How to Travel the World With 10 Pounds or Less May 17, 2008

I’m jealous. I’ve learned years ago to pack for a 2-week vacation in one carry-on suitcase plus my purse. Okay, so I actually cram my purse into a larger over the shoulder bag but it still qualifies as a “personal item” as far as the airline is concerned. I reduce the number of liquid personal care items that have to go into the quart-sized ziploc bag by buying must haves when I get there - like toothpaste and suntan lotion. Tim Ferriss has it down to a science and I’m intrigued. I would like to lighten my luggage even further because, quite frankly, I still need my husband to hoist my carry-on into the overhead bin.

I have a tendency to pack at least a week’s worth of undies and socks. And then there’s different outfits plus a couple of bathing suits and you never know when you’ll need a sweater or a jacket. So, even though I fit my essentials into one suitcase, I can do a LOT better.

Back to the reason I’m jealous. Tim Ferriss’ article “How to Travel the World With 10 Pounds or Less“. Granted, he can get away with less clothing because 1) he’s a guy and guys can get away with fewer outfits anyway and 2) he’s young so wearing reef sandals the whole time works for him. However, if I’m really honest with myself, I could pare my packing down to half the amount. I still tend to pack stuff “just in case” so Tim’s article really gets to the heart of what is really necessary.

If you pack for every contingency — better bring the hiking books in case we go hiking, better bring an umbrella in case it rains, better bring dress shoes and slacks in case we go to a nice restaurant, etc. — carrying a mule-worthy load is inevitable. I’ve learned to instead allocate $50-200 per trip to a “settling fund,” which I use to buy needed items once they’re 100% needed. This includes cumbersome and hassle items like umbrellas and bottles of sunscreen that love to explode. Also, never buy if you can borrow. If you’re going on a bird watching trip in Costa Rica, you don’t need to bring binoculars — someone else will have them.

I think we can apply this not only to traveling but the stuff we buy and lug around with us. Anyway, my goal for our next trip is to pack half of what I normally would take. Shhhh…don’t tell my husband.

Related Posts:

• Pack Light On United Airlines
• The Story of Stuff

 

Just Don’t Drink It May 15, 2008

Last October, I weaned myself off my Diet Mountain Dew habit. After several phases I finally ended up drinking filtered tap water. Now I don’t like drinking iced tea, flavored water of any variation, or, worst of all, soda. My pocketbook thanks me and so does my body. This morning I ran across an article for alternative uses for soda, 34 Uses for That Can of Soda, Other Than Quenching Thirst. Whether or not all of them work is debatable if you read the, ahem, lively comments. An eHow article suggests that you can rid your home of mice and rats with a well-placed saucer of soda, How to Use Soft Drinks To Kill Mice and Rats, because they lack the ability to burp. That’s just great. Then they can crawl into your woodwork and putrify, if it even works.

Pepsi Cola contains carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid and natural flavors. Sounds delicious, don’t you think? Diet versions contain aspartame which is the source of controversy. Coca Cola has essentially the same ingredients but do you think I could find it on their website?

If cola can be used to clean your toilet bowl and your bathtub, your car battery terminals, remove milk, blood, grease stains from your laundry, remove rust stains from chrome, loosen clogged drains and strip paint from metal patio furniture, I’m thinking fine, use it for that…just don’t drink it.

Never mind that these same cola manufacturers purchase tap water on the cheap, purify it, bottle it and then it back to us at exorbitant prices and then tell us how “green” they are. Hmmm, not so much, as my sister, Holly, would say.

Related Posts:

• Bottled Water
• Ditch the Soda Habit

Stop Sending Letters May 12, 2008

Now that the U.S. Postal Service has increased the cost of First-Class Mail postage to $.42, effective May 12, 2008 (today!). it’s time to re-think the need to send a letter in the first place.

Hank Green’s post, It’s Time to Stop Sending Letters, at EcoGeek has excellent tips to save on postage:

1. Scan and send documents by email - I forgot about this one but used it recently to complete a real estate transaction. Many printers have multiple uses - print, copy and scan.
2. Online bill pay- His suggestion to use PayPal for companies or individuals that don’t have a bill-pay system, such as his landlord, is awesome.
3. Digital greeting cards - I think paper greeting cards are a rip-off. First, the cost of a card is more than the cost of organic vegetables and second, you’re using natural resources that could be put to better use or not used at all. Design your own personal digital card or, better yet, call. You can’t get more personal than that.
4. Send a postcard - If you must. And, Hank reminds us, avoid airmail which has a bigger carbon footprint.

Here’s another suggestion:

1. Email invitations - Send invitations via email using a website such as eVite. Maybe Miss Manners would disapprove but I’m not planning on inviting her to my party anyway.

And if you’re getting too much junk mail, sign up at Direct Marketing Association:

1. Go to: DMAChoice.org. 
2. Click on: DMAChoice – DMA’s Suite of Preference Services.
3. Then select: How to remove your name from mailing lists.
4. Register and provide a credit card number to validate your identity and mailing address. This is a secure no-charge transaction.

There are days we get no mail at all.

Related Posts:

• Beat the Postal Increase
• Christmas Catalog Crush
• Reducing Junk Mail
• Stop Junk Mail - Free at Last!

Beat the Postal Increase May 9, 2008

The U.S. Postal Service is raising its First-Class Mail postage to $.42 effective May 12, 2008. While the 1-cent increase is the most visible change to the consumer, there are broader changes related to shipping packages. For more information see “New Prices Coming May 12, 2008“.

You can order Forever Stamps until May 12, 2008. The Forever stamp  will always be valid as First-Class postage on standard envelopes weighing one ounce or less, regardless of any subsequent increases in the First-Class rate. However, doesn’t mean you should stock up on a lifetime supply. According to a post in Meme Menagerie, the $5.00 you save by buying 250 Forever Stamps prior to the rate increase would be gone in 6 months if you compare to an investment that yields a modest 5%.

What I like about the Forever Stamp is that you don’t end up with an odd number of 1-cent stamps or find a 33-cent stamp in your desk drawer (yes, that’s me) that looks ridiculous with the number of 1-cent stamps required to use it. Bonus, you don’t have to go on-line to figure out what the current rate for First-Class Mail even is. The only time I send a real live letter is when I can’t find an email address. I can type waaaayyyy faster than I can write and don’t have to scratch out misspelled words.

You can buy Forever Stamps using your credit card and only pay $1.00 (one dollar) for delivery. They are usually shipped the next business day. That one dollar beats the cost of gasoline to drive to the Post Office and the value of my time waiting in a line that looks like the DMV.

Now, if you really want to save time, money and natural resources:

• Use email
• Pay your bills online
• Call your Mom on Mother’s Day

Podrunner Intervals - Hit Your Stride May 8, 2008

Over the years, I’ve kept in shape by horse-back riding, swimming, yoga, hiking, rock-climbing, weight-lifting (I had the luxury of having a dead-lift competitor coach me for a year), Jazzercise (back in the day), bicycling, walking and running. The consistent long-term activity, though, has always been running. I have to be more careful these days to mix up longer and shorter runs and replace my running shoes regularly. Fortunately I can run outdoors where I am happiest. A treadmill feels like punishment. The distraction of a T.V. does nothing for me. Give me DJ Steve Boyett ’s music mixes on Podrunner and I’m off and running.

Podrunner has a new interval series mixed by DJ Beatsmith. These mixes are designed by internatioinally renowned fitness trainer Jenny Hadfield. Jenny’s “Gateway to 8K” is a 10-week interval series designed to take runners from their current 5K or 30-minute run to an 8K or 50-minute run.

Now that I’ve downloaded the Podrunner Intervals, I’m off and running for the day.

Click on a running robot…

 

Related Posts:

• Podrunner - Music for Running or Exercising
• Running Errands, Literally

Green Produce Bags April 27, 2008

When we started getting our weekly C.S.A. (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery, I knew we needed a way to keep our veggies fresher longer. The spring C.S.A. has a lot of greens. I opted to purchase a Reusable Produce Bag Set from reusablebags.com. The set includes 10 organic cotton drawstring bags, 2 ExtraLife™ Disks (which extend the life of produce) and 20 Evert-Fresh Green Bags.

The drawstring bags are practical and perfect for buying and storing fruits. I put the ExtraLife™ Disks into the produce drawers of the refrigerator. The big deal for me is the Evert-Fresh Green bags. I love them and use them daily. We get our C.S.A. every Tuesday. We pick up our share as early as we can and take it home quickly. Green produce in a hot car - not so yummy. Once home, I wash and dry all the produce in an OXO salad spinner and pack it away in the Evert-Fresh Green bags. The produce stays fresh and crisp until we use it. 

According to reusablebags.com, Evert-Fresh bags are made from low density polyethylene that is coated with a fine layer of natural clay containing high levels of a mineral proven to absorb ethylene gas. (When produce ripens it emits ethylene which speeds up the ripening / rotting process). I have noticed that produce does not produce condensation when stored inside these bags. The bags can be reused 8-10 times with a soap-less rinse and dry between uses.

As a bonus, since I ordered $50 worth of product, I used the coupon code FREEACME and got an ACME Reusable Shopping Bag for free. It’s made out of recycled PET and is bigger than our current reusable grocery sacks.

Website of the Day: What To Do With Plastic Bags? April 23, 2008

Until community pressure forces companies to stop using plastic bags, Cristen Andrews will have plenty of raw material to recycle. Check out Cristen’s blog, What To Do With Plastic Bags.

The answer to the paper or plastic question is “neither”. Keep reusable grocery bags in your car, keep a small shopping bag in your purse, or just refuse any kind of bag when you have a few items that you can hand-carry. In the meantime, carry on Cristen…

from www.youtube.com posted with vodpod

Resources:

• Chico Bag
• Drop the Plastic Bag
• Reusablebags.com
• The Green Guide - Take the plastics quiz

Related Posts:

• Neither Paper nor Plastic 
• The Real Cost of Free Plastic Bags

Website of the Day: ReUseResources and Swap-O-Rama-Rama April 20, 2008

Now that my favorite niece, Cassie, is a teacher, I understand just how much teachers spend of their own money to purchase supplies for their classrooms. According to ReUseResources. teachers typically spend between $300-$1500 of their personal money to purchase supplies for their classroom. I’ll bet Cassie can attest to that.

Every school could use a ReUseResources in their corner. What they do:

“At ReUseResources, teachers and community programs get low-cost supplies and businesses find a home for surplus materials otherwise headed for the landfill. We collect and offer surplus materials that are in good condition to match the needs in the classroom. This allows teachers to do much more with their limited classroom budgets.

Every day the train that leaves Seattle/King County for the landfill is about a mile long and much of what is thrown out is perfectly usable. Our mission is to reuse the good stuff to support education and reduce the waste of our resources”

ReUseResources recently hosted the Swap-O-Rama-Rama event at Greenfest in Seattle, WA. Swap-O-Rama-Rama is a clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which a community explores creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing. All you need is at least one bag of “in-season” unwanted clothing and a small donation. Each swap begins with a giant collective pile of all the unwanted clothing. Everyone dives in and finds their next new/used items from the pile. Afterward, DIY workshops, equipped with sewing machines, help you transform your finds. All the materials you need to sew, embroider, bead, fix, repair, knit etc, are supplied. The Swap-O-Rama-Rama websites lists upcoming events as well as how to start your own swap.

Earth Day April 22, 2008 April 19, 2008

Each year Earth Day falls on April 22, in celebration of the importance of the environment and to encourage action. It was initiated in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, who started a “teach-in” to protest the government’s environmental ignorance.

How are you going to celebrate? I’ll be picking up garbage (what else?)

If you need ideas about how to begin, click on any of the following links:

• Cache In, Trash Out
• Earth 911
• EarthDay.gov
• Earth Day Network
• Envirolink
• Environmental Defense Action Fund
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Google
• The Green Guide
• National Environmental Education Week
• The Nature Conservancy
• The Sierra Club
• World Wildlife Fund

What’s Your Cosmetic IQ? April 15, 2008

Think you know a lot about cosmetics and skin care products? Test your cosmetics IQ by answering the True or False questions below. Then read the answers to see if you’re an A student.

1. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must approve all cosmetics before they go on the market.
2. Using mascara the wrong way can cause eye injuries and infections - even blindness.
3. It’s fine to use hair dyes on your eyebrows and eyelashes, after all, they’re hair too.
4. “Cruelty free” or “not tested on animals” means that no animal testing was done on the product and its ingredients.
5. If a product is labeled “all natural” or “organic”, it’s probably hypoallergenic.
6. Even if a product is labeled “hypoallergenic”, it may contain substances that can cause allergic reactions.
7. Choosing products with the claim “Dermatologist Tested” is a way to avoid an allergic reaction or other skin irritation.
8. “USDA Organic”, “organic” and “natural” mean the same thing.

Answers:

1. False. Unlike drug companies, cosmetic companies may use almost any ingredient they choose, with these exceptions:
   • Regulations specifically prohibit or restrict the use of the certain ingredients in cosmetics, for example, chloroform and prohibited cattle materials cannot be used in cosmetics, while the use of mercury compounds is restricted to eye area products in small concentrations.
   • All color additives must be approved for their intended use. For example, a particular color additive may only be used in an eye shadow if it is approved for cosmetic use, including the area of the eyes. Many colors have to be “certified” by FDA. That means that samples from each batch must pass special testing for purity in FDA’s own labs before they may be used.
   • If a product or its ingredients have not been shown to be safe, the product is supposed to have this warning statement on the label: “Warning: The safety of this product has not been determined.”
2. True. The most serious risk from mascara is scratching your eye with the mascara wand, and then getting an infection from germs on the wand. To use mascara safely, follow these rules:
   • Never apply mascara in a car, bus, plane or any other moving vehicle. It’s easy to scratch your eye if you hit a bump or come to a sudden stop.
   • If mascara gets dried up, don’t add water or - even worse - (yuck) spit into it to moisten it. This can add germs that may grow and cause an infection.
   • As mascara gets old, it is more likely to have germs growing in it. Throw it out after three months.
   • Don’t share mascara - not even with your best friend. You might be sharing germs that way.
   • Remove all mascara, and any other make-up, before you go to bed. Bits of mascara can flake into your eyes and cause an infection.
3. False. Never use hair dyes on the eyebrows and eyelashes. Doing this can cause blindness. There are approved, safe colors for mascara and eyebrow pencils, but no hair dyes are approved for tinting or dyeing the eyebrows or eyelashes.
4. False. Cosmetic companies can use the terms “cruelty free” or “not tested on animals” because there are no legal definitions for these terms. Even if a product never was tested in animals, there’s a very good chance its ingredients were. A company might call its products “cruelty free” because it isn’t doing any animal testing on these ingredients now, although the ingredients may have been tested on animals in the past. In some cases, “no new animal testing” might be a more accurate claim.
5. False. Poison ivy is all natural, too, but I’m not about to rub it on my skin. It is very possible to have an allergic reaction, or other irritation, from products labeled “all natural” or “organic.” For example, lanolin, from sheep’s wool, is a natural ingredient in some moisturizers that can cause an allergic reaction.
6. True. Individuals may be allergic to any ingredient. According to the cosmetic industry, “hypoallergenic” means “less likely to cause an allergic reaction.” But dermatologists - and consumers who have allergies - know that the word “hypoallergenic” on the label is no guarantee against an allergic reaction.
7. False.  “Dermatologist tested” doesn’t really tell you much, does it? Did the dermatologist work for the manufacturer? How many people was the product tested on? How long did the testing last? What were the results of the testing?
8. False. The FDA does not define or regulate the term “organic,” as it applies to cosmetics, body care, or personal care products. Cosmetic companies have jumped on the bandwagon, misusing the term “organic” in their labeling because consumers will pay more, thinking they are buying products without petrochemicals. Additionally, there are no regulations defining the use of the word “natural”, however, so the use of the term in cosmetics labeling is meaningless. The United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) regulates the term “organic” as it applies to agricultural products through its National Organic Program (NOP) regulations. If a cosmetic, body care product, or personal care product contains or is made up of agricultural ingredients, and can meet the USDA/NOP organic production, handling, processing and labeling standards, it may be eligible to be certified under the NOP regulations. Once certified, cosmetics, personal care products, and body care products are eligible for the same 4 organic labeling categories as all other agricultural products, based on their organic content and other factors:
   • 100 percent organic - Product must contain only organically produced ingredients. Products may display the USDA Organic Seal.
   • Organic - Product must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients. Products may display the USDA Organic Seal.
   • Made with organic ingredients - Products contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients and product label can list up to three of the organic ingredients or “food” groups on the principal display panel. For example, body lotion made with at least 70 percent organic ingredients and only organic herbs may be labeled either “body lotion made with organic lavender, rosemary, and chamomile,” or “body lotion made with organic herbs.” Products may not display the USDA Organic Seal.
   • Less than 70 percent organic ingredients - Products cannot use the term “organic”. However, they may identify the specific ingredients that are USDA-certified as being organically produced. Products may not display the USDA Organic Seal.

Resources:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture -  National Organic Program
• Organic Consumers Association - Coming Clean Campaign
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration - Cosmetics