Monthly Archives: October 2009
Saying Goodbye
| October 31, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
Last night my great grandmother past away. Just last month was her 96th birthday. She was an amazing person. She never complained about anything and up to my last visit with her earlier this month she would always offer to make you tea or get you something to eat and didn’t like to take your offer to help her.
She had an amazing life with so many neat stories. She was someone you could easily just sit and listen to for hours.
She also babysat for dozens of the kids in this small town. While I was still in public school I remember every year having a few kids in my class that had been babysat by ‘Grandma West.’ If you knew her she was your Grandma too.
She is where I get my love of iced tea, she taught us all to drink hot tea with milk and sugar, she is the reason many of us “kids” drink “tea milk.” She also is the reason that I like whole wheat bread with my hot dog and Oatmeal Cream Pies.
Being Halloween I also am remembering today all the Halloweens where me and my MANY cousins would wear our costumes to Grandma West’s house (or as my 1st cousins and I called her Memaw) so she could see us all. She loved seeing us dressed up and if there was a baby at that time you could be sure it was in her lap. Many of the kids she had babysat would be sure to come by to see her as well.
She was the strongest woman I will ever know. We will all miss her very much. Rest in peace Memaw.
Giveaway: New Wave Enviro *Closed*
| October 27, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
*This is closed. Steph@ Fierce Paradise won!*
Having a waste free lunch is one way to reduce your impact on the planet and also save some money. New Wave Enviro offers stainless steel containers, bamboo lunch bags and more to help you pack an eco-friendly lunch.
New Wave Enviro is going to give one lucky reader a 100% Bamboo Lunch Bag and a stainless steel container to get you started!
And now for the rules-
1. Post your e-mail!!!!! Every time people forget, you can’t win if you don’t leave an e-mail address. (if you have a blogger account that has your e-mail that works as well, or if you fill it out in the info, just somewhere please!)
2. Go to New Wave Enviro and tell me what product is your favorite.
3. Enter by November 4th at 11:59 p.m.
It’s open to anyone in the US.
Extra Entries (post separate comment for each):
1. Blog about the giveaway, post link.
2. Post on Twitter, post link.
3. Add me on Twitter @retrohousewife5, leave username in comment.
4. Follow me, let me know which way you are following (Google, NetworkedBlog, E-mail, other)
5. Become a fan of Retro Housewife Goes Green on Facebook.
Remember post a separate comment for each of the above ways to enter! They will only count if they are separate.
*This giveaway is sponsored by New Wave Enviro. The prize is from them. I was not paid to post this giveaway but I was given products in order to do a product review.
Giveaway: Reusable Bags Depot *Closed*
| October 26, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
*This is closed. Tabitha won!*
The great people of Reusable Bags Depot are giving one lucky reader a foldable reusable bag!
These bags are stylish and are great for putting in your purse, car, backpack, or wherever you need a bag.
And now for the rules-
1. Post your e-mail!!!!! Every time people forget, you can’t win if you don’t leave an e-mail address. (if you have a blogger account that has your e-mail that works as well, or if you fill it out in the info, just somewhere please!)
2. Go to Reusable Bag Depot and tell me what you style of foldable bag is your favorite.
3. Enter by November 3rd at 11:59 p.m.
It’s open to anyone in the US.
Extra Entries (post separate comment for each):
1. Blog about the giveaway, post link.
2. Post on Twitter, post link.
3. Add me on Twitter @retrohousewife5, leave username in comment.
4. Follow me, let me know which way you are following (Google, Facebook, NetworkedBlog, E-mail, other)
5. Become a fan of Reusable Bags Depot on Facebook.
6. Sign up for Reusable Bags Depot’s e-mail newsletter.
7. Follow Reusable Bags Depot on Twitter @reusabledepot, leave your username in a comment.
Remember post a separate comment for each of the above ways to enter! They will only count if they are separate.
*This giveaway is sponsored by Reusable Bag Depot. The prize is from them. I was not paid to post this giveaway but I was given a bag in order to do a product review.
Another Award
| October 25, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
The ‘rules’ for the award are listed below:
1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link the person who nominated you.
4. Name seven things about yourself that no one would really know.
5. Nominate seven “Kreativ Bloggers.”
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.
If you are on my facebook and read every blog I write you may know these things but most of you are not on my facebook and I have a lot of new readers.
1. I own a bass guitar.
2. I dropped out of school in 4th grade. (Then unschooled)
3. I’m dyslexic and have Irlen syndrome.
4. I wanted to be a NICU nurse while I was in high school. I even visited a nursing school twice.
5. My feet turn in. I had to do physical therapy when I was younger for them and I still have to wear special inserts in my shoes to keep them from turning as much.
6. I have a very hard time seeing yellow on a white background.
7. My favorite band is The Cure.
And the blogs:
Over The Top Award
| October 25, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
Ruth over at Musings Of An Everyday Woman gave me this award! Thanks Ruth!
Here are the rules . . .
1.) Thank and post URL to the blog that gave the award.
2.) Pass the award along to 6 brilliantly over the top blogs (blogs you love!) Alert them so they know to receive the award.
I’m nominating these 6 blogs:
Renaissance Garden
Green Girl in Wisconsin
The Well-Groomed Hippie
The Conscious Shopper
It’s a Green Green Green Green World
Green and Chic
3.) Copy and paste this quiz… Change the answers, ONE word only!!
1-Your cell phone? blackberry
2- Your hair? messy
3-Your mother? Hippie
4-Your father? Pirate
5-Your favorite food? Italian
6-Your favorite drink? IcedTea
7-Your dream last night? Odd
8-Your dream/goal? Sustainable
9-What room are you in? Living
10-Your hobby? crafting
11-Your fear? losingonesIlove (that’s one word right?)
12-Where do you want to be in 6 years? House
13-Where were you last night? home
14-Something that you aren’t? Republican (even if I am registered as such lol)
15-Muffin? Banana
16-Wish list item? Solar
17-Where did you grow up? Oklahoma
18-Last thing you did? ate
19-What are you wearing? BengalsJersey (I don’t follow rules well)
20-Your TV? Football
21-Your pets? Patience
22-Friends? Awesome
23- Your life? Wonderful
24-Your mood? Sleepy
25-Missing someone? Yes
26-Vehicle? others
27-Something you aren’t wearing? rings
28-Your favorite store? Etsy
29-Favorite color? Purple
30-When was the last time you laughed? Today
31-Last time you cried? dunno
32-Your best friend? Justin/Christi/Audrey (again can’t follow rules)
33-One place you go to over and over? NativeRoots
34-One person who emails you regularly? Justin
35-Favorite place to eat? NorthLounge
Can’t wait to see everyone’s answers. Wonder if you can follow the rules?
Product Review: Reusable Bags Depot
| October 24, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
Reusable bags are one of the easiest ways to go green. Not only do they keep plastic and paper bags out of your house but they also are easier to carry, hold a lot more, and they don’t rip.
The most common problem people seem to have with reusable bags is remembering them. One of the best ways to be sure to remember them is to carry them in your purse, car, or backpack.
Reusable Bags Depot has many options so you can be sure to have one you love to use! They carry folding bags to keep in your purse, organic cotton if you don’t want plastic, bags for gift wrapping, and much more.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month they have this bag that features breast cancer ribbons and the National Breast Cancer Foundation logo.
The bag features a carry pouch that has a clip so you can always have a bag with you. It’s even machine washable to make sure your bags don’t start harboring harmful germs.
This design and others from Reusable Bags Depot would make great stocking stuffers this Christmas. So go check them out and stop using plastic bags today.
*I was not paid to post this review but I was given a bag in order to do the product review. As always these are my true feelings about the product.
Win A $50 Gift Certificate
| October 23, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
WaterCheck.biz is running a contest on their Facebook page where you can win a $50 gift certificate or Klean Kanteen water bottles.
All you have to do is post a water video or picture on their Facebook page. Super easy so go enter!
*I’m getting a water bottle for posting this but I would have posted it either way!
Our Love Affair With Plastic
| October 22, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
I often get asked why I use things like a reusable water bottle, glass straws*, stainless steel containers, etc… My answer is always to reduce waste and I try not to use plastic. The part about trying to not use plastic really gets people.
I hear “why do you not use plastic?” or “but it’s recyclable.” So why do I try not to use plastic? One reason is my health, that is my selfish reason. I don’t like knowingly putting chemicals in to my body. Plastic can contain harmful things like BPA and phthalates. While I’m sure there is a lot of both already in my body why add to it, now that I know better?
My less selfish reason is the health of the environment. I credit Beth from My Plastic-Free Life with most of what I know about plastic and how it effects our environment. While I don’t use any where near the tiny amount of plastic she uses I do use less than the average American, it’s a step.
The environmental reasons to not use plastic are numerous. One reason that really moves me is the effect on the animals. I’m an animal lover so knowing I’m impacting in a very negitive way animals lives hurts my soul.
Beth shared this video today of images of animals and the plastic they have eaten. I highly recommend you watch this but be warned it can be disturbing for animal lovers. And it may cause you to stop buying so much plastic.
Other reasons include the fact that plastic doesn’t biodegrade, it photodegrades. Meaning it just gets smaller and more toxic.
So think back to every piece of plastic you have used, guess what it’s still here! Scary right? Makes you think twice about using a plastic bag.
You also just have to look around you to find plastic litter. I looked out my window while writing this and saw a plastic water bottle in my yard. I went outside and put it in my recycling. Honestly I’m sometimes happy to find that kind of litter in my yard, because if it ended up in some of the other yards around here, or across the street at the pharmacy it likely wouldn’t have been recycled.
When you look around your house it can look like a huge task to limit your plastic but as with all parts of being more sustainable it’s all about steps. Here are some of the things we do at my house to reduce plastic. They are just some ideas to get you started. Pick one a month, a week, whatever works for you.
- My husband and I use reusable water bottles. He takes one to work everyday and has a Brita filter in his classroom (he is a teacher) which he uses to refill it during the day. We also always take them with us when we travel.
- We buy Seventh Generation toilet paper in bulk and it comes wrapped in paper not plastic. (Thanks Beth for telling me about this!)
- We don’t use paper towels or paper napkins. Yes that is a paper product but they come in plastic.
- We use reusable bags. Not just at the grocery store but all stores. If we forget bags we carry the items without a bag.
- We make our own soda and drink very little of it.
- We use glass straws. I even carry one or two in my purse.
- We have reusable travel mugs for coffee/tea. I also use mine for ice cream shakes.
- My husband carries his sandwich to work in a Wrap-N-Mat or Lunchbots.
- We store leftovers in reusable containers, not baggies.
- I save glass jars and reuse them to store food.
- We use crystal deodorant. It comes in plastic but they last around a year so that is a lot less plastic than using normal deodorant.
- We don’t use plastic wrap.
- We use real dishes. We do have a set of plastic cups (reusable of course) but they are BPA-free and high quality.
- We eat fast food very rarely.
- The only clothes we buy that are not natural fibers are made from recycled polyester.
- We buy less highly packaged food.
- We download DVDs and music in place of buying them. We also rent a lot of dvds from Netflix (we try and mostly watch the ones you can stream.)
- We use reusable produce bags and butcher bags (for meat).
I’m sure there are more things but that should give you some ideas. Go to My Plastic-Free Life to get more ideas. Beth is amazing at finding ways to not use plastic. Many of us My Plastic-Free Life readers often find ourselves saying “what would Beth do.”
So what have you done to use less plastic? If you haven’t done anything yet are you going to now?
*Glass Dharma is one of my paid advertisers but if you have read my blog very long or know me in person you know that I do truly love their product. I’m not adding them in this to get more money (I don’t get paid when you buy from them).
Citizenpip Coupon!
| October 21, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
Citizenpip has been kind enough to give a 10% off coupon to use with a purchase of at least $40. So if you didn’t win now is the time to buy your lunch kit!
Just use the coupon code: retro10 before 10/31/09.
These kits are awesome! You could even get one or a dozen for Christmas gifts.
Buy Handmade This Christmas
| October 21, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
Before long I will start posting gift ideas for this Christmas (both handmade and store bought) soon. For now you can look at Crunchy Chicken’s site for ideas to get your started.
