The Intricacies of Daily Life — America vs. Japan

by Katy on April 10, 2012 · 29 comments

It’s now less than two weeks until I leave for Japan, and I’m starting to get excited about the trip, (rather than just bogged down by all the pre-trip details.) And do you know what I’m excited about?

Observing how daily life in Japan differs from that in the western world. You know, how food is bought and prepared . . . and then cleaned up. How the division of labor differs in a Japanese household. (Of course, everyone is different, so my host family would be doing things differently than their neighbors.) We’ve hosted four different adult teachers over the years, and I’ve asked a lot of questions about who did the food prep and cleanup, how children are parented and how time is spent. How food waste is addressed. Questions about daily home life.

I will be spending the second half of my time in Japan with a host family in a small town, which I think will be the highlight of the trip. Although it’s been awhile, I’ve done a fair amount of international traveling. Three years in England, a summer in Costa Rica, Three months in Mexico and Guatemala, six months in Israel and various shorts trips to Scotland, Egypt, Wales and Europe. (It sounds like a lot, but keep in mind this was spread out over a lifetime.) But Asia? That will be new to me.

It occurred to me that a lot of what interests me are those exact intricacies of daily life. You know, the little stuff. How people interact and get on with their daily lives. Like an amateur sociologist.

I’m having a hard time coalescing my thoughts on this subject, so I apologize if this post was a bit rambly. Perhaps I’ll have pulled my thoughts together a bit better after I come back from Japan.

Hey, a girl can dream.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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Non-Consumer Photo Essay — Maps, Chalkboard Paint and Veterinary Tattoos

by Katy on April 9, 2012 · 14 comments


All the supplies needed to make more map coasters for our Japanese host families. My mother donated four coasters and I was easily able to find an extra $4 set at Goodwill. A $1 Goodwill map of Portland provided all the necessary map-age. So cute and easy, I'll probably make this project over and over again.

 

A couple coats of Mod-Podge plus a spritz of Polyurethane spray finishes up the coasters.

 

I bought a huge bag of tulip bulbs for $4 at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore not too long ago. It's amazing how fast they've started coming up. This pot is ready to start blooming!

 

Our new sod backyard is looking great. The rain has been keeping it moist, so this is only the second time that I've had to water it. I love how the early morning light catches in the spray of water.

 

This goes under a new blog category that I'm going to call "The Weirdest Thing at Goodwill." It's an original piece of art that reads, "Spay and Neuter Everyone." and features scissors dripping with blood. And I'm pretty sure it's a prototype for a tattoo. *Shudder*

 

I got the great idea to use chalkboard paint on two of my kitchen cupboards. Sadly, this is what it looks like after the first coat. I'm using some leftover paint from a friend at work, and it think it has thickened with age. I now need to sand it down, thin out the paint and start over using a paint roller. This is for all of you out there who think I have a knack for DIY projects. This door pretty much sums up my crafty skills, which is why most of what I attempt is highly UNskilled.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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My Curbside Chair Transformation

by Katy on April 8, 2012 · 27 comments

Portland, Oregon experienced a rare and special day of sunshine yesterday, which meant it was time for lots of healthy outdoor aerobic activity spray painting! And the project of the day was was to finish my most recent curbside chair. Remember it?

Free sturdy bentwood chair with torn caning? Yes, you can come home with me.

 

With all the caning carefully cut away and the wood sanded, it’s ready for its coat of primer.

 

What was that, Captain Picard? We must always consider the Prime Directive? Well then, make it so!

 

Even though it looks like there’s perfectly good caning on the seat, it’s actually kind of messed up from having been attached to the seat. It took 1-1/2 can of Krylon Fusion gloss spray paint to cover all the nooks and crannies on this chair. Luckily, I only had to buy one can, as I already had some leftover from my last painting project.

 

It took a bit of fussy adjusting, but I used our staple gun to attach new fabric to the existing seat.

 

I’m not sure how many staples a normal re-upholsterer uses, but my motto was “The more the merrier.”

 

And . . . here’s the completed chair! 

I do believe this chair just bought itself a spot in our living room. Lucky chair.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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Extreme Productivity

by Katy on April 6, 2012 · 26 comments

I am both enamored and resentful of  Productivity Hacks. (It’s all bold because it’s the name of this week’s imaginary TV show.) I figure out mental tricks for getting myself to efficiently take care of life’s little tasks, and I pride myself in how much I’m able to get done in a 24-hour period. However, I also value downtime and time spent on the couch.

So what’s my secret to productivity/downtime balance?

Extreme Productivity!

Instead of taking all day to plod through a to-do list, I will often give myself a set period of time, say one hour or even two hours to do nothing but task related activities. I set a brisk pace and I make sure I’m doing something every. Single. Second.

I grew up taking dance classes, and one of the things that you learn as a dancer is that while you’re performing one move, you’re already thinking about what the next move is. And this is how I structure my Extreme Productivity.

As I’m assembling the recycling to take outside, I already know that my next move is to fold laundry. And as I’m folding laundry, I’m already thinking about how I’ll sweep the stairs or call the doctor for lab results. This way I completely lose the lag time between tasks. This may sound a bit insane, (which I’m okay with. 😉 ) but it’s ah-mayzing how much I can get accomplished when I employ this technique.

I’m not suggesting that a person spend all waking hours in this manner, as it would be a sure route to insanity. Instead this is a specific technique for short bursts of time.

And when I’m done my Extreme Productivity, I then have time to read a book, write this blog, have lunch with a friend or chat with a neighbor. After all, it’s better to make as many hours in  the day available for the activities that give me pleasure.

Do you have a productivity technique that works for you? Please share your tips in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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What if *You* Had Won the Mega Millions Jackpot?

by Katy on April 4, 2012 · 57 comments

I am not a lottery game player. Sure, I’ve bought a few scratch-off tickets through the years, but I’ve never bought the type where you have to choose numbers. But I do have to say that I was sorely tempted last week to pick up a ticket or two. Because it  sure would be awesome to have an extra 656 million dollars floating around my checking account.

I started to think about what I would do if I had that kind of money, and here’s what I came up with:

  1. I would hire a professional contractor to finish all the projects in my 98-year-old house. And I would also pay off my mortgage.
  2. I would stop worrying about how my kids will afford college.
  3. I would give a hefty endowment to Portland Public Schools so they can stop cutting essential services. Heck, might even do it for the entire state of Oregon!
After that, I’m not really sure what I would do. I would probably keep my job, as a nursing license dies on the vine if you don’t work a certain number of hours. I’d still shop at Goodwill, although I’d probably feel guilty about it.

I then asked my husband what he would do if he won the Mega Millions Jackpot, and here was his answer:

“I would build my own soccer field.”

Umm . . . okay. Apparently, it would have a couple different fields and be real grass. What can I say? The man’s passion is soccer!

My step-father said he would give a million dollars to each of his close family members, (Yay for me, as he has no kids of his own!)

My 16-year-old son answered that he would “Buy 1000 cats.” (Because you know, there’s currently no such thing as a straight answer.)

How about you, what would you do if you won $656,000,000? Please share your answers in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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Before, During and After — The Secret of the Missing Bikini Top

by Katy on April 3, 2012 · 23 comments

I have a number of projects that are in-process at the moment. Some of this is because I need the combination of nice weather + days off from work to make them happen, but it’s mostly because the mood hasn’t struck.

I have decided to sell my $12.99 Goodwill hand-knotted prayer rug. However, I do want to enjoy it for a few weeks before sending it to a new owner. So instead of keeping it rolled up, I’m trying it out over my console table in the living room. I like how it brings texture to the space and lends an exotic flavor to the front window.

Because this rug is on the cusp of being sold, I’m calling it Before:

"Before" the rug was sold, it worked briefly as a tablecloth.

Remember my project chairs? Well . . . one is waiting for a seat, while the other has a seat, but is waiting to be painted. In the end, they’ll both be painted the same color and have the same fabric seats.

We’ll call them During:

Together, they make up one completed chair. However, life doesn't work that way.

It’s good to have a few projects that are less complicated. I wrote recently about the issue of unwanted solicitors on my porch, so I finally constructed a “No Soliciting” sign.

I found an adorable (and free) template on the internet, which I printed out. I then bought this goofy looking wooden plaque from Goodwill.

I’ll call this project After:

Looky at me! I'm water-skiing and my bikini top has blown off. Aren't I fantastic?! What, no? Then I guess it's okay to cover me up.

Yeah, it’s pretty awful. However, it’s the perfect size, has a hanging hook and most importantly, was a blue tag, which meant it was 50% off and only set me back a buck.

A gentle coat of Mod-Podge, (otherwise it would smear the ink jet colors) some origami paper to completely cover the plaque and here’s the end result:

Better, right?! And only you and I know the secret of the topless water-skier. Shh . . .

Have you been working any any projects lately? Please feel free to link them up in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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Yes, We are Sod People

by Katy on April 2, 2012 · 14 comments

I try my very best to save money whenever I can. I bring my own lunch to work, I maintain an extremely minimal wardrobe of thrift-store clothes; and for the past three years, I have gone the frugal route and planted grass seed over my backyard lawn. I always make sure to plant it nice and early so that it doesn’t have to be watered until mid-summer. But sadly, we’ve consistently succeeded in establishing a healthy looking lawn, only to have it peter out over the winter.

Super frustrating. Especially since my sister spent hundreds of hours constructing a brick patio with retaining wall that is saddened to butt up against the capitol of Mudville.

So my husband and I finally decided to bite the bullet and plant sod. Yes, sod. That instalawn so preferred by realtors and clichéd Americans. Luckily, Portland, Oregon enjoys (hah!) an extremely rainy climate, so lawns here rarely need watering. So grass does not push my eco-guilt button. Add the world’s largest maple tree to the equation, and we don’t really have a lot of options for landscaping our backyard.

Here’s a handy before picture for your viewing pleasure:

Mud-ville.

And from another angle:

Mud-ville next to our fantastic retaining wall and brick patio.

 Awesome, right?!

Unfortunately, my back has been consistently hinky lately, so this was a project for my able-bodied husband.

Again, more pictures:

Rototilling.

 

Rolls of sod, ready to go!

 

The soil was so saturated with rain, that my husband ended up using a trowel to smooth and compact it before laying the rolls of sod.

 

And . . . done. Notice anything different? I convinced my husband to remove the slide from our treehouse. No one has gone down it for at least two years, so it was time for it to go. (Of course, I'll sell it on Craigslist.)

 

After. The sod is still pretty muddy looking, but otherwise I have high hopes for this year's lawn. We planted it early enough to benefit from the rainy season, so it should establish well before next winter.

The planting of our sod is a good example of how it’s good to try the cheapest option before laying out the big bucks. Sure, planting grass seed was a bust, but it could just have easily have succeeded.

The total cost of laying the sod was around $220, which included the rototiller rental, the sod, the delivery of the sod and the bags of lime and fertilizer. We bought from a locally owned business, who contracts with small-scale local growers.

I am now very excited to enjoy some shady backyard entertaining, even if it’s just the four of us. I am however a bit sad to have lost my spray painting area, but I guess every project has a downside.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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My TV Show!

by Katy on April 1, 2012 · 55 comments

Some of you may have noticed that The Non-Consumer Advocate has been a bit inconsistent of late. One day a fantastic post, the next day nothing. And I can finally share my big news that has kept me so busy and away from the computer:

I am going to star in my own TV show starting this fall on The Frugal Network!

The name is not completely set in stone, but so far we’re going with:

The Non-Consumer Advocate: Decorating, Eating and Living with Garbage.

I’m so excited that I’m fit to burst. However, there are going to have to be some changes before I’m, ahem . . . TV-ready. I’ve already started on an MD-supervised 500 calorie a day diet, and have just finished getting my teeth capped and dermabrasion to even out my skin tone. This may seem extreme, but it’s all in my contract, so I don’t really have a choice.

Because of the time requirements, I’ll only be writing once a week, and most of these are likely to be previously published posts.

The money is fantastic, so I’m willing to make all these changes, and frankly, I’ll be happy to say to goodbye to all that awful scrimping and saving. (I’ve tried to put a positive spin on frugality, but seriously, who was I kidding?!) If I never set foot in a Goodwill again, I’ll be a happy gal indeed!

Anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying their first day of April. Because, you know, it’s April Fools Day.

Then again, I hope you already knew that. 😉

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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Ask The Readers — Oriental Rug and Mystery Vintage Photo

by Katy on March 30, 2012 · 47 comments

Today is a day when I need answers from you, the readership. Because although I may seem all knowing, it turns out that I’m not. (This is an example of self-deprecation humor, as I actually know pretty much next to nothing.)

Question #1

I bought a rather wonderful hand knotted oriental wool rug at Goodwill for the fantabulous price of $12.99. And to make things more impressive, it still had its oval store tag on it. However, at 4-1/2 by 2-1/2 feet, it’s a slightly awkward size. I’ve tried it in the entry way, (too cluttery looking) in front of the sink, (too likely to get ruined from water) and next to my side of the bed, (too pretty to be hidden.) Which brings me to the question:

Should I sell this rug and set the money aside to buy a large bedroom rug, which is what I really want? Or, should I keep this rug in the hopes that the perfect spot for it will finally occur to me? And also, how much should I sell it for?

The problem is that I’ve kind of bonded with the rug, as it’s in perfect condition and the colors and pattern are just gorgeous. Here, take a look for yourself:

Should I stay or should I go?

 

Question #2

I recently hit up the Salvation Army thrift store on a 50%-off day and was drawn to an 8″ X 10″ vintage photograph that at $3.75 was too good to pass up. Why? Because the photo is of a military unit encamped in front of a snow capped mountain that at first I thought was an un-exploded Mt. St. Helens. However, an astute clerk pointed out that the trees were all wrong, (should be huge Douglas Fir trees) which only deepened my interest.

Here, see for yourself:

Where am I? Click on me to enlarge the photo.

Is this photo from  WWII or the Korean War, or maybe even not during wartime at all? Do you see the military vehicle to the far right of the photo? And most importantly, which mountain is in the background?

Thousands of you read The Non-Consumer Advocate on a daily basis, so I’m hoping that someone, (or someones) can help solve this mystery.

I thank you in advance, and am looking forward to your always sage and informative answers.

Update:

My friend Lori found this old photo, which is of Mt. Fuji in Japan. You can see that it’s the exact same angle of the mountain, with the bump on the right side. So, that’s one mystery solved!

 

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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Hello Gorgeous Lamp, Wanna Come Over and See My Etchings?

by Katy on March 29, 2012 · 30 comments

It may have taken awhile, but I finally finished refurbishing my vintage Goodwill lamp. And yes, I’m really happy with how it turned out. It’s shiny, it’s chrome-y, it’s solid without being clunky, and yes, it’s tubular. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) My original plan had been to use the perfectly good electrical guts from a broken floor lamp, but I was having trouble figuring out which parts went where, so I broke down and bought a $8.99 make-a-lamp kit from Home Depot. (I did use a promo $1 gift card.)

The process of rewiring the lamp was super finicky and took a couple of hours. Why? Because all that tubular-goodness made it extremely difficult to thread the wiring from bottom to top. I ended up needing to use a flashlight and a paperclip converted into a fishing hook to complete the job, and it took me a lot of time to figure this out. Luckily, this kind of project is perfect for evening TV-watching, so it ended up being a pleasant-enough task in the end.

I did have to give up on snaking the wiring through the teeny-tiny exit hole from the bottom of the lamp, but I’m okay with that.

See what I mean?

Do you like how my Goodwill-purchased $1.99 lampshade is painted gold on the inside? It casts a lovely golden glow onto the lamp, which is very pretty. Sadly though, this lampshade has been my second choice. I had also Goodwill-ed a teak veneer lampshade which had a much hipper vibe. Unfortunately, the metal spokes were slightly uneven, so I had the great idea to press down on the top to fix this problem. However, I may have pressed a wee bit too hard:

And for all of you you enjoy a good before-and-after, here’s a complete evolution of the lamp:

Before

During

 

After

Now, it’s on to my project chairs. C’mon, sunny weather!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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