Stackable containers

I absolutely love stackable storage containers. I use them for food, crafts and sewing items, bathroom supplies, herbs and spices, and my vitamins. These small containers came from The Container Store.


These larger containers are OXO's Pop Containers from Crate and Barrel.

Alternative cleaning supplies

Alternative cleaning products is now a big business. And when business gets big, it also gets confusing. The bottom line is that we need to look for products to use in our homes that are good for the earth and better for our health.

We have a choice of purchasing ready to go products, such as those seen here or mixing our own. Obviously, the ready to go products are convenient. Mixing your own can be as simple as water and baking soda or get complicated with several different ingredients. More importantly, you need to know what NOT to mix with what. For those who want recipes, try www.eartheasy.com or www.ecologycenter.org. You can also find dozens of books on the subject at Amazon or your local bookstore.

Choosing less hazardous products that have positive environmental attributes (e.g., biodegradability, low toxicity, low volatile organic compound (VOC) content, reduced packaging, low life cycle energy use) is ultimately the goal.

"No, thank you"

To cut back on the amount of useless stuff that enters our lives, here are a few suggestions:

1. Say "no, thank you" to people handing out flyers on the street.
2. Do not pick up the free papers, booklets, book markers and other tempting info at events, galleries or activities.
3. I believe that those stupid tags that pizza restaurants hang on door knobs or that restaurants and shops put on car windshields should be illegal.
4. Check what's in the bag before you leave the store or restaurant - no, I don't need your latest sales catalogue and I don't need the plastic spoon you added to my order.
5. Try sharing magazine subscriptions with your family or neighbors. I share my Martha Stewart Living with my neighbor and after she's read it she drops it off at our local Senior Center.

What's on your list???

An old kitchen made new, the results

At last, our very organized and beautiful new old kitchen! (See April 3, 8, 12 & 16, 2008 posts)




So, what did we do? Well, first I worked with my client to purge all the stuff that was not in use, too old to keep or no longer had a purpose. I separated what was left into groups and studied the space to determine where the best placement for items would be. I went shopping for organizing supplies and then went about putting the kitchen back together again.


Hanging cups made great use of the "up" space and stacking dishes on lifts doubled the space in this cabinet.





In the pantry I used labeled containers to bin like items and steps for the can goods. Turntables allow high items to be accessed easily.










Keeping the butcher block top next to the stove clear so that it can be used for mixing and cooking prep is very important, so even though we had to use the backspace, the front is available.






We pared way down the about of cleaning and gardening supplies that had been stashed under the sink and used the rolling cart and containers to hold the remaining items. My client will shop for some ready made curtains that will eventually cover this space.






Using drawer dividers will keep utensils separated and easy to find.








Assigning drawers and cabinets specific uses will keep everything in its place.




The end result is a kitchen that is now fun to cook in, which means that healthier meals are being prepared. Now, on to the rest of the apartment!

Things no one needs

A few weeks ago I responded to an ad for a service I needed. The ad offered a "free radio" when you called. I advised the person who took my call that I did not want the free radio. So, last week I received two of them in the mail. They were tiny plastic novelty things (made in China) that are absolutely useless. I can not imagine that anyone needs or will ever use one these things. I dropped them into our group give away box in the garage.

It irritates me that in the first place my request was not honored by this company and then that this junk is put in a box and mailed across the country and represents nothing but waste. I would like to call this company and complain, but I fear that it would just lead to another radio arriving...

Earth Day Reminder from Rubbermaid

Drink in Earth Day
The history of environmental awareness day points to the future
April 22, 1970, marked the very first Earth Day. Over 20 million people took part in rallies, cleanups, teach-ins and other activities across America, and it’s commonly considered to mark the dawn of environmental consciousness in North America. This day of action for the environment went global in 1990. Since then, it’s become an annual event held to raise awareness about the preciousness of our natural resources, and take action against over-consumption, pollution and climate change.

This year’s Earth Day will be celebrated by close to a billion participants in countries around the globe. In fact, says the Earth Day Network, “Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities.” In the U.S., millions of people will mark the day by participating in rallies, as well as tree planting projects; cleanups of parks, schoolyards, rivers, shores and roadsides; pond restoration projects; community garden initiatives and more.

Today we are more environmentally aware than ever, but there is still a long way to go before we can live a truly sustainable and environmentally sensitive way of life.

DO YOUR PART BY
PRACTICING THE 3 ‘R’S:

Reducing (cutting your consumption)
Reusing (getting more life out of the things you already own)
Recycling (disposing of things responsibly so the resources can be used again rather than sent to a landfill).
Also, bike, walk or run to an Earth Day activity. To learn what’s happening in your community, click on Earth Day Network’s international listing of events.

A refreshing change: A refillable water bottle is an easy way to make an environmental statement.

SAVE THE WATER!
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to reduce the amount of waste your household generates is to buy less bottled water. Americans consume more bottled water than any other country in the world, at 26 billion liters per year (2004 figures from the respected environmental organization Earth Policy Institute). Yet according to the Container Recycling Institute, an estimated 86% of plastic water bottles go unrecycled every year in America alone.

Cut the litter, and save your money by toting a Rubbermaid beverage bottle and filling it up from taps and water coolers during the day. Good hydration improves health and wellness, and water is your best option. Available in great new designs with user-friendly features like different lids to suit different sipping styles, there’s a water bottle or personal water jug for everyone in your family.

C'est la vie

My favorite new books....



Ah, to live in France. In my next life for sure. In the meanwhile I will make due with this wonderful book by Vicki Archer. Vicki and her family moved to France and lived happily ever after. The photos by Carla Coulson are beyond fabulous, which led me to her book...



Carla moved to Italy and this is her story in photos and notes. Who wouldn't love this, "I dreamed I was Annie Leibovitz by day and Audrey Hepburn by night."