The Thermos

Another great item whose time has come again is the thermos.  I have fond memories of choosing my new lunch box and matching thermos at the start of each school year.  The thing I remember most about those squat plastic thermoses is that they leaked - a sticky residue generally coated the inside of my lunch box.  Still, I was fond of them.

The school lunch box has certainly come a long way so too has the thermos - some are better than ever.  I have decided to re-use drink containers as often as possible and use less plastic (since the jury is still out on plastic safety).  Today's thermoses really fit the bill.  My kids' lunch boxes didn't come with matching thermoses so they think the ones I have picked up are pretty cool and are eager to use them.  

The thermoses we use are made of stainless steel, no more leaky plastic, no glass insulation to break.  One of my favorites is a petite size that I picked up at Home Goods for only $8.  It comes to work with me most days.  It is great for tea, add one tea bag and some hot water and you have hot tea for hours.  By far the best that I have found is the Stanley thermos,  we picked ours up at Walmart.  Big and rugged, it looks like something an old time construction worker would have used.  Last summer we took it to the pool and it kept our water icy cold all day; in fact we even left if out over night and there was still ice in it the next morning.  No more tepid water in plastic bottles here!

I love being able to bring my favorite drinks with me (I am a bit picky) and have them stay hot or cold for hours.  This is also a great way to save money and reduce the amount garbage going to your local landfill.  Great for the pool, sports games, the beach or picnics - be creative, think margaritas!  Next time you are out pick one up!   

Bag Lady

Isn't it funny how we learn things without knowing it at the time?  Sometimes it is only in hindsight that we recognize wisdom.

I am dedicating this post to my Grammy who will be having a huge laugh in heaven upon reading this.  Strange how I can still hear her laugh.

Anyway, my grandmother was married during the great depression and a young mother during WWII.  Scarcity of goods, victory gardens and rationing were just a fact of life.  My grandmother learned these lessons well and turned frugality and resourcefulness into an art.  My mom would say she could pinch a penny until it screamed.  One of the many tools in her arsenal was re-using plastic zip lock bags.  

I remember when visiting her, how the need for a baggie would send me into the pantry to paw through a paper bag, which held her washed and many times re-used baggies, to find the right size.  After a few minutes I would emerge and ask, "why don't you just throw these old things out and buy some new ones?".  Her reply would always be "they're perfectly good - there's no need to waste them".  I would usually just roll my teenage eyes and carry on.

Fast forward a few years.  I am a new mom and housewife going through my eco-friendly products catalog when I spot a little wooden dryer for washing and re-using plastic baggies.  Of course I bought one and have been using it ever since.   I have to admit it is a good thing to do, it saves money and keeps baggies out of landfills.  It turns out that she was right all along and it only took me 15  years to figure it out.  How my Grammy would chuckle to see my baggies drying on their little yuppy bag holder.  Who knew - my grandmother was green before it was cool.  She also used to hang her laundry out to dry - but that is a post for another time...

To buy your own countertop bag dryer visit: http://www.gaiam.com/

Dying from Consumption

A hundred years ago, if you said the word consumption you would be referring to the wasting away that comes with tuberculosis - think Mimi's tragic death in Puccini's opera La Boheme.  Today, however, if you were to mention that word, you would not think of illness but consumerism: how much we buy and use, carbon footprints.  Unfortunately, we are still dying from consumption we just don't have TB.  Time for us all to cut back.

I  recently read a great book called Give It Up, My Year of Learning to Live Better with Less by Mary Carlomagno and want to put its message into action.  The main point of the book is that there are many things in our lives that we spend a lot of time and money on that we can actually live very well without.  What can you live without?  Are you being weighed down by all your stuff?

Now before you think I am getting preachy or holy than thou, I must confess that shopping is one of my favorite past times - I LOVE it.  I love shopping in malls, shops, flea markets, online, in catalogs, it's all great.   Consequently I have too much stuff.

It's spring so time for some spring cleaning.  I thought that we were outgrowing our house but it turns out we just had too much in it.  I feel like our house is getting bigger with each load of junk we remove.  So why don't you join me!

Go ahead, get rid of that jacket you have not worn for three years.  No, you are not going to wear it again and no, it won't be in style again before the moths eat it so time to give it to someone who really needs it.  Whatever you have not used or seen in a year -  let it go, give it to a friend, give to the needy, sell it on ebay.  

Once you have cleaned out and reclaimed your space try not to fill it up again!  The next time you shop be ruthless and buy only what you need (this will be my greatest challenge).   Don't buy that third pair of red shoes even if they are on sale.  The French have this concept down, they buy fewer things but better quality, think little black Chanel dress worn a million ways and always fabulous.  It is better to spend a little more on one quality item that will last than it is to buy 3 cheap ones that won't.  

Next time you go out don't add to the landfill, make your coffee or tea at home and take it with you in your re-usable travel mug.  Don't buy that romance novel, go to your local library, it's free and when your finished with that book it won't be taking up space in your basement!  You will find that when you really stop and think it is easier to put that item back on the shelf.  If you find catalogs too tempting, cancel them.  There are a million ways to cut back, be creative!

So if you knew where I lived you would understand how crazy this is going to sound; but if you really have to buy something consider buying second hand, go to ebay, go to consignment shops, you will save natural resources and your wallet.  You don't have to do your part to help keep our economy going, it is more important for you to keep your personal finances healthy - don't die of consumption!

Here are a few great sites to help you:
http://www.freecycle.com/

http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites

http://www.ebay.com/

http://www.goodwill.org/

http://www.bookturtle.com/
http://www.dressforsuccess.org/
http://www.catalogchoice.org/