A couple weeks ago I found a really cute store on Etsy called Bells and Unicorns that sells reusable fabric sandwich bags. Once I saw the blue plaid number I knew I needed to place an order. They arrived in the mail yesterday (with a bonus snack size bag) just in time for Earth Day. Today's lunch, a turkey sandwich, fit nicely and stayed fresh inside! Mmm.
Happy Earth Day! Are you celebrating by implementing any new habits?This weekend I had honor of attending my niece Amber’s high school graduation. I have to admit, I really wasn’t looking all that forward to it. It felt like an obligation. Who really looks forward to sitting on uncomfortable bleachers for hours listening to speeches aimed at kids almost 20 years younger and for hundreds of names to be called individually (you should have heard the little boy, probably about six, sitting behind me as he asked his mom if they were going to call ALL those kids names one at a time and realized that he was going to have to sit still through all of it)? But as I saw how proud my sister is of her daughter, a daughter that had struggled early on in high school but had transitioned into an honor roll student during her senior year and earned the “Journey Award” from the faculty, it really did feel like an honor and I am so glad I went.
As I sat listening to those speeches, I realized that that the message isn’t just for the students. The speeches spoke about fresh starts and the chance to be the new you and become whomever you dream to be. I teared up a few times because I remember that feeling. I felt so free and excited about the future. I teared up because I was thinking about how fleeting that feeling can be. Then it was like I was struck with new hope. Just because I am 19 years (goodness, really?) out of high school and am not moving away and starting a new life at a new school or even a new job, doesn’t mean I can’t have a fresh start and become who I want to be. I look back on the past couple years and realize I have been working hard at that new me and making good progress. We all have this chance for a fresh start, for growth, for progress toward our dreams, every day if we to desire to take it. No matter the past, we can choose to start today and have a great day and a great tomorrow... It is all perspective, intention and the journey. Today I feel like there are so many opportunities out in front of me and I intend to move toward them.
I don’t have any graduation pictures to share as I forgot my camera, so I have to wait to get some from other family members. But, I do have a photo of the new life on my first tomato plant.... It sorta works with the theme of the post : ) Now, if I can only keep the birds away from them – they were circling this morning before I took the pictures.
One last quote from the speeches. Goodness, this is so true: Smart people learn from others mistakes and dumb people wait to learn from their own mistakes. Makes me wish I had listened to my parents more growing up, might have spared me some frustration and heart ache.
A couple years ago, prompted by an “all sale sweaters are an extra 50% off” sale, I bought a cute gray sweater. I guess I was feeling pretty skinny that day because I bought the wrong size.Sadly the sweater has sat nicely in the closet ever since. Each time I cleaned the closet out, I thought “It is too cute to donate” and “maybe I will fit into it someday,” so it just stayed there... Until now. No, it didn’t just magically start to fit (I wish) - I was inspired by some sweater refashioning I saw around blogland and on Flickr and thought I would give it a try. Mix in a special friend’s birthday and the motivation to get moving on the project was there!
This was much easier than I thought – and quick too, less than 30 minutes start to finish. I just cut the front of the sweater down the middle with a scissors following a rib in the sweater. Using some blue check shirting fabric from my stash, I made some bias tape and used stitch witchery to attach a little eyelet to one side before sewing the bias tape onto the sweater. When that was all done, I searched my button jar for the perfect one and ended up with two – a large blue button and a smaller light green one. The hardest part of the project was the buttonhole. I had to rip it out twice before getting it right – the machine kept turning back before it got to the beginning. I think the thickness of the fabric had something to do with it. Third time was a charm. Knowing the thickness of the fabric, I was sure not to sew the buttons on too tight – I placed a toothpick between the button and the sweater to help.
I really like how it turned out... And since it was a gift, I am thinking I need to search out another sweater (that fits) from my closet so I can make one for myself.
I really don’t know where the urge came from, but I have been all about cleaning this week. When I returned home from taking care of my Pops last weekend, my house just felt closed up, stale, dusty... just icky. It really wasn’t that bad, but there is something about being away from your surroundings for a while that enlightens you to some things you were just avoiding. I have been cleaning, but just the necessities, no deep cleaning. I am not sure I even “Spring cleaned” my house. Spring was just a blur - basic functioning was an accomplishment for me after my Mom died and Pops was diagnosed with lung cancer... so, I am not giving myself a hard time about it. I am just glad things have settled down a bit, Pops is doing well and I am starting to get some motivation back.
This week I have been motivated to clean, clean, clean. It started a bit oddly around 5:30 on Sunday evening. I just got a wild hair to dust and clean all the windows and shutters. I was feeling a bit allergy-ish and thought the windows would be a good place to start. A couple hours later, sweating and sneezing I was finished. I was tired, but it felt so good. And I knew I had to do more... soon. So, I made a plan. Each evening this week I am attacking a different room. Monday was the living room and dining room. Last night was my bedroom. Tonight the guest room. Tomorrow the kitchen and bathroom. By attack, I mean every surface is cleaned including furniture, fabric, woodwork, floors, ceiling fans, vents. All dust bunnies must be eliminated! It felt so good to sit back on the sofa last night and breath in the fresh air (windows are open and nights are getting cooler) and look at all the sparkly surfaces.
A lot of “friends” have helped me through this cleaning frenzy. Let me share my favorites:
Method furniture polish and floor cleaner. If you haven’t used this, you must try it. It smells amazing! Almond, yum. I love the furniture polish because it isn’t at all waxy and doesn’t leave an extra, fake shine on my furniture.
Orange Glo mop. My sister gave me one of their wood floor cleaning kits a couple years back. The other products are long gone, but the mop survives. It has a detachable microfiber pad that can be rinsed out or thrown in the washer. I use it with the Method floor cleaner and my wood floors look great.
Swiffer sweeper and duster. These are a great invention. I don’t really like the use and toss part of them – too much waste – but I need to use what I have. After I have used up my current supply, I hope to make some reusable covers. Check out these ideas: microfiber swiffer duster by Merwing, fleece sweeper and duster by Merwing, knit sweeper by Knit Playground (see downloadable free pattern in right column).
Murphy’s Oil Soap. Old school, but really good for wiping down woodwork. I think I get this from my Mom.
Shop Vac. Great for cleaning corners, window sills and vents. After wrangling with a coat hanger and the hose, I finally got mine working as it should. I swear it could pick up rocks!
Recycled t-shirt towels. When old t-shirts pass their prime in my house, I cut them up into rags and use them for a variety of cleaning tasks. Plus, I feel like I am being less wasteful if the t-shirts have a second life.
Those are just a few of my favorites. I haven’t even gotten to the kitchen and bathroom yet... Do you have any favorites? Or have any good sweeper and duster replacement tutorials to share?
Goodness, I love long weekends. I feel so much more energetic today. My weekend was refreshing... only a little productive, but I think the refreshing part was most needed.
Today, I want to catch up on a few things:
First, lookie, I finally purchased a lovely print from The Black Apple. A couple weeks ago, Emily had a sale to help pay for some vet bills. How could I not partake with it would help little Miette. Plus, I have had an idea for an art wall for-e-v-e-r and have been very slow collecting. This print "The Little Tree" was my choice. Now I just need a frame.
Second, head over to Kelli's to learn about her great fall project "Jars of Renewal." Basically, she is providing lots of creative ways to reuse glass jars. So far, there is lemoncello and bbq sauce. I can't wait to try the bbq sauce recipe. It would make a great holiday gift.
Third, my health and fitness challenge is going well. I am half way to my 5 in 5 goal, but honestly, the real progress isn't in the pounds, but the inches. My 9 ways to pain is totally working - in just three weeks of completing it every night, I have shaved 1.5 inches of my waist. I am totally on "cloud 9" today :)
And finally, last week I posted a to do list for the week. How did I do? Pretty good I think. 9 ways to pain - check. Quinoa recipe - check. Read at least one hour a day - 5 out of 7 days. Craft project - sorta check - created logo, does that count? and tell my tennis captain I am not playing USTA - check. Overall a good week.
Now on to this week.
Back in August, after reading that close to 40% of bottle water in the US comes from municipal water supplies, I decided to stop buying bottled water. Luckily STL has pretty good tap water.
This green step has been so much simpler than I ever expected. My sports bottle collection has grown a bit and my plastic recycling bin takes a lot longer to fill up. The best part - I think I am actually drinking more water now than before. So much for convenience making things easier. My fun sports bottles have won out when it comes to healthy inspiration.
Yesterday, while checking Bloglines (I love and am addicted to Bloglines), No Impact Man had a post on Think Outside The Bottle - an online pledge to, well, stop buying bottled water. Please check out the site to read all about it and to sign the pledge. They are hoping for 25,000 pledges and are about half way there.
And take a look at No Impact Man's site too - such a journey over the past year to minimize his family's footprint. Lots of inspiration.
About a month ago, I posted about my pledge to stop buying bottled water... I am happy to say, I have done very well. In the past month, I have only bought one bottle of water. I was at the baseball game with my Pops and it was hot and I could choose between bottled water, soda or beer. I choose the water. I think one bottle for the month is pretty good.
Part of my idea was that I would start using many of the sports bottles I already own - this was a great idea, but I quickly realized many of my sports bottles do not fit into the cup holders in my car. So, I did buy two new water bottles that I love and have had one with me every day since. And yes, the extra large sports bottles are getting good use, just at home. Another fringe benefit - my new sports bottles are helping me drink more water each day... and less soda (a vice I am trying to give up - without much luck).
Since this is working so well for me, I started thinking about what other things I could do - or things I could do better. I decided that consistently recycling would be another good step. I sometimes leave bags of cans in my alley for the nice old man that collects them. I sometimes share my magazines with friends before throwing them away. I sometimes walk my newspapers and magazines to the recycling box at church. So now, my sometimes will hopefully turn into always. All my plastics, aluminum and paper.
To do this, I wanted to set up a simple, easy and convenient system. I know I can be sidetracked easily, so I set up my very own personal recycling center (thanks to the container store - wow, I am surprised I got out of the place with only what I planned to buy). It is right on my back porch, just outside my kitchen door - very easy access. Plus, I will pass it everyday, so when it gets full, it will remind me to distribute it where it needs to go. I still plan on leaving the cans for the nice old man - I know he likes to collect his pennies.
Hmmm, now to think of next steps. Maybe cleaning supplies.
