Labeler

I haven't blogged recently because I really haven't bought anything lately. And it had been so long since I bought anything that I "fell off the wagon" so to speak when I finally did purchase something. I purchased a labeler (for filing) upon the recommendation of this book: http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280. The labeler was made in China and the tapes are made in Japan. Oh well, one lapse is no reason to abandon the experiment.

The lapse does bring to mind the time in 9th grade when we were breeding fruit flies for our biology class. We had 2 strains and after they had babies, we had to gas them to make them sluggish and then separate them by type. My partner and I forgot them at school over a holiday weekend. Needless to say they were a giant mess of interbred flies. Pretty much killed the intended genetic outcome. However, we still made a good grade because we went into great detail about the havoc our lapse wreaked on the experiment, which ultimately involved more research than just determining which traits were recessive and dominant. Point being, I'm sure this experiment will turn out fine. The lapse is already a good reminder to think before I buy. And whilst lamenting my failure I discovered that I could have gotten a seldom used one just for the asking!

It remains to be seen if my labeler is a success or failure (and how well the book's methods work).

Lunches

School lunches are an interesting topic that hits both on the buying local issue and buying better products issue. If you have kids in school, I would advise eating a tray lunch with them from time to time. You may be surprised.

I have fond memories of school lunches. I was the weird kid who loved them. I bought school lunches all the way up through high school. While mentoring this past year I have bought a school lunch every Tuesday. The adult lunch is the exact same as what the kids are eating. Let me just tell you that they are not the same as I remember!

Austin school lunches are technically pretty healthy. They are low fat and there are lots of whole grains, fresh fruit, and vegetables. Sounds good, but in practice it falls apart. The vegetables are usually mushy beyond belief so they don't get eaten. The main dishes use very little real meat and seem to rely heavily on soy blends. They are often carb heavy and seem to consist of lots of packaged, processed foods. There are plenty of refined sugars in sugar-added milks and yogurts.

At the school I mentor at 90% of the kids get federally funded free lunch. That means you and I are paying for these lunches. I would rather pay more to ensure kids get real meat and local, fresh produce. I would rather pay more to have cooks prepare the food from scratch at the cafeteria. In the long run it would mean lower health care costs by showing kids how good real, healthy foods can be.

Sadly, I don’t think many of them get much better at home. I have a voyeuristic habit of checking out what other people are buying at the grocery store while waiting in the checkout line. Every week there are people with kids in tow buying poor quality food. I’ve seen families load up on nothing but white bread, baloney, ramen noodles, and sugary cereal. If there were no additives these people would all have scurvy!

Grocery bills are our second biggest expense (behind the mortgage). It is worth every penny to buy better food. This includes eating out. We all have to eat so we should make it an enjoyable experience! I'm all for budgeting, but living in an affordable house with affordable vehicles and few expensive habits means you can eat what you want when you want and enjoy to the fullest one of life's most basic pleasures.

Break

In a recent conversation with a coworker lamenting the lack of Spring Break for adults, I started thinking about how nice it would be if everything shut down for awhile. I was reminded of a trip to the Netherlands several years back...

 

My husband and I went to the Netherlands a couple of times for his work. I had the entire day to myself while he worked. I got to see a lot of the country during that time. They have amazing public transportation and are flat enough that you can easily walk or bike long distances. If you ever get a chance you should go. Just make sure you venture out of Amsterdam to see the rest of the country (it is much less touristy).

The first time we went was in the dead of winter. They are much further North than the continental US and have very short days in the winter (and amazingly long, glorious summer days). On one occasion I was dropped off at some city for the day and I was to meet my husband and his coworker back at a certain location for dinner later on. I went all over town and had a great time. I came back to the commercial area where I was supposed to meet them just as it got dark. All of the shops were already closing. This was around 4:30pm. It was pretty close to freezing outside and my plan to browse until they arrived was thwarted. It was an unpleasant hour waiting for them.

I found out the hard way that most of the shops and counter service eateries close before dinner time and only the restaurants are open at night. It was terribly inconvenient at that moment, but overall that idea was refreshing. After work you have a little bit of time to swing by the grocer before they close. Once it is nighttime you can go out to eat or to a bar, but that is it. You are somewhat compelled to relax!

Now, I have complained many a time about stores closing too early. I work a later schedule, so I have a hard time finding anything but grocery stores or Wal-Mart/Target open after work. If I stop and think about it, though, I am inclined to admit that shopping after work is seldom an enjoyable or profitable experience. It is usually something I don't want to do anyway. Even if it is a needed item I am purchasing, I am not likely to make good decisions at that point.

Part of buying better stuff is being somewhat thoughtful about purchases. As I weed through our stuff and get rid of a lot of sheer junk we have accumulated, I realize we could have saved a lot of money not buying this stuff in the first place. The desire to cut back on possessions combined with my endeavor to buy only American made products has curtailed my purchasing. This past weekend I tried to find a picture frame for my diploma. I went to three stores and when I couldn't find one not made overseas I ended up re-purposing a seldom seen frame in our guest bedroom. Turns out I wouldn't have needed to spend the money or add to our possessions after all.

Although I don't think we will ever see a Spring Break for all of us, maybe we could be more accepting of shorter business hours. Seems like it would be healthier for all of us. I have to say that the Dutch are far fitter and more attractive than Americans. A little extra non-commercial leisure time might do us all good.

College

Recently I have read several articles on whether a college education is worth the cost. I will wholeheartedly agree that tuition has been increasing at a rather impressive rate. Having been around universities a lot, I think part of the problem is that universities spend money like it is burning a hole in their pocket. They are always under construction and a lot of that construction is re-doing perfectly sound buildings. I'm not too worried about it, though. Eventually they will raise prices enough that enrollment will drop because students can't justify the cost. Then the universities will cut costs and reduce prices. In the interim, more high school students may choose to start a career first. I imagine some will discover that they wouldn't have needed college anyway.

That being said, I am all for higher education. I don't think college is for everyone, but lifetime learning certainly is. I for one really like structured learning. While I enjoy reading, there is something about the collaboration and exchange that college courses offer that is stimulating. I also like the feedback of being graded on my work.

I just received my Master of Engineering diploma in the mail today. Was it worth the cost? I would say yes. It will pay for itself in about 2 years. Even if I hadn't seen any financial benefit and all I walked away with was the knowledge and experience, I think it still was worthwhile. It cost as much as a car, but I can't think of anything else I would have wanted to purchase more.

Valentines

Every year on Valentine's Day I get my co-workers the little cardboard valentines that are marketed for school kids. Those little valentines bring back memories of being a kid and putting a decorated sack or shoe box out to collect cards and candies from your classmates.

It was pretty easy to find valentines made in America. Finding candy made in the USA is getting harder, though. That is a little worrisome to me because of the occasionally lax food safety standards in China and Mexico where a lot of the big name companies are manufacturing their candies (Wonka Brand and Hershey's). Plus the older I get, the more I realize that candy is one area that is definitely worth the splurge. Don't bother with a cheap candy bar when you can get the fair-trade dark chocolate bar instead. Chocolate should have flavor! That being said, I have a nostalgic streak for cheap non-chocolate candies. For my co-workers I went with the Sweethearts conversation hearts made by NECCO. I like the fact that the label says they are "lovingly made in the USA". That just conjures up the image of their competitor as a grumpy old man scowling and grumbling about those stupid kids whilst making candy.

Soapbox

About 6 months ago I rediscovered Dr. Bronner's liquid soap. Those of you who do primitive camping or affiliate with hippie culture know all about this soap. I used to use it in college, but somewhere along the way stopped buying it. I am not really sure why. It has numerous excellent features:

• Certified Fair Trade
• Organic
• 100% post-consumer recycled material bottle
• Made in USA
• Gentle soap that smells awesome

It costs about $7 for a 16 ounce bottle. That seems pricey compared to other liquid soaps, but I've found it lasts a lot longer. The peppermint scent has always been my favorite. It smells good, feels tingly, and leaves the bathroom smelling great.

For those of you who haven't used the soap, a very interesting part of the experience is Dr. Bronner's philosophies that are written on the label. The story of Dr. Bronner's life and philosophies is difficult to sum up here. If you have the time, check out "Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox" on Netflix: http://magicsoapbox.com/doc/. <aside> I recently watched it along with another, even better, more life changing documentary, "Which Way Home": http://whichwayhome.net/. If you have Netflix, it is definitely a good use of your time to watch "Which Way Home". It is one of the best "walk a mile in someone else's shoes" type films I have ever seen. <end aside>

Dr. Bronner was either eccentric or insane depending on who you talk to. However, his philosophies are worth reading. He espoused a brotherhood of man religion where we are all one worshipping the same God. Even if you are not of a religious nature at all, some of his points just make sense for living your life in general. Here are just a few of his statements from what he calls the "Moral ABCs":

• "1^st: If I am not for me, who am I?"
• "2^nd: Yet if I am only for me, what am I? Nothing!"
• "3^rd: If not now, when?..."
• "5^th: Whatever unites mankind is better than whatever divides us!..."
• "7^th: Each swallow works hard to be perfect pilot – provider – builder – trainer – teacher – lover – mate, no half-true hate! So, each day like a bird, perfect thyself first! Have courage and smile my friend. Think and act 10 years ahead! And the man without fault? He's dead! Do one thing at a time, work hard! Get done!..."

And it goes on and on. There are a lot of words for a soap label! I have left out the zanier parts, but even with the parts that don't make sense, there are some good points. He advocates hard work and cleanliness throughout and sharing what you know with those around you. So if you are tired of fake-smelling soaps with weird ingredients, embrace your hippie side!

Unwashed

Whilst researching American manufacturers I came across a nicely done video for a company named Tellason: http://vimeo.com/verticalonline/tellason. In the video they allude to not washing the jeans for a better wear pattern. I assumed they meant not pre-washing them as most jeans companies do to make their denim soft. Nope. Check out their website care section: http://tellason.com/about/laundering. They mean just don’t wash your jeans! Gross! How could you stand it?

Apparently this is not an isolated concept. This article was very interesting: http://www.news.com.au/weird-true-freaky/thirty-melbournians-wore-the-same-paid-of-jeans-five-days-a-week-for-three-months/story-e6frflri-1226234633404. In summary, they asked people to wear a pair of jeans for 3 months without washing them. The results: the jeans weren’t that bad afterward! Stains wore off and they never got that smelly.

Now I don’t think I’m quite ready to stop washing my clothes, but maybe part of being sustainable is evaluating when something really needs to be washed.