

All I Can Really Think About is How The Office was a Rerun

Another cop out of an entry. Ugh. I hate to do this, but I worked over 11 hours today. Soooo, here goes::

We don't recycle paper until we use nearly every square inch of it. That means, printing on two sides, using scratch paper to make my beloved lists. (Lists give me a sense of peace and order. It's nice.)

Aaaand that's my lame-o post. My day was fantastic, if you're interested. That's rare a) at my job and b) after working for nearly 12 hours.

Biker Shorts are Hott

Today, a poem. :) (aka: Today, I'm lazy)

We got bikes from the thrift store,
2 bikes for $20.
It was awesome.
We rode to the market on Saturday morning
The grocery store 10pm on Saturday night.
We rode for fun,
We rode to work.
We rode along the river,
We rode along the street.
We laughed as rode,
We raced and I lost.
Then it got cold.
Oh, winter.
Why you always gotta ruin our fun?

Nevertheless, at least we saved a little bit of gas, got in better shape, and kept some CO2 out of the air. We still have our legs, shoes, coats, and mittens for walking. Drive Less, Live More, Baby.

Those Beep Beep Dot Com Ads Annoy Me

Cars cost a LOT. Gas is constantly hovering over $3 a gallon. Add in oil changes, new tires, repairs, and insurance and you're forking over a whole lotta money. Don't forget car payments if you bought something nice!

I've never bought a car. I used a family leftover when I was home for the summer in high school (in Malaysia I took taxis everywhere) and in college my parents were out of the country so I drove theirs (until my younger sister totaled it. thanks, sis!) I wasn't used to being attached to a car that was Miiiine. Don't touch! Now, my friends are all suddenly purchasing brand new cars! I am dumbfounded by the idea, probably because I grew up with a financial director father who always preached the Gospel of A Car is Never An Investment, it Only Depreciates in Value. Not to mention, the money my friends are spending on new cars. This is a side note that has no other purpose than to express my complete bewilderment at young, college loan debt saddled people buying brand new, nice cars. Anyway.

Mike and I sort of fell into the pattern of sharing a car while we were dating. (Mike bought his first car in May of 2005, a silver Honda Accord.) We took turns using the car if we needed it, and then he left for Denver. We've never entertained the idea of buying another car, simply because it's too friggin' expensive. Also, we want to try and live close enough to employment or school so that one of us can always walk/bike to school or work. Preferably Mike so I don't have to go outside in the winter. But, shhh, don't tell him my Master Plan.
We drive one car because it's cheaper and wastes less. Simple, right?

Those Thin Little 5-A-Day Bags

Hey you!

Don't get a plastic bag for each of your fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. Either put them all in one bag, don't get plastic bags at all, or bring your own bags.

We usually just put the all in one bag or don't bother with the bags. The clerks never find it a hassle and we have less annoying bags lying around.

(I pine for the bags that make your produce last even longer. Maybe for Christmas?)