Cutting the Beauty Habit

This one is especially for the girls, although guys can learn something as well. The lovebirds over at Young House Love have cut back on personal care products in some unconventional ways – see their post on the topic and the lively comment discussion.

Like this couple, I have all of my cosmetics in one small case, although it’s a mixed bag of natural products and drugstore staples (I love L’Oreal’s Bare Naturale mascara and Alba’s TerraTints mineral lip balm with natural color and SPF). Unlike them, however, I prefer my hair and body wash to smell differently than my husband’s; we don’t really share products.

What are your thoughts on the pared-down toiletry kit?

Going “Moneyless”

Spending a year without spending a dollar

As I am newly unemployed, the idea of purposeful unemployment intrigues me.

In 2008, businessman Mark Boyle went on a one-year hiatus from making money and lived in a trailer on an organic farm, trading labor for rent and foraging for all of his food. Now, the “Moneyless Man” has published a book about his experiences, which he describes as overwhelmingly positive. The book offers tips for reducing your expenses, as well as your carbon footprint.

I wonder if Boyle was motivated more by his economics training, a desire for sustainability, or an escape from the rat race? Many ethical issues arise here, from foraging for food in supermarket dumpsters to the fact that Boyle was still technically earning a living, only in exchange for accommodation instead of cash. I am definitely interested to know more about what he sought to demonstrate or learn through his experiment, and I love his idea for a  “freeconomy community,” in which members teach each other skills at free events.

Are you interested in Boyle’s story, or do you think he went too far to prove a point?

Because it’s there

Most of the time we do things just because they present themselves to us first.

We tend to the screaming child, when the silent one has needs unseen. We do the chore most visibly urgent. We read the magazine on the table, not the books on the shelf. We talk to the people we see daily, forgetting long lost friends.

I think that this kind of rut is entirely different and more dangerous than ordinary laziness, because non-lazy people do it, too. We all do it. But remember how good it felt to reconnect with that person, or complete that scrapbook you had to dust off to hold? Change up your life by moving things around on your shelves and tables. Really look out your windows and appreciate your wall hangings. Take a deep breath, a long look, and what can you find?

Do one little thing differently every day, and you will begin to see how easy it really is to change habits when you change this one habit of seeing something just because it’s there. Your creative flair will flourish.

You might find it’s also easier to pick up a habit that gives back – taking a few moments to find local produce at the store; grouping your errands to save more gas. Green habits are one form of daily creative rebellion, and that’s something we all could use.

Creativity and Being “Green”

There is something funny about creativity. Mention it and people get nervous. I think this is why some invent inaccurate meanings for it; they don’t understand creativity, and this makes them uncomfortable.

Once upon a time, in the not so distant past, a boss told me I was not as creative as my predecessor. He said it so matter-of-factly that I almost laughed in that “are you serious?” way. I, of course, am heartily inclined to disagree, not because I have proof to the contrary, but because I believe he has no right or means to make this assumption. And I have to say, this may be the one thing of value I gained from his leadership: the will to prove him wrong.

Recent research shows that we can actually cultivate our creativity, even when we may not have a genetic predisposition to certain aspects of it. Other research shows that the traditional ways we try to encourage creativity, such as “brainstorming,” don’t work. We need to feel safe, not forced, to be creative. This was the issue with this boss of mine, and this is too often the issue with people who feel they aren’t creative. They simply don’t feel that they have permission from the world to create they way they would if left to their own devices.

I believe that more people would live a “green” life – making more alive and gentler choices on the earth – if they felt free to expand their thinking beyond the 9 to 5, beyond merely getting by. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs supports this; we cannot care about being the best person we can be without our basic needs of nourishment and love being met. But we needn’t wait for others to give us permission and freedom to create; we can be the authority in our own lives!

I am recommitting myself to creativity. To not caring if some, in their small view, find me less creative than others. In reality, they don’t know us – who we really are when given the freedom to expand to our full potential.

How will you expand?

Potential Pet Problems

I may be embarking on a highly controversial topic here, but have you considered the most eco-friendly ways to approach pet ownership? In our consumer culture, we are often suprised to find that certain problems even exist as a result of common behaviors. Take your pet’s poop, for instance; I never thought that having too many pets could contribute to landfill and water contamination issues–until I read this article by Sheryl Eisenberg of the Natural Resources Defense Council. She explores the delicate issue of poop disposal for dogs and cats. The bottom line? Trash disposal is best, but if you leave the waste on the ground, it’s best to keep it to your own yard–and to keep the pet population to a minimum.

Recyling water filters

After much petitioning, a grassroots campaign has succeeded in persuading Brita water filtration company to provide a recycling program for their plastic water filters. Go here to learn more, and go here to refill your own! (Thanks IdealBite!)

Green New Year’s Resolutions?

It is natural, I think, for eco-friendly folks to think about green goals for the new year. I, for instance, want to continue expanding my use of green products and reduce my use of disposable and convenience products. An example of the first goal would be switching to more environmentally- and health-friendly cleaning and beauty products; the second goal includes using fewer paper products for cleaning and fewer plastic or paper bags during any shopping.

I actually posted on this topic because I am more interested in the green goals of others. Please share!

Get the most out of your Christmas tree

The Old Farmer’s Almanac has some nice Tips for preserving the life of your cut Christmas tree–and, perhaps more importantly, how to use your tree once it’s reached it’s end.
Merry Christmas all!

A few green things

What’s on my radar:

• I can’t watch it myself, but if you have CNN and care about the state of the planet, then be sure to tune in for Planet in Peril: Battle Lines at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 11. Lisa Ling, Anderson Cooper, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta host a global investigation into “environmental conflicts between growing populations and natural resources including the threat of global warming to both humans and wildlife.” More info is available here.
• The National Wildlife Federation has a hopeful rundown of what’s in and what’s out following the recent elections.
• Ten great green sites for all tastes from a great blog, GreenHackz.
• It’s advisable to stretch your imagination and optimism from time to time with the latest in green innovation–take this vertical farming of the future, for instance.

Green Deeds That Save You Money

In the current economy, it’s harder to be consciously green. Some of us (myself included) might feel guilty when we can’t afford the organic this or the non-polluting that. There are, however, eco-friendly actions that can make a difference while saving us cash, and that’s something to be proud about. Below, five frugal ways to care:

• Stop the bottled water habit. Invest in a Brita-style water filtration system to cut down on needless resource and money waste.
• Buy fewer convenience foods. Look up recipes online for your favorite frozen or canned prepared meals and learn to cook them yourself for a lighter grocery bill and landfill load. Be careful, though; the ingredients you buy for some foods, like pizza, may add up to more than the prepared version’s price, so shop carefully.
• Unplug sleeping appliances. Summer’s fans and the T.V. in the guest bedroom aren’t doing your electric bill any favors, so unplug appliances not in use to save between 6 and 26% on your monthly payments.
• Keep your tires inflated. It might be a small difference, but improving your gas mileage is always good news for you and the planet, and it’s doesn’t cost much if you’re already at the gas station.
• Make it last. In our consumer society, folks are often more inclined to throw something away when the going gets tough than to attempt a repair. Next time your favorite clothes get ripped, stained, or too small, consider learning some basic sewing skills and care techniques to extend their life. Also, it may be cheaper to repair an appliance with a simple problem than to send it packing, but according to Nick Harder of the Orange County Register, “If the cost of repairing the appliance is more than 50 percent of its replacement cost, buy a new appliance.” Consult an expert when diagnosing the problem, but if it’s really time for it to go, don’t throw it away–recycle!