Winter Blahs - And a Recycled Craft

Around this time of year I get antsy. I want to do all sorts of things, but the snow and cold prevent me from doing many of them. Fortunately, I am a crafty person, and I find ways to keep busy. Some of my favorite winter (i.e. can't leave the house) pastimes include reading, knitting, crafting, sewing, decorating, and cooking/baking.

A few weeks back I decided I wanted to try Martha Stewart's doily snowflake project. I started collecting vintage doilies, and finally got around to the crafty part of the project today.

What I loved about this project most was that nearly all of the supplies required were vintage (i.e. recycled!), budget-friendly, or things I already had on-hand, and the finished results can be reused in many ways. (The only item I didn't already have besides the doilies was fabric stiffener.)

Stiffened Doily Cascade

a few vintage doilies, as many or as few as you like - I spent about $12
fabric stiffener - generic brand, $3.99 at Michael's Craft Store
sponge brush - 50 cents
fishing line - free (if you can bum some from a friend who fishes), or $3-$4
a few small nails, like for hanging pictures on walls

I love Martha and her cohorts, but I felt some essential tips were left out of the instructions on the page (link provided above). I thought I'd also provide an idea of how much this project might cost.

1. First, while the page did suggest to use "fabric stiffener", I'd never heard of such a thing and didn't know where to find it at my local craft store. I wandered the aisles and eventually found it in the paint section.

2. I decided to use a sponge brush primarily because I already had a few on hand, but later determined that it was definitely the right choice as I imagine the bristles of a real brush might get caught in the intricate work of more delicate doilies while brushing them with the fabric stiffener.

3. I squirted a bit of the fabric stiffener into a plastic container, laid the doilies carefully onto a sheet of waxed paper, and then brushed it onto one side of them.

4. In the future, I would probably choose to wash and iron the doilies before trying to arrange and stiffen them. I will also probably stiffen both sides - the second side after the first side is dry. Martha's site says you can iron them after they're stiffened, and I might try, but I perceive that ironing them beforehand might have made it easier to arrange them the way I wanted.

5. I found my doilies on Etsy, but you can also find them on Ebay and in vintage shops or your grandmother's house (ask before taking any!). If you're ambitious you might even try crocheting a few of your own. As I plan to hang them in my window, I looked for doilies between about 4" and 10" in diameter, and I liked them in white or off-white, but you might choose colored ones or dye them yourself (in tea, beets, turmeric, or bright colored dye - all-natural, of course). Martha also says you can do this project with paper doilies, but they're not all that durable, and they're probably not recycled/reused.

6. My doilies were different thicknesses of thread. The ones made from thicker thread appear to require more fabric stiffener, but they may also prove more durable overall. I also found that doilies with ruffled edges or raised elements (flowers, etc.) were more tricky to flatten into shape while brushing them with the stiffener. I'd recommend simpler designs that you know will lay flat, or just enjoy the natural variation that occurs when you try to flatten an otherwise three-dimensional object. ;) I did find that I was able to manipulate the doilies into the shape I wanted after they were saturated with the stiffener (but still wet).

7. I keep some cheap thin fishing line around for beading and other crafts, and I find it's perfect for hanging crystals and other things that I don't want to use colored string or ribbon for. If you can bum some off a friend who fishes, then it will be free. Otherwise, I think a roll is about $3-4, and you can store it for future projects. I think I purchased mine at either a Walmart or Target a while back.

I plan to hang these dried "snowflakes" using the fishing wire and small picture nails in my front window. Seeing them when I come home or looking out through them at the blankets of white stuff covering the entirety of my outdoor surroundings might make the winter seem just a little less bleak. :)

(Waiting for doilies to dry. Will post pic when they're done.)

Reclaiming Regifting

Photo by Claudia~Assad on Flickr using Creative Commons.

This post somehow got "stuck" and was never posted in time. I found it today and am giving it life. Hope you enjoy.

Welp, it's that time of year. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Green Tuesday have come and gone, and there are...12 days... left of shopping, if you celebrate that particular winter holiday. (Why some of our most sacred holidays - and not just the one you might be thinking of - have become consumer hey-days is beyond me, but that's another blog entirely.)

I love shopping as much as the next girl, but often there are a few things that get in my way. The first is financial. (See my previous blog on why going green can help save $green$.) The second is usually green guilt. Yet I have an idea for saving on both - it's not a new one, but I'm bringing it back to life.

I am reclaiming regifting. Yes, you heard me. Regifting. Still considered strictly taboo by most people I know, regifting has gotten a bad rap. (See Seinfeld episode The Label Maker, 1995.) But with simple consideration (and plenty of written "rule books" out there), one can manage to regift successfully.

I know - you're still skeptical, but let's see if we can't remove some of the stigma. First, regifting is really no more than giving a friend or relative something you no longer want or need, but think they might. It's high-level reusing/recycling. It can fall into the category of hand-me-downs, Freecycling, "dumpster diving", curb shopping, and even Freeganism, but it doesn't have to (not that I discourage any of those practices - in fact, I highly encourage them).

Second, regifting conserves environmental resources (used in manufacturing, packaging, and shipping new products) and your personal resources (money).

Still need more convincing? Our ancestors used to pass down precious family items, called heirlooms (not that anyone even knows what that means anymore), from one family member to the next. They were usually items of high quality and sentimental value, made to last and used by many generations. Guess what? Heirlooms are regifts. Ever heard of inheriting? That's just a fancy word for regifting.

My grandmother's friend had a fantastic idea about regifting, too, which so inspired me. She realized that she was getting up in her years, so even though she was not particularly ill she began preparations for the handling of her belongings after she passed. Anytime someone complimented an item in her house or wardrobe, etc., she would put their name on a piece of paper and place it under/on/in the item (or a list, where physical storage of the name would not be practical). This way she felt sure she could pass on her belongings to people who would appreciate them most.

There are countless traditional stories of heroes/heroines who have sacrificed their most prized possessions for something special for a loved one - or even a stranger. It is not a new concept, and I feel it should not be discounted as a meaningful means for giving, especially in times of economic and/or environmental crisis (both of which we presently live in).

Regifting, then, for my purposes, means giving someone a gift of something that has been yours - whether for years or a minute. Perhaps it was a gift to you and you never liked or used it, or maybe it's something you purchased for yourself and prized for a decade. It may or may not be used, and it may or may not have originally been a gift. The only requirement is that it is not newly purchased. In any event, the most important aspect of regifting is the intention; regifting only really works when you are giving someone a gift that is meaningful to both you and to the recipient. (But let's be honest - that's true of most gifts.)

Having said that, there are a few "rules of engagement" when it comes to regifting. There are plenty of web sites offering opinions on the matter, but below I will list those I feel are most important (in no particular order). These are guidelines, and are meant to be broken when/if the appropriate time comes. If your family is more open-minded about regifting, feel free to break 'em all.

Loose Rules for Regifting (see above disclaimer about "rules")

• NEVER regift to the original gift-giver. At that point you might as well have returned it to her the second she gave it to you and said "no thanks". One way to remember who gave you the item, if you think you'll forget, is to note the giver's name on a slip of paper in the box as soon as you receive the item.
  

• NEVER regift to a person the original gift-giver is likely to come in contact with, as this is still often viewed as rude and can create hurt feelings for both the new recipient and the original gift-giver. This means that unless your family is open to regifting, it's probably not a good idea to regift those reindeer slippers your mother gave you to Aunt Ida or Cousin Larry, as they might show up wearing them on Christmas, and boy, will that be a fun dinner sitting across from Mother.
  

• Know your recipient. This is always a good idea, but especially with regifting. If it is obvious that your gift is a regift, be sure that the recipient is either unaware of it, or is open to the idea of regifting and will not be offended. Then make sure that your gift is special to the recipient (see below).
  

• Be sure your gift is appropriate for the recipient. The best policy about regifting is to only regift when you are moved to do so. In other words, don't just give any random person something that you have lying around, but if you remember someone saying they wanted a recycled glass vase and you received two, one of which you don't need/use, then it's a pretty good regift and will likely be well-received.
  

• Choose regift items that are durable and in good to new condition. Regifting can be budget-friendly, but if you give your sister a sudoku puzzle book in which you've solved 50% of the puzzles in pen, your gift will only seem cheap. Instead try clothing, accessories, furniture, games, or housewares that are almost good as new, or that have many "miles" left in them. Alternately, have something refurbished to the specifications/needs of a friend - then it will be a more personalized regift.

• Opinions vary on whether or not the regifter should inform the recipient that the item is a regift. It can be a sensitive subject, so trust your gut. If your friend is a card-carrying vegan who hasn't purchased anything new in a year and proudly tells everyone about it, then you will likely impress her with a regift. If, on the other hand, your mother-in-law only buys brand name items, you might want to spare her that particular detail and just let her know you were thinking of her when you "found" this item. (Hey, it's true!)
  

• Perhaps the single most important aspect of regifting is to slowly break in your family and friends. Let them know in advance that you love regifts, and that you'd love to give them, if they're open to them. Share with them the reasons regifting is important to you (hint: see the fourth and fifth paragraphs of this blog entry), and invite discussion.

• As an addendum to the last rule, be open to receiving regifts yourself, and make it known to your loved ones. Just as recycling doesn't make much of a difference if we don't also purchase recycled goods, regifting doesn't work as well if you do not also invite others to regift to you.
  

Of course, for whatever gifts you may plan to give this year, I suggest wrapping them in:

• reused or recycled wrapping paper
• wrapping paper or gift bags salvaged from previous holidays
• pre-wrapped boxes that can be reused over and over again (shirt/clothing boxes work nicely for this - wrap the top and bottom halves separately, or just the top half of the box)
  
• newspaper or magazines
• brown paper bags that you decorated yourself
• reused gift boxes filled with shredded paper from your office (or shredded wrapping paper that didn't make the cut as reusable)
• reusable fabric, perhaps tied fancifully
  
• a pillowcase
• blankets from the living room
• another gift (a basket, a scarf, a sweatshirt, etc.)
  
• other reusable, sustainable methods

(Or check out this cool blooming wrapping paper that you can later plant in the garden - it somehow grows flowers!)

Have a wonderful holiday season!

(Note: In the interest of honesty, I confess that I will be purchasing some new items as gifts this year as well as regifting.)

Save $Green$ by Going Green

Photo by MShades on Flickr using Creative Commons.
If you don't get it, try this.

In part because we're so often greenwashed into believing that the most ecologically friendly alternatives come from our friendly chain big-box store, many still believe that the greenest choices also require lots of $green$. In some instances (say, installing solar panels in your home) this may be true, but by far most of the options with the greatest opportunity for conserving our natural resources also do a fair job of preserving your personal financial resources.

Green Options for the Budget-Conscious:

• Conserve water. Using less water means your water bills will decrease.
  

• Reduce energy usage (for heating and air-conditioning) - ditto.

• Purchase whole foods (not necessarily at Whole Foods) instead of their pre-packaged, processed cousins - generally this reduces grocery expenditures. Buy in bulk when possible, but not a) if you can't possibly consume it all, b) if your preferred store's idea of "bulk" is packing up a handful of the average-sized containers in more plastic, or c) if the bulk items are pre-packaged and processed. Rice, pasta, flour, grains, tea, spices, and other staples are examples of whole food staples often available in bulk.
  

• Cook meals at home (and eat them there or pack them for lunch) instead of eating at restaurants or getting to-go meals, and you'll save exponentially.

• Sell your car in favor of using public transportation (or biking to your destination) and you will undoubtedly reduce your monthly car-related expenses - no payment to worry about, no maintenance or repairs, no gas, no license renewal fees or speeding tickets...

• Reduce your mileage (if you can't feasibly sell the car) or car-pool to save on $green$.
  

• Reuse whatever you can. Would you rather splurge on that something special, or pay The Man every time you purchase another single-use item? I'm not necessarily talking about toilet paper here people (though there are certainly options for saving on that, as well), but glass sauce jars, old clothing items, and all sorts of other household items need not gather dust in your attic or contribute to landfill waste. By reusing every piece of paper that comes into your home, for example, you can ensure you'll never have to spend hard-earned ca$h for notepads. Learn to think first about what you already have when considering a new purchase - do you have something that could serve a similar purpose, perhaps if re-invented? Creativity counts.
  

• Repair, rather than replace. While I've not been as ambitious as Fake Plastic Fish in my endeavors to repair broken, but otherwise perfectly useful, items, her example proves that in many cases even electrical items can be resuscitated. Learning to darn socks, sew buttons, remove stains, let out hems, and patch holes will extend the life of your wardrobe - just think of all the possibilities in home repair and car repair!

• Borrow. At least where I live, library cards are free - that is, until I miss my due date and incur late fees. Fortunately the wonders of the internet and online renewals have virtually eliminated late fees, and I tend view the occasional late fee as my incredibly cheap membership dues for such an awesome service. Bonus - many libraries will allow you to reserve materials online, for convenient pick up at your local branch when the book/CD/cassette/magazine/VHS/DVD/videogame has arrived.
  

• Swap. Clothing swaps are becoming en vogue with green fashionistas across the globe, but swaps aren't just for girls (or for clothes, for that matter). Host a book swap or a soup swap, or a swap for any old thing you find you're tired of. Go "shopping" in the comfort of your own home - or your friend's closet.
  

• Buy used. What is it about Americans and our phobia of used goods? We've even coined a new term (which means pretty much the same thing): "pre-owned". In many other cultures, "antiques", "relics", and "heirlooms" are prized. In fact, when inspected properly (which I sense is our major concern), used items may out-perform their newer counterparts. New solid wood furniture is nearly impossible to come by these days, but most antique and vintage items are constructed precisely that way. Used cars have already done a significant amount of their off-gassing, too - a bonus for your health. Oh yeah, and used goods tend to be less expensive.
  

• Barter. Services are sometimes tough to price, especially when in trade for other services or even goods, but if you have a skill to offer, try offering to trade it for an item you need. Because this tactic works best with artisan items or used items, you're likely to not only save a pretty penny, but also a few trees (or endangered species, or humans...whatever your environmental cause du jour happens to be). But of course you were already planning to buy used... ;)
  

• Pay it Forward. This concept, from the book and the movie, defers payment to a later time and a future person, in the form of a good deed, of sorts. Applied to a green lifestyle, the good you do today can multiply its effect well into the future. Planting a tree or garden, volunteering, and teaching a child about the importance of respecting our Earth are all ways in which you can manage to invest nothing more than time and energy and yet manifest powerful change.
  

• Buy Nothing New - Participate in The Compact and hunt for your needs at thrift stores or on Freecycle or Craig's List.
  

• Give Consumable Gifts. Not only are consumable gifts (food items or experience gifts like theatre tickets, dance lessons, or a canoe trip) often budget-friendly, but they leave very little footprint. Don't forget to wrap them in the pages of your Free Times magazine (or local free paper - one you've already read or is outdated, of course), paper you salvaged from a received gift, or not at all.
  

• Install CFLs. I know, I know - if you hear one more suggestion to buy CFLs you're going to puke. But seriously, CFLs are one of many eco-options which will save you in the long run. Though sometimes the start-up cost may be greater than that of a conventional item of the same type, the long-term savings is significant.
  

• Research Options. Clever marketers have come to learn that many of us can be made into impulse-buyers. Clever budgeters (and greenies) know that the most efficient (financially and ecologically) options generally require some forethought and a bit of comparison shopping. Questions to ask yourself if caught in the act: Do I already own something that can fulfill this purpose? Is there somewhere I can get this item for free (and used)? What do I really think this item can do for me? What do I really hope this item can do for me? Are these two things realistically related?
  

• Simplify. The number one way to save the planet and your pocketbook at the same time is to reduce your needs, and yet this is also the most difficult change for many to make. Living in a culture of increased consumption makes this tricky - but by no means impossible. If you are living on a fixed income or starving artist's wage you likely have a higher incentive to take this step, but I believe we can all find ways to simplify our lives - and thereby to instigate swifter and more powerful change. Take a good look at your lifestyle - what can you eliminate? What can you reduce? Do you really need 5 different lotions (one for body, one for hands, one for feet, one for face, and one just because?)? Is your desire for a commodity one of necessity, or of sheer desire? What do you hope this thing can really do for you? These questions aren't meant to judge or to chastise, but to provoke deeper investigations into what is necessary and what is extraneous.
  

This is by no means a complete list, but a an ever-expanding body of collective knowledge that I hope not only to bring to you, but also to share with you in its creation. What are your experiences with going green on a budget? Do you have any favorite low-cost green tips?

Do-Over Fashion

Photo by -just-jen- on Flickr using Creative Commons.

I never tire of creative re-invention. Call it:

• Reusing
• Rebirthing
  
• Reclaiming
  
• Rehoming
• Regifting
• Repurposing
• Reincarnating
• Recycling
• Upcycling
  

I say it's nothing short of alchemy, in my book, miraculously transforming something unwanted (or intended for single/limited use) into a newly useful form.

Here are a few of my favorite examples:

Brown Dress

Recycling Project

Wardrobe Refashion

Craftster Challenge: Super Ugly to Super Awesome

Neauveau (sweater recycling)

Top Green Newbie Mistakes - AKA Longest Post Ever

Adorable little green turtle photo by Lazy_Lightning on Flickr using Creative Commons

So you're a just a baby in this business of environmental love, you say? Before you get overzealous, here are a few tips on how to avoid the Top Green Newbie Mistakes (boy, that sounds rather redundant, but I trust you'll get it).

Green Newbie Mistake #1: Purging the Non-Green
Solution: Step Away From the Trash Can

Congratulations on waking up to smell the organic roses, but before you go tossing out everything you own that doesn't qualify as energy-conserving or organic, let's think about this for a minute.

A common mistake of recent green converts is to do exactly the above - to dispose of anything that doesn't jibe with their new, ethical and earth-friendly lifestyle. I understand the reasons for wanting to purge all that is non-green, but the problem with doing so is that it counteracts the most basic tenet of green living: reduce, reuse, recycle. (Come on, I know you've heard that one before!)

The stuff you throw away will end up in landfills or waterways way before their time (even worse than if you'd waited until they were no longer of use). Instead, use your current possessions and products to their fullest capacity and through their (probably already stunted) lifespan, or find them a new home (try Freecycle or craigslist if you're at a loss).


Green Newbie Mistake #2: Purchasing All New Green
Solution: Put Down the Credit Card

This mistake usually goes hand-in-hand with Green Newbie Mistake #1. Newbies are often overwhelmed by all the possibilities and supposed requirements for "going green", and the ones that often seem the simplest include purchases. What could be easier than going to your local big-box store and buying a few green items? It's like instant-green! Well, not exactly. This leads to a temporary green-buy high: you instantly feel as if you've saved the world with your purchase of one "green" hand soap, but I can assure you that you have not.

The truth of the matter is that the greenest choices are lifestyle changes and not products, and that consuming less does more for the state of the environment than consuming the same amount, but of different types of products. Look into FREE and fairly easy ways you can green your life before investing any of the other kind of $green$.

Having said that, our buying power does affect the market, but if you must own a green product to believe you've kick-started your new life, don't run out and buy the first new product just because you heard it was green, because it says it's "green" or because it's packaged in a pretty green-colored carton. (Are you getting sick of green yet?) A better way to introduce more eco-friendly products into your life is to do so one product at a time, and only as you run out of its predecessor.

First, take the time to research better products before you need them. Learn everything you can about the company and its practices, and be sure they fit your requirements for being "green". [Note: "green" these days often includes items that fall into one or more of the following categories - fair trade, energy-efficient, biodegradable, containing no ingredients known to be harmful to the environment, containing no ingredients known to be harmful to humans, not tested on animals, vegan (containing no animal products or by-products), sustainable (from resources that can be ecologically sustained), sustainable and renewable raw materials and energy sources, etc.] In other words, be a conscious consumer. Then, after you have determined that there are no better alternatives for a product, purchase the new one when it's time to replace the old one. (I've had a bottle of non-green shampoo for over a year now, and I plan to use it until it's gone.)

Green Newbie Mistake #2b: The Start-Up Cost Clause

As with any new endeavor, going green can have a few initial start-up costs. None of these is essential, and as I explained in #2, the greenest choices are free. But if you don't already have them, and can't borrow, barter, or purchase them used, there are a few products which may be helpful in your transition. If you must, you can get your shopping fix by investing in these green items (where applicable, and only if you will get good use out of them, of course):

• Drying rack or clothesline and clothespins - Choose items made of wood, not plastic (which is a petroleum byproduct). Hopefully it's organic, sustainable wood without any chemical fillers or sealers, but most likely it's not. It's still an eco-friendlier option than its electrical cousin, the clothes dryer.

• Cloth dish rags and napkins - When you've used up the last of your disposable paper towels and paper napkins, these will come in handy. (pun intended ;) )

• Cloth handkerchiefs and washcloths - What's old is new again! Believe it or not, but there was life before disposable beauty products. Handkerchiefs can double as impromptu coin purses (with all ends tied up), head wraps, scarves, napkins, and towels. Washcloths eliminate the need for plastic shower poufs, q-tips, facial cotton rounds or cotton balls, and exfoliator creams (use a gentle circular motion with the washcloth to achieve the same results).

• Alternative menstrual products - Ok, so this is only a tip for about one-half of the population. Once you (or your female sweetie) buy a menstrual cup and reusable pads, it'll be a long time (if ever!) before you have to purchase replacements. Now that's an investment!

• An energy monitor - Even if you haven't figured out where you can (or want to) cut back on your energy consumption, this handy little gadget will help. There are many options, so be sure to shop around before buying to avoid buyer's remorse.

• A hand-crank radio and flashlight (available at the NPR shop) - These items are a great investment especially in cases of power failures/outages , but any hand-crank or totally off-the-grid appliance is a good buy if a) you will use it frequently, and b) you don't already own its electrical cousin. (If you do, consider "hacking" the cousin or trading/freecycling/donating it.)

• One good vegetarian cookbook - Before you roll your eyes and close your browser, hear me out. I'm not asking you to go vegetarian - in fact, there appear to be conflicting opinions on whether or not a vegetarian (or more strict vegan) diet is better or worse for the global environment. However, it seems to be universally accepted that Westerners tend to eat more meat than we need, not only for the environment's sake, but also for our own health. A nice, thick vegetarian cookbook will offer you options you may not have known existed, and even if you don't decide to go vegetarian 100% of the time (or even one day a week, like Vegetarian Wednesday), you'll learn tricks for incorporating more vegetables into your daily menus.
  

• Solar charger for your peripherals (as in cameras, cell phones, etc.) - Just as with hand-crank items, solar chargers use free and sustainable energy and are great in an electrical pinch as well.

• One or two reusable shopping bags - You probably own one already - a summer tote you've stored away for the winter months or an old book-bag the kids have outgrown. Newbies often run out and purchase a "green" shopping bag, complete with the obligatory "Look, I'm GREEN!" propaganda printed in a conspicuous place. Pssst! I'll tell you a secret: You've been greenwashed! Any, I repeat, ANY old bag will do, including an old plastic grocery bag. Make your own out of an old t-shirt or weave one out of plastic bags you accumulated before you saw the light. If you really don't own anything you could fashion into a shopping bag (and I highly doubt that you don't), then you can claim the Start-Up Cost Clause.
  

• Durable foodware - At minimum, invest in a reusable water bottle (see below for recommendations). At most, you'll need:

• A reusable bottle - try Sigg, Kleen Kanteen, or EnviroProducts (the two latter have no plastic liners)
• One reusable glass/ceramic bottle or mug for work
• One reusable coffee sleeve (if you need it - you might not, if your reusable mug is insulated well) - either reuse one of the cardboard ones or make your own
• One travel lunch bag/box
• A few glass food storage containers (try Anchor Hocking or Pyrex)
• Reusable utensils (flatware from home or for a compact version try the Coleman - available at Target for $7.99)
• Cloth napkins - 5-8, depending on your lifestyle, number of household inhabitants, and messiness level
• Ceramic or reusable (and sustainable) wood chopsticks, if you use them

• A bike or bus pass - A bike is not a purchase to take lightly. Do your research and find a bike that you know you will use, then outfit it to suit your needs. If you don't think you're a bike person, car-pooling or using your public transit system (Clevelander's click here) is a better option. Google also offers a service, Google Transit, which will assist you in planning your commute, but only if you live in one of the very few participating cities. (boo!)
  

• Compost bin - This can be as big or small a project or purchase as you'd like to make it. Build a large compost pile in your back yard, a smaller one on your balcony (like Green As a Thistle), or set a small jug on your counter top (I think this is called a compost "pig").

Green Newbie Mistake #3: Giving in to Greenwashing
Solution: Do Your Homework

Piggy-backing on #2, don't be fooled by green imposters. It's a challenging and conscious effort for large, established, (especially chain) businesses to make green changes on a grand scale, and those changes simply cannot happen overnight. Smaller, newer, more local companies have a somewhat easier time - it's easier to start something from the ground-up than to try to change old habits. But bigger businesses want to get in on the eco-action, too, so they start in whatever ways they can. Sometimes these efforts are genuine in that they create significant directional change for the company (i.e. car manufacturers working toward establishing entire lines of hybrid, fuel cell, and alternative fuel cars). On the other hand, sometimes the changes are only superficial and intended to tap into the ever-growing market for green products and services (e.g. labeling layers of plastic packaging with "Please recycle me" reminders, while making no effort to actually change the amount or types of packaging). Doing your homework can help you to weed out the sincere from the superficial, or at least put you in contact with others who are looking for the same answers. When in doubt - contact the company directly, and ask direct questions.


Green Newbie Mistake #4: Greenwashing Yourself
Solution: Keep it Real

Reinventing yourself is exciting, as is the prospect of having an impact on the current and future states of your planet, but don't let it go to your head. A healthy amount of enthusiasm is necessary in order to make some of the bigger green changes, but walking the walk is a better advertisement for the things you believe in.

Check that you're not only taking on the most superficial, convenient, and easy of green changes, either to alleviate your own green guilt, to impress your friends, or because it's the trendy thing to do. Recycling because everyone else is doing it wouldn't be the worst form of peer-pressure or copy-catting, but recognize that you have the power to make an even greater difference/impact.


Green Newbie Mistake #5: All or Nothing Attitude
Solution: Keep Perspective

It's easy to become overwhelmed by the green lifestyle options, recommendations, and warnings (usually about not following a certain recommendation). Going green isn't an all-or-nothing event - it's a conscious choice and a work in progress. If you take on a change that you don't fully understand or accept, you're less likely to stick to it in the long run. You're not an awful person if you don't keep vermiculture composting worms under your sink. ;) Make conscious choices - be aware of the impact of your choices - but don't beat yourself up about them afterward. I realize that some greenies believe that the world as we know it will soon come to an end (and I neither affirm nor refute their statements), but I believe that all life on this planet, and the planet itself, is resilient. Where there has been famine, humans (and animal and plant-life) have survived. The same is true of droughts, wars, and plagues. Yes, some people (and plants and animals) will die as our planet shifts in its nature, but guess what? We are all - plant, animal, and human - going to die someday. That's just part of life and nature, and it's nothing to live in fear of.

Death is a fact of life, as change is the only constant. I say this neither to scare, nor to offer an excuse for those who do not choose to make any changes at all. Instead, I offer this obvious fact as a reminder that we can only do the best we can at creating the life and universe that we would like to live in while offering up/out/around/through/into/under/below/about our hopes and dreams. There are larger forces at work here - it's okay if you accidentally throw away that recyclable glass jar. Just do your best to be conscious about it the next time, and accept that every action has a reaction.

Product Review: Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap

Photo by Kevin on Flickr using Creative Commons.

Part II (of Some Answers and a Few Questions)

Dr. Bronner's update:

In a previous post I mentioned that one day I hoped to use Dr. Bronner's soap for everything. I am in love with the simplicity of the product, with organic, sustainable (in recycled packaging and available in bulk), fair trade and humane practices and with claims of being useful for so many different things. What could be simpler than purchasing one soap to use for all household and personal hygeine needs?

As I do with any new-to-me product, however, I purchased a smaller amount than if I were purchasing of a product which had become my new favorite when I bought it last fall. I opted for the lavender liquid soap in the 32 ounce bottle, noting that later I can purchase the gallon jugs directly from their site, or fill my current bottle at Wild Oats (assuming they still carry it; To-date I have not seen it in any other bulk sections of my favorite natural foods stores.) I introduced it to the beau, who was skeptical of it's all-oneness, spiritually and functionally, by using it to fill one of our existing hand soap dispensers, whose contents were previously used up.

Aside from the occasional clog - which I have experienced with every liquid soap I've ever tried - I was a convert. I love the smell of the lavender, and the near-colorless liquid foamed perfectly, even without SLS. My hands felt clean, but never dry after using the Dr. Bronner's.

And then one day the beau says to me that Dr. Bronner's stained his shirt. I was all, "no way! It says right here that you can use it as a laundry detergent", but he assures me to this day that the shirt in question had to be cut up into rags. My personal experience on the few occasions that a clogged spout shot soap onto my sleeve are that it came out without any problem. I did rinse the soap "stain" immediately with water, but then I let the shirt dry until it was time to do laundry and it came out without difficulty.

I suspected that perhaps the oils in the soap might have caused the stain on Beau's shirt, so I contacted Dr. Bronner's via email to see if they had any awareness of their soap staining clothes or any suggestions about removal if a stain does occur. Sadly, the happy people at Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap company never replied. (Not very One-like of them, but then maybe their email server was down or something.) My thought is that as with other oils, had the shirt been treated sooner (by rinsing with cold water and/or absorbing with baking soda before washing) it would not have stained.

Recently I had also been looking for an alternative to my toothpaste. I was using Tom's of Maine, my favorite toothpaste, until I found out they were purchased by Colgate and contained SLS. Then after researching a few brands I picked Dr. Ken's, but I was unimpressed and looking for a solution which would greatly reduce the packaging involved as well. I looked into using baking soda and water, or making my own toothpaste, but it turns out that baking soda is too abrasive for my sensitive teeth. It seemed silly for me to purchase glycerin and other raw products which I did not presently have further use for.

I decided to try using my lavender liquid soap to brush my teeth as well. While it wasn't my flavor of choice, I have enjoyed lavender-infused desserts and teas in the past, so I figured it could be tolerable. I've been using the soap to brush my teeth for over a week now and have discovered what is definitely THE cleanest mouth feeling I've ever had. The dentist's office? Doesn't compare. And this isn't that gritty/crunchy feeling that the dentist's toothpaste has, either - you know what I'm talking about. The only problem is that after brushing with the teeniest semi-drop of the lavender liquid soap I found that the taste undesirable, and it left my tongue with a sort of unpleasant near-burning tingle. I rinsed with my remaining Tom's of Maine mouthwash and discovered I've never felt so minty fresh. Those gum commercials really know what they're talking about, but they're advertising the wrong products.

And then, divine intervention (or something like it): in the store the other day I found a trial/travel size of Dr. Bronner's peppermint liquid soap (2 oz.), and have been using it to brush my teeth ever since.

Exciting News and Preference Poll

Photo by flyingreptile on Flickr using Creative Commons.

I promised I would share some surprises with you and true to my word you'll find one (of many to come!) in this post.

I have been dissatisfied with the limited options offered by Blogger and was searching for alternatives around the time of posting the Pomegranate Meditation last fall when I came upon WordPress. After testing out some of their options I found that I really liked some of the additional features, but I found that a) it didn't seem as user-friendly, and b) WordPress limits the number of users who can view the blog unless I purchase a package (using the free version to-date).

I have been warned against using WordPress (or really any other) by a friend, and have not found that traffic on this site (yet!!!) warrants the purchase of additional options - memory or otherwise.

BUT! Here is your chance to voice your opinion. Check out the new site - its colors and new features (including the addition of new pages) - and then post in the comments section or send me an email with your preference. Other suggestions are also welcome. :)

• Which site is more easily navigable?
• More visually appealing?

To make it as fair a game as possible, I'll be linking to this site on the other as well, and at the end of March (or when I've reached my max users on WordPress) I'll assess the traffic patterns and post the results.