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

trinity-college-library-dub

  1. Use your library.
  2. Eat the food you’ve bought, and eat then your leftovers.
  3. Shop from your closet instead of buying new clothes.
  4. Give gifts that you already own, like a couple of great books or an admired knick-knack.
  5. Go for a walk outside instead of on a treadmill.
  6. Cook from scratch.
  7. Send your kids into the backyard instead of taking them to a movie or arcade.
  8. Repair items instead of replacing them.
  9. Turn the thermostat down in your house and add an extra layer.
  10. Plant a vegetable garden. It’s amazing what you can grow in even a small space. (We grow all our own lettuce for the summer in a single wheelbarrow.)
  11. Make your own cleaning products, or better yet, clean with water.
  12. When a friend wants to get together, go for a walk instead of eating out.
  13. Choose a simple close-to-home vacation instead of a can-only-get-there-by-flying elaborate trip.
  14. Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Always. And then make sure they give you that three cent per-bag refund.
  15. Minimize your garbage output, then go to a less frequent pickup service.
  16. Drive less, and then contact your insurance agent to get a discount.
  17. Hang-dry your laundry.
  18. Decline invitations to those Tupperware, Party-lite, Pampered Chef etc. parties.
  19. Buy used whenever possible. Better yet, join The Compact.
  20. Refuse to use credit cards for anything that’s not an emergency.

Did I miss something? Please add your list in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Portland, Oregon is known for its rainy weather, and today is no exception. Luckily, there’s still lots to do in an indoor environment. For example:

List unwanted items on Craigslist!

Which is what I’m doing today.

So if you’re in the market for a Longaberger basket or some Hanna Andersson pajamas, you’re in luck. Me? I’m just looking for an excuse to sit at home and drink tea. And if I happen to make some money while decluttering the house, all the better.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Non-Consumer Mish-Mash

by Katy on September 25, 2010 · 7 comments

It’s time again for Non-Consumer Mish-Mash, where I write a little bit about this and a little bit about that.

Tile Style

My husband and I are still in the planning phase of the addition of a second bathroom into our five bedroom house. (I know, it’s weird.) I have been fantasizing about a second bathroom for years, and have obsessively torn photos from magazines and newspapers for inspiration. One of my favorites shows a hexagonal tile floor with a Grecian-style border. Sadly, only a tiny bit of floor is shown in the photo, so I was going to have to figure out the details on my own.

That is, until yesterday when I walked into the vestibule of Tammy Strobel’s apartment building and was hit with exactly the tile pattern that I want for my new bathroom. Which, (and this is very important) shows how the border maneuvers in the corners. I know Tammy thought I was on the weird side of nutso, but I snapped a ton of photos for reference.

It’s a good thing my husband and I are taking our sweet time with this project, or the tile would be finished by now.

Choosing a Microproject Over Routine

I have written before about how I could do house and yard work every waking moment without ever finishing the job. The dishes, laundry, cooking, organizing and gardening are on an endless loop that can make a gal go postal if she’s not careful. (And yes, I do the majority of household maintenance, as my husband works 44 hours per week and I work 16.)

So sometimes I ignore the general household duties in order to tackle a project that will actually have a lasting effect. (Dishes so do not have a lasting effect!) Just today I pulled everything out of the medicine cabinet, scrubbed it down, tossed empty vials of goo and reorganized everything.

The result is lovely, non-crowded and will be a delight to behold when I open it up every morning. And had I spent the same amount of time doing dishes, they would all be a post-dinner mess at this point anyway.

Library Geek, Thy Name is Katy

I am such a library geek that I am even Facebook friends with my favorite reference librarian. And when I saw that her status was to come in to The Belmont branch today to get your picture taken with your card I got all tingly and excited.

Why would I be so excited to have my picture taken with my library card? Because I still have my first library card from 1977, which is adorable as my signature could best be described as “chicken scratch.” And yes, I also still have my card from the eighties, which is silver and rather rock star cool.

And perhaps I did dress a little nicer than usual today, and maybe, just maybe I spent a few extra minutes on my hair. But I really want The Multnomah County library to use my photo on their website. The photo taken of me posing with my three library cards!

It would be better than when I was in The National Enquirer.

Rock star cool. Non-Consumer style.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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When Non-Consumers and Rowdy Kittens Unite

by Katy on September 24, 2010 · 6 comments

Katy Wolk-Stanley and Tammy Strobel. I'm not sure what I'm looking at, but apparently it's off in the middle distance.

One of the unexpected perks of writing a blog is getting to meet other bloggers. True, most of the meeting up is through the interweb, but I’ve actually met up with a few in person, (I know, it’s heresy) and yesterday had the pleasure of getting together with Rowdy Kitten’s Tammy Strobel.

For those not in the know, Strobel writes a blog about simple living issues, and was featured in a NY Times article last month on how she and her husband Logan ditched their traditional belongings-centric life in California for a Portland, Oregon studio apartment filled with approximately 100 possessions. So when we were setting up our meet and greet, I wanted to see this shrine to all things minimalistic for myself.

I’m not sure what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised. There was no echo, and the belongings seemed to fit the space. Neither Tammy nor her husband admitted to missing any of their former possessions, and both seemed content with their deliberately chosen lot.

Conversation came easily, as we have much in common despite our obvious differences, (she works from home as a freelance writer and is childless, while I work as a labor and delivery nurse and am raising unruly teenagers.) We ran out of time before we ran out of momentum, which is as it should be. I look forward to our next meet and greet, and will enjoy showing her my simplisticly complicated home.

Although I have been decluttering over the past few years, I am far from completing the task. (I may possibly have 100 possessions on my coffee table at the moment.) And the remodeling of my storage space into a bedroom/bathroom has meant our bedroom transformed  from acceptable to unacceptable. (Seriously, nothing is more serene and romantic than bins of Lincoln Logs and wooden blocks.) I am in constant need of inspiration mojo, and might have found enough in Tammy and Logan’s apartment to at least get me through the next couple of weeks.

It occurred to me afterwards that choosing an extreme minimalist lifestyle is more about what you’re not doing than what you are. You’re not spending hours a day cleaning and organizing, and you’re certainly not wasting time watching TV, washing the car or earning the money to pay for said TV and car. So much of frugality is time heavy, (hanging laundry to dry, cooking from scratch, etc.) and making that choice to live simply frees up hours of mindless activity. Yes, Strobel has no children, but I highly doubt she would chuck her lifestyle even if a rowdy baby came her way.

There’s certainly lots to think about here, and even if we are unable to make the exact same choices as someone else, there can still be inspiration for one’s own deliberate life.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

P.S. Thanks for the coffee and sweets, next time it’ll be my turn to treat!

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Thank you to everyone who entered to win a copy of Colin Beavan’s No Impact Man book. The randomly chosen winner was Nancy Adams, who will be receiving her very own used library copy in the mail mightily soon.

Here are but a small sample of the inspired comments on how you, the readers are making changes to make less of an impact in your own lives:

Jennifer: “Made reusable sandwich/snack bags for my child’s school lunches out of scrap fabric I had on hand. Now I’m getting requests to make them for friends!”

Kimberly: “Don’t say “It’s about time”, but my kids and I just set up a recycling center on the back porch. I only did it as part of homeschool since I just started that this year. Turns out, we have cut our trash in half! I never thought we even had enough that we could recycle. There would be more if our center accepted glass, too.”

Kat C: “We gave up our car almost two years ago and primarily walk or take public transit. We rent a car when we need it on the weekend. Saves a lot of money, and is good for the environment.

We also compost and recycle. I have a veggie garden which (if it stops raining) produces some veggies throughout the summer. I try not to buy coffee in paper cups and instead make coffee at home and bring a mug with me. Next on my list is to make some cloth napkins to use at home.”

Rachel: “I live in a material world and i’m a material girl! used, garage sale, thrift store, reclaimed, refurbished, refurnished, hand me down, thrown out and discarded are my favorite materials. our entire house is furnished in items of just that description…with the only exception being my hubs and i’s mattress and one family room couch (total panic impulse purchase I will never let us live down!) feels good to know that each toy bin, book shelf, tv watched and chair sat on made less of an impact for our world!”

JenniWaka: “We try to reuse packaging for everything at home. Wheat goes in old mayo jars, cardboard boxes get used to send gifts to friends and family far away, etc. We combine errands even if it means waiting a few days to pick up ingredients or toiletries. Oh, and here at work I save fax cover sheets and other waste paper to use the backs for notes.”

Kristi Stone: “I am gardening/growing our own food, supporting our local farmer’s market, bought a water filtration system (as opposed to using bottled water), hanging out my laundry and a few other things. As my husband and I learn more of what we can do, we make those changes. It’s been really exciting.” :)

Jenn L.: “Recently we became a one car household. many of my friends and family do not understand how this is possible, seeing that we live in Los Angeles, but we make it work. i take public transportation (yes it exists) to work most days and my love rides his bike everywhere. we are finding that we don’t even drive the one car we have as much anymore. it just takes a little extra planning, but it really is easier than i expected! i love reading your blog.”

LBC Teacher: “I am carpooling to work this year with a coworker, saving gas and creating less pollution. I also just today printed out the rules for my community recycling to hang in the kitchen so I can make sure everything eligible for recycling makes it into the container. I also requested to stop receiving catalogs from various vendors.”

A Marie: “My husband and I do a lot of the stuff that other folks have mentioned, but to keep it to one thing (and one thing that hasn’t been noted above), we have a “kill-a-watt”-type monitor on our electricity and consult it regularly. It’s a real help in remembering to shut off unnecessary lights, turn off the computers when we’re not using them, etc. Remember, the less electricity we all use, the less complicit we are in the destruction of my beloved Appalachians (I’m originally from Tennessee) for coal.”

Thank you to everyone who took the time to write your No Impact changes in the commenst section. Click HERE to read all of them!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Saying Goodbye to Guilt — An Update

by Katy on September 22, 2010 · 16 comments

I wrote a post last week titled “Saving Goodbye to Guilt” about how I’m methodically tackling my embarrassingly procrastinated tasks. Not only am I continuing on with this project, I’m making huge headways towards no longer having mental weights burdening my otherwise happy life.

It exhilarating, it’s empowering and yes, it’s oddly addictive.

Over the past few weeks, I have read my father’s books, Good Friday and Lincoln’s Daughter, which are the second and third novels from his Lincoln Out of Time trilogy. (Abraham Lincoln: A Novel Life is the first one.)

It’s not a casual thing to read your father’s published novels. I didn’t want to read them in fits and starts, instead wanting to give them my whole and undivided attention. . .  which meant they were starting to gather dust. And if not reading a book dedicated to you isn’t at the pinnacle of guilt induction, I don’t know what is.

I make this sound like a horrible chore, but of course it wasn’t. I read one while on vacation a few weeks ago, and the other while at home, waiting to pick my son up from school, in bed and just about anywhere else I happened to find a few free minutes. They were lovely.

The other was making me feel like crap chore that I tackled was painting the trim of the house where there was sloppy looking paint overspray. My husband painted the house a few years back, and I told him I would complete this task, as I actually like to paint. But catching a sunny day where I have nothing to do can feel as likely as picking those winning lottery numbers.

Which meant that this dialog ran through my mind every time I walked into my house:

“Wow. The paint job on this house really looks like crap, I need to paint over that overspray.”

Which is hardly the serene thought process to bring into one’s own home.

So yesterday, I pulled all the supplies out and got to work. I painted over the painty fingerprints on the second story window box, as well as the window trim, garage door and on the porch. It took around five hours, but I had my audiobook of “Julie and Julia,” to keep me company. (I do love me a rags to riches blogger story!)

And now, when I come into my house, my thoughts go a little something like this:

“Wow, the front of the house looks fan-freaking-tastic!”

Which is a better mindset.

The next task on my list is taking an in-depth inpatient OB certification exam that will give me a $2.75 per hour raise once completed. This test costs $300 to take and is only reimbursable by the hospital if I pass it, so it’s a bit of a daunting task. But I’m a good test taker and am going to finally take the plunge. I’ve bookmarked the test site, and have started to put the word out about borrowing the study materials.  The thought of failing the test and losing $300 makes me feel a little ill, but I need to not let fear guide my decision making.

I am fully aware that there will never reach a point where there I’ve completed every task in life, and to try and accomplish this would be a frustratingly impossible goal. I just want to be free from weight of procrastination.

Does this make sense? Are you tackling your procrastinated tasks? Please share your stories in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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I made the switch over to green cleaning products a few years back, which pretty much means:

  • I mostly just wipe things down with water.
  • When I need abrasive cleaning action, I just grab the paper box of Borax and sprinkle some on the bathtub or kitchen sink. Sure, it takes a bit more elbow grease than using Ajax, but I am in dire need of increased exercise in my life, so it’s all good.

The hilarious video below was brought to my attention by my 15-year-old son, whose sense of humor has always been more that of an adult than a child.

Enjoy!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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Monday Giveaway — No Impact Man Book

by Katy on September 20, 2010 · 75 comments

I am reinstating the Giveaway Monday after a week or so off. Up for grabs today is a hardback copy of Colin Beavan’s No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal who Attempts to Save The Planet, and the Discoveries he Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process. This copy was purchased at Title Wave, the Multnomah county library used book store by yours truly.

To enter to win this book, write a little something in the comments section about any one thing you’re doing to decrease your impact on this lovely, lovely planet. Click here to read my kick-ass interview with Colin Beavan from last year.

I will randomly choose a winner on Wednesday, September 22nd at midnight. Please enter only once, U.S. residents only.

Good Luck!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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A Well Deserved Rest

by Katy on September 18, 2010 · 1 comment

I am working all weekend and am taking a well deserved rest from blogging. See ya’ll on Monday!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

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The following is written by Leo Babauta from Zen Habits. There’s a quote in it that really resonates with me, which is:

“When our days are non-stop busy, everything is important and nothing is important.”

I’ve been taking advantage of the free time afforded by the kids being back in school to get a ton of stuff done, but as a result my days have been go, go, go. I need to take time to relax and enjoy the life I’ve worked so hard to create.

Thank you very much to Leo Babauta for sharing his column with The Non-Consumer Advocate community.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

‘Space is the breath of art.’ ~Frank Lloyd Wright

Post written by Leo Babauta.

I’m not a designer, but I’ve always been in love with the design concept of white space.

It’s the space in a design that isn’t filled with things — as you can tell from the design of Zen Habits and my other blog, mnmlist, it’s something I use (perhaps too) liberally.

But white space can be used in the design of our lives as well, not just the design of magazines and websites and ads. By using white space in our lives, we create space, balance, emphasis on what’s important, and a feeling of peace that we cannot achieve with a more cramped life.

Let’s look briefly at how to do this.

The principles of white space

Some of the things white space accomplishes in design:

  • greater legibility
  • feeling of luxury
  • breathing room & balance
  • more emphasis

These same concepts can translate to our lives:

  • Clarity. Instead of legibility, white space can give clarity to the things in our lives — whether they’re possessions, projects, tasks, or just things that occupy our time and attention. A nice piece of furniture is more beautiful when it’s not surrounded by clutter. A well-prepared piece of food is more tasty when it’s not smothered in sauces and piled with fries and cheese. A presentation is more effective when we don’t use Powerpoint and have only a few points to make.
  • Peace. When our lives are cramped, and our homes and workspaces are cluttered, we feel stressed. When we have fewer things on our schedule and fewer things around us, we feel peaceful.
  • Breathing room & balance. Many people talk about finding “work-life balance”, but this is very hard to do if you have no white space. Leave space between things to find the breathing room you need, and to easier achieve balance.
  • Emphasis on the important. When our days are non-stop busy, everything is important and nothing is important. But put white space between things, and those things acquire more weight, and we place more importance on each individual thing.

Achieving white space

In theory, achieving white space isn’t difficult: you remove non-essential items from your life, your workday, your surroundings, your possessions, and leave the essential items with space around them.

But of course in practice it’s a bit different, and requires experimentation, learning, practice. I’d suggest starting small, with one area of your life, and making small bits of white space. Start by identifying what’s important, and the slowly removing the non-essential things to create the white space.

Some ideas:

  • Breathe. Simply take a couple minutes between tasks, meetings, anything that you do, to breathe. After a meeting, for example, return to your desk and just sit still for a couple minutes, focusing on your breath going in and out. When you get home, pause and breathe. When you’re done with a task on the computer, close everything and breathe, before starting on the next task. This creates space between tasks and allows you to focus on each one.
  • Schedule. Don’t overschedule. Leave space on your schedule, between tasks, instead of putting things back-to-back. The space gives you time to go between tasks, to recover, to refocus, to breathe.
  • Projects. Do fewer projects at a time. Instead of juggling a bunch of projects at once, try to do one for as long as you can before switching to the next (sometimes you need to switch because you’re waiting on information or on someone else to do something). If you can, take a short break between each project — as long as you can afford.
  • Sit. Start your day with the white space of just sitting still for 10 minutes. It can be a meditation session, or simply sitting still with a cup of coffee or tea. If you like this, try putting it in the middle and end of your day as well.
  • Remove clutter. Pick a few important things on your desk, or in your home, and remove the rest. This will give you visual space and create a more peaceful atmosphere.
  • Savor. Slow down and savor everything you eat, everything you do. Breathe before you take each bite, and enjoy each bite.

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