Category Archive for ‘simplify/sustainability’ at md*intake

Archive for the 'simplify/sustainability' Category

Meal planning

Published

on May 19, 2008

. 2 Comments

One of my 43Things is to do weekly meal planning. I’m starting out with weeknight dinners and using a couple forums at MotheringDotCommune and (duh) flick’r to help me out. There are several reasons why I want to do this, most revolving around being efficient with my resources (of time and money), simplifying and of course, my general love of being in the kitchen. But, the biggest reason why I’m doing this is simply because I can.

Planning and preparing dinners, along with taking a daily photo, were two items at the top of my “pro” column when discussions of homeshooling and telecommuting first started happening a couple months ago. It may seem silly, but these two very simple pleasures have really brought balance and focus to my days. They each offer a process of creativity, but a very short one that also has a clear beginning and end.

There’s also been a sense of control, and therefore calmness, in writing out the plan for the week. Just as I’m satisfied by getting into the kitchen and creating, the fact that I can make the dinners (and photographs, for that matter) super-complex or one-pot-meals, really makes my inner control freak Virgo smile.

I’m not sure how I’ll document each meal here on the blahg (maybe a once-a-week roundup? with photos of each meal? how copious are the notes?), but I will put the meal plan here, with at least a blurb, once a week. I’m aiming to get a photo of the dinners on flick’r daily.

Enough chit-chat, here’s what I got for week one:

Week One: May 19 through 23

Thoughts and notes: The mission this week it to buy as little as possible, using up leftover brunch supplies and some of the stockpiled amaranth and/or millet. I made a big batch of fajita guts, Mexican rice and refried (but not really) beans late last week in an effort to use some of the aforementioned brunch goods. Monday, AC and I have an hour to eat in between to activities and Jase won’t be home ’til late (and so, will fend for himself). I’d like to have dinner on the table so we can all eat together before AC’s lacrosse practices on Tuesday and Thursday. Thursday, Jase and/or his nephew may or may not be around for dinner. Wednesday is Jase and I only. Friday, Jase is home early and in charge of dinner.

Plan:
5/19 (Mon.) - fajitas and rice
5/20 (Tue.) - tempeh loaf (recipe here), potatoes and broccoli
5/21 (Wed.) - fajitas and rice
5/22 (Thu.) - amaranth and veggie stirfry (this recipe, modified)
5/23 (Fri.) - biscuits and gravy, spinach salad

Avery and I had our first meal tonight, which went seamlessly. I know it was leftovers and already prepared and therefore super-easy, but just knowing that I didn’t have to think about dinner while we were rushing around in the very small window we had to eat together was so nice. I’m excited to see how the rest of the week goes!

Simple is best.

Published

mikaela

on April 15, 2008

in simplify/sustainability

. 4 Comments

One of my 43Things is to kick ass at work. This particular goal has become more important recently as I’m preparing to move to a four-day-per-week telecommuting schedule. My new hours will begin next week, and so have been on a mission to get my desk cleared and to-do list to-done ;) I’m really excited to start this new phase, even though I have no idea what to expect. In fact, I believe that it’s somewhat because of the unknown that I’m excited.

Against my Virgo nature, I’ve decidedly not gone the way of plans and schedules, and instead have embraced the change as it’s been occurring. I know that if I stay on top of things by simply keeping track of my to-do list in a notebook, this transition will be fine. This is not the time to tie myself down to complicating tracking systems or always-on-call expectations. Simple is best. Right, kah ;)

And by reminding myself of that and the fact that I will be in the office at least one day a week, I’ve been able to actually experience this transition as it unfolds another layer each day.

Go, me!

Sweetness!

Published

mikaela

on March 26, 2008

in simplify/sustainability

. 4 Comments

Hello mikaela danielle!

Your Quit Date is: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 12:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 118 days, 16 hours, 59 minutes and 21 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 356
Lifetime Saved: 2 days, 17 hours
Money Saved: $110.13

Hard to believe it was four months ago :)

desktopahh

Published

mikaela

on January 21, 2008

in simplify/sustainability

. 0 Comments

I just uploaded my desktop capture for Mighty Girl’s tiny project. It was wicked easy and I’m loving everyone’s submissions. God, I love the internet :)

Really?

Published

mikaela

on January 18, 2008

in simplify/sustainability

. 3 Comments

(Photo of guilty flip flops by victim, Kerry Stiles.)

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/flipflop.asp

Big surprise here, right? Cheap shoes bought at Wal-Mart were poorly manufactured, resulting in chemical burns to several wearers. That’s terrible for the consumers and luckily no one has lost limb or life. I think we’re kind of missing the point here, though.

The real question is, do we actually think that we can buy a pair of shoes for $2.44 with no repercussions?

Really?

Please.

If I am spending less than three dollars for flip flops, I can bet someone somewhere is paying the true cost for me. It’s only news in this case because consumers in the USA are suffering, not just some nameless foreign worker.

So, this woman’s feet are burned, now imagine the burns the workers who manufactured the shoes must’ve received. And the pollutants caused by that manufacturing. And the energy used to package, ship and distribute the flip flops. All so we could save a few dollars on some plastic shoes?

And why the hell are we wearing plastic shoes to begin with? I’m pretty sure that we’ve all received the memo on plastic, right? The one that says plastic is not so good for oh, any living anything on the planet? Human, bird, tree, ocean or otherwise?

Do we really think that a company can turn a profit humanely and safely by designing, producing, distributing and then selling shoes for TWO FREAKING DOLLARS?

Really?

Whether or not these flip flops caused physical injury to the end user is so not the point. Even if they hadn’t, the damages and costs associated with their creation, sale and disposal are the same.

Externalized cost. Embodied energy. Think before you consume, http://www.storyofstuff.com/!

Declutter: December 02 tables and 50 items

Published

mikaela

on December 16, 2007

in simplify/sustainability

. 2 Comments

Just a quick declutter update: The tabletops have remained clear!

And, I’ve surpassed the goal of “selling or donating 50 items:”

This is sew sewper, dewds :)

Declutter: December 01 computer armoire

Published

mikaela

on December 5, 2007

in simplify/sustainability

. 5 Comments

As part of my overall mission to live simply and sustainably, one of my ongoing 43Things is to get rid of stuff. For almost a year, I’ve been removing items pretty consistently and have been really good at not bringing in anything. I’ve kept a donation bag in the closet to catch clothes that I no longer like or haven’t worn, and a bag on the porch for miscellaneous household items. Recently though, I decided that I needed an opportunity to do a big purge instead of this slow and steady drib and drab removal of stuff.

MotheringDotCommune has a Mindful Home Management forum under which a Decluttering, Organizing and Simplifying topic exists. I’ve been watching the group’s monthly de-clutter challenge and decided to join in for December. Yay!

I’m linking this months challenge with one of my 43things goals, “get rid of stuff.” I just love it when things connect like that Our goals for this month are:

Keep coffee table clutter-free for the month.

Keep dining table clutter-free for the month.

Clean out and organize armoire/computer desk; designate places for the stuff that keeps cluttering the coffee and dining tables

Finish dressing room organization (hang up vision boards, purge clothing) and trim work (crown molding, quarter-inch round molding, caulking, painting).

Donate or sell 50 items.

This is our first de-clutter challenge, and it’s hard to know where to draw the line. I don’t want to overestimate our ability, but at the same time, it is a “challenge,” right

Also, the clutter around the house is due in large part to organizational issues. We wanted to take a holistic approach and actually solve the problem, opposed to just the symptom. I’m thinking that it’s unreasonable to say “keep the tables clutter-free” without addressing the issues of why the tables are cluttered. The stuff has to go somewhere, right?

Okay… here we go Clutter be gone!

So far, I’ve been kicking ass. I worked from home on Tuesday and was able to take care of the computer armoire. It was actually a real nice balance going back and forth between the physical work of cleaning out, and my work work at the laptop on the dining room table. Here’s a shot of the desk around 10am:

And then around 1pm:

I threw away an entire trash bag full of old papers and other nonsense and marked a few items to donate.

We’ve also done some work in the dressing room, I put a large box in the living room for donations and marked a bag for items to sell on Ebay. Though, I’m starting to wonder if I should just save everything for a spring yard sale instead. Giving away so much stuff seems a bit irresponsible financially-speaking, but listing everything on Ebay seems a little unreasonable. I’m open to any suggestions and opinions :)

So far, so good. It feels really great and to have this task complete and I’m absolutely motivated to get onto the next task!

Last.

Published

mikaela

on November 28, 2007

in simplify/sustainability

. 16 Comments

Tonight, I quit smoking.

Oh, I know.

What a dirty little secret it’s been, right?

What a tangled web I’ve woven.

Tell me about it. Le sigh.

About four years ago, I quit smoking a pack of Winston Lights a day. It was really, really hard. The detox was nothing like I’d ever experienced. I was literally out of my mind. Looking back, it all makes sense given, by that time, I had been inhaling tons of chemicals via 20 cigarettes a day for approximately a decade. The process took a few weeks and included a few relapses where I would go to the store, buy a pack of cigarettes, smoke a couple and then angrily crush and destroy the remaining cigarettes into a trash can. It was an emotional and physical war. I knew that I would never smoke like that again. Ever. And, I haven’t.

What did eventually happen was this little habit I’ve come to refer to as the fucking monkey on my fucking back that won’t leave me the fuck alone. Or, three cigarettes a day.

I smoke all-natural, 100% tobacco, organic American Spirits. I don’t smoke in my house or in my car. I don’t smoke in front of non-smokers (which means I usually smoke alone). I don’t throw cigarette butts on the ground. I don’t even have my first cigarette until after 4pm. These have been my rationalizations and reasons for not quitting.

All those scare tactics about 4,997,023,001 chemicals being added to cigarettes? Not doing it for me. My cigarettes are organic and contain nothing but tobacco leaf. I’m pretty sure they’re free range, too.

Telling me that I’m being brainwashed by the man (aka Phillip Morris)? Cannot convince me to stop because the people that manufacture my cigarettes run a small company that practice sustainable agriculture, provide opportunities for employee growth and market their product responsibly.

SAVE YOUR LIFE! QUIT SMOKING NOW! propaganda? Seriously. I smoke three cigarettes a day. I exercise almost everyday. I eat a plant-based diet. Physical damage is being done, but all the studies and statistics are geared toward at least half-a-pack-a-day or more consumers, all usually living the Standard American diet and lifestyle.

I can apply this to the “Think of all the money you’ll save!” excitement, too. My current habit costs me about $27 a month. After two months of not smoking, what? I can get a haircut?

These are the thoughts that have been justifying my smoking for the past three years. The bottom line is that, somehow, in my little psyche, I’ve managed to skirt the fact that, oh yeah, I DON’T WANT TO SMOKE.

BECAUSE IT’S NOT GOOD FOR ME.

BECAUSE IT CONFLICTS WITH MY LIFESTYLE.

I’ve been so busy poo-pooing anti-smoking proselytizing by altering my habit to suit that of a responsible smoker, that I’ve neglected to realize, THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING.

Right.

I never said I was quick, but I think I’m on my way to figuring this one out.

So, three weeks ago, my mom and I signed up for a Freedom from Smoking program at a local hospital. As expected, we were met with a bunch of the scary-but-”educational” pamphlets and pictures and What to do Instead of Light Up lists. I ignored those and instead focused on my tendencies and habit. I did a couple questionnaires, determined what kind of smoker I am (a mix of Pleasurable Relaxation-er and Handler; sounds kinky!) and made a list of reasons why I want to quit. Really, these classes have been to force me to actually pick a quit day. To stop volleying between thinking about quitting and justifying not quitting.

And that’s where I’m at. I threw away my pack in class tonight, saving one which I smoked around 1opm. Then, I remembered there was a loose one on the back porch, which I hungrily inhaled in under five minutes. But now, they’re all gone.

I’m done.

I’m hoping, and truly believing, that this will not be anywhere near as hard as it was a few years ago. At the same time, I want to stay real and aware and know that there is a possibility that I will slip up on occasion. This is a process. I will get in it and I will enjoy it. Baby steps :)

All hail the reusable bag!

Published

mikaela

on November 26, 2007

in simplify/sustainability

. 3 Comments

If you’re one of the many whose holiday shopping officially began this weekend, would you do me a favor? As you’re loading up that credit card debt, pretty please don’t also load up a bunch of throw-away bags. Before you hit that next amazing sale at the mall, check out the great deals at reusablebags.com. Even better, skip the mall and purchase some reusable bags to give as gifts. But go now, because a lot of the sales end today!

My top favorites and recommendations:

Reisenthal’s Mini Maxi (pictured), which I’m pretty sure is the best ten bucks I’ve ever spent on a shopping bag. They’re even cheaper if you buy two or more. Mine is red, and the cashiers are always surprised at how compact and stylish it is. They have a solid-color line, as well.
Organic cotton produce and grain bags for $2.95 (discounted when you buy four or more). Seriously. Do we really need plastic bags for out plastic bags? These are super lightweight, come in two sizes and can be thrown in the wash.
The Heavy Duty Classic Hemp Shopping bag, on sale for $22.95 (reg. $24.95). This truly is a a heavy duty bag! Lightweight version is available also for $7.95.
A classic shopping set in lightweight organic cotton; eight bags for $19.95. Or the hemp version; nine bags for $39.60. This is a fabulous gift. I got my dad a set of the latter in black for his birthday this year, and he loves them!
And, it’s not a bag, but since we’re talking about the vileness of plastic, check out the Guyot stainless steel water bottle, on sale for $17.95 (reg. $19.95). I use this bottle everyday, all day. You might want to consider adding a splash guard for a few extra dollars.

Of course, if you want to save some cash and are handy with a sewing needle, you can always make your own bag.

Helping people understand the evilness of plastic bags and the absolute ease of utilizing reusable bags has become one of my missions in recent years. I often give sets of bags for gifts, gently point out the wastefulness when shopping with family and friends, and recently, wrote an article for my CSA’s newsletter. If you still need convincing to change your disposable bag ways, maybe this will help:

So, you’ve switched to a more fuel-efficient vehicle, invested in wind power through your utility company and buy your food locally. Think that’s all you can do to lessen your impact on the demand for oil? Think again!

Just as omnipresent as the news about our unhealthy dependence on petroleum products, is an item that requires and estimated 12 million barrels of oil per year to manufacture. Oddly, as present in our lives as they are, we almost never consider them.

Plastic bags. They’re convenient, they’re free and this year, the U. S. will goes through 100 billion of them. Worldwide usage estimates are as high as 1 trillion. That’s a lot of bags, and although “free” to the consumer, their impact is very costly to the durability of our planet.

The production of plastic bags requires petroleum, which we all know is a non-renewable resource that increases our dependency on foreign suppliers. In addition to the 12 million barrels of oil needed to make our bags, the energy used by the bag manufacturing plants and transportation and distribution companies use even more resources, creating even more global warming emissions. Prospecting and drilling for all these petroleum resources results in the destruction and disruption of ecosystems across the globe. Consider too, the pollution produced by the toxic chemical ingredients needed to make plastic.

All these costs for just the production of our beloved plastic bags. There are further costs associated with the use and disposal of bags, as well. In fact, plastic bags have become so costly that retailers like Ikea are now charging customers for them, entire countries have introduced a tax on them and the supervisor of San Francisco has completely banned them from the city!

And don’t think those paper bags are any better. Known as a “global warming double-whammy,” in addition to the manufacturing and transportation costs to our resources and environment, paper bag production requires forests (major absorbers of greenhouse gases) to be cut down.

What can you do to help our society’s addiction to “free” shopping bags? ReusableBags.com offers many ideas on their Take Action page at www.reusablebags.com/action.php, including tips on how to wean oneself from plastic bags, links to form letters for your politicians and ideas on how to advocate.

The fastest and easiest way to make a difference though, is to simply stop using disposable shopping bags. You can increase your family’s “MPG’s” right now by purchasing reusable bags online or at your local market. Happy shopping!

–http://bloomingglenfarm.com/newsletters/jul092007.pdf

Finally, as a veg*n, I should also mention the fact that plastic bags are contributing to the destruction of ocean life. Both directly, in that sea creatures choke and die as a result of mistaking bags for food; and indirectly, as plastic bags pollute ocean animals’ habitat.