Costume Swap Day

Much of Zero Waste relies on planning ahead and being proactive: Taking your name off mailing lists before getting junk mail, saying "no" to the straw before it shows up in your drink at the cafe, or refusing the party favor, days before it gets handed out to your child. With the kids now back in school, we'll soon need to start thinking about Halloween.

Last year, we used items from home and the thrift shop to dress up the kids. Max (pictured) was a grandma. We bought a secondhand dress, wig, glasses and purse for a few dollars during a thrift shop sale. I shortened the dress's hem to fit his height, and used the fabric extras to make a matching coat for Zizou ("le chien-chien à sa mémère") and gift bags (for Christmas). The day after, we donated the whole outfit back to the thrift store (knowing that the kids want a different look every year), as if we had rented it while funding a cause.

We have also borrowed and created DYI costumes before, but for households holding on to them beyond Halloween, a good sustainable option is to swap. According to GreenHalloween.org, swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons—about the weight of 2,500 midsize cars...

On October 8, National Costume Swap Day, people across the country will get together for costume swaps in their own cities and towns. Swaps not only help the environment but also save money and build community. You can find one near you or better yet, host one yourself with friends, neighbors, school or community group by following these simple steps and registering your swap (private or public) so others can know about it.

Happy Swapping!

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Salt packed anchovies

Every summer, I learn a few new things from my mom. While the kids learn french, I learn homemaking. I even dream that these new tricks will eventually "offset" the carbon emissions of my trip over time ;).

Last year, my mom showed me how to salt pack (cure) anchovies. Under her direction, I proudly prepared my 1st jar of anchovies. A few weeks later, Scott was flying back to the US, the salt packed anchovies carefully wrapped in his undershirts, which I now understand to be a "no-no" for US customs. Once home, a nice surprise awaited him upon unzipping his suitcase ... You guessed it: The juice from the anchovies had leaked all over (and I was not there to wash my hubby's clothes).

This summer around, I turned down the anchovies at the fish market, realizing that my frivolous ideas tend to annoy my sweet husband. But a few weeks upon my return, I went to Fish, a local fish market, looking for them. The store happened to have just cleaned a whole bunch and did not object to filling my mason jar: I came home with the biggest smile on my face and went right to work recollecting my mom's teachings.


INGREDIENTS:

• Anchovies
• Coarse sea salt (I also had Himalayan, so I mixed them)

RECIPE:

• Remove the head and guts of the anchovies and rinse
• In a jar, pack alternate layers of salt and anchovies (start and end with a thick layer of salt).
• Seal and refrigerate for three weeks before consuming (some of the salt will melt and turn into brine)
• When ready to eat, reach for an anchovie, peel its flesh off the bone under running water (compost the bone and water your plants with the collected water) and soak until de-salted to your taste (a few minutes). We like them in our salads or on our pizzas.

That's it!

As you know it, I love recipes that call for only a couple of ingredients. I have found that homemade anchovies are not only easy to make, they also save on the transportation and recycling of the store-bought kind, avoid our exposure to BPA from lined cans, support local / sustainable business, and easily transfer the homemaking knowledge from my mom to my kids. Something, that is sadly getting lost through consumerism and our disposable society.

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How to Get Started

I recently wrote an article for Yes! Magazine, which included 10 tips for a Zero Waste Household. I thought I would share them with you. These tips happen to summarize the lifestyle perfectly and are a great (and much needed) "How to Get Started" for the blog. It's a good review for those of you who are already well down this path too.

____________

The zero in "zero waste" makes it sound scary and hard to achieve. It is actually not as as hard as it seems, and it is as simple as following these Five R's, in order:

• Refuse what you do not need.
• Reduce what you do need.
• Reuse by using reusables.
• Recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce, or reuse.
• Rot (compost) the rest.

Refuse
1. Fight junk mail. It's not just a waste of resources, but also of time. Register to receive less at dmachoice.org, optoutprescreen.com and catalogchoice.org.
2. Turn down freebies from conferences, fairs, and parties. Every time you take one, you create a demand to make more. Do you really need another "free" pen?

Reduce
3. Declutter your home, and donate to your local thrift shop. You'll lighten your load and make precious resources available to those looking to buy secondhand.
4. Reduce your shopping trips and keep a shopping list. The less you bring home, the less waste you'll have to deal with.

Reuse
5. Swap disposables for reusables (start using handkerchiefs, refillable bottles, shopping totes, cloth napkins, rags, etc.). You might find that you don't miss your paper towels, but rather enjoy the savings.
6. Avoid grocery shopping waste: Bring reusable totes, cloth bags (for bulk aisles), and jars (for wet items like cheese and deli foods) to the store and farmers market.

Recycle
7. Know your city's recycling policies and locations—but think of recycling as a last resort. Have you refused, reduced, or reused first? Question the need and life-cycle of your purchases. Shopping is voting.
8. Buy primarily in bulk or secondhand, but if you must buy new, choose glass, metal, or cardboard. Avoid plastic: Much of it gets shipped across the world for recycling and often ends up in the landfill (or worse yet, the ocean).

Rot
9. Find a compost system that works for your home and get to know what it will digest (dryer lint, hair, and nails are all compostable).
10. Turn your home kitchen trash can into one large compost receptacle. The bigger the compost receptacle, the more likely you'll be to use it freely.

And remember: You're not alone. Come here to share your experience with like-minded individuals, check out the tips page and post your questions in the forum's page.

Thank you for being open to change!

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Progress!

I have had a very satisfying 10 days and I thought I'd share them with you. Over the past couple of weekends, we adopted a few sustainable ideas (I tweeted about them) that have been on my mind for a few years. Tackling them, feels so good.

Homemade Vinegar:

Since embarking on Zero Waste, I had tried and greatly failed at making fruit scrap vinegar (a cheap way to make it). I have therefore been solely relying on vinegars available in bulk. But when I tried my brother's yummy homemade wine vinegar this summer, I realized, that it was time for me to give it a try and make my own using a foolproof vinegar mother upon my return home. Last week, Scott bought a "mother of vinegar" from San Francisco Brewcraft on his way back from work, I was ecstatic to find out that they sell in a reusable mason jar, and got the concoction started immediately. Since we do not have a convenient/nearby source of bulk vinegar and we have extra wine (from our wine bottle refills), making wine vinegar at home, makes a lot of sense for us. I'll have to keep you posted on its taste when it's ready, in a couple of months.

Down to one car:

For the past three years, I have bugged Scott to sell his Mini Cooper to go down to one car. After all, we moved to a downtown to be close to amenities and use the car less - and we mostly walk or bike around here. We loved the versatility and cargo capacity of the Mini but it could no longer transport the four of us comfortably (the kids would sit with their legs crossed on their seats). Scott used it the to go to work a couple of times a week (he works from home the remaining days). I used my sedan for consulting work and once a week for errands/grocery shopping. We also used it for the longer family trips (including camping). It seemed that one, if not both cars, always sat in front of the house, and that with some planning we could share just one.

For the reasons mentioned, it made sense to keep the sedan. At the same time, Scott was reluctant to give up his beloved Mini, but with mounting repair bills (fly-wheel / transmission problems), last week he finally decided to take it in. Little did we know, that we'd end up trading both our cars for a used hybrid, giving us the comfort of my sedan, with even better cargo capacity (hatch-back) and gas mileage than the Mini (and one less insurance payment). The dealer even wrote us a check to make up for the difference ($12 ;) . We immediately created and shared a "car" calendar. It's only been a week, but Scott and I are super happy with our decision.

Bee Condo:

With the bee population decreasing, many sustainable organizations suggest building a bee condo to provide native bees a place to raise young bees. The first time I heard about the concept was three years ago at my friends launch party for Open Garden Project, and it had been on my mind ever since. With Max showing an interest in city planning and power tools, the project seemed perfect for him. I bought scrap wood for $2 at the hardware store and provided him with drill, drill bits, salvaged screws and hanger, and the simple online instructions. It took a couple days - he said he needed breaks;) but Max is very proud of completing his first ever building. He pointed out to one of the holes and said: This one will be the office;). He will be monitoring the bees' activity closely.

Organic Mattress:

A couple of weeks ago, Max fell asleep in our bed, next to Scott, so I spent the night in his twin bed. OMG what a horrible bed, I found out. I have read and cuddled in the kids beds before, but spending a whole night was a real wake-up call, so-to-speak. Springs stuck into my back all night and the lack of any-softness-whatsoever gave me a stiff neck the following day... as if I had camped out all night. I was really paying for the cheap mattress I bought 10 years ago, and realized that I owed my growing boys a softer nest. Scott and I both had always viewed buying a mattress as fun as buying a used car... But since our last car trade was not as painful as we had expected, we went mattress shopping for the boys this weekend. We went to The Natural Mattress Store, and after "sleeping" around, we fell in love with an Eco-Cloud mattress: 97% organic, made locally and with no packaging (on request). It was all we could have asked for! It was more expensive than the ones made in China, but after a few weekend rentals, the mattress will pay itself off. We had the option of sending the old mattresses to the recycling center, we chose to keep them instead: Stacked in the attic, they'll be perfect as a spare bed/couch for the playroom (our old plastic Coleman mattress/ spare popped a while back: I reused the plastic by sewing to the back of our picnic blanket for waterproofing).

Water Audit:

Last month, our church held a Sustainability Fair. I demo-ed a Zero Waste Home Shopping Kit, and the table next to me offered free water audits. I had meant to sign up for one of those in a long time and finally did. During lunchtime last week, a Marin Municipal Water District auditor came by. He looked at our yard, plants, watering patterns, interior water fixtures and machines. "I thought only 2 of you lived here", he said, when Scott mentioned the kids... "You only use half the water of a household of four." Wow, that statement sure made our day. Many readers have asked about our water consumption due to washing reusables. I don't how exactly much more water we use for that extra washing, but our minimalist wardrobes, and water consumption awareness seem to largely counter it.

We already know that little changes can have a big impact, but numbers prove to us how much and encourage us to do more. Future home projects now include setting up a grey-water system diverting waste water from our laundry machine to our ferns. I can't wait to have it done. And I hope that Scott can fit it in his schedule (maybe in the next three weeks instead of the next three years;)

What sustainable practices have you recently implemented that have been most satisfying?

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Back to school. Finally!

OK. I am back and for real this time ;)

The kids were off for three months this year (while our tax dollars renovated the local schools), but they returned to their routine this week, and so have I. Writing this, seated in the shade of the oaks bordering my sunny deck, with hummingbirds buzzing around, feels like a "stay-cation" now.

With the start of a new academic year (and Max in Middle School!), September always feels like January's onset of a new calendar year. Off to a fresh new start: Supplies, Lunches and Activities are revised.

SUPPLIES

Each year, teachers request many un-recyclable items that I would not purchase for our home (plastic markers for example), but would consider for school use. In a perfect world, teachers would keep "still good" supplies for subsequent classes or at least donate them to the local thrift shops at the end of the year. Better yet, manufacturers would offer non-toxic stainless refillables of modern staples such as markers, and teachers would limit their demands to those available and reuse them. But until then...

Our annual scavenger hunt for school SUPPLIES starts with a preliminary stop in the home office to retrieve last year's leftovers and update lists with truly needed items. For example, the new box of pencils required for Max, did not make it. Afterall, Leo finds pencils on the street all year long ;) - and we have plenty mechanical pencil refills. The disposable wipes on Leo's list did not make it either. I volunteered to purchase reusable ones instead.

We then scout the town's thrift shops with a much simplified and revised list. This year, we bought secondhand dividers, a binder, school paper, and one sharpie (Thank you for your donations, fellow Mill Valley-ans!).

We struck out on backpacks (bigger ones needed this year), glue stick, red ballpoint pen, second sharpie, and had to buy these new, but I am happy to give the local stationary store our scrutinized business. It not only allows us to purchase just the right amount (one is enough for now) and without the extra packaging (sold loose), but it also gives me the opportunity to support a small local business and save on gas (the big chain alternative is two towns over).

For the scientific calculator that Max needed, eBay was the best bet. Bought $4 used and now reused.

LUNCHES

The boys' appetites have grown this summer, so I was delighted to find an array of loose buns at the grocery store. These have simplified the kids lunch making. They are cheaper than baguette, do not need pre-ordering, and are pre-cut by Scott, making it easier for the boys to prepare them. Best of all, the serving size satisfies Max's appetite perfectly.

As mentioned before, I do not usually spend time making what is available to us in bulk, such as pickles. But the long break and the sight of cute little pickling cucumbers at the farmer's market, inspired me to prepare them again this year. They are easy to make with only a few bulk ingredients, the kids love them (they are sweet) and they are a great addition to school lunches. So I thought I'd share our recipe with you.

Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe

5 cups sliced pickling cucumbers (about 5 count)
1 onion
4 tsp coarse salt
1 cup cracked ice
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
Optional spices

Mix cucumbers, onions, salt, and ice in large bowl
Put a weight on the mixture for 3 hours (see picture)
Drain
Combine vinegar, sugar, drained cucumbers and spices of your choice (1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/8 celery seed, 1 tsp mustard seed for example)
Bring to boiling point (do not boil)
Fill sterilized jars (recipe will fill 1 quart size jar)
For long term storage, you can boil the sealed jar for 10 min. I personally don't. We refrigerate them and they disappear within a month.

ACTIVITIES Never say Never... I am glad I did not.

Now the big surprise for the end. I am about to announce a major change in our household. With much deliberation (six-months long actually ;), Scott and I have finally given up on our video game battle and purchased a used Wii for Leo's birthday. OMG! We have come to realize that our very social pre-teens are losing interest in their Legos, and cannot be kept away from gaming (at least, where we live anyways). In the last year, they have clearly learned to augment their outside playtime with a gaming fix at the neighbors.

Again, in my perfect world, our neighbors and friends would also be against video games and urge their kids to entertain themselves otherwise. We would also agree on the same house rules, dietary needs, all choose zero waste lifestyles, and live happily ever after. Well, since it is not the case, and Scott and I are not willing to move and become hermits or keep the kids locked up, but rather encourage age-appropriate social interactions at home, we considered multiple non-viable options (a trampoline on our hill, fuss-ball in the tiny playroom, etc.), until we faced the inevitable: No matter what we'd find as an alternative, gaming would still be out there and our kids would keep seeking it elsewhere. Then, I thought to myself that as long as we did it in a sustainable way (buying used console and games), with strict usage limits, it probably would not kill me ;)

We've had it now for only a couple of weeks, the kids bring their friends home more and I can share play time (Wii sports) with my fast growing boys. Gaming that fosters social and physical activity, afterall, is not too bad and more controllable than online gaming. And as long as we can mix it up with a variety of other activities, I am OK with it.

That said, do not fear, we are nowhere close to turning TV back on...

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