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Sometimes things just work out. I wasn’t expecting it but today was one of those days. Okay, Toddler L has a fever. That wasn’t expected or hoped for. But other things were better.
If you’ve been here before you probably know I am an AB5MD convert. (That’s Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day for those of you who aren’t so hip to be squared.) Although I love having the bread machine and make all the bread we eat (okay, maybe not ALL, I can’t be responsible for the husband’s addiction to Thomas English Muffins), I have truly fallen for the ease with which one can have divine, crusty, almost-quasi-nearly-Old World French loaves on the table with dinner. And such a cute little loaf for when it’s just the two of you. (Okay, it’s never just the two of us anymore, but the other mouths don’t eat dinner with us so I’m discounting them for the sake of this discussion.)
All digressions aside, I have been doing a regular and somewhat extensive search for a used copy of the AB5MD book in the thrift stores and online. No luck. Apparently I am not the only one. I am currently 573 of 623 on the wait list at Paperback Swap. Some time ago (think months) I put a request in at the library. Finally, it’s waiting to be picked up.
But that’s not the best part. I haven’t made it to the library yet and now I don’t have to. A package arrived today. As we have a new baby that’s not completely unexpected. But that this package contained adult books was. No, not those kind of adult books. What do you take me for? One book doesn’t have any pictures or nursery rhymes and the other one has recipes that don’t include home-made play dough or bubbles. My in-laws gifted us a copy of the first Artisan Bread book. How cool is that? They know all about the Compact and my newest obsession and I guess they took pity on me. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t be happier. I feel like a 16 year old boy who just got handed the keys to the car. I can’t wait to dive in and see what it can do. And I hope that’s the only time I ever feel like a 16 year old boy. That’s kinda weird.
I think everyone should be part of the Compact. It makes getting gifts even better.
. . .
I did have another Compact revelation this week. I have mentioned before about my frustrations with Freecycle. I know it is a staple of the true Compact lifestyle. The concept of getting used items from others when they are done with them and putting your own items into circulation is what keeps the Compact a viable entity. I wanted to be part of the circle. I had even collected a bag of miscellaneous items to post on the local site. Unfortunately I never prioritized to get the posts actually written. (I know, they only need to be one sentence each.) After Baby S arrived I really needed to make some space in our room so the bag ended up going to Goodwill. Still the used goods bandwagon so not a terrible loss but I wouldn’t be getting my “shop now” card from Freecycle.
When our air mattress developed yet another slow leak I refused to take it out of the living room until I had posted it on Freecycle. I didn’t think I’d actually get any takers for an air mattress that had 3 patches and needed yet another but I hated the idea of sending all that vinyl to the landfill.
I spent over two hours corresponding with 7 or 8 interested parties and coordinating pick-up with the lucky taker. If I had actually posted all the items I had previously collected I couldn’t have possibly handled the response time based on what I got for an air mattress that leaves you on the hard floor by morning. I’m not cut out for Freecycle. I accept it.
Before I get comments about how the system works let me say again, I’m okay not being a Freecycler. Really. I am much happier about the 2 hours I spent making my own envelopes out of pages from old magazines. And then printing the prettiest little address labels for them. I even made my own stickers to seal them up with. (I’m not bragging, really, just remembering fondly.) That’s time well spent to me. And it’s all part of the Compact. Take what works and build a life to be enjoyed. That’s what I say.
I know I just went on a bit of a rant about Freecycle. And it’s not that I don’t like Freecycle. It’s just that I’ve been to busy distracted to do my part to get the most benefit from the program.
I’m not going to do anything about that particular issue now. Instead, I’m going to offer you some free stuff.
Sorry, this is not a giveaway.
I can’t afford fabulous (if used) prizes and as I’m sure only 3 people besides my mother read this that wouldn’t be much of a contest.
Okay, back to the free…
There are two categories for that which I’m giving freely. The first is the free I like because it’s fun and creative. These great sites offer free downloads for things I like to imagine I might make one day. A girl can dream. No, the supplies are not free, but the design and the idea are. That’s the hard part for me. Sometimes I’m creative, I just lack the design and the idea. Check these guys out:
Creature Comforts – not only are there great designs to download but links to other free stuff. It’s a two-fer. Love the mailing labels.
LollyChops – not only is Lolly a kind gal giving away her designs. She’s also a fantabulous graphic designer. I adore the chocolate cobbler packaging. (Mom, you might be seeing one of these boxed up with a gift tag this year.) And the MerivelMoon paper, and the calendar template and the… Oh, just go look.
Vintage Glam – this is primarily a wedding site but there are some really great design downloads available. Lots of labels, fonts and cards. Gotta love Freebie Fridays. Check out the Mad Libs Thank You notes. Gotta get me some.
So that’s enough nice. Now something for the general audience. Assuming you haven’t left me yet.
You haven’t left have you?
I’m a fan of acme eclectic’s blog. It’s not the kind of blog you might think I’d enjoy. But it’s eclectic. Like me. And sometimes there’s something of national interest. Okay, maybe not national…but I think you’d be interested.
A while back ae posted about great free music. Specifically free Song of the Day downloads. If you have a radio station that offers these you know how great they can be. Well, here’s what acme eclectic has to offer…
The Current 89.3 FM (Minneapolis)
Each station’s “Song of the Day” rotation includes a little flavor of the local market, as it should be. But you will find emerging artists from around the world featured on a daily basis. Each of these stations also present in-studio performances that are generally available for download and that periodically serve as material for that day’s offering.
Time, ideas, sounds…I cannot hold these things in my hands although I consider them all consumable. All of these things may be free. All of these things may have value. I hope I have shared some valuable freebies today.
Do you have anything to share?
I have posted about Freecycle in the past. In theory, it is a truly wonderful idea/organization/site/tool. But it isn’t always friendly to the newbie.
I’m a newbie.
Or a voyeur. Or a lurker.
Okay, those sound bad. Let’s just say I’ve been reading the posts but haven’t ventured into the free water yet. I always read what’s wanted in case I have it to give. Never have. I responded to a couple of items that were offered, but didn’t get them. Then I tried to do a wanted post, that didn’t go so well either. Apparently my local Freecycle groups have rules that you must offer something before you can ask for something.
Who made these rules?
I guess I can agree with them in theory but it’s really put a damper on my free-swapping. When I first started the Compact I was fine with the idea of getting things in a more nontraditional manner. But when I have to “sell” something before I can “buy” something I have issues.
I don’t have a lot of stuff to get rid of. Yes, that’s a boast. Many Compactors have taken their pledge as an opportunity to clear clutter. Good for them. I hate clutter. I cleared most of my clutter years ago. I’ve spent the last 4 years clearing my husband’s clutter. Clutter gives me hives.
I know your thinking I must have stuff to get rid of if I have also spent the last several years buying things. And you’re right. But until this year I was the thrift store’s best friend. At least twice a year I would drop off whatever I had collected that just wasn’t needed anymore. Clothes, shoes, bags, books, whatever.
Now I’m hip to the Free world. When we cleaned the closets last month and had more clothes than some large families we donated them to the local mission. But as it was the closets there wasn’t a lot there besides clothes. Clothes closets. Get it? But I do have a small bag of things that didn’t end up at the mission ready to be set free. (Tired of the corny yet?) I just haven’t had taken the time to write up numerous posts for random shit stuff on the off chance other people may want it.
And I have needs. In true Compact fashion I got the parts to fix a clock we already owned. Okay, it wasn’t entirely Compact as I bought the parts. But since they were pretty specific parts I didn’t have much faith I would find them on Freecycle. Plus, pay attention, I can’t ask until I give. I’m behind on the giving, so I gave to Michael’s art store instead. Let’s not lose focus, the point here is I was fixing something instead of replacing it. (Helpful tip: don’t change the time on a clock by forcing the hands around the face. Or don’t let someone not familiar with that tip near said clocks at Daylight Savings Time.)
Where is this all going, you ask? Can I get to a point? Any point? Soon?
Okay, okay. The point is, my newly acquired clock parts require painting. With spray paint. I don’t have any spray paint. I asked a group of friends if they had any spray paint. Not a one did. Who knew black spray paint was so hard to come by. And here’s the kicker, I need about 3 spurts of it. Less than it would take to paint a 3 inch square.
So now I have time on my hands. I want my clock back but I’m not willing to buy paint. And I could probably find some on Freecycle but I’m not allowed to ask.
What’s an even bigger waste of time? The fact that I could have written all the posts I needed to get rid of my stuff in the amount of time I have spent typing this. But then what would you read? And sometimes complaining is good for the soul. Okay, not really. But that’s what I tell myself because sometimes I feel the need to complain.
If you feel the need to complain go ahead. About Freecycle. About me. About whatever. Feel free.
Have you recently moved? Are you thinking about moving? (I think I saw you shudder.) I know, it’s not something we like to dwell on. Moving is rated as one of the most stressful life experiences. Right behind divorce. (And considering divorce usually requires moving that’s just a ridiculously unfair double whammy don’t you think?) And that’s not even getting into the guilt of what you’re doing to the environment. At least as far as the divorce. I’m going to get into the guilt of moving.
I really don’t like moving. And I should know. I’ve moved over 25 times in my life. Most of those as an adult who actually had to participate in the process. It’s a pain in the ______ (fill in the blank depending on your temperment). As we are staring another move in the face I’ve been thinking more about the process. And I’d have to say, one of my greatest moving pet peeves is the moving box. I’m pretty darn good when it comes to packing (so many years of practice and all) but to take full advantage of each cardboard box they must be not-too-heavy and yet completely full. A box that isn’t full is a disaster waiting to happen. Especially if they are getting stored for any length of time. The sight of a caved in box about to topple a stack is enough to make my neck scrunch up and wonder “why, oh why, can’t square pegs fit in round holes?”
And then what do you do with the boxes once you’ve moved? I know, many do end up on freecycle.org and craigslist, but what about those now ruined, caved in boxes? And the ones that got wet when put in a puddle instead of directly on the back of the truck. (Not speaking from experience here, nope, not me.) Some may get recycled, but too many get tossed in a dumpster on their way to the oh so plentiful landfills that abound. I will claim one or two for forts or play-houses now that the reason for a move is the two legged squirt that would rather play in a cardboard box than the most expensive toy any grandparent could give. But that’s another story.
In trying (not so quickly, I know) to wrap up this story, I come to the point. I found out about rentagreenbox.com and can finally give a sigh of relief – the better way is here.
“Rent-a-Green box is America’s first, comprehensive, zero-waste pack and move solution made entirely from post consumer recycled trash mined from local landfills. Our mission is to provide relocating business and residences with an authentic and genuine earth friendly packing and moving alternative that will save time, money and Earth.
We convert massive quantities of post consumer trash to make really cool earth friendly packing and moving products that replace traditional and expensive supplies like cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, and Styrofoam peanuts that are really bad for our Earth.”
Here’s a product, and a service I can get behind to the point of pledging to use them for my family. I hope these guys are a great big green wave of the future. Pass the word and be a part of the solution. Doesn’t the thought of moving seem just a little bit less daunting?
*This is strictly a personal endorsement of this company’s ideas and goals. rentagreenbox.com has no idea who I am and probably would refuse my calls if I made any. Except when I place my order of course.
There are so many things for me to still figure out about how this year is going to work. I do my best to hold seanses and go back to the night the San Francisco group began The Compact in 2006 to see what they were talking about. It hasn’t worked yet but I’m still trying. To me, they were like the tribal council. The rules were set and if you wanted or needed something you could present it to them and yea or nea you could get it. I know the exceptions of The Compact are individual and what you need them to be. But what would they think? I miss that tribal council. Now the followers have grown in such large numbers it’s hard to get a consensus. I love the story of how one of the original group needed to buy a new shower curtain liner. The council said “no”. Word was put out among the tribe and a liner was found. I know, I know, there’s Craigslist, Freecycle, thrift stores… But it’s not the same as working within a small community.
define free
I would love to ask that original group “what about giveaways?” I know The Compact is about not spending as much money but isn’t it also about addressing our overtly consumer-istic ways? Yes, a giveaway is getting something for free. Always nice. But doesn’t it also say “Go ahead, keep producing mass quantities of stuff, we’ll take it if it’s free”? Or is this one of those be strong, become a better person life-lessons where I’m supposed to only put my name in if it’s something my family really needs? I don’t know if I have that much restraint. Have you seen some of the giveaways today? Just today I put my name in for a beautiful Whustof Santoku knife (it’s an investment piece, a need really) and a Wii Fit (I didn’t know I would still have to buy the Wii. Now I hope I don’t win.)
Obviously I haven’t made the decision whether giveaways count for me. I’m still struggling with that. Maybe another seanse will help. Will you hold my hand and say “Ooooohmmm”?
I was tasked with re-designing our living room and master bedroom so we could have a larger dining table and a secondary computer desk. Not that we have more people for dinner or a home office, just a Destructo that won’t let anything happen without his input. As our old dining table was actually an Ikea bedside table (it seemed really big to be a bedside table to me but apparently Ikea liked the idea), it was becoming increasingly difficult to get anything done since he could reach up and grab everything within 9 inches of the edge. I think the table was about 24 inches in diameter. So I had nearly 6 inches in the middle of the table I could claim as my own. Why am I complaining? Oh yeah, I like my own space. I also like not having to restrain/reprimand/discipline my child continuously. And as he is a modern boy and cannot keep away from anything electronic that meant setting up a computer desk in our bedroom for a big computer that needed to be set up all the time. Unfortunately this is in addition to my husband’s and my laptops which now reside on half of the dining room table. Boy am I glad we had a really nice, big dining room table sitting in storage. How silly of me to think we should maximize living space and use a small two-seater for eating when we moved into this quaint (read small) apartment pre-child.
With some great support (lifting, dragging, carrying) by my husband, I was able to meet all of our current design needs. And I can’t complain about the overall effect either. It has really helped that I kept all the furniture to neutrals for this place but that’s another story. This story is about how this re-design made me really look at what furniture we do have. As I sit at the dining room table that I truly love I see a mix of old and new. Surprisingly more new right now. Surprising because that really isn’t my general style. I did fall hard for Ikea when we moved from our 1920′s Hollywood bungalow into a 1980′s limited edition apartment. You know the type – white walls, taupe carpet, no aesthetic minus the popcorn ceiling. What can I say, I wanted a clean, minimalist look as I was so bummed to be leaving my built-in shelves, glass-knobbed, paneled doors and original casement windows. But I digress. (I told you I would.) When I look around my re-designed space I see my favorite pieces and they are all second hand. An iron sewing table base my husband and I picked up in an antique store. At least that’s what they called it, it can be a fine line between antique and thrift sometimes. An old army trunk with mis-matched feet and a bad yellow paint job that has become the toy chest. I couldn’t live without this piece of storage. And of course my dining table. It was in the bungalow when my husband started sub-letting it. The then-owner gave it back to the friend she was borrowing it from. We cried. He agreed to sell it to us and now I’m happy as a clam. And my folding dining chairs. Don’t worry, they’re not plastic or metal with drab fabric seats. They’re wood with a beautiful Asian inspired cutout on the back and currently in a wonderful apple green color. That will change but the chairs will stay as long as they hold me. I have an addiction to chairs. It’s why I happen to have one sitting in the bedroom that worked great with the new desk. (No silly, not really new, what do you take me for?) It’s not new either. I got it at an estate sale many years ago. Plus the three chairs currently in storage. If I could I’d have a chair only store and the sign would have a guy with a horn and the words “Chair This”.
I would have to say, other than the picture frames holding my husband’s photography, there isn’t anything we’ve purchased in the last year that I am in the least bit tied to. Don’t get me wrong, I like it all but I don’t see it passing down through the family lines. I think of my mother’s house and my grand-mother’s house. Most of the truly wonderful pieces there are as old if not older than I am. I know not everyone’s design sensibilities will agree with mine but I’m glad for the ones I’ve got. And I’m glad I can find such treasured pieces without looking in today’s “furniture stores”. Although I will admit an intense weakness for all things kitchen at Crate and Barrel. And if I actually went into a restaurant supply store I would probably cry. So I don’t. And instead I search my local freecycle for great finds like today’s “3 cast iron pots”. I’ll be getting those later this week I hope.
What are your favorite things and where do you find them?
WHAT’S BEEN SAID