Blog help, please?

[Phalon]

Joxie's Earth Day thread just reminded me that I've been meaning to ask this here for a while. Everyone here is so creative, I believe I might get some good ideas.

The magazine that I write my blog for is all about saving money this year with the country in the midst of the financial crisis. But what ideas do you have that will save both money, and be environmentally friendly and be ecologically sound at the same time.

Scrappy had a great idea - she is looking into having a "gray water" line installed for her outside water use. Not only will she be saving water, (a concern everywhere, but especially where she lives), but there are tax breaks available to those who use gray water lines.

Another friend told me she uses the "Freecycle" program here in our county. I never heard of it, but she sent the the link - it's available all over the world. This is kind of cool - instead of putting good, resusable stuff out on the street for the trash, you list it on your county's "freecycle" bulletin board. It's exactly like Craig's List, but everything is free. One man's junk is another's treasure, and it keeps stuff out of the landfills. www.freecycle.org/

I'd like to have as many suggestions as possible; I want to get the blog up by Earth Day, (April 22nd). I know there are thousands of web-sites out there offering millions of suggestions, but I want this to have a more personal touch - people I know doing things they feel good about.

[katina2nd]

Mar 28, 2009 20:46:12 GMT -6 Phalon said:

Everyone here is so creative, .........

I'll try and think of something anyway Lady P.

[quettalee]

Well, you know how big we (I) am on this kind of stuff; I could go on for days. Probably one of my biggest pet peeves is the plastic water bottles. We had a filter system at the shop, but I sold it when we closed. I have nine glass jugs that originally contained organic apple juice. I take these to the local grocery (any one of three in my neighborhood) about once every two weeks depending on how much I use and refill them for .29/gal. I have two stainless steel bottles that I fill and rotate here at home because I don't want them banged up or dented (Mary bought them for me and they are very colorful and fancy) and then I have a half dozen more that I fill and take on the go.

We started using canvas bags long before all the stores starting selling them. You can still find them at the Goodwill for .25 or .50 instead of the $1 the stores charge. Lots better than all those plastic bags going into the landfills.

I have my own dish towel when I eat that I use instead of grabbing napkins. I switch it out about once a week--depending on how messy I am. Same with cleaning rags--old socks, t- shirts, anything besides paper towels.

Our recycling pick-up is every two weeks, so I have usually have a fire in the fire pit at least once every two weeks if nothing else but just to burn what will burn from the recycling. We also picked up a small paper shredder at the Goodwill for $3 and I have a little "shredder box" under the sink that holds all that stuff until I have enough to get it out. That makes good started stuff for the fire pit, too.

Oh...and Mare and I used to shower together to "save water", but I'm not sure that always worked like it was supposed to...

[Phalon]

Thanks, TG - all very good suggestions.

I have a question though about refilling your jugs at the grocery store. Is this something commonly offered at most groceries or just the ones in your area, do you know? And are you refilling with bottled water? I've honestly never heard of such a thing; it's pretty neat. We keep a pitcher in the fridge, mainly for ice-cold purposes, but I refill that from the tap. Same thing with the water I take to work; I refill reusuable bottles right from the sink.

Oh...and stop looking all innocent like that. I have a feeling it never worked like it was supposed to.

Thanks in advance, Katina....I'm sure you'll come up with something very, very clever from your best-selling how-to book: 101 Extraordinary Uses For Vegemite.

[quettalee]

I have a question though about refilling your jugs at the grocery store. Is this something commonly offered at most groceries or just the ones in your area, do you know? And are you refilling with bottled water? I've honestly never heard of such a thing; it's pretty neat. We keep a pitcher in the fridge, mainly for ice-cold purposes, but I refill that from the tap. Same thing with the water I take to work; I refill reusuable bottles right from the sink.

Most stores have the set-up now. Meijer, Kroger, and Wallyworld are the three that I know of right here in my area, but I see them all over. It is distilled by reverse osmosis which is suppose to be the "best" water to drink. Our tap water tastes nasty...besides all the contaminants... www.reverse-osmosis-water-filter-guide.com/dangers-of-tap-water.html, www.all-natural.com/water.html, and so on.

It's like everything else, you're either concerned enough about it to change the habit or not. Mary researched and studied for almost 18 years and she kept up on the lastest statistics. What I've read is enough to keep me refilling my jugs. And stay away from the polypropylene bottles... www.vegfamily.com/whole-family/plastic-water-bottle-safety.htm.

Too bad she couldn't find a way to keep her mind as healthy as her body.

Anyway, you know I'm not preaching, just following the lead of the thread. But again, our tap water taste alone is enough to keep me from drinking it.

[Mini Mia]

I know that Jackson, MI's water tastes nasty. I lived there the first 5 years of my life ... and I've been back to visit a couple of times. Here, though, I have well water. I think if I lived in town, I'd get one of those filters, and maybe even the bottled water.

Phalon: I wish I could pay back your help in my query thread, but alas, I've got nothing to offer ya. Sorry.

[Phalon]

I keep meaning to thank you for the links, TG, but I haven't quite got into the routine of being back at work yet. It's a time management thing; I haven't managed to adjust to the new schedule yet, and you know how I get discombobulated when there are kinks in my routine.

Writing this blog entry is actually going to be more difficult than I thought. I figured I'd just throw the idea out to my friends, and I'd be flooded with suggestions. I guess I'm surprised at how many of my friends are so complacent about doing anything for the environment. Most of the people I've talked to are more concerned with convenience....and I have to admit, in some instances (like paper-towels and napkins), I go for convenience too.

It's been a real eye-opener for me, I think. There is so much more - even tiny things - that I can do in this area of my family's life. I may not be able to manage my time, but surely I can manage to do better for the environment....and at the same time, for my family.

[quettalee]

No biggie, sis.

I had always thought I was pretty good at "doing my part" until Mary came along. (Isn't that a movie?) I was working on a Parks and Rec minor when I was in college, so I was doing a bunch of things 30 years ago before it was cool to be green. My summers were spent in and out of parks cleaning and picking up and planting and every other paper I wrote was related to the environment.

It really has to be a family effort and it has to become habit, just like everything else. I still forget my canvas bags sometimes--they're always in the truck--but I still have to walk all the way back out to the parking lot (and I will just because of Mary and how hard she worked to teach the girls and me...altho, she would buy another one rather than walk back out...<smile>). And of course now I have like 6,000,000 because of all the ones from grocering for the shop and all the ones that were in Mary's car...plus the ones I had of my own. But now I digress.

Now that I'm not around "my kind" all the time, I'm shocked as well, to realize how little the majority actually does to help. And my biggest gripe--like nails on a chalkboard, "Well, one person isn't going to make a difference." AARRGGHH! I hate that. Maybe not for this one particular moment in time, but multiply that one thing times a year and then you start to realize how much one person does matter.

OK, no more soapbox. I'll share more later, but I need to run now--with my canvas totes in hand--to the grocery. I'm starving!

Love ya!

[quettalee]

I remembered this in the shower earlier... ...

The lady I buy my eggs from will give a free dozen eggs to anyone that brings her five empty cartons. I don't know if you have a local egg person...do hens lay eggs in Michigan...but eggers are always looking for those elusive cartons. And billions of them end up in the landfills every year. We used the same ones over and over except in the dead of winter when the hens weren't laying, but we offered a free bowl of lentils (or soup ) for anyone that brough in five cartons. We collected dozens. You could offer a free petunia or something at the nursery in the same manner and then pass them along to a local egger. That would be a great thing to start for Earth Day. The girls could get involved and make posters for you and do the same at school. And right here before Easter, too. Lots of empty cartons next week!

It may take a minute to catch on...and you may not get any free eggs...but think about how simple and about how much styrofoam will stay out of the landfill. You know that stuff lasts for about seven years.

OK, that's all for now.

[Mini Mia]

Yes. I do that. Now. I threw the cartons away for the longest time because the people we got eggs from quit doing it. But now we know someone else who sells eggs, so I save them again.

Also, my sister used to make Christmas trees with them that hang on the wall and give them out to people. She hasn't done that in ages though.

Do a search for:

Egg Carton Christmas Tree
Egg Carton Crafts

How to Make an Egg Carton Christmas Tree

How to Make a Christmas Tree Out of Egg Cartons

How to Make an Egg Carton Christmas Tree

[Phalon]

...do hens lay eggs in Michigan...

No. Laying eggs was banned here way back in ’68 I think it was, and now our hens have to sneak across the border to do their laying. LMAO, TG - what the heck kind of question is that?

Great idea about the cartons though! There are lots of chicken growers…chicken growers?...at the magazine, and I wonder if any of them do anything similar. Maybe they'll take it into consideration if it's suggested to them. Thanks again for another good one, TG.

Yes. I do that. Now. I threw the cartons away for the longest time because the people we got eggs from quit doing it.

My mom used to return hers way back when we were kids to the Egg Lady - they were pressed cardboard cartons then. Somehow the Egg Lady must have flown under the radar of those Laying Hen Police, because she'd show up at our door every week or so, peddling her eggs and produce out of the trunk of her car. LMAO. Can you imagine this today? A beat-up old power-blue bomb of a car pulls up to a house in Suburbia, and opens the trunk, while a woman from inside the house comes out to see what she's got, and hands over the cash and egg cartons. It all has a kind of clandestine air to it, and probably has something to do with egg-laying being illegal. (eye-roll)

I never knew the Egg Lady's name - "Maa-oom! The Egg Lady's at the door!!!" She was a mean old biddy with no teeth and she scared us kids to death. I think she probably demanded her egg cartons be returned to her as opposed to offering a free dozen eggs for them. I've always wondered how my Mom hooked up with her. I've always wondered what happened to her too; she stopped coming around by the time I was about ten or so.

We do something similar to the egg-carton return at the nursery except with the pots; customers are encouraged to return them after they’ve planted their trees and shrubs, and we reuse them. The ones that are damaged and can’t be reused are sent to be recycled. It’s amazing though, the amount of plastic a nursery generates that ends up in the dumpster; all those four-packs, trays and smaller pots that annuals come in aren’t recyclable. The annual flower growers don’t reuse them, so we offer them to schools, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops for projects and such, but still a lot goes in the trash. I’m going to mention this too in the blog – some of the other bloggers did articles on starting seed, building a seed starting rack, and making a greenhouse. I checked their photos – all used the plastic trays and four packs, and I bet everyone of them were purchased at the garden center when the time came to start their seeds. If they’d just wait until June, those same garden centers would probably be happy to give away those same types of trays only used, just to keep them out of their dumpsters and having to pay to have them hauled away. Sure, you’d have to store them until the following spring, but better in your garage than a landfill, yes. Hhmmm….I can use that reasoning when Hubs asks me why I’ve got so much crap stored in the garage; I’m doing my part to help the environment.

I still forget my canvas bags sometimes--they're always in the truck--but I still have to walk all the way back out to the parking lot (and I will just because of Mary and how hard she worked to teach the girls and me...altho, she would buy another one rather than walk back out...<smile>).

I forget mine too, even when I put them next to the front door so I can’t help but nearly trip over them on the way out. Since I don’t keep them in the car, (though they sometimes make it back out there after I’ve unpacked the groceries), I end up with plastic…which I choose over paper, because our grocery will take the plastic ones back and reuse them, (though not the paper ones). Whether this is a mandatory practice for the grocery, or a voluntary one, I’m not sure. There was a state bill a few years ago mandating that all grocery stores accept used plastic bags, and offer a 2 cent discount per returned bag to the customer. I don't think the bill passed, but our grocery store offers the service anyway.

[quettalee]

LMAO, TG - what the heck kind of question is that?

Pfft. Well, the hens stop laying here in the winter for a minute or two. I thought maybe it's too cold up there for laying hens. I don't recall the chickens laying when we lived in CT.

Lmao.

Pfft.

[quettalee]

OK, OK. I'm not putting up all the links for the two-minute drill. Obviously, by some of the answers I got--not only from my favorite loving sis, but the entire internet--it was a ridiculous question.

My favorite answer to the question of "Do chickens lay in the winter?"..."Yes, but only the girl chickens."

Whatever. I've never had chickens that far up before.

[Phalon]

Oh....you meant only in winter? Or did you?

Either way, you are cracking me up. Fittingly, since we're talking eggs.

Actually, now that you mention it, I think I do remember reading recently that chickens, (only the girl ones), lay less eggs in winter. It has something to do with the shorter, darker days - apparently chickens need to see what they're doing to lay eggs.

[Phalon]

I had a brief "Argh!" moment yesterday when I received the latest issue of the magazine in the mail. It contains a "Save Money By Going Green" article, and I thought, 'well there's another blog idea shot to hell.'

The article contained basic stuff though - and TG's suggestions, and those of my other friends, are much more creative. Thanks again. I'd better start writing; Earth Day is next Wednesday.

[Mini Mia]

Phalon ... why not join Twitter? You just might get some really good suggestions there.

twitter.com/

You can follow me & Q.

twitter.com/ChelSierra

[Mini Mia]

BTW: Kym is on Twitter too:

twitter.com/ktaborn

[Phalon]

The magazine is a member of Twitter, Joxie. I've clicked on the link a few times, and frankly, I don't get it. And even if I did get it, I don't think it's something I'd ever do. I don't have a MySpace or Facebook page either....it's just something I've never been interested in, and don't have the time for anyway.

I'm quite comfortable in my small, little space in the cyberworld, and have no desire to expand it. I did learn though, that if I want to get into some of the bigger magazines, that I should have an on-line portfolio of my published articles. There are sites specifically set up for this, but I haven't checked into them. One day maybe.....maybe when I write something that a big magazine would consider publishing. (eye-roll)

Then maybe I'll ask for your help in setting it up, Oh Fairly Bored Mom. You know how I am with computer stuff; I need my hand held all the way through.

Thanks for the suggestion, though.

[Mini Mia]

You're very welcome for the suggestion.

[Mini Mia]

You should check out the war between Ashton & CNN to be the first to get 1 million followers. Ashton went live earlier, but is offline for now:

www.ustream.tv/ashton

If anyone wants to help him win join Twitter and 'follow' him:

twitter.com/aplusk

He and Demi are really enjoying this race:

twitter.com/mrskutcher

[Mini Mia]

Ashton is at 999,280 Followers

[Mini Mia]

Competition: twitter.com/cnnbrk

[Mini Mia]

Ashton won and will donate money to: www.malarianomore.org/

[moonglum]

I've got to confess, Joxie. I couldn't get into Twitter either (Psychologically, that is!).

I tried Facebook too and found it all so meaningless. I think it's probably my age, and if ever there was a feeder-line for derogatory remarks, there it is! Hee Hee.

[Mini Mia]

I haven't tried Facebook yet.

[vox]

It seems to be a public message board (a bit like all message boards actually), it's okay if you want to do silly quizzes and play games against each other! I must admit to being addicted to Worldwide Scrabble!

[Phalon]

I've got to confess, Joxie. I couldn't get into Twitter either (Psychologically, that is!).

I tried Facebook too and found it all so meaningless. I think it's probably my age, and if ever there was a feeder-line for derogatory remarks, there it is! Hee Hee.

Oh, no, no, no....no derogatory remarks, because then I'd have to be lumped into the "Over The Age To Be Considered Anything Other Than Old" category. Pfft! I prefer to check the age category, "Not Really As Old As Her Birth Certificate Claims".

Actually, I think the usefulness of Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter depends on for what purpose someone has joined. My boss is all into Facebook - he uses it to converse and share family photos with his siblings spread out all over the country. There are many specific reasons to join these groups - but I can't find a one that would benefit me. It'd just be more of a hassle and consume more time than it's worth, in my case.

[Phalon]

....but think about how simple and about how much styrofoam will stay out of the landfill. You know that stuff lasts for about seven years.

Hey, TG...I started writing the article the other day, and had to two minute drill a lot of stuff to get facts, figures, statics, and such - the rate at which styrofoam decomposes was one of the drills. The rate varied greatly between sources, but it's waaaay longer than seven years! Disturbingly longer.

Some studies list 500 years, some 900 years, a Penn State University study says it never decomposes!

Keep taking those cartons back to the Egg Lady.

[quettalee]

Wow. I think my reference was probably based on statistics from back in my college days. Styrofoam sticks out in my mind as one of the main things we were targeting then.

Disturbing. I hate that stuff. I wish they would do away with it completely. One particular friend of mine is always "talking" about how he does his part, but then I noticed the only plates I could find yesterday at Thunder were Styrofoam! Some people are all about green when someone else is providing the alternatives or washing the dishes, but then when it's coming out of their pockets, they go straight for the cheapest. Good thing I had taken my own sugar cane plates and a real fork.

And don't get me wrong, no one knows more about pinching pennies than me right now, but go out on a limb. In the invitations to your parties, add another paragraph...."In an effort to try and do our part to be green, we will not be providing Styrofoam plates and plastic ware. Please bring your own disposables or help do your part too and bring your own camping dishware or odds and ends Tupperware. Rinse it out here, throw it in a canvas tote and take it back home and wash it there." It doesn't have to be worded exactly like that, but you get my drift. And this was a large party. If it's a small party, just do the dishes. You might be surprised at how much others will pitch in to help if someone just makes them aware that there are people trying to make a difference...and that it all starts with just one person getting one other person to make a couple of changes. It's the only way.

It broke my heart last night when the masses had cleared and you could actually see all the debris and trash cans running over with the dreaded s-foam...and recyclables. And I know from last year, that the city doesn't separate that stuff during the clean-up.

Pfft. OK, OK. I know. Will someone please get her down off that soap box!

[Phalon]

It broke my heart last night when the masses had cleared and you could actually see all the debris and trash cans running over with the dreaded s-foam...and recyclables.

I know how you feel; I see the same thing after our town's festivals....even though the town take extra steps to ensure it doesn't happen. Booths selling water have trash cans specifically marked "recyclable bottles", and there are such cans next to every trash can set up for the festival. In addition, Michigan has a 10 cent deposit on cans, glass bottles, and most plastic bottles, (plastic water bottles are the exception for some reason). You can see people walking the festival grounds with trash bags collecting cans and bottles to return to stores to collect the deposit money. And still the trash cans overflow.

(For some reason, this reminds me of Siren and her trash picker-upper stick. I wonder if that's the correct terminology? I don't remember exactly what she called it).

Pfft. OK, OK. I know. Will someone please get her down off that soap box!

No, no, no....what are soapboxes for? I'm listening...and included your non-disposable dinnerware ideas in the article. I hope you don't mind, but I also quoted you in parts. I couldn't include every idea you gave though - I ran out of space.

I just finished the article, and whew! after gathering all the little scraps of paper on which I'd written friends' suggestions, I found I had more than enough for one article. In fact, what I wrote is probably way too long, and I've still got enough suggestions left-over for probably two more articles!