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Take a moment right now to picture all your worldly possessions, all of your Stuff. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Got it yet? Now double it. That’s what it’s like to move.
Mr. Savvy and I relocated from the Boston area to the seacoast of New Hampshire this past weekend, and the boxes just kept coming. Every time we thought we were done, there was another load of junk to move from one place to another, to haul up a flight of stairs, to step around as we brought in more and more.
I don’t know where it all came from. I thought I had a handle on our things, that I was doing well in my quest to downsize, but I was surprised by the number of items in our house. I guess what they say is true: out of sight, out of mind. Curse that closet space!
Our new place is about the same size as our old place, but the Stuff fits less well: there are more windows here, which means less wall space to hang things on and push things up against. Not that I’m complaining; we’ve already taken five boxes and a bookcase to Goodwill.
We are also going to try our hand at composting, now that we have a yard and a new town that requires us to use expensive, colored garbage bags. Our new town also requires a change of pace to something slower and less hectic, which I am happy to provide — and I’ll be bringing you along on that journey. In the coming weeks, I hope to cover new and different topics that I’ve only mentioned before, like composting and shopping local, small town life, etc.
Is there anything in particular that you would like to see on Simple Savvy? Any topics you want covered, or would like me to research? Suggest away, friends!
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©2009 at Simple Savvy, the simple living blog where we got internet in the new house for the first time yesterday. Thanks for your patience!
We live in a disposable society. Planned obsolescence is the norm. We take it for granted that we’ll always be able to throw things away, like styrofoam coffee cups, plastic silverware, packaging from new shirts. Most people aren’t horrified over the million plastic bags used every minute. It’s only natural — or rather, unnatural — that this type of garbage desensitization transfers from plastics to other portions of our lives.
Like dogs.
Mr. Savvy and I recently adopted a dog who had been transferred up to New England from a shelter in the midwest. Here’s the story we were told by the shelter woman we adopted from:
In this particular area of the Midwest, the “shelter” is really a state-run holding place for animals before they can be euthanized. They don’t have the spay-neuter programs common to New England, so there are a lot of strays running loose, and the system can’t cope with those types of numbers. They euthanize most animals brought to them.
The shelters down there often see families that come in with their 1-2 year old dog whom they adopted from the shelter last year. The family brings the dog up to the desk and says, “We don’t want this dog anymore.”
The shelter people look at the dog and go, “You know, because this is an owner surrender, we’re going to take the dog out back right now and euthanize it.” Meaning they don’t have to wait the mandatory two or three days that shelters are required by law to wait when they get in a stray.
The family goes, “Yes, that’s fine. We’d like to look at the puppies, please.”
So the shelter people take the dog out back, euthanize it, then come out to the front and bring the family in to see the puppies. Because this is a state-run facility and not a private shelter, the shelter people have no choice but to approve the family to adopt a new puppy the very day their previous dog was euthanized. We’re not talking old dogs, here, but good, healthy dogs who are no longer puppies, so the family has no use for them. Welcome to a disposable society.
Is this horrifying to you? I felt sick to my stomach when I heard this. And yet, I can’t help but wonder what makes dogs different from plastic wrap, water bottles and stoves that break down after four years? Why are we aghast when it’s a dog that reaches an untimely death, but not a pair of shoes? Ladies and gentlemen, I’m stumped. I have no answers today, only questions, questions about the state of our society and questions about morals and ethics and our own laziness. What are your thoughts?
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©2009 at Simple Savvy, the simple living blog where I have no idea if this shelter story is true, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is.
Instead of blogging last night, I found myself taking a break. It started out as a five-minute break, then extended into an hour, then two hours, and before I knew it, I was asleep. It was delicious. It made me feel like I didn’t have any obligations — my only purpose was the enjoy the evening and relax. What a great way to recharge my body’s batteries.
Lesson learned: don’t forget to take a break and do something just for yourself every once in a while. Some of my favorite ideas include shutting off the computer and…
Reading a children’s book. The next time you’re at the library, grab a copy of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh. This original version about Pooh-bear and Christopher Robin is a lovely book, full of simple descriptions and simpler ways to play together.
Doing the dishes. You won’t get a lot done in five minutes, but it’ll be a start. Washing the dishes in fits and spurts makes me feel as though the project is more manageable, especially when the counter is overwhelmed by pots and pans that need sudsing up. And I always feel better once the kitchen is clean.
Resting your eyes. I find that lying down in a quiet room for five minutes resets my balance a little and helps me organize my mind.
Playing with your partner, kids, dog, or cat. A few minutes of exhilarated play may remind you that not everything in life has to be complicated.
Getting rid of something. Find that thing that’s been in your house for ages. You know the object I mean: the one that every time you pass it, you ignore it, or look at it and think, “Why do I even have that anymore?” Pack it into a box and put it by the door. The next time you go out, bring it with you and give it to someone who’ll use it, be that a friend, relative, or the Salvation Army. If it’s a sentimental item, take a picture of it first. You’ll be happier once it’s out of your life.
Standing over the kitchen sink, eating fresh fruit. And by fresh, I mean something that still has dirt on it. Grab a tomato from the farmstand, bring it home, eat it with salt. Pick up the ripest peach you can find. Let the juice drip right into the drain as you take each bite. Enjoy summer.
A five-minute time out isn’t going to disrupt your schedule. If anything, it’ll make you feel more focused and relaxed. And at the end of those five minutes, your life will be simplified by just a tiny bit. Now that’s an excellent reward.
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©2009 at Simple Savvy, the simple living blog where I may have done three of the things on this list yesterday morning. Edward Bear image courtesy of Swiv. A Happy Kitchen Sink image courtesy of jek in the box. Puck – nap guru image courtesy of Daveybot. Puppyfight image courtesy of tunaboat. Packing image courtesy of jasonvance. Juicy peach image courtesy of mattogoofingoff.
One week until we move, and we’re packing our lives into cardboard boxes. If you were here, the first thing you’d think was… well, probably “why do you have so much STUFF?” But the next thing that would come to mind would be, “Why don’t you have any crayons, prom dresses or leftover yarn lying around?”
What an excellent question, thanks for asking! It’s because I’m super awesome at recycling… or because I like to get rid of old junk, so I look up different ways to do it.
Take crayons, for example. I could always give them away. My nephew has a hundred of them, all worn down and used — why would he want my old ones? That’s where the Crazy Crayons Recycle Program comes in. Ship them your old crayons, and they’ll take them, melt them down and resell them. Recycling at its best!
Prom dresses are a bit trickier. If you’re handy with a needle and have a need for a sparkly aqua outfit, you could refashion your dress into a new suit. And don’t forget about your local tailor, who can help you out! If a satin jumpsuit isn’t your thing, pass the dress along to the Cinderella Project or one of the other gown recycling programs in your area, and let them give the dresses to lower-income families who can’t afford to buy one off the racks.
Ambitious yarn buyers who want to de-stash can call their local senior center or YMCA to see if they have a knitting/crocheting group that accepts yarn donations. I’m only too happy to get rid of the garbage bag full of yarn I’ve been avoiding for two years. Non knitters might be aghast, but I know I’m not the only one who stores yarn in the hopes that I’ll get around to that project some day. This also works for craft supplies. Not that I have a pile of those anywhere….
I’m taking this move as a chance to get rid of embarrassing CDs I’ve hung on to for years but haven’t played. (I’m looking at you, Backstreet Boys.) They’re going straight to the CD Recycling Center of America, an organization that accepts plastic cases in addition to CDs, which means I can clear out my collection in one fell swoop.
And when all else fails, post your stuff on Freecycle or drop it off at Goodwill. But don’t try to pawn off broken-down junk; they’ll just toss it. Better to take that responsibility for yourself, don’t you think?
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©2009 at Simple Savvy, the simple living blog where I don’t have an answer to the question “why do you have so much stuff?” I ask myself that every day. Image courtesy of knittinging.
We’re relocating, and I’ve been gripped by one of the most important questions of all time: should I get a manicure? It’s silly that those two factors are even related. Manicure + moving? What’s the deal?
Well, I’m searching for a new job, and standard interview advice suggests you get a manicure before you meet the company representative. I have nothing against looking polished, but that doesn’t mean that I want to run out to a nail salon to get my nails done.
For starters, nail polish contains toxic chemicals like toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl pthalate. According to the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep cosmetic database, toluene is a reproductive and developmental toxin that can affect the nervous system and ranks 10 on the Skin Deep safety scale for having the highest hazard. It’s also known as benzene — you know, that flammable petroleum product that’s been leaching into our water. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen, also ranked as a 10, and is commonly used to preserve dead people by stopping all natural breakdown processes. And dibutyl pthalate is a hormone disrupter ranked as (big surprise here) a 10. Please pass the cancer!
Maybe you’re like me and you don’t paint your nails very often. That’s all well and good, but what about the people who work in nail salons? Day in and day out with hazardous chemicals and fumes can’t be good for their health, and the chemicals are making their way into the environment. Ugh. I say we make an action plan.
For starters, let’s stop using regular old nail polish. Cutting off the demand for these types of hazardous materials is the way to go, but don’t dump your old stuff down the drain! Either open the tops and let the polishes harden in a well-ventilated area before tossing, or use the nail polish to do crafts with. A well-ventilated area is key.
Next, learn the art of the natural manicure, courtesy of Martha Stewart. The most toxic substance here is milk, with olive oil coming in a close second.
Third, if you’re going to paint your nails at all, invest in safer nail polishes. Better for you, better for the environment.
And finally, write letters! Ask your local nail salon to stock up on toxic nail polish alternatives for the safety of their workers and for the health of the environment. They won’t know there’s a demand unless we tell them, so let’s get the word out!
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©2009 at Simple Savvy, the simple living blog where I never was a fan of nail polish, but I’ve got about 8 or 10 of them languishing in a drawer in my bathroom. The drawer stays shut so the fumes don’t get out. Image courtesy of kodomut.
I’m hooked on the idea of small living, and I can’t help it. There’s something about downsizing that appeals to me. Maybe it’s because as I simplify, I have more room in my life for the complicated, intangible things like puppy love and poetry.
I’m starting to notice items that would make my life smaller and simpler, or things that other people have used. Take, for example, this fridge:
Can you see it? It’s so small! This picture is from the BBC TV series As Time Goes By, and the woman in white has just removed something from her refrigerator. It’s a dorm-sized fridge, and I’m pleased to see it on TV (or Netflix, as the case may be). The couple in this photo is supposed to be a regular pair of people in a standard-sized house — and they have a half-fridge. They’re not trying to be eco-friendly or anything (unlike some friends!). That’s what makes it so nice; they’re showing that anyone can live with a pint-sized unit. It certainly caught my eye.
And as I filed away the petite fridge in my mind, I came across a nesting, stainless steel set of pots and pans. Why isn’t every set of pots and pans on the market made this way? I’d pay money for those. Their handles pop off! Using interchangeable handles and tops is a great way to save on space. The set was intended for people on boats, but I’d co-op those any day for use in a small apartment.
Mr. Savvy likes the idea of small living, but he pointed out that our hand-me-down, mismatched pots and pans do the trick and do it well (and we know I don’t need more pots). He makes a good point; using something you already have is much more eco-friendly than buying something new that’s purported to be green. But a miniature fridge? I bet we could swing it.
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©2009 at Simple Savvy, the simple living blog where we looked at a few small apartments and a few big apartments, and I think we’re going with a bigger one. It’s cheaper. I’m not entirely sure how that works out.
Stacy and Clinton of What Not to Wear don’t hold a candle to my amazing fashion powers. After three years of owning this pair of pants, I finally realized that they’re too long.
What was the ultimate clue that gave away this travesty? It may have been the fact that they drag on the ground and fray, like this.
The rest of the pants are perfectly fine — no rips or stains elsewhere — but I hate to throw out a pair of otherwise perfectly good pants because of a little fraying. Why buy something new when I have a serviceable item in my employ that will do the trick? All they need is a little TLC. Thank goodness there is a simple fix to this! In just a few minutes, it’s easy to hem pants so that they look perfect again.
First, cut off any frayed threads, then fold up your pant legs to the desired length and pin in place to test them out.
Next, iron them flat and sew around the top edge.
Finally, wear them proudly, knowing you just saved a pair of pants from an untimely death. And as for mine? Well, my camera died. But you can rest assured they look fabulous.
Of course, some people are not inclined to operate a needle and thread, much less a sewing machine! In that instance, you can use a product like these Zakkerz, which are a magnetic band that you place around the cuff of your pants to hold them in place.
What do you think? Easy fix, or is it just not worth it?
If you’re looking for a more challenging sewing project, check out my utensil holder tutorial.
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©2009 at Simple Savvy, the simple living blog whereI would love to refashion my entire wardrobe, but sometimes when I think about pulling out the sewing machine, I reach for a pint of ice cream instead. Last image courtesy of Zakkerz. And I’ll just take a moment to remind you that I have zero product/store affiliations of any kind. I’m more interested in sharing information than making a few pennies!
Dear Supermarkets,
Let’s talk. I noticed that you’ve been putting out some shiny apples lately. Too shiny. So shiny that they remind me of a famous apple from a famous fairy tale. You know the one I mean?
Should you need a reminder, here is what an apple looks like in its natural state.
You’ll notice it doesn’t have that shiny wax coating. In fact, it looks kind of mottled, and like it has a kind of chalky white overlay. That’s the apple’s own natural waxy coating, and it’s there to protect the fruit from bugs and bacteria. I know in your zeal to keep your produce free of dirt, you wash that off, and then add your own coating to do exactly the same thing as the original. Truth be told, I’d rather have the natural wax and the dirt instead of the FDA-approved, “food-grade” wax, which can be petroleum-derived.
I realize that each item of fruit has only one or two drops of wax on it, and that wax passes through the digestive system unabsorbed. And evidently, there’s at least one source out there that says that food wax causes no adverse effects, even if your diet is comprised of 10% wax. Still, I’m just not that into oil products on my produce.
Effective immediately, I’ll be making a concerted effort to buy fresh, local fruit. It may have a few dirt smudges on it, but I like it that way. Food that looks like it’s supposed to is a good thing.
Cordially,
SavvyChristine
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©2009 at Simple Savvy, the simple living blog where that famous apple from the famous fairy tale is the poisoned apple from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, just in case you didn’t get the hint. First image courtesy of Scorpions and Centaurs. Second image courtesy of Andy Castro. Third image courtesy of Chris Campbell.
I was driving home from a friend’s house this weekend when I hit and killed a rabbit with my car. Does that seem blunt? I’m trying to give it to you straight because I feel guilty about it. Let me explain what happened.
I was driving home. I was grumpy because there was traffic. There’s always traffic in my part of Massachusetts, but this weekend, I had sat in too much of it, and was sick of the bumper-to-bumper grind. I switched from the highway to the back roads through an unfamiliar town, and the person in front of me wasn’t going as fast as I wanted, and my stomach felt like it was going to start digesting itself very shortly. All these things make for a GrumpyChristine, so when I had the opportunity to pass the car in front of me, I took it; I wanted to be home, posthaste. At that moment, I realize that I had been to this part of town before, and I thought back to the last time I was in the area. And I decided the radio needed to be on. Why? I don’t know, but it needed to be on, and I needed to be going too fast on a road that I was unfamiliar with.
From the corner of my eye, I saw something in the street, heading my way. A bunny! I swerved, but through some twist of fate, I swerved directly on top of the rabbit and heard the poor creature’s body crunch as I rolled over it. It is most certainly dead. I feel awful.
I know by now that speeding doesn’t get me where I want to go in that much less time, but I chose not to remember it at the time. If I had, I wouldn’t have hit that rabbit. Unfortunately, that’s not how I think when I’m tired and hungry and ready to be home.
As I reflected on the rest of the drive, I realized that trying to do anything really fast is a great way to miss out on life. As a nation, we have gotten to be so focused on being the best, being at the top, getting what we want right away, that we have forgotten that it’s also acceptable to slow down and enjoy life as it is now. Especially life like this:
I wish our culture would place a higher importance on being content with what we have already. Maybe then I wouldn’t have been trying to distract myself from the not-so-simple task of driving. I wish driving in my state didn’t make me want to never leave the house (Have you driven in eastern Massachusetts lately? It’s an entire region of road rage; the bicyclists here are brave). But above all the rest of my wishes tonight, I wish I hadn’t hit that rabbit.
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©2009 at Simple Savvy, the simple living blog where I have no easy answers on how to make yourself slow down when you want to speed. First image courtesy of miss_blackbutterfly. Second image courtesy of Bob Reck.
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