A “Dear John” Letter to My Hairbrush

by Katy on November 18, 2011 · 22 comments

Dear Hairbrush,

I’ve been meaning to write this letter for awhile, but I didn’t know how to start it. The words eluded me, and somehow it seemed easier to turn a blind eye to our problems than it was to address them straight on.

I remember when we first met like it was yesterday. I spied you across a salon, your paddle brush promising minimal static and smooth shiny locks. I knew at $18 you were out of my league, but somehow I plucked up enough courage to walk over and introduce myself.

“Hi, I’m Katy. I’m usually not so forward, but, umm . . . I’d really like to take you home with me.”

I blush at the memory.

We had a number of good years. I knew you were a pricey fella’, so I treated you right. I combed the stray hairs from your bristles and kept you in a special spot, always taking the time to reconnect before leaving the house.

Oh . . .  if we could just turn back the clock and freeze these special moments. Before you started your gradual decline, before you, *sob* stopped taking care of yourself.

The first time you fell to the floor and snapped in half I thought my heart would break. But the loving care of Super Glue and a steady hand brought you back to me.

But you weren’t the same, you would never be the same. We would never be the same.

Then your rubber tips began to come off, which meant the smooth and dreamy experience of your caresses began to feel kind of rough. Definitely not the intuitive rhythm we had once shared. But I didn’t care, you were my special hairbrush and the ravages of time could never part us. Never!

I see now how naive I was.

Then you started to break more often. Yes, you could still be glued back together, but each break was a little less clean, a little more sloppy. You didn’t look so good anymore.

When I gaze upon you now, I no longer see the unbearably handsome guy who once drew me across a salon. I see a broken down hairbrush without pride. I still reach for you, but it’s out of habit and guilt instead of lust. I loved you once, but that love has been replaced by apathy.

So today I ask you to leave my home. Goodbye dear sweet hairbrush, let’s just focus on the good times.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

Enjoy my Love Letters? Then you should probably make sure you’ve read all of them:

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In Which Katy Wolk-Stanley and Deepak Choprah Spend an Afternoon Playing Video Games — A Giveaway

by Katy on November 17, 2011 · 157 comments

I was sent a copy of Deepak Chopra’s Leela to review. And yes, it is a video game. (For Xbox 360 Kinect and Wii.) I know it sounds counterintuitive to have a relaxation and meditation video game, but I was highly intrigued. (Wait . . . what?!)

When I think of video games, my mind goes to sports, racing, kill-the-bad-guy, and yes, Pac-Man. And although we do have a video game system at home, the only time I’ve ever played it was for, you guessed it, Pac-Man. (Seriously, even at age 43, I am still quite the formidable Pacmaniac!)

But Leela is a video game in name only. There are no bad guys and certainly no crazy adrenaline as you race towards a finish line. It kind of defies categorization. In Sanskrit, the word Leela means “play.”

The game is based on the seven chakras, which are “a way of understanding how the energy flows inside and through you.” The game itself is split into two areas: “Movement and Sequence” and “Meditation and Oracle.” Each area then has a number of sequences that have to be “unlocked” before moving on to the next level.

I had hoped to dabble in all levels before writing up my review, but it would take quite awhile to accomplish this feat. However, I made sure to dabble in each category.

The game aims to help us ” maintain physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance,” and who among us is not looking for balance?

Between the two options, I was more drawn to the “Meditation and Oracle” area, as guided meditation was more of a natural fit for me than “Movement and Sequence.” It was nice to have the two different choices of how to get the best out of this video game. Although, as I work my way through this game (which I plan on doing) I may find myself to be more of a “Movement and Sequence” kind of gal.

As a non-gamer, it’s hard to compare Leela to other video games. So I can only say that it was certainly interesting, and I could see myself using and enjoying the guided meditation within the game. And if Deepak Chopra ever makes his way to Portland, he has a standing invitation to play Pac-Man with me, although he’s sure to lose.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

One lucky reader will have the chance to try out Leela on the Wii gaming system, courtesy of THQ (providing Leela) and BlogHer (providing the Wii). To be entered for a chance to win, please answer the following question:

How do you bring peace and balance into the confusion of a busy schedule and your daily life?

Rules:

 

No duplicate comments.

 

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

 

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

 

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

 

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

 

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

 

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

 

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

 

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

 

The Official Rules are available here.

 

This sweepstakes runs from 11/17/2011 – 12/8/2011.

 

Be sure to visit the Leela Roundup page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Also check out the Leela Mandala Facebook App to create and customize your
own personal “mandala” – artwork that expresses an individual’s unique
essence and intentions.

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This has been a paid review through BlogHer. All opinions are my own.

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Non-Consumer Photo Essay — Autumnal and Indoorsy

by Katy on November 17, 2011 · 9 comments

When I clean house, I like to have a noticeable return in exchange for my efforts. Here is my cold air return before I "decluttered" and vacuumed it out.

 

Cold air return -- after. Now THAT'S what I call a noticeable difference!

 

I may not live in New England, but the fall leaves in Portland are still pretty spectacular. Here I filled three vintage canning jars with leaves from my neighbor's tree. Can you see how the jars say "Economy" on them?

 

I recently decluttered and organized my bathroom supply basket and came across eleven miscellaneous toothbrushes, almost all of which were from my kids' dental appointments. We use a Sonicare system at home, so these brushes were only used once. Sure I like to keep a couple extra toothbrushes for cleaning the nooks and crannies of my filthy abode, but this is ridiculous! From now on, we'll bring our own toothbrushes with us when we go to the dentist.

 

Ginger Snaps, or as my husband calls them, "Heroin Cookies." Portland, Oregon is cold, wet and rainy this time of year, which somehow lends itself to all kinds of delicious baking. I may be spending all my time indoors, but I will make it smell better than a newborn baby's head.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Making Applesauce — A.K.A. Getting Saucy With The Non-Consumer Advocate

by Katy on November 16, 2011 · 30 comments

The day before yesterday I took advantage of a screaming good deal on wonderful local apples and cooked up a big ol' batch of applesauce. And lest you think this was no big deal for me, I'd never made applesauce by my lonesome before, (my father always helped) and I actually bought the apples three weeks ago! I decided to stop being intimidated by the task and took the metaphorical jump off the high diving board.

 

First up, wash the apples. (There were actually many, many more apples than this.)

 

Next step was to chop the apples. Because my family owns a vintage "Squeezo Strainer," peeling and coring the apples is unnecessary. I checked on eBay, and these saucy little gems sell for upwards of a hundred dollars. I guess we're not the only ones that recognize their genius design.

 

I then boiled the cut apples, which is when the windows started to steam up with delicious fragrance. Mmm . . . .

 

My "Squeezo Strainer" at work. The lovely applesauce goes into one bowl, while all the peel and seeds are diverted off to the side. My compost bins were very lucky this day.

 

Heavenly applesauce.

 

Teenage boys (and occasional congressmen) may take self portraits flexing their abdominal muscles in their oh-so-sexy bathrooms, but I take self portraits of myself making applesauce. Waaay more alluring. Note the ancient "Squeezo Strainer" box on the floor.

 

I ran out of canning jars at the end, but then remembered that I had a few vintage blue Ball jars that I normally employ as vases. Their rims were intact and smooth, so I scrubbed them down and put them to work. The blue glass plus the yellow applesauce creates an otherworldly green glow, which is both beautiful and simultaneously kind of ugly.

In the end I canned 17 jars, which we will both dine from and employ as holiday gifts. Even my little sister Sara, who is a canning dynamo was impressed with how much applesauce I produced. It took around four hours including clean up and the occasional Twitter update. I somehow didn’t photograph the canning bath, but I ensure that it did indeed happen.

I am now done canning for the year, and am self-impressed with how I somehow plucked up the courage to can applesauce, pickles and jam this year. (And I think I made jam three times.) I blame Ashley English of Small Measure for getting me off my non-canning duff, so I guess I owe her a thank you. I only with she didn’t live 3000 miles away, so she could lend a hand now and again.

Have you tried your hand at canning? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Tiny Changes Add Up to Big Results

by Katy on November 15, 2011 · 30 comments

When asked what changes they can make in their lives to live green, many people immediately fixate on the big expensive stuff. For example, buying an expensive hybrid car or installing solar panels on their roofs. Don’t get me wrong, these are admirable choices to make, but frankly, they’re beyond many people’s budget. And yeah, they’re beyond mine.

However, just because you don’t have a spare $20,000 cluttering up your house doesn’t mean you are barred from enacting green living changes in your own home.

It should come as no surprise that I am a huge proponent of making small changes, which then add up to big results. And I am here to tell you that none of these green living changes are beyond the pocketbook of the average American.

From stringing a humble clothesline between two trees in the backyard to choosing a push mower instead of a smog inducing gas mower, these choices are available to most everyone.

I was recently given $50 to spend at The Home Depot on eco-friendly products, which I was eager to accept. Sure, I’m usually a proponent on buying used over new, but when buying a new product can bring about an earth friendly change,†I’m more than willing to make an exception to† the buy-nothing-new Compact.

Because I’ve already been making these eco-friendly choices in my home for a number of years, some of the more obvious choices had already been made. My lightbulbs are all energy saving CFLs, our toilet is low-flow, and we already garden organically, using the compost from our own bins.

But there’s always more we could do, so I pointed the ol’ mini-van toward the closest Home Depot to see what eco-friendly products could be bought for $50. Here’s what I bought:

  • One doormat made from recycled materials. (Our current one is cute, but absolutely useless when it comes to removing any moisture or mud from the bottoms of shoes, which pretty much makes it as helpful as a butcher at a militant vegan cooking convention.) $12.97.
  • Two bottles of Martha Stewart brand plant-based bathroom cleaner for $2.90 apiece.
  • A “Dual Flusher” conversion kit for our toilet. This, I am excited about. We are not a “if it’s yellow, be mellow” family, so this has the potential to save a ton of water! $19.98.
  • Two 4-packs of CFL lightbulbs. $7.94.
  • One issue of the new HGTV magazine. I consider this to be eco-friendly, because HGTV specializes in repurposing old stuff, so I am hoping for lots of great inspiration. $3.58.

Grand total for everything? $50.27.

I am really happy with the eco-friendly stuff I was able to find at The Home Depot. Nothing I bought today was anything I wouldn’t have normally bought. And I am really psyched to install the dual-flush conversion kit. We use a ton of water at our house, and the opportunity to make a dent in our water usage without having to switch out the entire toilet is beyond exciting for me.

Yeah, I am an eco-geek. Katy Wolk-Stanley “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

†Want more tips†on how to†become eco-conscious? Visit the Prizes & Promotions Section on BlogHer!

†

This has been a paid review through Blogher. All opinions are my own. † †

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Feeling Bookish, and Lucky

by Katy on November 14, 2011 · 26 comments

My employer has been changing how they schedule the nurses, and as a result I’ve been working a lot less than normal. This is bad because it’s meant that my paychecks are close to non-existent. I am not going to paint a rosy picture of the situation, as frankly, it sucks! However, it has meant that I have more time on my hands than I’ve ever had in my adult life. So, have I been tackling household projects, writing a book proposal or finally addressing the flabbitude that is my midsection?

Nope. I’ve been reading a lot. Because the cut in my work hours coincided with the library’s new Lucky Day program, where they make high demand books available to actually pull from the shelf, (with the limitation that you can only check out two at a time and they’re non-renewable.) No longer are the desirable book months away from available, and I can actually be a spontaneous reader again!

Glory be!

Just yesterday, I schlepped my two Lucky Day books back to the library and brought home two new books:

  • The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder Through the Seasons, by Amanda Soule.
  • The Uncoupling: a Novel, by Meg Wolitzer.

Both of these books have multiple holds on them, (the Amanda Soule book has 52 at the moment!) and I normally would not have been able to spontaneously bring them home. And the three-week deadline keeps me from setting them aside and forgetting about them. The Lucky Day program has also allowed me to read:

  • I Remember Nothing: and Other Reflections, by Nora Ephron. ****Highly recommend****
  • The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels — a Love Story, by Bree Drummond.
  • Mini-Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella.

 

I am suddenly excited about going to the library again. Instead of heading straight for the hold shelf, (which has been my modus operandi of years late,) I actually get to read books that I’m in the mood for now, instead of six months ago!

Lucky Day? I say Lucky Year!

Have you been reading much lately, and if so do you have any books to recommend to The Non-Consumer Advocate community? Please share your suggestions in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Love They Neighbor . . . and Their Stuff

by Katy on November 13, 2011 · 25 comments

The following is a reprint of a previously published post. Enjoy! 

Neighbors chat over the clothesline.

 I love my neighbors.

We’ve been in the same house for 12 years, and we’ve gone through some real doozies.

First, there was the next-door neighbor who ran an illegal scrap metal business from his yard. He would haul home huge hunks of metal machinery, bang it apart, let it sit for six months or so, and then cart it off to the metal recycler. It was ugly, loud and not exactly the most attractive vista from the south side of the house. Feng Shui it wasn’t.

Then, there was the nice elderly couple whose son came home from prison to set up his own drug merchandising business from the house. (Like a lemonade stand, but with meth.)

Mind you, I live in a very nice and respectable neighborhood, and this stuff was completely out of the ordinary.

So when I say I love my current neighbors, I mean I really love my current neighbors.

The scrap metal people were replaced by a retired California couple whose feet I would kiss daily if they did not think it to be weird.

A minister and her lovely, polite teenagers moved into the drug dealer’s house.

I must have done something very special in a past life.

I have established terrific mutually moochy relationships with the current neighbors. We watch each other’s cats when out of town, share lawnmowers, power tools, wheelbarrows and such. When I’m missing a last minute dinner ingredient, I shop not from the grocer’s, but door-to-door.

“Do you have cinnamon/baking soda/an egg/extra dining room chair I can borrow?”

I often read generalizations in the media about how people these days don’t know their own neighbors, and I wonder where this data is being pulled from. Certainly not my Portland neighborhood.

My brother-in-law was telling me over the phone today that he had to dash out to quickly buy a garment bag for his immanent Alaskan cruise.

“Why don’t you just ask if a neighbor has one you can borrow?“

I think I actually heard the click of a lightbulb turning on, as this suggestion sunk in.

Sure enough, one of his neighbors was more than happy to send their garment bag on an adventure.

Problem solved.

Without anything needing to be purchased, without an errand to run.

Should you befriend your neighbors just so you can mooch off them?

Probably not.

But the people on my street benefit almost daily from our close relationships. I am happy, happy, happy to share the wealth of our belongings, and know the neighbors return the sentiment.

And the lemonade stands now sell only actual lemonade.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Five Frugal Activities

by Katy on November 11, 2011 · 19 comments

Kathy Sager, reading from her book, "Suzies' Sourdough Circus," which is based on my sister and father's love of sourdough bread.

My recent frugal activities have ranged from hanging out at home and reading library books while hanging out with my kids, (super frugal) to finding coins on the ground wherever I go. (Coin Girl to the rescue!) Here’s a little peek at five of my recent frugal activities:

  1. I went to a reading at a local children’s bookstore for Suzie’s Sourdough Circus. It was super fun, plus my father came and bought a copy of The Hunger Games for my son, which I plan on borrowing as soon as he’s finished.
  2. I’ve been motoring through DVDs of Big Bang Theory, which I borrowed from my mother. At 22 minutes, they’re the perfect length for distraction while folding and putting away laundry. (I gotta say — I ♥ Sheldon!)
  3. My husband and son are wanting to turn the one finished room in our basement into a “Man Cave.” However, it’s currently filled with musical equipment, odds and ends and storage for the local soccer club. We’re starting the process of decluttering this space to create a TV-centric destination. However, I highly doubt it will will cost us more than the cost of drywall mud and a bucket of paint. It’s fun to have a project that isn’t a financial burden. And of course, I will sell as many of the odds and ends as possible, which will actually net us a profit from the project!
  4. I was highly unmotivated for dinner last night, but was able to pull together a meal without involving the takeout gods. I used my George Foreman Grill to cook up a single frozen chicken breast, which then got cut up to go on top of a green salad. I also boiled up a box of orzo pasta, which was topped by marinara sauce gleaned from the freezer. Super easy, healthy enough and (here’s my favorite part) minimal clean up.
  5. I do not give an allowance to my kids. If they want money, they they can do something to earn it. (You know, like an adult!) And in the past week, my younger son took care of the neighbor’s cat, which earned him $20, and my older son babysat for a neighbor’s three-year-old son, which earned him $30. Because they earned the money themselves, they’re less likely to blow it on crap and frankly, it’s far more than they would have earned from an allowance.

Frugality is not the same as deprivation. We go out and do stuff, and we hang out at home and do stuff. Just like everyone else. Minus of course the first-run movies, restaurant meals, recreational shopping, expensive personal grooming and pricey home projects. We pay for a single destination membership, (the zoo) which means that when we have out of town guests, we go to the zoo. (Something Japanese people seem to really like.) We think twice about attending events that require too much driving and are perfectly happy to putter around the house.

Yup, frugal. Now, how about you, what frugal activities have you been working on?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Where I Leave With Dog Poop on My Boots and Come Home With Two New Shirts

by Katy on November 9, 2011 · 18 comments

I spent yesterday puttering around the house. I did some dishes, did some writing, hung some clothes, answered some e-mails. I was neither productive nor was I non-productive. And by early afternoon, I was annoying even to myself, so I made the choice to get out of the house. I decided to combine the whole getting-out-of-the-house thing with getting dog poop off the bottom of my nice boots.

Hmm . . . I guess a bit of back story is in order.

I own a pair of fantastic (Were $37.50 on clearance) Keen brand boots, that are not only warm and stylish, (okay, maybe not New York stylish, but they are definitely Portland stylish) but the very deep tread was filled with super nasty dog poop. So, they’ve been sitting on my front porch for at least two weeks. Every time I pass them by, I am both disgusted and filled with the guilt of an unfinished task. However, I really didn’t want to scrub them down with hot water in the basement utility sink, (which is my normal dog poop removal method) as the backs of the boots are boiled wool and absorbent.

I decided that if I took a walk wearing the boots I could get most of the dog poop to come off the boots. So walk the neighborhood I did.

I walked north-south, and then I walked east-west.

And every now and then I scraped the bottom of that boot against the sidewalk curb and then stomped across someone’s lawn. (Sorry neighbors.) I wished for a puddle so I could moisten the poop from the crevices, but it was an oddly dry day and puddles were in short supply.

My walk was less fun than I’m making it sound here, as I was irritated and annoyed throughout the process.

And then . . . I came across a small box of free clothing. And lo and behold, found two rather nice T-shirts. One, a Banana Republic* black V-neck T, and the other an Old Navy* long sleeve black T-shirt with cute embellishments on the sleeves. Looking brand new and in my size!

And suddenly, my just-for-the-pupose-of-removing-dog-poop-from-my-boot walk seemed a whole lot brighter.

You just never know what your day will bring you.

* I’m not so picky about Big Box Fashion when it’s sourced from a free box.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Homemade Gifts — Do We Have to Keep Them Forever?

by Katy on November 8, 2011 · 88 comments

The Non-Consumer Advocate got a thought provoking comment from Allison the other day in response to the Moving Away From BigBox Fashion post, which was:

“One thing I have noticed when buying from resale stores and from thrift stores is the number of handmade items for so cheap! I am a knitter and it breaks my heart so see the number of gorgeous hand knit sweaters, hats, vests for babies and kids that sell for less than the yarn cost the maker. It is dispiriting to see items I would classify as heirlooms and in brand new condition for sale for $1 or $2. Do people really not value items made with love anymore?”

This was my response:

“That’s a hard one. Especially for knit items that are made to fit a certain size, it doesn’t always make sense to hold onto them after they have served their purpose. (Like keeping babies warm.) It’s hard to think about how things that have been made with love do not hold the same emotional attachment to the recipient.

However, since you seem to be aware of the value of good yarn, maybe you could buy the occasional garment to unravel and reknit into something brand new.”

I write this response as both a non-crafter and as a person who has worked long and hard to declutter my house. (Still not done with this task.) When I give a handmade gift, it’s going to be consumable 90% of the time; and that other 10% the item was so poorly constructed, that I’d be happy to hear that the recipient felt comfortable giving it to Goodwill. And I am that person who is able to get past the guilt involved with getting rid of gifts I’ve received. Not always, not every gift, but I do not feel the compulsion to curate a collection of every gift I’ve ever recieved. Even if it was handmade.

How do you feel? Should people hold onto every handmade gift they’ve ever received in order to spare the feelings of the giver?

Is it wrong to let go of no longer useful items to get them in the hands of someone who could use it, even if it was “made with love?”

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley    

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

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