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In This Issue
Conquer Clutter
Eco and Pet-Safe De-Icers
Sweaters into Mittens
Looking for Inspiration in 2011?
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Hate Clutter? 10 Sure-Fire Ways to Beat It.

 

In my house, clutter is a "five letter word" that actually means "paper - and too much of it."


deskYes, this is what my desk looks like sometimes - cluttered  with junk mail, newspaper advertising supplements, business cards, receipts, throwaway packaging, and more.


All this wasted clutter weighs down the recycling bin I have to lug out to the street every week. 


Plus, it pains me to think about the environmental impact paper clutter has. According to 41pounds.org, a group that works to reduce unwanted junk mail, more than 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail. Just creating and shipping junk mail produces more greenhouse gas emissions than 9 million cars.


What to do? Reduce, Reorganize, Recycle. Here's how:


1) Pay bills and bank online. Many banks now actually charge their customers a monthly fee to send them a paper statement (my Bank of America outlet charges $8.95/month for this "service."). So not only does online banking reduce the clutter in my house; it saves me money, too.


2) Read newspapers and magazines electronically. Why? To avoid all the ads. The news part of the paper is actually rather thin; the advertising supplements are huge. If I bought what they're selling it might make a difference, but I don't.  When I want to know what a store has on sale, I check out their website before I go shopping, or pick up their sales paper when I enter the store. If I want the coupons, I can usually find them online. Meanwhile, I read the paper on my laptop or my phone. I don't have an e-reader, but you could certainly read newspapers and magazines there, too.


3) Skip paper receipts. I don't take receipts at the ATM, the gas pump, or the grocery store. I've discovered that grocery stores will usually take back a product they sell without a receipt; but honestly, I almost never take anything back to the grocery store, so why bother with the receipt? I only take receipts when I buy hard goods, like clothing or some kind of equipment. I keep all receipts in a file, just one file per year, so they're not on my desk. NOTE: Whole Foods market gives its customers the option to receive receipts online, though I don't want this clutter in my e-mail box, either.


4) Limit business cards.  I only give out business cards to people whom I really should be networking with, and I only take business cards so I can follow up with people I really want to be connected to.


5) Use a blackboard. Note pads and stickies are supposed to keep people organized, but they're a big source of clutter for me, given how easily they stack up. A clutter-free alternative? Blackboards. Put one in the kitchen where you can leave "notes" for family members, and put one in your office or workroom so you can write notes to yourself.


You can get the rest of the tips here. Will you also leave your own suggestions for conquering clutter? Thanks. 

  

Pet-Safe De-Icers
 
 
safe pawjust tried to take my dog for a walk - and almost broke my neck.
Even though I can barely see the ice, I sure can feel it. It's turned my porch steps into a treacherous one-way down ramp, and my driveway into an Olympic-like luge. I should have bought some de-icer yesterday. But when I went to the store, I couldn't figure out which product was both better for the environment and safer for my pooch, too. This morning, I researched the options.
Here's what I found.
This de-icer is the only one recommended by the Natural Resources Defense Council, a non-profit organization focused on environmental research and advocacy. It's 100% salt free and leaves minimal or no residue when it degrades. The green pellets make it easy to keep track of where you apply it.

 Storm Team Plus Liquid Ice Melt The advantage of Liquid Ice Melt is that it can be used on wood and all kinds of other surfaces, including concrete, asphalt, and even satellite dishes. If you order online, you'll need to buy a pack of four 1-gallon jugs, which can get expensive, and a sprayer if you don't already have one. Either share the cost with neighbors, or ask your local hardware store to stock and sell individually. Ice Melt Pellets are also available, but they can't be applied to wood or new concrete.

Ice Clear Liquid De-Icer - I haven't tried this, but it looks worthwhile. The ingredients are derived from agricultural products and contain no salts. It comes with a sprayer for easier application.
 
Whatever de-icer you use, keep in mind that you will use less if you:
 
1)   Apply before the snow and ice fall. Pretreat surfaces an hour or two in advance of precipitation.
 
2)    Shovel snow and ice before they have a chance to accumulate. Once snow is deep, don't throw de-icer on top of it. Wait until the snow stops falling, then shovel down to bare cement before applying de-icer again.

3)  Shovel off the slush as the snow and ice melt. Otherwise, they'll refreeze and you'll have to apply all over again.

 You can find more low-impact ways to deal with snow and ice here.  
Turn Ugly or Old Sweaters Into Mittens


pink mittensThis Christmas, a wonderful friend gave me a beautiful pair of mittens  that had been made out of an old sweater. The idea seemed so simple - and yet so "eco" - that I wanted to learn how to make the mittens myself.
 I came across this video from LifeHacker that explains the entire process, step by step. It's 17 minutes, but it's worth the time to see exactly how easy this is.  Use old sweaters you already have, or drop by a thrift store or yard sale to pick up sweaters on the cheap.  You can find a pattern at Life Hacker, though there are many others online. Let me know how your mittens turn out!
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Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse

email: diane@biggreenpurse.com
web: http://www.biggreenpurse.com
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