Reusable water bottles

I tend to be a big water drinker. I have to carry around a huge water bottle with me to last the day because I'm on the go at all times and I'm never sure if I'll be somewhere where I can get water. My recycle bin was filled with empty water bottles every week.

Finally I did a little research and checked out some of the reusable water bottles out there. I was a little nervous about all the BPA talk, but I found one brand, Kleen Kanteen, that is made of stainless steel and does not have a plastic inner liner.

Since I'm also a huge tea drinker, I looked into getting a thermos that was environmentally friendly also. I found this brand called Aladdin at Wegman's which is made from around 25% post consumer content.

Here are some links to some water bottle reviews I looked at:
Tree Hugger
Safe Water Bottle Review

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving fellow Americans!

Enjoy your day of turkey and loved ones. Don't forget to give thanks for all that you have and are thankful for.

Feel free to comment on here for one thing you are thankful for!

Holiday Shopping Ideas #2

Gift certificates support local businesses!

Some people tend to think of gift cards as an easy way out, but who doesn't love receiving them? A gift card is a good way to get that person into whatever business you want to share with them because you think they would love it - or you know they already shop there!

• Guys... girls love pedicures. Go to a local salon and get a gift certificate for a pedicure.
  
• Have anyone on your list who loves to try new things? Get them a gift certificate for a horse back riding lesson!
• Do you have a coffee lover on your list? Get a gift certificate for a local coffee shop, and maybe also give them some gourmet coffee.
• For the serious music lover, try a local music store. As a music lover myself, I could always use more cds or vinyl. (Yes, vinyl!)
• If you have an athletic person on your 'to buy for' list, get them a gift certificate to go rock climbing or to take a yoga class.

Please feel free to share other good gift card ideas!

Alone in a field....

...and obviously have been for a very long time. Look! They're even mowed around.

Note worthy magazine

I don't usually have time to sit down and read through magazines, but there is one that does get me aching for a moment on the couch with a blanket and hot chocolate....

Ready Made magazine is a fantastic magazine aimed at getting people to use their brains and handyman skills rather than their wallets. It's filled with do it your self projects with labels for the skill level (ranging from monkey to craftsman) and amount of money (which is never much) you will have to spend to do this project. There are always reader contests to see who can come up with the best idea for a common item people usually throw in the trash.

It's a fantastic magazine I've found everywhere from Whole Foods to the library. And, when you're done with the magazine....

Broken Windshield to Shower Door

Who knew a chipped windshield would ever turn out to be a good thing?

As Ron Sundholm's windshield was being replaced after a run-in with a rock, he began to wonder if his old windshield could be salvaged into something else. Six years later Ron created a laminating process which secures old windshield glass into a nearly unbreakable and completely safe panel. These panels can be used for shower doors, partitions, art, etc. Each panel is completely unique, and creates a fascinating piece of art.

Check out the website for Second Glass here.

Holiday Shopping Ideas #1

It's that time again... where everyone starts stressing out about the approaching holidays. I thought I'd start a part of the blog that will appear once a week until the Christmas holiday is over.

Some of you are already finished all of your shopping, and maybe a few of you have gotten a few things marked off your list. Then... there are the rest of us. We are too busy to even think about the approaching holiday and annually wish that whoever planned out the holidays didn't smush a bunch of them in at the end of the year.

So if you fall into the second or third categories, these weekly blog posts will be for you!

One thing to think about as you're writing out your ideas for what to get people (or even for what to write on your own wish list) is where your gift is coming from. Are you buying something that has to be shipped across the country or even world? Is there an alternative that could be purchased closer to home?

Why not get something that starts off recycled? If you live near the Towsond, MD area, this is a fantastic store to visit. Everything at the Bluehouse has to meet one or more of several criteria. These criteria range from: the item has to be made by hand, the item has to be made locally, the item must be made of recycled products. Each product you click on shows you what criteria it meets.



If there are any stores like this near you, I would love to hear about them! Please email me with the store's name and website for future Holiday Shopping Idea posts!

Thank you Japan!

A reader sent me this very inspiring link. It's only 3 minutes long but please enjoy it!




I love that the money made from recycling goes back into the community. Separating your recyclables into 34 different categories may sound extreme...and tedious, but having zero waste is worth it.

I'm not sure why the video is covering the side information for this blog...but bear with me. :)

Tailgating with Pizza, Oysters and Diet Soda

Part of me wants to applaud someone for confining all the trash into these two grocery carts instead of letting the trash scatter over the parking lot.

The High Line

Upon saying good bye while visiting a friend on his lunch break in NYC, he asked me which way I was headed. I explained and he told me I should take the High Line instead of the route I was about to take. I was a bit confused, but after some explanation I was practically running to check the High Line out.

From the 1930's to 1980 the High Line was used to separate freight trains from the street level. Since lengthy structure hasn't been used in ages, it was under the threat of demolition. Some folks decided that it would make the perfect above street level park, for people to get away from the bustle of their walk down the West Side. For the entire history (which is very fascinating) click here.

While I was strolling about in awe, I took some photos with my cell phone.

You can see some of the old tracks are still there...

These were ingenious lounge "chairs" that I wish moved a little farther than they did. Still very awesome though.

This dreadfully blurry image was to just show the contrast of park and city.

You can see more photos at the High Line website, along with sketches for future sections of the tracks.

The Fun Theory

This is an amazing idea. Based in Sweden and backed by Volkswagen, the idea of this website is to see if people were rewarded for doing something they may not like doing, if they would do it more often and invite others to do the same. The website puts it as changing "people's behavior for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."

As of now, the website has three social experiments for you to view. I'm not going to give away the experiments - I really want you reader, yes you, to go to the link and check it out. The videos aren't long and they're entertaining. Check back often to see if more videos are posted. You can also check the side of my page for a permanent link.


You can view entries submitted by visitors, and vote on their ideas. If you have your own, you can submit it and perhaps find your idea on the main page and 2500 Euros. (Check the rules before you get too excited about all those Euros!)

Welcome to America!

I am very excited to be getting reader submissions! This photo was sent to me by a couple who went to Europe on their honeymoon, surrounded by the typical small European cars, and returned only to take the above photo. I wanted to title the photo "Not only do we need larger vehicles here in America, but we need to take up more parking spaces than needed", but they suggested "Welcome to America" which is fitting, and has a lot less rage attached to the name.

A few years ago I participated in a research group regarding cars. The moderator began by asking each of us what car we owned and why we purchased this car. One conversation between the moderator and another participant went like this [yes I do remember this word-for-word, but the car name is left out]:

Moderator: And what do you drive?
Participant: A [SUV].
Moderator: And why did you choose a [SUV]?
Participant: So I have more room.
Moderator: Oh, do you tend to transport a lot of things in your [SUV]?
Participant: No, I hate crap in my car. I try to keep my car clean.
Moderator: Then why do you do need all the space?
Participant: I put my gym bag in my car sometimes.
Moderator: O-kay...

So... to summarize, an SUV was purchased to hold a gym bag - occasionally.


When you go to purchase your next car, please take a few things into consideration if you haven't already:

• What is the city MPG? Is it more than one digit or barely two?
• If you are thinking of buying a truck, how often will you really use the truck bed? Would it be cheaper to buy a smaller car, then rent a truck for the seldom times you need the space of a truck bed?
• Why are you choosing an SUV? If the only reason is because it looks cooler than a mini-van or any other four door vehicle, maybe you should reconsider.
  
• How much money will it cost to fill your tank? If it's enough money that it will force you to drive less, then maybe you should get a more fuel efficient car. (Although driving less isn't a bad thing!)
  

Scary but revealing site.

A friend sent me this site where you put in your zip code and get the 411 on air and water quality in your town, and also links for steps to reduce pollution.

If you poke around the site it lists what companies produce the most amount of pollution in the United States, compare pollution levels between towns, and seemingly more information than you can absorb with one visit. There is also a section which explains each air toxin, what causes it and it's effect on the body.

Check out Scorecard and see what it says about your neighborhood.