SS - Wrap it Up!

Keeping in line with our commitment to get rid of disposables this year, we have begun the shift away from paper to wrap the holiday gifts. All the paper thrown away every year!! Not only is it wasteful, but it costs you money to replace it each year. I had read about using fabric and had even received gifts in sewn bags from my SIL in years past. So, I hit the fabric store and got some holiday fabric on sale. In the picture above are three different ways to wrap your gifts. On the left is a simple wrap with a square of fabric, no hem even, and tied up with a bow. No sewing for that one, but I would not recommend that you use this method if you have to ship it or if you have curious little fingers in your house. The one in the middle is a sewn bag, complete with casing at the top for the ribbon closure. This one was made to fit a long tube, but I made it roomy enough that other sizes of gifts will fit in it in years to come. The one on the left is another fabric square, but this one is double sided. I sewed two complimentary fabrics together, right sides together, turned them right side out, and hand stitched the gap left to turn the fabric through. Then I laid the gift box on the fabric, on a diagonal, and then tied two points together to make the bow, tucking and folding the other points under the bow. I really like this one. It looks so elegant.

Of course, all this fabric will be saved for next year and the years to come, to be reused again and again. I plan to hit the fabric store after the season is over to take advantage of the clearance sales. I'll work on making a nice assortment of gift bags and wrapping squares for all our gifting needs in the future. Also, I plan to wrap the gifts I give other people the same way. I figure they might keep the bag for future reuse, like I did when my SIL wrapped her gift to us in fabric. Who knows, they might even be convinced to make the switch themselves?!

SS - Ripples of Hope

Before I give you something concrete to do, I want to talk about the Hope I have been mentioning.

My SIL sent me this quote last year and I think it perfectly sums up what I mean by hope:

Either we have hope within us or we don't, it is a dimension of the soul, and it's not essentially dependent on some particular observation of the world or estimate of the situation. Hope in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early success, but rather, an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed. Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense no matter how it turns out. - Václav Havel

I think it is very important that we talk about making changes in our lives and that we give each other and ourselves reasons for making these changes. The more people we can convince to do something, the better our chances to make a difference. The more we can motivate people, the more good we can do.

However, I need to state that none of us can really know if what we do will help. We might just be too far down the rabbit hole to stop anything, or make it better, even. This is where the hope comes in. Like in the quote above, hope is not dependent on the chances of it turning out OK. Hope is something we can have, no matter what is going on in our lives. In fact, the worse things are around us, the more important it is to have hope. Otherwise you have nothing. No hope is the worst place you can find yourself.

My friend Flo had this on her blog recently:

"Of all the forces that make for a better world, none is so powerful as hope. With hope, one can think, one can work, one can dream. If you have hope, you have everything."

So, you see, if we at least feel that all the small changes (and big ones, too) we are making are the right and good thing to do, then we actually have everything we need. And the really cool thing about doing what feels right is that you tend to influence those around you, for the better. Here is a post from No Impact Man about the effect one person doing the right thing has on those around them:
http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/11/triggering-an-e.html

OK, now that we have Hope, what else can we add to our list of changes? Once again I am directing you to another one of Sharon's posts. Did I mention how much I have gotten out of her blog? I did? Oh, OK, good. Here it is:

http://casaubonsbook.blogspot.com/2007/07/52-weeks-down-week-10-use-it-up-wear-it.html

This one has to do with getting off the consumer treadmill and using what you already have to meet your needs to the fullest capacity you can manage, instead of buying new. I know I drive my husband crazy with how I never want to throw anything out. But it is not because of a sentimental attachment to "stuff." It is all about future resources. I can pretty much make something out of nothing, if I have enough "worthless stuff" to cobble together. I hate feeling like I have to throw something away just because it is cosmetically damaged. If it works or can be repaired, you should keep it. Getting something new just because your present one is outdated/out of style/last year's model is crazy! What a waste of money, energy, and precious resources! I consider it a fun challenge to see how long I can get use out of something. And it feels much better than buying that shiny new item when I have a perfectly good one already.

Go and see what you can use up, wear out, and make do!

SS - Chill Out

I have a post in the works that I am just not going to get to today, so I am copping out and directing you to one of the Casaubon's Book posts:

http://casaubonsbook.blogspot.com/2007/09/52-weeks-down-week-21-keep-heat-down-or.html

In our house we have reduced the temp we are heating the house to 65 during the day and 60 at night. OK, we have not officially made it down to 60 at night yet, but we are working our way down. Now it is at 62. I did not even turn on the heat for the daytime until this past week, but I live in the southwest, so that makes more sense than someone in upstate NY waiting until the end of November to turn on the heat. Last year we heated the house to 68/65, so I expect to see a big energy use drop when we get our power and gas bills next month. Don't forget that less energy you use means less money you have to shell out to the power company!

It does take a bit of acclimation, but you can do it. Get out the sweaters and knit hats!

SS - Dispose of Disposables

One of the first changes we made was to get rid of, or in some cases drastically reduce the use of, disposables. Things like tissues, paper towels, disposable plates, cups and utensils, napkins, toilet paper, and plastic wrap have become so prevalent in our society that we don't even give them a second thought. But, really, when you think about it, every time you use one of these things it is like you are throwing your money into the dump. Not to mention the energy used to make them, over and over and over, and the pollution caused by their production and disposal. Here is the post that got me started on changing over to reusable alternatives. Do check it out!


Some of the quickest and easiest changes we made were switching paper napkins to cloth, using cloth rags instead of paper towels, and going without paper plates and cups. I already had cloth napkins sitting in my dining room going unused, so pulling them out and stashing the paper ones away (out of sight, out of mind) was easy. Ever since the kids were little, I have had a drawer of washcloths on hand in the kitchen for cleaning up spills and wiping faces. So, again the paper towels went under the sink and out of mind and now I reach exclusively for cloth when the messes occur. OK, dog poop in my yard or cat puke on the floor gets out the paper towels, but other than that it's a washcloth. Doing without the disposable plates was simple. I mean we already had the plates and cups and utensils made out of more durable materials, right? So, I do a few more dishes and bring the little kiddie plates to the park for the picnic.


The next two, menstrual pads and toilet cloth, really deserve a post all their own, but I will save that for another day. Years ago, I switched to cloth menstrual pads, homemade from old flannel baby blankets, and have never looked back. Maybe someday I will think about getting a Keeper or Diva Cup, but for now the pads work great. The switch to cloth in the bathroom has been great! We decided to go easy with it, so for now we are only using it for pee. That means my husband is basically off the hook! The girls and I have gotten good at remembering not to drop the cloth into the toilet bowl and the laundry involved has been a simple load a week. All I did was rip up an old sheet or two and stack them on top of the toilet paper holder, sans roll of paper. Hooked onto the TP holder is a mesh bag that the used cloths go into. There is no smell, since they dry out pretty quick here in the desert. Really, it couldn't be more simple. I did not even hem the cloth. You all know how I hate to hem.

Two things I have not gotten rid of are plastic storage/freezer bags and plastic wrap. Now, I do wash and reuse the bags many times, only throwing them away when they hold raw meat or they rip, and I am only using the plastic wrap I have until it is gone and then I plan to never buy it again. I don't have very good ideas about what to replace them with yet, so I welcome ideas!

Go forth and rip up some sheets!

SS - Now What?

Now that we all know what Peak Oil is about are you ready to do what is needed? OK, let me point you in the direction of some writings on the topic of what needs to be done.

http://poweringdown.blogspot.com/2007/04/so-i-know-about-peak-oil-now-what.html

These two are a list of 100 things to do to prepare for Peak Oil:

http://groovygreen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=347&Itemid=57

http://groovygreen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=349&Itemid=57

This last one is a great article about how peak Oil is very much a woman's issue. The bulk of the effects of PO and the solutions will rest on the homemakers who are overwhelmingly female.

http://groovygreen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=294&Itemid=57

Now, I have given you a lot of information to absorb and process and it may feel like it is All Too Much. To much to do, not enough time, no guarantee that it will help. Trust me, I know the feeling. Want to know what helps? Jumping in and doing something! Just pick one thing and do it. Before you know it you are doing more and more and it all seems so easy and you can't believe you ever thought it was too hard. And you'll find that your life is better in small ways that add up. You feel connected to something larger than yourself.

Next week I will be getting into the steps we as a family have taken to do our part to help. Each thing by itself will not seem like much, but it does add up. The To Do list is much bigger than the Done list, but we are taking it one step at a time. After all, as they say, a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. Now, get out there and start walking!

Sustainable Sunday

Sunday is a day for rest. A day for reflection. And a day for flexing our faith and hope muscles. You get the bad news on Wednesdays and the good news on Sundays. A friend pointed out that if I only give the bad news without the hope, nothing will change. People need to feel that what they do makes a difference or they won't do it. I figure the fear of the scary stuff motivates you to want to change, but the hope that it makes a difference gets you doing it. And makes you feel good, too. So, every Sunday, I will give you ideas of what you can do and share our experiences. And hopefully, I can give you some hope that it will make a difference.

I have to begin this adventure, by giving credit where credit is due. Last winter, I discovered the blog Casaubon's Book, by Sharon Astyk. She has played a major role in educating me about the state of the world and waking me up enough to begin making changes. Back in May, she began a weekly series of posts about changes that we can make. I have gotten a LOT out of these. So, for this first week I am pointing you in the direction of her first post:

http://casaubonsbook.blogspot.com/2007/05/52-weeks-downweek-1.html

The thing I like about what Sharon has to offer is that she takes the time to give you a deep analysis of the issue. She puts a lot of thought into her posts/articles. This does mean they can be long, but they are worth every word! The one linked above is actually very short and very easy to do. When I first read it I was frustrated because it was something that we already do around here. I was ready for more!! Ok, now go read the post and see if you are ahead of this game, like I was.


I am letting you off easy this week, since it is our first week doing this and all. Next week gets a little, ok alot, more intense. Mostly, I want to give you the scale of this effort. A glimpse of the BIG picture. Then we can come back down to baby steps and I'll hold your hand as we take them together.