Last night I heard a man say, with an extrapetit Timbuk2 messenger clutched in his hands, "This bag will be perfect for going-out at night." What he meant was, "Now I have an evening purse."
We both paused when he said it, but he knew it was too late to take it back - he'd spoken the words and they just hung there, waiting for due judgment. But, for once, I held mine back, because the truth is, real men schlep too.
-Assistant Editor Hanah...off to crump (very poorly) to some block-rocking Russki beats...
So you can't afford the $110 Sea Bags tote Hilary and Jen are hot for. There are even cheaper alternatives for gearing up for the beach than spending time in the seasonal specials aisle at Walgreens. You'll lose some style points, fer sure, but win big wallet-wise.
Alternative: create/dig a makeshift seat back in the sand; piece together some driftwood (watch out for splinters)
Alternative: Whole Foods reusable grocery totes ($1)
Alternatives: the sun, old bath towels
Alternatives: cans, cookie cutters, jars
Alternative: scratched CDs, plastic disposable plates you find on the beach
So maybe you can do better...comments, please.
-Toshio...off to Ocean Beach...
...and I'm a gummyholic.
I have been addicted to gummy candies of all kinds (bears, frogs, dinosaurs - everything except spiders...I hate spiders) for as long as I can remember. It is definitely my sugar rush of choice, but given my semi-recent fear of developing diabetes, I've been trying to cut down on sugar.
I've already conditioned myself to eat something sweet after like every meal (dessert included), so I've turned to fruit leather-y things as a better substitute. I get the 365 Organic Fruit Strips from Whole Foods (eating a blueberry one as we speak), and they do the trick for the most part.
But if you can suggest any other gummy substitutes, I'm all ears.
-SF Editor Mike...off to take care of step two of 12...
So if you prefer wallets that’ll fit in your pocket, and yours is already busting at the seams with quarters for laundry and receipts (who, me?), you may not have the space to squeeze in today’s handy-dandy guides. If you also have a cell phone that’s with you 24-7 (alas), just take a few minutes to type the lists you need into your cell phone’s "notes" field, and save. Bonus: You’ll look very busy and important at the grocery store and restaurants when you go to check whether you should choose peach cobbler or a banana split.
Good luck inputting the fun words, like polyethylene terephthalate! (You only have to do it once.)
-Jenifer Morgan…off to muscle in another quarter…
Here's hoping that today's tip inspires as great a level of discourse about water conservation (and, well, about our Ideal Bite team's lack of action) as it did last time: http://www.idealbite.com/blog/comments/drum_roll_please/.
After rereading all the prior comments, in the spirit of true Biterly love, I did a crazy thing this morning. I actually DID put a bucket in my shower while it warmed up. While it certainly didn't catch all the water, and while my shower heats up pretty freakin' fast, I DID collect a bit of a lukewarmish puddle, which I promptly put in Snack's dish and then used the rest to water my heliotrope. (Snack was very excited at his part in the whole project until he realized that it was just water).
Will I do this every day? Probably not. Half my mornings, I'm running out the door so fast, I'm lucky if I shower at all (I like to chalk this up to being VERY eco, not just very lazy), let alone have the time to "bucket it up" before I jump in. (I really can't bring myself to leave a bucket lying around my bathroom all the time, so I put it away in my utility closet.) Still, for those days when I do have time, I'm absolutely gonna catch some drops.
-Heather...off to give Snack a treat to make up for the fact that it was "just water"...
Since you were dying to know, check out the results from the Great Bellybutton Lint Survey.
Some highlights:
- 96% of people with belly button lint had an innie.
- 73% of people with belly button lint were male.
- 80% of people with belly button lint had a happy trail leading up to their belly buttons.
-Toshio...off to contemplate something a little more trivial...
1. Smell item.
2. Ask self, "Does said clothing item smell like a meadow breeze, tropical rain, or any other air freshener scent?"
3a. If Yes, hang up in closet or put back in dresser.
3b. If No, ask self, "Would you sit next to someone on the bus who smelled like this?"
3b-a. If Yes, hang up or put back in dresser.
3b-b. If No, place in hamper.
(Disclaimer: Results and frequency of dates may vary.)
-SF Editor Mike…off to do anything but laundry…
I'm proud to say I adopted this one early on, although I was primarily spurred on by the storage-savings rather than the eco-savings. My file cabinet - yep, I've had one since college - was getting awfully packed, and I tend to be the fastidiously filed, color-coded-tab kind of gal so it was nice to tick that off the to-do list...permanently.
But identity theft? A good motivator, too, and scarier than Grams stumbling on your new sex toy or even hearing Barbara Walters (via D-lister Kathy Griffin, natch) discuss Astroglide. Eek.
-Chicago Editor Alison...off to find some good hiding places...
For as long as I can remember I've been a bit claustrophobic, and I suppose that my elevator phobia is an extension of that. I typically deal with it by engaging in avoidance behavior (i.e., taking the stairs whenever possible), while my subconscious plays out my worst fears via nightmares.
Then, I was at a bachelorette party about five years ago in the height of summer in Ft. Lauderdale, FL (read: hot), and we parked at the top of a parking structure. My instinct urged me to bolt for the stairwell, but I ignored my gut and piled in with the other bridesmaids and several strangers (about 15 people total). And then it happened...the elevator got stuck between floors! Everyone reacted to the situation differently, ranging from laughter to tears to heroism. Me? I was crouched down on the ground with my eyes closed, while my cousin (the bride-to-be) was comforting me as I tried to breathe. Firemen rescued us about an hour later.
So, I didn't die. I'm here to type the story, but that elevator trauma has only exacerbated my fear. Luckily, I don't have to explain my phobia when I suggest taking the stairs to whomever I'm with - if they sweat me, I just say it's the more eco thing to do.
-LA Editor Molly...off avoid the elevator at all costs...
Our new managing editor, Diane, made it to the Bay Area Maker Faire in May, and here she is powering a band's electro-equipment just by biking. (She admits she wasn't unhappy when the song she pedaled through ended, not because the music sucked, but because the cycling was pretty hard work.)While we're on the topic of human power: You don't need Diane's killer quadriceps (or any physical strength at all) to change the world. Even the laziest of the lazy can do it, assuming you don't mind exercising your brain.
Proof? The book Worldchanging, which is filled with some of the most creative solutions to the world's most pressing problems. You can win a copy (printed on recycled paper and carbon-neutral, of course) just by being one of the first 15 Biters to post your 50- to 100-word big idea in today's blog comments. (Sorry, you can't just repost an old tip.) Then, check out AMEX's Members Project, which launches next Tuesday and is giving $2.5 million to fund different world-changing missions.
-Toshio...off to renew my subscription to Good so's I can get into this weekend's Block Party...
When "the supe" (my roommate who moonlights as our property manager) brought home this adorable little green compost bucket, provided free with a box of BioBags by SF's titan of trash Sunset Scavenger, our household went off with Christmas-morning-like glee (it's the little things, you know?). We've been recycling religiously for years, duh, but cutting out the organic matter from our personal waste streams chopped our actual trash output in half. Half! So, yeah, we're lucky to live in San Francisco where SS will pick up our compost curbside biweekly, but, for those of you without that luxury in your town, there's always pocket mulching, right?
-Assistant Editor Hanah...off to whistle while schlepping out the (relatively smaller amount of) trash...
In 2006, the EPA asked companies (nicely) to phase out use of the chemical PFOA (used to make Teflon). This led companies to create alternatives like the Thermolon GreenPan, which works just as well. Elisa took one home to test and made a grilled cheese sandwich that was a perfect doppelgänger for one cooked on a Teflon pan.
-Toshio...off to wish the government would do more stuff to promote progress...
The old Hanah faced bedtime armed with a jar of Ponds and a Q-tip to get the black off. That was before I learned that the real monsters lurking during slumber didn't live under the bed, but in the cold cream I was using in my nightly beauty regime (my stinkeye's looking at you, parabens).
Hanah 2.0 knows better. I'm currently using Farmaesthetics Eyebright Eye Makeup Remover (have I mentioned how much I heart product reviewing?), which doubles as an eye cream and boasts almond oil as its number-one ingredient. That said, if you're not feeling the act of buying yet another beauty product to clog your bathroom's shelves and rob you of your time, any natural oil (almond, avocado, coconut) should do the job on your eyes - dab a swab in the oil, wipe, smear - then go on and bat those lashes.
-Assistant Editor Hanah...off to prove that just a dab'll do ya...
Looksie-daisy! Some sneaky paps (aka Boze-ville intern Jeni Hoyard) snapped a foxy foto of femme-flambé H Fet looking dee-vine in an ensemble Hil-babe snapped up total-mente via online swap-shop. Swap 'til you drop, indeed.
-Toshio...off to Hell-Ay to study Ted Casablancas's every Blind Vice...
Most popular tip among me, myself, and I: taking kids to the dump
Most popular Wanna Try? among me, myself, and I...and my moms: Caldrea candles
Most controversial topic among me, myself, and I...and my moms...and my coworkers...and, OK, well, you: reusing condoms
-Jenifer Morgan...off to ponder my existence...
Free stuff: Who can resist? I got my first CFL as a giveaway at an open house. I took it home, placed it on a shelf and patiently waited until the old incandescent glower in my bathroom shined no more. When that day finally arrived, I was pretty excited to fire up the new CFL. It was so fancy, so fun, so long lasting, and it was gonna save me money. I screwed it in and a week later saw only darkness when the switch was flipped.
I climbed up onto the counter to reach the light (not something I'd advise others to do) and fiddled with the bulb until - bang - the little rascal broke. I cleaned up the debris as if it were an ordinary mess, but moments later I remembered that CFLs contain mercury. I panicked and quickly decided to research what was going to happen to me.
That's when the bigger picture entered my mind. How many sanitation workers were going to be poisoned by these bulbs? Was this technology really good or was it actually bad?
The EPA explains that CFLs have "a very small amount" of mercury in them and using CFLs instead of incandescents saves energy. The main source of mercury emissions in America is from coal-fired electrical power, so saving energy reduces the amount of mercury in the environment. Yep, these Twizzler-esque bulbs really are a good choice. Now, how to protect those workers? The answer: Recycle and avoid breaking the bulbs. The CFL that is now happily lighting my bathroom, and has been for over a month, will be going to Home Depot when its time comes.
-Managing Editor Diane...off to score more freebies...
When I visited Portland for a long weekend in June, I spent a good part of my time there helping finish my friend's box of Franzia wine (slogan: "The world's most popular wine").
Boxed-wine pluses:
- The box is recyclable (the bag that contains the wine...not so much).
- New boxed-wine technology (i.e., new and improved plastic bags) keeps the wine good for a month after you take your first sip.
- Paper and plastic are way harder to break and less heavy than glass, so boxed wine takes much less energy and packaging to ship.
Now we just need what Sideways did for Pinot to happen for boxed wine so that it's more acceptable to drink, prompting finer winemakers to sell by the box. Then again, maybe the Pinot-esque boxed-wine zeitgeist is already upon us, seeing as "the world's most popular wine" doesn't come in glass bottles.
-Toshio...off to w(h)ine about 6 a.m.-boot-camp-related exhaustion...
I generally snip off (somewhat guiltily) a little of my aloe plant for smallish skin things - nicks, cuts, localized burns (where I missed a spot with the sun block). But its extraction and stickiness makes it a little harder to use over larger areas of sun-exposed skin. Another lotion I just tried last weekend and liked is from Liz Earle (maker of my nighttime go-to, Superskin Concentrate), called Sun Shade Aftersun Gel. It's made with an organic aloe base and has lavender oil in it, smells great, and spreads evenly.
-Jenifer Morgan...off to slather some more...
Want one more big, fat reason to properly recycle your plastics?
Making sure it doesn't get out to sea and become part of the always-hungry Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
"Patches," as I and no one else like to call it, is the biggest garbage mound in the world at two times the size of TX, and lives somewhere between SF and Honolulu. Click here to see how it got to be so big.
About 80% of the (mostly plastic) litter is coming from land and a lot of it ends up in the stomachs of animals, including but not limited to extremely cute albatross chicks and baby turtles, who commonly mistake it for food. Yum!
-Toshio...off to tighten my plastic waste-line...
Like Jen, I tend to reserve the aluminum antiperspirant junk for "special" occasions when I know that I may experience some modicum of stress - usually social anxiety, which is only made worse by thoroughly unattractive underarm sweat stains. So, sure, it works, but another sorry side effect of using it is that the chemical reaction of deodorant, sweat, and certain clothing fibers can actually create tough stains or even spoil delicate fabrics. If you end up with a stained shirt or blouse, don't dry clean it, whatever you do - it can actually set the stain and permanently discolor your garments. Instead, get a good stain remover and wash your stuff by hand. I love Laundress products so much I could marry them, and its recipe for removing pit stains really works - the stain remover is the best I've tried.
As an aside, another natural deodorant I've tried and liked - though I've found that you do need to reapply throughout the day - is Tom's Natural Stick in Lavender. It actually feels really soothing to such delicate skin and smells, well, like lavender.
-Jenifer Morgan...off to stay cool...
Personally, I like to load up my hot dogs and sausages with mustard (I second the Dulcet Creole mustard recommendation in today's tip, though anything packed with horseradish will do), relish, onions, and sauerkraut, if it's available. I've been wary about going with ketchup, one, because I'm not that big a ketchup fan in the first place, and two, my friend in Chicago said you'll catch a verbal beating from the city's hefty (in numbers, people) Polish contingent for putting ketchup on your cased meats.
I remember eating hot dogs in Chicago a while back, but the details lay buried beneath a haze of Old Style. Does anyone know if this is true? Is it "wrong" to put ketchup on your dogs? I'd like to avoid disgracing my Polish heritage any further than I already do if at all possible.
-Mike...off to follow Toshio to the bacon dog cart...
In college, three of my best friends were Textiles majors. I never envied their days spent embroiled in math and chemistry exercises, but I did envy their ability to glean fabric info by touch. One of them literally felt her way through clothing shops, stopping to take a look only when some snip of luscious velvet or swath of superior cotton brushed her palm.
So a lot of modal blends are very soft to the touch, and while most affordable clothing wears like cotton knits – not so flattering on me – I can’t help but get excited about these new fabrics. In particular, I’m loving a lot of handbags made from weaves of recycled paper and plastics. I’m also really excited about seacell, a fiber that incorporates seaweed and that wicks moisture while supposedly infusing nutrients into your skin. Here’s hoping that sleeping in something as cute as these will eventually mean not having to swallow those horse-pill-size multivitamins in the morning.
-Jenifer Morgan…off to feel something up…
PHOTO ALBUMS
