Happy Green Beings

In an effort to protect us from harmful substances in toys, the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act was passed this year by congress.  The law goes into effect in two months, and will introduce sweeping changes for small mom and pop type toy operations.  These are just the kinds of places I do try to buy from, because I’m fairly well assured of a quality product.  You can read more about the act and what you can do to help here.

No Comments »

I was looking for a book for my 6 year old son on how cars are built in the on-line catalog of our local library, and came across a book called “How to Live Well Without Owning a Car: Save money, breath easier, and get more mileage out of life” by Chris Balish. I wanted to encourage his interest in designing cars in case he has the engineer genes of both grandfathers. I visit web sites like Car Free Cities and participate in some bicycle commuter discussion groups, so I was familiar with some of the ideas that I might hear from this author. But the idea of an entire book dedicated to how I might benefit from living car free, particularly the economics of the choice seemed interesting, so I wrote down the call letters, and headed for the non-fiction aisles.

What I found was my second brand new untouched book on a green topic in as many visits to the Appleton Public Library. Since this book was placed in circulation nearly a year ago, it makes me a little doubtful about how well Americans are responding to international concerns about global warming. Our economic woes may have a bigger impact on worldwide consumerism than suggestions on how to individually reduce our carbon footprint. But then again, we wear huge blinders when it comes to our assumptions about using automobiles. This author may have found the way to get people’s attention with his argument that much of what keeps Americans from feeling wealthy is their habit of using automobiles. The actual cost of owning a car is about double the car payment. That turns out to be a lot of money considering that the alternative is to pay for something that looses value at 10% to 15% each year.

Now, I’ve long thought that when the price of non-renewable resources becomes high enough, maintstream people will begin using alternatives. But Mr. Balish points out that people have alternatives in the form of public transportation systems if they want to use them. He points out that there is always the rental car if you really need one for a trip not serviced by the transit systems. He goes on to promote the transit systems’ effectiveness by sharing paragraph long testimonials on page after page by people who have sold their cars, and live without them. They rave about the experience of not having to worry about a car, sit in traffic, worry about maintenance, and the many things that they have money for because they don’t own a car. The funny thing is that without exception, they look at the rest of us car dependent Americans as the people who are losing out. I’m talking with my family this holiday about getting rid of a car, and depending upon the Valley Transit System and my bicycle to see how much of a difference it makes for us. Even loosing one set of car related expenses may make a difference for us.

1 Comment »

It’s amazing what’s available in this country to the thrifty at heart. The other day, I saw a pair of like-new cross country skis with up-to-date bindings for $12 on the rack at our local Good Will Store. By like-new, I’m saying that there were far fewer scratches in them than in my own skis. Here in Wisconsin, it’s not hard at all to find the old 3 pin bindings on a pair of skis that will work as well as when they were made. If you try hard enough, you can find a traditional set of skis, poles, with boots and bindings for less than $50. What you have in the garage may work perfectly fine as well. There are lots of options at places like Play-it-Again Sports as well, still at quite reasonable prices. Cross Country skiing works all of the major muscle groups making it a great cardiovascular exercise that gets you out of the house in Winter. What could be greener than breaking trail on your old pair of cross country skis?

First, make sure that your boots fit you. You should wear the socks you will ski in, and walk around in them. You should have space between your toes and the end of the boot, yet your heel should stay in place. If your boots fit comfortably and look like they’ll hold together during an outing, find a pair of skis with bindings that work with your boots, and check the skis for size. To check the skis, stand with all of your weight on one ski with a 3×5, business, or playing card under the ski beneath the binding. If there is resistance to pulling it out from under the ski, it should grip the snow. Next, stand with equal weight on both skis and if the card slides out easily for about a foot of space in front of and behind your boot, they will glide freely after you stride forward. If a shorter space allows the card to slide, you may not get as much glide but will feel more secure. Some skis have more curve and are stiffer than others of the same length. Older models were sized for length by standing with your hand up and picking a pair that reached up to your wrist, then checking the flex of the skis with a card. Newer models are being made shorter with suggested weight ranges in fewer sizes, so the card method is still the most reliable way to check skis to see how well they will work for you on the snow.

Look at the base of the skis to see if they are textured for waxless skiing, and if not, see if you can find some cans of wax, a scraper, and a cork. Scrape off old wax if needed. Apply glide wax on the base at the tips and tails, and then crayon on the proper temperature wax in the kick zone (center 1/3 of the ski). Then rub the wax smooth with the cork, and you will be ready to go!

No Comments »

Do-it-yourself may be lots of fun, but it can also be expensive. Paying full retail for lumber can cost close to the same price you may pay for discounted build-your-own-furniture kits. On top of that, you have to acknowledge the impact of the forest industry on our environment when it comes to production of full dimension lumber. And at retail prices, it seems expensive too. But with some luck, you may come across recycled supplies that will allow you to build something from scratch that, like a stone sculpture, is just waiting for a need to expose what potentially lies within.

The past two weekends, I’ve been on a mission that is nearly complete. Looking at the remaining cedar bleachers recovered from a school dumpster a few summers past, I had been wondering what lay in store. My trailer and I were over there the moment I saw one dumpster load hauled away. I had already floored a knee wall space of a walk-in closet, decked the crumbling concrete stoop and a concrete patio, and built a matching workbench and potting bench all from the recovered wood. But the remainder had yet to reveal it’s purpose to me, and was waiting in the garage rafters. The pile of boots that reappeared in our entryway as winter dawned became my inspiration. How about a storage bench to collect those annoying boots? Strategic placement just outside the garage entry might also help to keep our socks dry as we travel from one level to another of our split ranch.

A quick search of the web for diy woodworking plans revealed a simple and sturdy boot bench with complete plans for just $5.00. All I needed was some structural lumber to use with the cedar, a hammer, nail setter, circular power hand saw and a saber saw. Shopping carefully, I picked out four recycled 7′ long 2″x4″s at the Restore along with a pair of hinges and a piece of 1/2″ plywood that had once been part of a kitchen cabinet. (I also picked up a pair of unfinished cafe cabinet doors that I’ll use to hide our electrical box when I finish the laundry room next week.) The only thing that didn’t come from recycled materials were the finish nails. I could have used the assorted nails available from the Restore, but in my cold garage the pneumatic finish nailer sure sped up the process. It also makes my lack of skill less apparent. All together, this piece of furniture cost less than $15.00 to build, including the plans. Now that’s a price that only a rummage sale deal or an outright gift could beat.

1 Comment »

Just in time for frazzled mommies at the holiday time, a great give-away on the Simple Mom blog.  Good luck!

No Comments »