Sneak Peek

Nothing makes my heart sing like my little girl’s smile!

Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed.  I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”

I haven’t failed.  I have found at least one way that My awesome idea won’t work.

But I made progress!

I learned that hot glue WILL work.  But I will need to use more of it.  And, at some point, there may need to be some twine involved.

But I made progress!

And it is still an AWESOME idea!  My little girl stares at it in wonder every day and giggles in anticipation for the day that it is completed.  Because she knows that, when this idea is complete, she is going to be the recipient of the best surprise EVER! She has no idea what it is, but she knows it’s truly fabulous.

Want a little sneak peek?

Here is the very beginning:

Close up:

And a little further along:

Some of this needs to be redone now.  Not failure.  LEARNING.

Attempt #2 has been started:

And it seems to be working.  Oh! I’m so excited!

As you see, the AWESOME idea will keep several plastic water bottles out of the landfill.  How many?  Current projections are 2,000-3,000!  Do you live in a 25 mile radius of me?  I’ll save you a trip to the recycling drop off if you call me and tell me you have a bag-o-bottles.  We drink a lot of bottled water but not that much.

An inspired hippie undertaking for this lazy mama, if I do say so myself.

Do you have a guess yet, what the finished product will be?

An Awesome Idea

“Lightbulb!”

Holy cow!  I woke up this morning with an AWESOME idea!   A really, truly, amazing, incredible, AWESOME idea!  It may be the best idea I have had in YEARS!

Intrigued?  Me too! I wonder if I can do it.  Is it possible?  Could it be?  If so… I could make A MILLION DOLLARS from this idea!  A BILLION!  A TRILLION!  Well.  Probably not.  But it is an AWESOME idea.

Awesome:  Inspiring awe (an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like)

Yup.  AWESOME!

I’m not going to tell you what it is.  But I’ll give you a clue:  It has to do with intentional repurposing in a very big way.

Come back in a day or two and I’ll tell you more.

Until then, wish me luck that I don’t burn my fingers on the hot glue gun.  (Oooo!  Could that be another clue?  Hmmm.  I think, yes!)

Thousands and Thousands of Tiny Jars

They are like cockroaches. They just appear.  I think there are only a few but, upon closer inspection I see the truth:  there are THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of tiny jars in my house! When my sweet (ginormous) baby boy started eating solids I was stunned that his food cost almost as much as mine!  Did you know that a jar of organic baby food can cost $.80 or more? And a hungry baby boy can put away a good 6-10 jars of the stuff each day!  So I did what any hippie mama would do and started making my own.  Lovely organic squashes (Thank you Lawson and Bev for the 116 lb squash that we are still eating 9 months later!) and sweet potatoes and apples… all cooked to mush and frozen in my own kitchen. Lovely!

After an entire afternoon of cooking and smashing I had a whole freezer full of wholesome goodies.  Awesome! We are good to go! Except… wait…. I forgot…. SIX TO TEN JARS A DAY.  Crap.  I was out of food again.  OK.  Just this ONCE we’ll buy a few jars to get us through these next few busy days until I have time for more cooking and smashing.

And before I knew it I had a garbage bag full of tiny jars. I COULD just throw them in the recycle bin. But they’re so CUTE! And it seems like they could be used for something. I mean… they have lids and everything.  I tried to give them away on freecycle (freecycle is a post for another day – it’s the single greatest idea anyone ever thought of.  After pizza.) but I kept getting no-showed.

And that led me to this great website: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/crafty-uses-for-baby-food-jars-66154#comments

I know what to do with them now! Not only did I LOVE her ideas, she helped me realize they’d make perfect little jars for home-made deodorant, lotion, etc. I can use them to give samples of my nifty laundry detergent to friends who want to try it. And they’d be good little candle holders too (I’m thinking candle making 101 for a homeschool project on a rainy fall day).

So once we make candles and lotions for everyone we know, safely store my sewing pins, make a spice rack we should only have…. aw nuts! We’re still going to have THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of tiny jars.  The idea for the garden path (see above website) was pretty awesome and that would use them up but, let’s be honest. I’m just not that ambitious.  So do tell…. what ideas do you have for using these nifty little containers?

Don’t Even Go There!

How far are you willing to go?  Really… it’s an honest question.

In your work, how far? Are you willing to do what it takes to be the CEO of a major corporation? They make millions but give their entire energy to their business at the expense of their family and other interests.  Is that what you want, or would you rather be a middle management guy with every Saturday available to take your boat out on the lake?  What about in your faith?  There are monks who take a vow of silence in order to dedicate their whole lives to prayer and meditation.  Most people just aren’t that committed.  That’s not a bad thing. It’s just human nature.  Our interests and personal energies are scattered over a variety of areas – family, work, learning, leisure, etc.

I saw a story on Good Morning America several days ago about a family whose ENTIRE output of trash (as in, throw it into the landfill) for a YEAR fit inside a Mason jar.  These are people SERIOUSLY committed to the environment.  For me? Don’t even go there.  I am SO PROUD of us when our weekly (forget annual!) garbage fits into one giant curb-side can.  We’ve come a long way.  I am not as committed as those people.  I never will be. I’ve been thinking about that and I’ve decided that it’s ok that I’m not.  I hold them as a shining standard to strive toward, knowing full well I won’t get there in this lifetime.

Since I’ve started this blog I’ve read a lot about the efforts of others to do their part in living a sustainable lifestyle on our lovely planet.  Some of these, though perhaps admirable, literally made me a little nauseous.  Here are 10 things I am NOT willing to do:

1) I am NOT willing to use washable feminine napkins.  Ugh! Gag! Blarch! Blech! GROSS!!!! I don’t even want to look at the toilet paper I use during my so-called freakin’ “blessed moon time.” Don’t even go there!

2) I am NOT willing to use washable toilet paper.  See above exclamations.

3) I am NOT willing to turn the water off in the shower in between soaping and rinsing.  I ADORE luxuriating in hot water.  I stand and soak and feel my skin open up and suck in the glorious steam.  It fills up the bathroom so that, even when I get out I’m blanketed in glorious soothing warmth. I can’t imagine giving it up.

4) I am NOT willing to eat kelp. Sorry. No slimy water plants for me. Don’t even go there.

5) I am NOT willing to get rid of my car. I love to travel. I love to drive. I love the rumble of the engine. I live where it’s very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer and I don’t like to sweat or freeze.  I don’t really like walking all that much. I will accept it and, maybe if it’s warm and sunny and not too hot or humid or windy or buggy even enjoy it but I’m still more likely to drive.

6) I am NOT willing to live in a 80 foot square space.  I have lived in crappy little one room apartments. I know it’s POSSIBLE. I like that, at any given moment, my family has the choice to congregate together or go to our separate corners of the house. I like having space. Not giving it up willingly. Don’t even go there.

7) I am NOT willing to wash less frequently. Refer to earlier posts about “smelling better” if you need to know why.  I need frequent washing as do my stinky  children.

8) I am NOT willing to eat a vegan diet.  I’m not a total carnivore like my husband but I love food.  What is life without turkey on Thanksgiving or ham on Easter? Where is the joy in pizza without pepperoni?  Every vegetable tastes better when covered in cheese! I’ve got nothing against soy or tofu but it is NOT the same as a juicy piece of meat. Don’t even go there.

9) I am NOT willing to forgo all baby gear.  I admit it! I love strapping my baby into his stroller/swing/hi-chair/bouncer and knowing that he is contained and out of trouble while I shop/poo/wash dishes/shower/etc.  I don’t leave him in there all the time but those giant plastic monstrosities are certainly this mother’s helpers!

10) I am NOT willing to stop flushing pee.  It’s gross. It’s stinky. It’s human waste. I want it out of my house immediately.  It gets flushed. I’m not going to  wait for someone to poo before we make it go away. Don’t even go there!

However,

this website is all about EASY and PRACTICAL ideas that help you live a healthier, more environmentally friendly lifestyle.  I am willing to do lots of things.  Therefore I happily share that I AM willing to do the following:

1) I am willing to make my own, biodegradable, laundry & dish soap.

2) I am willing to use “regular” soap instead of antibacterial soap when washing my hands.

3) I am willing to separate those items accepted by my local recycling center into a separate container and take them to the drop site when it’s full.

4) I am willing to buy local and/or organic when it’s available and I can afford to do so.

5) I am willing to re-purpose as many items as I can.

6) I am willing to buy only used books.

7) I am willing to use cloth diapers.

8) I am willing to turn off the water when I brush my teeth and wash the dishes.

9) I am willing to walk to nearby appointments instead of driving (when weather permits). I don’t have to love it. I’m willing to do it.  I know it’s a good thing. I can put on my big girl panties and deal with it.

10) I am willing to wear a sweater in the house in winter so the heat doesn’t need to be turned up so high.

There are LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of things that fall in the “maybe someday” or “if I had the time/space/money” category.

Maybe someday I’ll use a backyard composter, drive a hybrid vehicle, grow my own organic garden, raise chickens…….    we’ll see what the future brings.

I believe that a good choice always leads to another good choice.  Everyone can help our planet in some way.  What are you willing to do? Where do you draw the line?  Do share!