The holidays are drawing to a close...how much new plastic did you take in this week? How much went out? Are you somebody who thinks about these things? In my little corner of the world, I sometimes feel like an alien. I worry about plastic. I think about it a lot. I try not to bring it into my life. But then there are the times when I receive a gift. What if that gift is plastic? What is the common courtesy around such things?
Here's an example: Our elementary school decided to sell Smencils. They are pencils that smell...like fruit or gum or whatever else. I had a little talk with my sons and we all decided we didn't need smelly pencils, especially since we had enough pencils and the Smencils each come in a plastic tube to keep the smell intact. The tube claims that it is biodegradeable (I am currently testing this out to see how long that actually takes and whether it works at all). The Smencils come to the school in #3 (PVC) plastic tubs. (Yeah, that's PVC, the 'poison plastic' - doesn't recycle many places and is toxic from start to finish. The tubs are now sitting in my garage because our PTO pres. gave them to me to use in the classrooms as Terracycle collection tubs - but I don't want any more PVC in our school, so I am determined to find a place that will recycle them. This is stressful to me, though, as I really wish we did not buy pencils packaged in plastic inside of plastic!) So, back to my story....I tell the PTO pres. that it really is OK that my kids do not get Smencils...since our school has a policy that everyone gets a Smencil, even if they can't afford to order one for themselves. But people are allowed to buy Smencils for other people, so that's exactly how we ended up with a Smencil. My next-door neighbor bought a Smencil for my son. A nice gesture. He accepted the Smencil happily with a 'Thank you' and brought it home from school. Did I tell the PTO about the issues I had with Smencils before they started selling them? - yes. Smencils are marketed as eco-friendly, so when I told them, they had the same reaction they have to most of my anti-plastic statements....not again! Why do I think about these things? Don't I know how cool Smencils are? They are made of recycled newspapers. Do I want to deny our kids the joy of experiencing them?
I went to the mother/son dance last year with my then-1st-grader. They had a dance contest and he won a prize. The DJ handed him something and he came over to show me what it was: a set of plastic teeth with a battery inside. When you bite the plastic, it lights up inside your mouth. Packaged in plastic. Great! Just what we needed! My son knew that this was not a good gift, but what could we do with this item now? We could give it away and it would still end up dying in a landfill or the ocean or elsewhere, stuff leaking out of the battery, if it didn't already leak into some poor child's mouth!
Every class party, my kids bring home treat bags. I usually cringe before opening them, because I know what they are full of: plastic dollar store trinkets and candy, all wrapped in plastic. Full of good intentions, but nothing that we needed or wanted.
So what do you do with gifts like these? I think the only thing you can really do is educate ahead of time and hope that people will listen to your requests. When they don't, I'm not sure there is much you can do unless you want to alienate these people from your life. People have told me I should just give the things away to 'those who don't have toys and who would appreciate them'. It's not that I don't appreciate the thought, it is that I don't appreciate the harm that comes from these things. And I don't really want to pass that along to another person. It's the same way I feel about donations to the food bank: If it's not something I would want to eat, why would I want to give it to another person?
So to anyone reading this who is thinking about giving me a gift, please hear me when I say: Your smile, your presence, the delightful sound of your laughter, the funny stories you tell, your delicious homemade cookies, the way you put up with me and still stick around...all of these are my most treasured possessions, the things that I want from you. If it is plastic, please do not buy it for me or my family. And if you invite me for dinner on plastic plates, please do not be offended if I take them home to reuse and if the next time I eat at your house I bring my own plates. Thank you very much!!!
p.s. - Thank you, Mom, for hearing me about the plastic! It is a shame that those earwarmers had to come packaged in a hard plastic case, but other than that, you did not add to my plastic tally this Christmas - yeah!!! We didn't buy much for Christmas this year. It really warmed my heart when my middle son told me that his favorite gift was a book of bedtime stories since he would get a chance to read them to us every night.
Have a peaceful, less-plastic-filled New Year!!!
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Friday, December 30, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
End of the Year Thoughts
Hello, Dear Friends! It has been much too long - my apologies for being out of touch!!
What have I been doing? Clearing out. After almost 6 years in our new house and having 3 sons, we accumulated a lot of stuff. When I look around, I wonder how it is possible that we have so much stuff, most of which we don't need and the things that bother me the most are the things that I'm sure nobody needs: useless plastic. Toys that were given out at class parties that broke within days and now sit in a box, waiting for a creative reuse opportunity. The only problem is that the box is now overflowing and nobody seems overly eager to make a plastic creation that will ultimately end up in the landfill or one of our oceans.
Straws and plastic lids....when I finally came to my senses and decided to stop doing fast food, we had a few slips along the way. But I couldn't bare to throw the straws and lids away, so they also went in a box. The straws make great construction toys and we've made lots of straw buildings and more, but now what?
I always had a hard time throwing things away, but now I really struggle because I know where it will go. There is no away. So I am taking my time. Clearing out. Clearing my mind. Being very careful about what I bring in, because it will eventually have to go out again.
The other day, a friend called me to ask if I knew where we could recycle DVD players. Yep, I do. I said I'd take it since I have been given others and I will be making a trip there soon. She said her daughters were getting a new one for Christmas. I looked at the personal DVD player staring at me in perfect condition. For the heck of it, I plugged it in. It is in perfect working condition! It will now be a Christmas present for my sons. This friend is one of my biggest Terracyclers and I'm so thrilled that she wanted to recycle the DVD player, but I'm sad that she didn't think of giving it a new life first. I know we live in a 'throw-away' society, but we need to turn this around!
Yesterday, I celebrated my grandfather's 95th birthday with him. He is the kind of guy who will tape his glass frames until they can't be taped anymore. His trash can is a milk carton that he keeps near his sink. It rarely gets full in a week. When things break, he fixes them. If he doesn't need it, he doesn't buy it.
Which brings us to the topic of 'need'. This week, I saw a picture that summed up some things that I've been thinking about a lot this season:
(I found this online from Pastor Kevin Stowe, but am not sure of the original creator).
My husband was telling me we don't have anything exciting to put under the tree this year for our sons. To me, that IS exciting, because what we have to give them is exactly what they need: our time, our care, our love, our example.
Why have we become a society of people who 'need' so much?
When we think about what we truly need, we often find that we can have it in abundance if we just care enough to see it.
I think it's safe to say that almost all of us could give up some physical gift this holiday season. We could give up the money spent on gas, tolls, time spent in line, impatience and rudeness toward others from overcrowding at stores, etc. Instead, we could join together in love and peace and help heal the world. I guess to a lot of people, that sounds like a fantasy. We are the creators of our reality. Together we can make a difference.
I wish you peace, love and joy this holiday season and into the new year!
What have I been doing? Clearing out. After almost 6 years in our new house and having 3 sons, we accumulated a lot of stuff. When I look around, I wonder how it is possible that we have so much stuff, most of which we don't need and the things that bother me the most are the things that I'm sure nobody needs: useless plastic. Toys that were given out at class parties that broke within days and now sit in a box, waiting for a creative reuse opportunity. The only problem is that the box is now overflowing and nobody seems overly eager to make a plastic creation that will ultimately end up in the landfill or one of our oceans.
Straws and plastic lids....when I finally came to my senses and decided to stop doing fast food, we had a few slips along the way. But I couldn't bare to throw the straws and lids away, so they also went in a box. The straws make great construction toys and we've made lots of straw buildings and more, but now what?
I always had a hard time throwing things away, but now I really struggle because I know where it will go. There is no away. So I am taking my time. Clearing out. Clearing my mind. Being very careful about what I bring in, because it will eventually have to go out again.
The other day, a friend called me to ask if I knew where we could recycle DVD players. Yep, I do. I said I'd take it since I have been given others and I will be making a trip there soon. She said her daughters were getting a new one for Christmas. I looked at the personal DVD player staring at me in perfect condition. For the heck of it, I plugged it in. It is in perfect working condition! It will now be a Christmas present for my sons. This friend is one of my biggest Terracyclers and I'm so thrilled that she wanted to recycle the DVD player, but I'm sad that she didn't think of giving it a new life first. I know we live in a 'throw-away' society, but we need to turn this around!
Yesterday, I celebrated my grandfather's 95th birthday with him. He is the kind of guy who will tape his glass frames until they can't be taped anymore. His trash can is a milk carton that he keeps near his sink. It rarely gets full in a week. When things break, he fixes them. If he doesn't need it, he doesn't buy it.
Which brings us to the topic of 'need'. This week, I saw a picture that summed up some things that I've been thinking about a lot this season:
My husband was telling me we don't have anything exciting to put under the tree this year for our sons. To me, that IS exciting, because what we have to give them is exactly what they need: our time, our care, our love, our example.
Why have we become a society of people who 'need' so much?
When we think about what we truly need, we often find that we can have it in abundance if we just care enough to see it.
I think it's safe to say that almost all of us could give up some physical gift this holiday season. We could give up the money spent on gas, tolls, time spent in line, impatience and rudeness toward others from overcrowding at stores, etc. Instead, we could join together in love and peace and help heal the world. I guess to a lot of people, that sounds like a fantasy. We are the creators of our reality. Together we can make a difference.
I wish you peace, love and joy this holiday season and into the new year!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Sweet Tea Recipe
One of the simple pleasures I remember from my childhood is iced tea. My mom would make sun tea on our back patio and it was such a delight! I can remember watching it brew and then the delicious taste that I equated with goodness coming straight from the sun!
I feel like this is something I need to bring back into my life since we have so many commercial iced teas around now. Last summer, when McDonald's was advertising $1 Mickey D's Sweet Tea, my kids fell in love with it. With it's styrofoam cup, I was not loving it. I thought about all of the bottles, mostly plastic now, that are being thrown away with each sip of store-bought bottled tea and how much could be saved, financially and environmentally, by making our own.
Here's a link I found to a sweet tea recipe that is close to McDonald's, if that's what you like:
http://askville.amazon.com/looove-McDonalds-Sweet-Tea-make/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=3014389
The recipe I use is so simple, but it makes me happy every time I make it:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 family-size tea bags or 5-6 regular tea bags. Turn off heat and set timer for 3 minutes. Add 2 more cups of water and squeeze (& compost) tea bags. Add 1 TB local honey, 1 squeeze fresh lemon, 1/2 c. sugar (more or less to taste). Stir. Add 2 more cups of water & stir. Makes 2 quarts.
Sometimes we don't use honey, add oranges and lemons instead of sweeteners, add fresh mint, etc. I taught my 2 oldest sons how to make this and they love to experiment and vary the recipe.
Next summer I will try to make sun tea again. But for now, we have our sweet tea with no styrofoam or plastic waste - hooray! Do you have a favorite drink recipe to share that eliminates plastic packaging?
I feel like this is something I need to bring back into my life since we have so many commercial iced teas around now. Last summer, when McDonald's was advertising $1 Mickey D's Sweet Tea, my kids fell in love with it. With it's styrofoam cup, I was not loving it. I thought about all of the bottles, mostly plastic now, that are being thrown away with each sip of store-bought bottled tea and how much could be saved, financially and environmentally, by making our own.
Here's a link I found to a sweet tea recipe that is close to McDonald's, if that's what you like:
http://askville.amazon.com/looove-McDonalds-Sweet-Tea-make/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=3014389
The recipe I use is so simple, but it makes me happy every time I make it:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 family-size tea bags or 5-6 regular tea bags. Turn off heat and set timer for 3 minutes. Add 2 more cups of water and squeeze (& compost) tea bags. Add 1 TB local honey, 1 squeeze fresh lemon, 1/2 c. sugar (more or less to taste). Stir. Add 2 more cups of water & stir. Makes 2 quarts.
Sometimes we don't use honey, add oranges and lemons instead of sweeteners, add fresh mint, etc. I taught my 2 oldest sons how to make this and they love to experiment and vary the recipe.
Next summer I will try to make sun tea again. But for now, we have our sweet tea with no styrofoam or plastic waste - hooray! Do you have a favorite drink recipe to share that eliminates plastic packaging?
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
No Impact Transportation Day and Other Random Thoughts
Today (officially yesterday now) was Transportation Day for Yes! Magazine's No Impact Week and I knew this would be my toughest day before the rain even began to fall. The thought of getting my 4 year old to our preschool (at our district elementary school) without a car is extremely daunting to me and brings to mind images of near-death situations. I really wish it were not the case, but I don't even feel safe riding my bike or walking alone on most of the streets that I travel, let alone doing it with a child. Just yesterday I watched in horror as a couple walking their dog was almost mowed down by a speeding car turning a windy corner - good thing for fast reflexes and good brakes! And then there are my Terracycle duties...how would I get all of those boxes to school without my car? And get home and back to the PTO meeting and do everything else that needed to be done in between on time?
Needless to say, I failed miserably at not using my car today. I did think about carpooling to the PTO meeting and called 2 friends to see if they'd like to join me, but got no takers. Something to work on, though, as there are many opportunities to carpool that I don't often take advantage of. One of the main reasons: time, or perceived lack thereof. So what is more important to me? That's really at the heart of why I'm writing this blog. What matters? What is worth giving my time to? What is worth thinking about and considering? Sitting behind a truck giving off terrible emissions on my way home from the PTO meeting struck me tonight in a way that it never has before. Every day, I am part of the problem. I drive. I try to drive responsibly, but what does that really mean? I follow the speed limit. On a recent trip to visit my brother on the PA turnpike, I drove the speed limit the entire trip and only passed 1 car - this is amazing to me, considering the volume of cars on that road. The one white-haired gentleman that I passed was driving about 30 mph. Everyone else seemed to be going at least 70 mph or more. We are a nation in high gear. Where are we all racing to? What are we hoping to gain by rushing through our lives? So many times if we would allow ourselves to slow down, we would have time to think about the consequences of our actions and that would be a really good thing!
So here's to bike lanes and walking lanes and trails that make it safe for us all to share the road! And to taking the time to build them, explore them and use them. Here's to slowing down to consider those around us who are sharing the path on this journey we call life. We all want clean air to breathe and clean water to drink, don't we? The things we value are not so different when we take the time to think about it. So let's think and let's act. Differently....together....better.
Needless to say, I failed miserably at not using my car today. I did think about carpooling to the PTO meeting and called 2 friends to see if they'd like to join me, but got no takers. Something to work on, though, as there are many opportunities to carpool that I don't often take advantage of. One of the main reasons: time, or perceived lack thereof. So what is more important to me? That's really at the heart of why I'm writing this blog. What matters? What is worth giving my time to? What is worth thinking about and considering? Sitting behind a truck giving off terrible emissions on my way home from the PTO meeting struck me tonight in a way that it never has before. Every day, I am part of the problem. I drive. I try to drive responsibly, but what does that really mean? I follow the speed limit. On a recent trip to visit my brother on the PA turnpike, I drove the speed limit the entire trip and only passed 1 car - this is amazing to me, considering the volume of cars on that road. The one white-haired gentleman that I passed was driving about 30 mph. Everyone else seemed to be going at least 70 mph or more. We are a nation in high gear. Where are we all racing to? What are we hoping to gain by rushing through our lives? So many times if we would allow ourselves to slow down, we would have time to think about the consequences of our actions and that would be a really good thing!
So here's to bike lanes and walking lanes and trails that make it safe for us all to share the road! And to taking the time to build them, explore them and use them. Here's to slowing down to consider those around us who are sharing the path on this journey we call life. We all want clean air to breathe and clean water to drink, don't we? The things we value are not so different when we take the time to think about it. So let's think and let's act. Differently....together....better.
Monday, September 19, 2011
No Impact Week With YES! Magazine: September 2011
This week I'm taking part in YES! Magazine's 'No Impact Week'. There's still time to join!:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/no-impact-week-with-yes-september-2011-2/no-impact-week-with-yes-september-2011
Yesterday, we focused on consumption. The topic of consumption has been on my mind for a while now, so it wasn't the hardest of the challenges for me. My kids brought home a 'Back 2 School Smencil Gram' flyer, though, so it presented the opportunity to have a little talk. Did we need any more pencils? The answer was an easy, 'No!', as we save pencils from year to year and have more than enough to last us for a few more years without buying a new one! Would they be upset if all of their friends got a Smencil Gram and they didn't? I didn't get an immediate 'No!' to this question and I could see the wheels spinning. I asked them if there was something we could do together as a family to show our love for each other instead of sending out the Smencil Grams. Bingo! 'Can we play Candyland together, Mom?' An extra family game night sounds like a great idea to me!
(For those of you who don't know what a Smencil is, it is a pencil made of recycled newspaper which has a scent - there are lots of scents and according to their website, they are "the same as those used to make soaps and candles, which are safe for reasonable personal use as tested by the manufacturers." They also state that "by using corn-based biodegradable plastic tubes, even Smencil and Smen packaging is environmentally friendly." While that sounds good, I'm not sure the plastic tubes can biodegrade in the landfill, where I'm sure most of them end up. If you need to buy a pencil, it seems to me it would be more eco-friendly if it weren't in any type of packaging at all. I can be a real killjoy, can't I? ;) ).
Today's topic is Trash. One of the recommendations for today is something that I thought I had done, but their suggestion is much more complete:
Put together a no-trash travel kit for the week with a reusable drinking receptacle for hot and cold liquids, a handkerchief/old t-shirt, Tupperware®, utensils, and reusable produce bags.
So I am adding a few things to my take-along kit! One thing I noticed that I accumulate a lot of is tissues. I do buy recycled tissues, but with 3 little boys (one who currently has a cold!), the tissues add up! The old t-shirt suggestion for handkerchiefs is a good one for me! I'm going to try to cut some up later today - will try to post some pictures.
Now that's what I call FUN! Do you have a no-trash travel kit? How have you used it? Will you add to it this week?
Want to join me in the fun of the No Impact Week? I'd love to hear your experiences!
http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/no-impact-week-with-yes-september-2011-2/no-impact-week-with-yes-september-2011
Yesterday, we focused on consumption. The topic of consumption has been on my mind for a while now, so it wasn't the hardest of the challenges for me. My kids brought home a 'Back 2 School Smencil Gram' flyer, though, so it presented the opportunity to have a little talk. Did we need any more pencils? The answer was an easy, 'No!', as we save pencils from year to year and have more than enough to last us for a few more years without buying a new one! Would they be upset if all of their friends got a Smencil Gram and they didn't? I didn't get an immediate 'No!' to this question and I could see the wheels spinning. I asked them if there was something we could do together as a family to show our love for each other instead of sending out the Smencil Grams. Bingo! 'Can we play Candyland together, Mom?' An extra family game night sounds like a great idea to me!
(For those of you who don't know what a Smencil is, it is a pencil made of recycled newspaper which has a scent - there are lots of scents and according to their website, they are "the same as those used to make soaps and candles, which are safe for reasonable personal use as tested by the manufacturers." They also state that "by using corn-based biodegradable plastic tubes, even Smencil and Smen packaging is environmentally friendly." While that sounds good, I'm not sure the plastic tubes can biodegrade in the landfill, where I'm sure most of them end up. If you need to buy a pencil, it seems to me it would be more eco-friendly if it weren't in any type of packaging at all. I can be a real killjoy, can't I? ;) ).
Today's topic is Trash. One of the recommendations for today is something that I thought I had done, but their suggestion is much more complete:
Put together a no-trash travel kit for the week with a reusable drinking receptacle for hot and cold liquids, a handkerchief/old t-shirt, Tupperware®, utensils, and reusable produce bags.
So I am adding a few things to my take-along kit! One thing I noticed that I accumulate a lot of is tissues. I do buy recycled tissues, but with 3 little boys (one who currently has a cold!), the tissues add up! The old t-shirt suggestion for handkerchiefs is a good one for me! I'm going to try to cut some up later today - will try to post some pictures.
Now that's what I call FUN! Do you have a no-trash travel kit? How have you used it? Will you add to it this week?
Want to join me in the fun of the No Impact Week? I'd love to hear your experiences!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Climate Reality Project - 24 Hours of Reality
http://climaterealityproject.org/videolanguage/en/
Are you watching? Thoughts?
Are you watching? Thoughts?
Friday, September 9, 2011
For Our World Campaign. Read it.... on Twitpic
Please click the link below to read Mattie Stepanek's 'For Our World' poem and share it with everyone you know! Thank you!!!
3500 followrs PLEASE RETWEET For Our World Campaign. Read it.... on Twitpic
3500 followrs PLEASE RETWEET For Our World Campaign. Read it.... on Twitpic
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