(First, sorry for the posting hiatus, the adjustment from the school year to the summer always throws me for a loop)
Do you have something that you'd like to sell, something you'd like to buy or borrow, something you'd love to give away??? Well, starting today, we're going to use this site as a forum for facilitating those sorts of transactions. Think of it as an expanded version of the section of the information folder that lists things needed and for sale (true confessions: that's actually the only part of the info folder I faithfully read). Or a scaled down version of freecycle or craigslist.
Anyways, I haven't worked out the details, so if you have suggestions, feel free to voice them. For now, I think I'll post something weekly, and people can leave their requests/offerings in the comments section with contact information about how people can get in touch with you.
I love this idea (it wasn't mine, so I can say that freely) because it's like the early church "sharing everything in common" which is so great! Only one word of warning, from freecycle experience where people can get really greed-monger-y: remember your Consumed lessons and go forth and barter!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Green Party
Our family had its first "green" party this weekend, and it was a big hit. It seems slightly ironic to me that this particular party wasn't all that much different than the potlucks I went to as a child, where everyone brought their own tableware. But it was fun to be retro and especially fun that we didn't have any more garbage for this week's trash than we do on a normal week.
We used old curtains for table cloths instead of disposable plastic table cloths, I made some fun cloth napkins, everyone brought their own plates, we used REAL glasses, and had a compost bucket for food scraps. We gave away seed packages and flowers in peat pots as favors.
Following are the Eco-tips I had set out on the tables ...
Eco Tip #1: Walk or bike instead of driving. Some Cincinnati stores and restaurants are even giving free stuff this month (May) if you bike there!
Eco Tip #2: Use handkerchiefs and other reusable cloths instead of paper products like Kleenex, napkins, baby wipes or paper towels.
Eco Tip #3: Compost food scraps instead of using the garbage disposal. It saves water!
Eco Tip #4: Drive the speed limit! (I think our ministers would do well to follow this one) :) Keep your speed constant and don’t hit the brakes too much. Did you know… in a typical car, going 10 mph over 60 mph is like adding 54 cents a gallon?!
Eco Tip #5: Cut down your shower to 1-2 minutes to save water.
Eco Tip #6: Use CFL (compact florescent light bulbs). According to the EPA, they use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer! BUT… they work best in places you don’t switch the light on and off a lot, AND they are toxic if not disposed of properly!
Eco Tip #7: Take reusable bags to the grocery and other stores—or don’t use a bag for small items. Did you know… Target bags are not recyclable!? Ew!
Eco Tip #8: Don’t buy anything disposable, one-use, or individually wrapped!
Eco Tip #9: Eat local foods and buy local products. Cincinnati has MANY farmers markets.
Eco Tip #10: Catch unused tap water in a bowl and use it to water plants.
Eco Tip #11: Using less soap to hand wash dishes means less water is needed for rinsing!
Eco Tip #12: Cancel your newspaper and magazine subscriptions and READ ONLINE!
Eco Tip #13: Compost leaves and food scraps. These things don’t break down in a landfill and can produce methane (ew!)
Eco Tip #14: Make your own cleaning products, furniture polish and glue (I tried the glue for party-related purposes and it worked swimmingly!)
Eco tip #15: Shop at companies with good eco-scores and avoid ones with bad eco scores (this will probably be good for your health/waistline as well)
Eco tip #16: Recycle old batteries and CFLs at Environmental Enterprises, 4650 Spring Grove Ave. It's free during most of the year! Hamilton County Residents only (there are other locations for residents of other counties)!
Useful websites Hamiltoncountyrecycles.org Keepcincinnatibeautiful.org Livegreencincinnati.com Cincinnatilocavore.blogspot.com Eartheasy.com Compostguide.com Localharvest.com noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/
We used old curtains for table cloths instead of disposable plastic table cloths, I made some fun cloth napkins, everyone brought their own plates, we used REAL glasses, and had a compost bucket for food scraps. We gave away seed packages and flowers in peat pots as favors.
Following are the Eco-tips I had set out on the tables ...
Eco Tip #1: Walk or bike instead of driving. Some Cincinnati stores and restaurants are even giving free stuff this month (May) if you bike there!
Eco Tip #2: Use handkerchiefs and other reusable cloths instead of paper products like Kleenex, napkins, baby wipes or paper towels.
Eco Tip #3: Compost food scraps instead of using the garbage disposal. It saves water!
Eco Tip #4: Drive the speed limit! (I think our ministers would do well to follow this one) :) Keep your speed constant and don’t hit the brakes too much. Did you know… in a typical car, going 10 mph over 60 mph is like adding 54 cents a gallon?!
Eco Tip #5: Cut down your shower to 1-2 minutes to save water.
Eco Tip #6: Use CFL (compact florescent light bulbs). According to the EPA, they use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer! BUT… they work best in places you don’t switch the light on and off a lot, AND they are toxic if not disposed of properly!
Eco Tip #7: Take reusable bags to the grocery and other stores—or don’t use a bag for small items. Did you know… Target bags are not recyclable!? Ew!
Eco Tip #8: Don’t buy anything disposable, one-use, or individually wrapped!
Eco Tip #9: Eat local foods and buy local products. Cincinnati has MANY farmers markets.
Eco Tip #10: Catch unused tap water in a bowl and use it to water plants.
Eco Tip #11: Using less soap to hand wash dishes means less water is needed for rinsing!
Eco Tip #12: Cancel your newspaper and magazine subscriptions and READ ONLINE!
Eco Tip #13: Compost leaves and food scraps. These things don’t break down in a landfill and can produce methane (ew!)
Eco Tip #14: Make your own cleaning products, furniture polish and glue (I tried the glue for party-related purposes and it worked swimmingly!)
Eco tip #15: Shop at companies with good eco-scores and avoid ones with bad eco scores (this will probably be good for your health/waistline as well)
Eco tip #16: Recycle old batteries and CFLs at Environmental Enterprises, 4650 Spring Grove Ave. It's free during most of the year! Hamilton County Residents only (there are other locations for residents of other counties)!
Useful websites Hamiltoncountyrecycles.org Keepcincinnatibeautiful.org Livegreencincinnati.com Cincinnatilocavore.blogspot.com Eartheasy.com Compostguide.com Localharvest.com noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
In the blogodrome
I always find it interesting to discover what non-Christians think of the Christian community. It challenges me to focus on loving other people in a quiet way (1 Thessalonians 4:11). So, when I ran across this post from a blog I often read on ecology, I was intrigued. I think it's a shame Christians don't lead out more on issues of conservationism, and so the essay by Wendell Berry mentioned in the comments was also thought provoking. In short, I think it's a good idea to read things that you may not agree in order to not only stretch your perspective but also to see how others perceive you as a check on how effectively we're communicating the things we believe and value.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Advent Conspiracy
Intrigued by the movement Dick mentioned in his sermon? Check out their website. Sure, it's only May, but why not start thinking about how THIS Christmas can be different.
The Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by worshipping Jesus through compassion, not consumption. Their four pronged agenda is to worship more, spend less, give more and love all.
Want to read more? Check out the website.
The Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by worshipping Jesus through compassion, not consumption. Their four pronged agenda is to worship more, spend less, give more and love all.
Want to read more? Check out the website.
Choices!
The thing that keeps coming up over and over as I listen to people reflect on the Consumed series is that the journey is unique to each person. Lots of ideas have been thrown around to help challenge us to less consumer-driven living. Some of these ideas make people feel mad, and other ideas make people feel guilty.
Is a credit-card-free life the ideal? Well, not necessarily. Of course, credit card debt is never good when it is used to buy things that we don't really need. But what if you pay off your balance every month and aren't tempted to use credit cards to live beyond your means? Well, then obviously credit cards are a useful tool for you.
Do you have to drive a hunk of junk to be spiritual? What if you chose to lease a car? What if you don't want to use cloth diapers? Should you feel guilty if you use the internet to connect with friends? What if you need some down time and you just want to splurge on a manicure or a fancy dinner out with friends or family or a movie or ...?
The bottom line is there are so many choices we face EVERY DAY that give us the opportunity to assess our hearts and our spending. And while the goal is to make a little bit of progress every day, we'll never achieve perfection (if we did, we wouldn't need grace)! Moreover, every one's ideal will look a little bit different. That's the great thing about God.. he's personal and he relates to us in unique ways.
So if you feel boxed in or guilty by the choices others around you are making, STOP. Pray. If you're inspired by the people around you, great... chances are you're also inspiring them. But remember to be realistic in your goals, and above all, assess what God is calling YOU to do. And rest in His grace.
Is a credit-card-free life the ideal? Well, not necessarily. Of course, credit card debt is never good when it is used to buy things that we don't really need. But what if you pay off your balance every month and aren't tempted to use credit cards to live beyond your means? Well, then obviously credit cards are a useful tool for you.
Do you have to drive a hunk of junk to be spiritual? What if you chose to lease a car? What if you don't want to use cloth diapers? Should you feel guilty if you use the internet to connect with friends? What if you need some down time and you just want to splurge on a manicure or a fancy dinner out with friends or family or a movie or ...?
The bottom line is there are so many choices we face EVERY DAY that give us the opportunity to assess our hearts and our spending. And while the goal is to make a little bit of progress every day, we'll never achieve perfection (if we did, we wouldn't need grace)! Moreover, every one's ideal will look a little bit different. That's the great thing about God.. he's personal and he relates to us in unique ways.
So if you feel boxed in or guilty by the choices others around you are making, STOP. Pray. If you're inspired by the people around you, great... chances are you're also inspiring them. But remember to be realistic in your goals, and above all, assess what God is calling YOU to do. And rest in His grace.
"Changing the World"
A few stats Dick shared in his sermon:
American spend $18 billion a year on makeup, $17 billion a year on pet food and $15 billion a year on perfume. Yet it would only take $5 billion TOTAL to achieve universal literacy, $10 billion to have clean water for EVERYONE in the world and $19 billion to end hunger and malnutrition COMPLETELY.
What if we decided to tuck away an extra $5 instead of buying that new lipstick, borrow the tool we need to fix the car instead of buying it, or carpool and save a few bucks on gas. What if we consciously made decisions to do without and saved back that money for people who really needed it. What a difference we could make!
Skeptical? Feel like you couldn't make a difference with a few dollars here and a few dollars there? Maybe you'd be surprised. I loved the point in Dick's sermon where he compared giving generously to acquired tastes like coffee. Maybe a few dollars will change the world. Maybe it won't. But I truly believe it has the potential to change your heart... and isn't that what this is all about?
American spend $18 billion a year on makeup, $17 billion a year on pet food and $15 billion a year on perfume. Yet it would only take $5 billion TOTAL to achieve universal literacy, $10 billion to have clean water for EVERYONE in the world and $19 billion to end hunger and malnutrition COMPLETELY.
What if we decided to tuck away an extra $5 instead of buying that new lipstick, borrow the tool we need to fix the car instead of buying it, or carpool and save a few bucks on gas. What if we consciously made decisions to do without and saved back that money for people who really needed it. What a difference we could make!
Skeptical? Feel like you couldn't make a difference with a few dollars here and a few dollars there? Maybe you'd be surprised. I loved the point in Dick's sermon where he compared giving generously to acquired tastes like coffee. Maybe a few dollars will change the world. Maybe it won't. But I truly believe it has the potential to change your heart... and isn't that what this is all about?
Stick Around...
The sermon series may be over (or nearly over for Westside/Harrison), but the blog is sticking around! Hopefully this can be a forum for us to continue thinking about how to apply the lessons we've been learning over the last six or so weeks.
The sermon series has really helped me to sort though some things I've been learning over the past year. When our household went from 1 corporate earner and 1 graduate student with modest stipend to 2 graduate students and no corporate income, we had to revamp our spending big time. Now, after a year of this, I can say we've learned a lot and hope to never forget these lessons. The biggest thing for me has been to realize that being thrifty and being less consumed with material things are TOTALLY different. I've always been a fan of getting a great deal. But this past year, when we haven't had the flexible income to "stock up and save," I've really had to learn how to think differently about what I really need, whether or not it's on sale.
I still struggle with what it means to be less consumed with material things. I have lots of impulses.. to save money (like I mentioned), to make ecologically sustainable decisions, to give money to people or causes that need it, etc. But are these things truly making me search my soul and seek God more than the things of this world? Not in themselves. I could certainly get obsessed with any of these "causes," be they personal or benevolent, and that would bring me no closer to God himself. For me, this will be the ongoing challenge... to be aware of my choices, yes, but also to be aware of the state of my soul.
So stick around, share your journey and I'll share mine, and hopefully together we can come one step closer to being consumed with the things of God.
The sermon series has really helped me to sort though some things I've been learning over the past year. When our household went from 1 corporate earner and 1 graduate student with modest stipend to 2 graduate students and no corporate income, we had to revamp our spending big time. Now, after a year of this, I can say we've learned a lot and hope to never forget these lessons. The biggest thing for me has been to realize that being thrifty and being less consumed with material things are TOTALLY different. I've always been a fan of getting a great deal. But this past year, when we haven't had the flexible income to "stock up and save," I've really had to learn how to think differently about what I really need, whether or not it's on sale.
I still struggle with what it means to be less consumed with material things. I have lots of impulses.. to save money (like I mentioned), to make ecologically sustainable decisions, to give money to people or causes that need it, etc. But are these things truly making me search my soul and seek God more than the things of this world? Not in themselves. I could certainly get obsessed with any of these "causes," be they personal or benevolent, and that would bring me no closer to God himself. For me, this will be the ongoing challenge... to be aware of my choices, yes, but also to be aware of the state of my soul.
So stick around, share your journey and I'll share mine, and hopefully together we can come one step closer to being consumed with the things of God.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Cloth what???
(brought to you from guest author Erin Cox.. thanks Erin for this great contribution)
I'm writing this quick blog to promote the use of cloth diapers. I'm not talking about the cloth diapers our grandmothers and mothers pain-stakingly used (although if you can master the art of the safety pin, go for it!). I'm talking about a new more user-friendly kind that I am using on my now 6-week old son. When my husband and I were deciding how we wanted to cut corners with cost of having a baby, we brushed this idea off because of the hassle. In the end, my conviction was to use them because of the amount of land fill disposables take up.
Cloth diapers really aren't that bad. I know the idea of swishing a poopy diaper in a toilet isn't very appealing, but you have to wipe it off your baby's bottom anyway. My husband and I keep a glove in the bathroom for this use. In addition, my child does have his fair share of messy diapers, but not EVERY diaper is an explosion. I also have a bucket of soapy water in the laundry room that I throw the diapers in throughout the day and do a small load before I go to bed. I have enough that I can go for two days if I have to, but I try to keep up on it. And believe it or not, not one room in the house smells like poo. So, for those that are interested, there is a huge market for these eco-friendly poo catchers. You can look at fuzzibunz.com to get an idea. There are also happy hiney's and many other off brands. We have a mix of many that we bought new on ebay for way less then the manufacture. The cost upfront was approximately $200, but it's a long term investment. Plus, we are doing our part to help the environment! I hope you find your cloth diaper experience to be just as rewarding :).
I'm writing this quick blog to promote the use of cloth diapers. I'm not talking about the cloth diapers our grandmothers and mothers pain-stakingly used (although if you can master the art of the safety pin, go for it!). I'm talking about a new more user-friendly kind that I am using on my now 6-week old son. When my husband and I were deciding how we wanted to cut corners with cost of having a baby, we brushed this idea off because of the hassle. In the end, my conviction was to use them because of the amount of land fill disposables take up.
Cloth diapers really aren't that bad. I know the idea of swishing a poopy diaper in a toilet isn't very appealing, but you have to wipe it off your baby's bottom anyway. My husband and I keep a glove in the bathroom for this use. In addition, my child does have his fair share of messy diapers, but not EVERY diaper is an explosion. I also have a bucket of soapy water in the laundry room that I throw the diapers in throughout the day and do a small load before I go to bed. I have enough that I can go for two days if I have to, but I try to keep up on it. And believe it or not, not one room in the house smells like poo. So, for those that are interested, there is a huge market for these eco-friendly poo catchers. You can look at fuzzibunz.com to get an idea. There are also happy hiney's and many other off brands. We have a mix of many that we bought new on ebay for way less then the manufacture. The cost upfront was approximately $200, but it's a long term investment. Plus, we are doing our part to help the environment! I hope you find your cloth diaper experience to be just as rewarding :).
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