Friday things

So here we are, at Friday. The Mr., The Bean, and I took a quick trip over to the base of the Cascade Mountains and threw our fishing lines in at a place called Foster Reservoir. We cast into the water just to see if anything was happening. Unfortunately, we ended up leaving with a sad little Bean at the fact that the trout aren't liking him. Of course, after a little pep talk about how two-faced fish can be, he felt better. Good news for The Bean though, they are said to be stocking the lakes come April with a ton of trout from the hatcheries nearby and this means, fish city! The Bean was beaming with excitement, so that should be a fun catch-and-release time for us then. More on that soon! Here are the things that made this week grand.

1. This ride.

We are pushing up our bicycling game lately and 14 miles isn't too bad, if I do say so myself. 

2. This moment.

Poor, little Eleven is back from her spaying-which was on Monday this week-and she has been sleeping a lot. We have been giving her space and letting her just "be." They did a great job on her, but I can tell she is in need of some more TLC this weekend. Hopefully, she will be in better spirits next week. -More on this later.

3. This wine.

The Mr. and I have been trying out different wines from our local co-op. We've had a few hits and misses, but more hits than misses. I enjoy some of the little messages on the corks and sometimes, I think, they are speaking to me...Side note: See that cork pull, yeah, it broke. Any cork screw suggestions?

4. This powder.

I've been in the process of downsizing my makeup and combining shades with others to be more minimal with my "collection." The picture here is of smashed up eye pallets being made into one pallet instead of 10.

5. These trees.

I have always admired this tree line and how symmetrical it is. This was taken on Wednesday and would you believe it was sunny and warm before the clouds rolled in. The color contrast here though is great.

Have a great weekend!

Minimal Monday: Waste-free

The ultimate question always lingers with someone wanting to go minimal with their living habits, can you be a minimalist and also go waste-free? The minimal habits of not bringing more into your house than you need, can also be applied to going waste-free as well. It's all a matter of changing your habits to be more with conscious about what you're buying and saying no to excessive packaging.

We went down to a smaller trashcan where we live in an order to help reduce our wasteful habits. It's amazing how many items you buy at the store come in so much over-packaging. You buy a box that contains a package of smaller individually-wrapped packages. Why? Even before we started being minimalist in the SNS household, we noticed how much over-packaging certain products come in. And the harsh reality is that most of the over-packaging of products can't be recycled.

It's been a change in getting used to recycling most everything we bring out of our home. Our recycle bin is a lot larger than a normal trashcan, but I enjoy seeing the recycle bin filled to the top with only a small amount in the regular trashcan. When we first moved into the home that we live in now, even though it's a rental, we cleaned up a lot of trash and debris in the yard. There was even a rather large pile of asbestos shingles that had to be disposed of as hazardous waste, and a buried chicken wire fence that took months to dig up completely and dispose of properly. Being in a rental house, those items were not our waste, but we are so glad we disposed of things and have a yard that beams with charm and is environmentally sound. Now our yard contains only items that are either recyclable, or will move with us eventually; e.g. Terra cotta pots, gazebo, tomato cages. But it took time to clean it up in an environmentally-friendly way and it wasn't easy. Everything that left the yard, at that time, was considered waste. Some hazardous waste. Of course, that was 10 years ago and our focus has changed completely when it comes to waste going out of our home, but thinking back on how we were then compared to now, and I am so happy with how far we've come with being accountable for what we throw away in waste.

Being a minimal household the one thing that we have to always keep in mind, bringing items/food packages/beauty products/etc. into the home, will always need to be taken out of the home one it's used up. Bulk buying may cost a bit in the start, but overall, if you are going waste-free and minimal, it really is the best approach. We made the initial purchase of our shampoo at the local co-op and go back and refill the same bottle once it's empty. In turn, no waste. We do the same with our flour, sugar, brown sugar, rolled oats, chocolate/candy jar, and our dog and cat food containers. The only waste we try to bring into our home is products that have been made from recycled material and can be recycled once again. We still have some work to go with our own ways, but one thing we have completely eliminated, and I can say we are 100% on this, is getting rid of plastic containers. Storage container, plastic packaging, hard plastics, etc. It took us about a year to completely get rid of these, but the overall satisfaction of it now, it seemed well worth the effort. And just for the record, I feel the same way about silicone too. Even though plastics and silicone can be recycled, I don't feel it suits out waste-free lifestyle at the moment. There are no know health risks with silicone, yet, but the long term of silicone use worries me. We prefer glass, glass container, and reusable glass canisters for our bulk items. But then again, most of these tips fall under the minimal living category too.

Here are some tips on how we are going waste-free in our home:

• Get rid of the waste at the source. Go through cabinets and get rid of anything that isn't biodegradable and either donate them, or take them to a facility that will dispose of them correctly.

• Refuse to receive your takeout in plastic/Styrofoam containers. And the best way to avoid this, don't get take out. If you are at a restaurant, bring your own container to take your food home in.

• Avoid water bottles, cans, and glass drink containers that can't be recycled. (juice, gatorade-shouldn't drink these anyway-the sugar content is rather high)

• Don't purchase plastic. Meaning, don't purchase plastic utensils, plates, or bowls. Glass is best, even on a picnic, glass is great! You can wash and reuse glass over and over again. And absolutely refuse plastic bags at the grocery store, no matter how much the cashier pushes that they recycle them. Use your own reusable shopping bags or baskets. Join "Plastic Free July" this summer too!

• Avoid purchasing products that over-package their products. If your favorite item has over-packaging and you feel that you can't live without it, write the company about your concerns. Let them know how much you love their product, but wish they would find a more environmentally-friendly way of packaging. Most companies will listen. And do yourself and everyone else a favor and stay away from big-boxed-stores. Buying in bulk that way isn't going waste-free at all.

• Cut back on paper waste inside your home. Printing, toilet paper, get rid of paper towel usage completely, baby wipes, and other paper goods. Look for these same products in a recyclable option. Most local co-ops, and some specialty grocery stores carry better options that can help you go waste-free.

• Don't waste food. Get the right amount for your hunger at the time and use portion control. The biggest part of the obesity crisis is the fact that people overeat for whatever reason. Self control with portions is the biggest step and teach your kids proper portion control. (hint: start a garden and grow your own food portions; more on this later)

These are just a few ways to help get your started, but keep in mind that going waste-free shouldn't just be limited to product waste, or container waste. Going waste-free means not wasting water, electricity, natural gas, clothing, or even time.

1. Wash your clothes with the right amount of water for each load. Small loads, smaller water, etc.

2. Shut lights out, turn electronics off when not using, and most of all, don't charge phones, or other items overnight. Turn your computer off when not in use and unplug your microwave, TV, etc when you are using them.

3. Don't run your heater constantly. Grabbing a warm sweater or blanket can also help keep you warm, and in the winter, wear socks!

4.  Biggest household waste of all, clothing. Mend clothing when it's torn, and donate ones that are still in good shape so someone else can get use out them. To avoid clothing breaking down in the first place, buy quality clothing. There is the good and bad of clothing and the badly-made ones may save you money at first, but in the long run, you're going to be paying more. Spending money on good-quality made clothing will be the one thing that will help you cut down on clothing waste.

5. Lastly, don't waste your time on things that don't matter. It seems a far-fetch to add this to a waste-free post, but the one thing a lot of people wish they had more of is time. Don't waste yours on things that you can't control, and people you can't fix. Fix yourself and live a life you can be proud of each and every day!

source

Friday things

Wow, what a crazy day. It was sunny earlier today then the dark clouds rolled in and the rain hasn't let up once. I like the rain, but I am ready for a break already. We have had some crazy weather here lately though. It seems there will be sun in the morning until about 4:00 p.m. then the rain will start and won't let up until the early morning. But one positive is, the spring flowers are looking lovely. Here are the things that made this week groovy.

1. These windmills.

These neat contraptions are in Corvallis and they move with the wind. They are an art installment and they are to honor the Canadian Geese that frequent the Willamette River. Each goose moves, as well as each arm they sit on, when the wind blows. 

2. This moment.

The Bean and I are snagging some time in the evenings before bed to enjoy some tea, check out things online, and talk about current issues in the world. I feel it's important that kids are given a voice to be able to have some sort of outlet for what they face in the world, especially recently. Tonight he is helping me with my Friday things. Check his out here.

3. This sign.

The Bean has been running a small, used, bookstore out of our home and he is open on Fridays and Saturdays. He has been doing pretty well with it and is really excited with every book he sells to someone seeking a new read. 

4. This kitty.

This is Eleven, and she doesn't like the garbage collector's truck-it is rather loud-when it passes. She always checks it out when it collects our trash then she will sit and wonder what the heck was that? She is getting a spaying next week, so more on that after it happens.

5. Comestible Journal.

I ordered the new journal from Comestible Journal, labeled "Protest Fuel." I felt it was necessary for me to have it as part of my collection. It didn't disappoint. Check it out here.

"Fighting for what is right is worth it." 

-Have a great weekend!

Minimal Monday: Storage

We live in such a weird society. It's been this way for awhile and we are the reason it has become so overwhelmingly habitual. You drive past houses and see it. You go on trips and see it. You even know someone that's doing it right now. Worst part about it is, people pay hundreds of dollars for it a month without batting an eye. What is it? Storage.

From self-storage to mini storage, we either have it, or know people that do, and for what? Hanging onto items that we don't use is a growing epidemic. In the United States alone, the self storage industry is one of the fastest growing sects of the commercial real estate market over the last 35 years, with annual gross revenues of 22.45 billion dollars. The self storage industry is considered to be “recession resistant” by many Wall Street analysts since one out of every 10 homes currently rents a storage unit, there are about. 2.3 billion sq. feet of rental space, which is roughly three times that of Manhattan island. To put it another way, there is 7.3 sq. feet of self storage space available for every person (man, women, and child) in the nation. Operators of self storage facilities report occupancy levels to be at 90%. (source) And if you're a storage facility owner that means huge bank on people's obsession to "hold on."

With those numbers it's no wonder hoarding, hanging onto, and emotional attachment are an issue. People seem to feel possessions are something that have "feelings" and with that they need to hold onto them for whatever reason that has been created in the mind. Emotional attachment to items is something that everyone has felt and knows what I'm talking about. The movie tickets from a special date, the dinner napkin from a night out, or how about your high school yearbooks, or even baby items (the baby is 16 now). There's always a reason we give ourselves to hold onto something. But that's just it, holding onto "something" isn't the issue. It's holding onto hundreds of "somethings" that's causing the issue.

In the town we live in there is a little over 15k in population and the town currently holds four separately-owned storage facilities. In the SNS household we used storage when we first moved to Oregon and we had items in our storage that we didn't even remember packing when we moved. We moved everything into the rental home we were in and then turned right back around and packed up the nonessential and stored them. We were paying for end-of-service bills from Arkansas, current bills in Oregon, as well as a storage facility bill each month. We were on such a tight budget at the time I have no idea how we made it. The storage facility bill was $75 a month and we had it for about three years. If you think $75 isn't much, think again. *gulp* To make this story even worse is the fact that after those three years, we ended up selling everything in the storage building in a yard sale and only making back $200.

So in order to not repeat what we did and end up losing money completely on a service that is really unneeded, the best way to do it is to not do it. Don't store items you don't even use. If it has a value, sell it. If it can be used, donate it. If it has no value, recycle it/discard it. Don't pay for someone else's retirement, life, or vacations through a storage facility. Storage unit owners make a lot of money off of people that put emotional attachment on things.

Here is the best advice I can give you on getting rid of your storage unit:

• Conquer it immediately. Use whatever time you have off and get it done. Make a time frame of two weekends in a row, or three, or even four if needed. Allot that time to just sort things out.

• Use the storage building.  Pull items/boxes out one-by-one and sort right there on sight. You've rented the space, use it. Sort into piles of what is important and what isn't. Get rid of the "not important" pile immediately. Then deal with the "important" pile.

• Sort immediately. Sort the remaining pile into smaller piles and be strict about it. Sort into piles of "Keep," "Donate," "Gifts," etc.

• Just let it go. Get rid of the donate pile immediately. If you get rid of these piles immediately then you aren't prone to hanging onto them longer.

•Finish it up and close it out. Give gifts to the person right away, and the "Keep" pile should only contain items that are of everyday importance, or add value to your life in some way. Everyone's "Keep" pile will contain different items, but make sure everything has some sort of value and earns its place in your home. Make one last sort of the "Keep" pile and see if you can't part with a few more things in the end.

Once you have sorting everything and the only pile left is the "Keep" pile, your storage unit should be empty. Cancel that lease and say goodbye. It may seem easier said than done, but keep in mind it was a chore to fill that unit up in the first place, so it will take time and effort to empty it, but you can do it! It took us about two straight weekends to empty ours and during the time we were cleaning it out, we were selling items of value in our yard sale. It was a task, but I am so glad we did it. Keep in mind that these same principles can be applied to any other place you are storing items-basement, attic, garage, etc.

Be practical, think practical, and live practical.