Recycling - Pria's Ponderings

Have a greener holiday season

Environment, Green Living, Recycling, Spirituality Comments Off

Dec 092011

A trend is for the holidays to be greener. That can include starting to use fabric instead of paper. I offer a variety of fabric gift bags to choose from through my boutique (contact me for specific styles), including some made from imported fabric. These are beautiful and gifts on their own that can be reused forever.

More shopping is done on-line, saving fuel, and there is consideration of electronic holiday greetings/cards rather than hard-copy using snail mail. Some are opting to make cards using recycled materials.

Some green (and inexpensive) gift ideas include offering services such as massage or your own special talent. This could be a painting you’ve created, special edible treats, babysitting or house cleaning. How about a baking mix with instructions or a spice mixture you have created? I have created my own chai mix with loose tea and spices. Another creative and treasured idea is to videotape elderly parents or grandparents about their childhood memories along with their photos and heirlooms while they discuss them.

You could designate a dollar limit on gifts, prompting everyone to get creative and maybe end up with the added result of humor. The lower the limit, such as a dollar or two from a thrift shop, could end up with even more humor. And of course, less ends up in the land fill.

Resources for a greener holiday:

www.simpleliving.org

www.altgifts.org

www.consciousconsumer.org

www.giveforchange.com

www.coopamerica.org

www.tenthousandvillages.org

www.newdream.org/holiday

www.treehugger.com

www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/1203-tips-for-a-merry.html

http://frugalplanet.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/frugality-not-just-for-the-poor/

Honoring our 40th Earth Day

Causes, Composting, Environment, Finding Meaning, Finding Purpose, Gardening, Recycling Comments Off

Apr 222010

Today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and it’s a great day to reflect on ways we can be more environmentally-conscious. Being conscious of my actions on the environment is a daily part of my life. Ways that I maintain this consciousness on a regular basis include recycling and being a vegetarian.

I have been a vegetarian my entire life. My diet and lifestyle began as a result of being from a vegetarian Indian family. I’m glad I was raised that way as it seems much easier to just remain in the lifestyle rather than switching. I chose to give my kids that gift by raising them vegetarian.

As a teenager, I researched vegetarianism and decided the lifestyle made sense to me at numerous levels, including environmental. I was interviewed by the Vegetarian Times regarding my thoughts and beliefs. I chose vegetarianism as my topic for Original Oratory in debate class competitions in high school. I memorized the speech overnight and competed the next day with veterans. I ended up being a quarter-finalist in the state of NC. Judges told me that the speech opened their eyes and they would consider the diet. I think the part of my speech that stood out the most for them was regarding the composition of hot dogs.

As an adult, I’m devoted to recycling. My husband might call me somewhat of a hoarder at times because I don’t like to waste anything. I was the first in my neighborhood to request an extra green bin from my town to hold my recycling and had my second regular black bin picked up (never need it). In my family, we are trained to evaluate every piece of trash and determine if it goes into our recycling bin or regular trash bin. This includes my preteen son.

I rarely use paper towels, preferring dish cloths for wiping up spills. We regularly use cloth napkins at meals. We use energy-efficient bulbs throughout the house along with any appliance purchases. Left-over food is stored for future meals or given to our dogs. Dogs can help a lot with recycling and preventing waste. We make sure our dishwasher and washing machine is completely full before running it. I remind my husband at least a few times a week to stop idling when I’m in the car with him.

We also compost. We have a compost bin in our yard and are trying to perfect the art and science of composting. Next to our trash and recycling containers in my kitchen pantry, we also have a compost container. In there we put our vegetable scraps and anything else that can be composted, like dryer lint. My husband and I debate somewhat the ingredients that will result in perfect compost. It is a shared interest and goes perfectly with my gardening interest. I like that not only am I not wasting and creating more junk for landfills, but helping my yard and garden out at the same time.

At my boutique, I offer environmentally-conscious fabric gift bags. They are reusable, affordable, and save trees by replacing paper.

Fabric gift bags at Komal Style Boutique

What are ways that you honor the Earth in your life?

De-cluttering in January

Organizing, Recycling, Rituals, Simplicity, Spirituality Comments Off

Jan 252010

With the start of the new year, as we put away the holiday stuff, it’s common for many to start focusing on cleaning and organizing our homes. The evidence is apparent with what is on sale at the stores – storage bins, etc.

The annual ritual is sort of symbolic and related to needing to de-clutter our brains so we can begin anew. I can recall needing to clean out a closet before studying for a big exam in college. It was like then my brain had space. Maybe it meant that I have OCD.

Regardless, January for me, along with many of us, means clearing out the past – literally and metaphorically, so we can make space for something new and different. It is about letting go and allowing something new in. I feel the letting go process every time I recycle, donate, and discard something, especially if I’ve held it for a long time. I have files with newspaper clippings from the New York Times dated 1991 (maybe even before!)….I’ve moved a lot since then, so it’s weird thinking how often and how long some of this paper has traveled…

One of my (slow) goals is to go more and more paperless….There is a saying that paper should touch our hands only once. It should then be either discarded (recycled) or filed. I feel refreshed every time I see a space that I’ve de-cluttered and reclaimed for productive use. It is an easy achievement I can pat myself on the back for.

De-cluttering and organizing adds to my sense of balance, simplicity, and more in line with my spirituality.

Tree-Trimming

Gardening, Recycling, Simplicity Comments Off

Nov 192009

On Monday, we got our three trees trimmed, probably for the very first time for them, and me. Trimming trees is not something I would think about, as much as I like to garden and do yard work. Although I bought this home partly for the two big majestic trees in the back and have enjoyed watching the antics of my resident squirrels and then my cat in the trees, I didn’t notice some of their issues, which required a trim. I have mostly been the one to trim the areas that can easily be reached, and kept those areas groomed.

It has been my husband who has been their advocate. He noticed when some areas looked like they were dying off and determined that a trimming was needed. He called in some professionals, got different opinions and estimates. It was confirmed that they needed to be trimmed or they would die within about seven years. Although we don’t plan on living in the house that long, we decided it needed to be done and the trimmers finally arrived two days ago. Two men spent about eight hours trimming them. It was mesmerizing watching them scale the trunks and go at them with their chain saws and axes.

Now we are enjoying looking out and seeing our well-groomed trees. I think I may have even become a little bit of a “tree snob” as I look to my neighbors’ trees and realize that perhaps they could use some trimming.

As an additional unexpected treat, I ended up with all the mulch from the branches. Using the mulch from our trees in the yard has been a great way to recycle the trimming. During Maya’s naps the past few days, I have been out in my yard spreading the mulch. It has been meditative, a good work-out, and productive at the same time as I see my yard looking better and know that I am making some gardening improvements since the soil will be better and the trees and other plants will be protected.

Porter admiring a papaya tree in front of a relative's home in my Indian village.

Shop/Sell Kids’ Stuff

Causes, Children, Parenting, Recycling Comments Off

Oct 232009

An inevitable part of parenthood is the amount of clothes and other stuff our kids keep growing out of. This means constant shopping for things that are age-appropriate and finding practical and non-wasteful ways to part with the items no longer needed.

One solution is Just Between Friends, the nation’s leading children’s & maternity consignment sales event franchise. The concept was started in 1997 by Daven Tackett and Shannon Wilburn. Starting from a living room, they now have events nationally. Some events occur here, in the Denver area. Just input your location to see where. Shopping events occur about twice a year per location, where consignors can bring children’s and maternity merchandise to sell.

Shoppers can then clothe themselves if expecting or their children at significant savings. Sellers can make up to 70% on sales. A free on-line tagging system is also available. Some proceeds and remaining donated items help local charities.