Affordable and Realistic Sustainable Shopping

When you're transition to a sustainable lifestyle, you realize a lot of products and things you buy no longer work out for you. Unfortunately, the eco-friendly and sustainable products are rarely made accessible, and often can't be purchased on a normal day of errands. So what do you do when you want to find a manual clothes washer and the WalMart put everyone else in town out of business doesn't sell it? Okay, first off, I hope anyone trying to be sustainable has boycotted WalMart long ago. Still, that hand washer that would make doing laundry by hand much easier probably couldn't even be found at the local home store. That's where the internet comes into play. It uses electricity, takes time away from being outdoors, even has cause for certain health concerns, but the internet is still a terrific green resource. It links people to green information, products, and communities better than any other resource could.

Let me begin by emphasizing the significance of the scenario above. The only reason we turned to the internet in the first place was because we needed something that couldn't be found locally. You should never buy online something that could be bought in town. That being said, a lot of sustainable tools can ONLY be found online. When you're trying to find a gadget that makes living a sustainable life easier, the internet is a treasure trove! Here, I shall provide a process I find most useful in researching, finding, and buying sustainable items.

First, ask yourself: do I really need this item? Rethink the purchase if you're buying the hottest eco-friendly item on the market just to replace the same perfectly good-but not "green"- item you already own. Carl Elefante once said, "the greenest building is the one already built." This can be applied to everything.

Next, does the wringer I want for drying out my hand-washed clothes need to be brand new? No. Eco-friendly products are hard to find in general, so searching for them used will be harder still, but it's well worth the search. The following websites will help you in your search for pre-owned goods:
Freecycle.org
Craigslist.com
eBay.com

If you can't find it used, you'll have to next begin the search to find it new. Do your research and comparison shop using a website like Pristine Planet.

Here is a list of a few merchants that might lead you in the right direction!
A Greener Kitchen
A.R.E. Naturals
Abe's Market
Bambeco
Bona Fide Green Goods
Bright Green Ideas
Buy Green
Celery Street
Compostable Goods
E3 Living
Earth Lover
EcoFriendly Green Things
GetN' Green
Go Green Items
Goods for the Garden
Green Ostrich
Greenfeet
Lehman's(a favorite!)
Maku Eco Shop
Moss Envy
Practical Organic
The Pristine Home
Yes It's Organic

When shopping, don't forget about savings! Websites like Ecobunga, GreenDeals (through Green America), GenGreenLife, SustainLane are good places to find great deals!

I Think My Cat's Depressed

Clearly, she has anxiety.Tthis hasn't been a lifelong condition, though, it's developed ever since Satan Cat and his gang from across the lawn began tormenting her, invading her territory and walking right up to the door where they peer viciously at her through the glass. The balls! I don't actually know why, for all I know they could just want her to be their friend and she's really the bitch, but I can only assume they're evil. I've never been okay with an animal hating me before, but trust me, the feeling's mutual.....Satan cat knows to run....because with me comes the wrath of Spray Bottle....a force to be reckoned with.

But it truly saddens me when my doll kitten sits nervously staring out the window...refusing to leave post.

Compact Life

I feel like a new me, though still very frustrated and upset with the lifestyle my career is forcing me to have, I am doing my best to eat healthier, exercise more, and live a more fulfilling life. I have been eating fresh fruits, I made my own banana nut muffins to have for breakfast, I'm making sandwiches for lunch instead of prepackaged foods, and I'm keeping a food journal to keep track of it all. I've been going to zumba regularly, and as frequently as possible...aaaand I just bought a 4 DVD set of zumba exercises off ebay :).
I spent a shit ton of money at Target buying fitness stuff, and then more money on ebay getting yoga bricks.

I've been shopping on ebay because I'm trying to live a more "compact" life. I read an article about a group of ladies in california living, what they called, "compactly". They only bought used. With the exception of toiletries, food, essentials, and underwear, everything was purchased at vintage shops, salvage stores, flea markets, and the like. I can't find that article again, but that isn't stopping me from living this way myself. I only decided this Friday afternoon, so I don't have much to boast for. The DVDs were used...the yoga bricks weren't. I suppose that's considered unsanitary because ebay didn't even offer any used. But I'm really excited about this. I feel healthier and better about myself already!

Depressing!!!!

I'm so confused....I don't know what I should be doing with anything. I don't understand what I'm supposed to do to get over the past. I'm just really sad and I hate it.

The Journey To Self-worth

From liveonpurpose.info

"I think some of your confusion stem from your belief that nature and man-made environments are enemies, that they can't live harmoniously together. Human have always, and always will, need structures built to protect them from nature. So people like you, that care how we go about doing that when concerning our home planet are most needed. There are two ways of conserving natural areas, one is by stopping development all together, and the other is making sure that the development goes where it should and is built in such a way as to use the land most efficiently and healthfully to the people and the earth. I believe the former is an honorable goal but people need a place to live and grow also.

I will assume you got into architecture/urban planning because it holds your interest, so instead of feeling guilty for being a part of "destroying" some nature, be a voice in changing how we build to help preserve more open land and create biodiversity. Nature will create diversity and rich ecotones through "destruction", for example elephants tearing through forests or beavers cutting down trees and building dams.

You also may be getting too wrapped up by many of the terms like "treehugger", and "green", or possibly influenced by people that think any development (and developers) is/are evil. But the truth is they are just tools, and how you use them is up to you. When you are designing just do what you feel is right in your heart and what seems intelligent to you. If you want to help regain the old glory of the earth (for new times of course) you are going into one of the best positions for that. Keep at it.

I have to plug one of my hero's as he may be an inspiration for you and hopefully show you that man and nature can build together harmoniously. I HIGHLY suggest reading Ecocities and Ecocity Berkeley, both by Richard Register. There are also a number of great references to other books in the fields listed in Ecocities. Good luck." -response to my post on treehugger forum by Clutchlove

Eat Me

From the Vegetarian Resource Group (because I need to eat healthier)

Vegetarian Nutrition

Protein

Vegetarians easily meet their protein needs by eating a varied diet, as long as they consume enough calories to maintain their weight.
It is not necessary to plan combinations of foods. A mixture of proteins throughout the day will provide enough "essential amino acids." (See "Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets," JADA, June 2003; Simply Vegan, 2006; and nutrition information on VRG's website, www.vrg.org.)

SOURCES OF PROTEIN: beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, tempeh, chickpeas, peas... Many common foods, such as whole grain bread, greens, potatoes, and corn, quickly add to protein intake.

Iron

SOURCES OF IRON: dried fruits, baked potatoes, mushrooms, cashews, dried beans, spinach, chard, tofu, tempeh, bulgur, and iron-fortified foods (such as cereals, instant oatmeal, and veggie "meats") are all good sources of iron. To increase the amount of iron absorbed at a meal, eat a food containing vitamin C, such as citrus fruit or juices, tomatoes, or broccoli. Using iron cookware also adds to iron intake.

Calcium

SOURCES OF CALCIUM: Good sources include broccoli, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, tofu prepared with calcium, low-fat dairy products, fortified soymilk, and fortified orange juice.

Vitamin B12

The adult recommended intake for vitamin B12 is very low. Vitamin B12 comes primarily from animal-derived foods. A diet containing dairy products or eggs provides adequate vitamin B12. Fortified foods, such as some brands of cereal, nutritional yeast, soymilk, or soy analogs, are good non-animal sources. Check labels to discover other products that are fortified with vitamin B12. Tempeh and sea vegetables are not a reliable source of vitamin B12. To be on the safe side, if you do not consume dairy products, eggs, or fortified foods regularly, you should take a non-animal derived supplement.

Omega-3

To maximize production of DHA and EPA (omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and made by our bodies), include good sources of alpha-linolenic acid in your diet. Alpha-linolenic acid is found in flaxseed, flaxseed oil, canola oil, tofu, soybeans, and walnuts. You can also obtain DHA directly from foods fortified with DHA from microalgae (in some brands of soymilk) and supplements containing microalgae-derived DHA.

Did You Know All These People Advocated Vegetarianism?

Leonardo Da Vinci, Leo Tolstoy, George Bernard Shaw, Mahatma Gandhi, Isaac Bashevis Singer (Nobel Prize winner), Albert Einstein (Nobel Prize winner), Janet Jackson, Mr. Rogers, Clara Barton, k.d. lang, Paul McCartney... Did you know Benjamin Franklin ate tofu?

Oxymoron

Thorncrown Chapel

I was browsing online in a desperate search for something that matches what I want to do with my life and found this chapel on inhabitats blog. I just want to save nature, more than I want to develop the human world. But I'm an aspiring architect....what an oxymoron...a tree-hugging architect.

Maybe I should read that book, "Design With Nature"

Man, this is a horrible feeling.

High Voltage Tattoo!!!!

"You wear your heart on your skin in this life" ~Sylvia Plath

Just bought this book today (though I've yet to see her show, L.A. Ink) after practically reading all of it in the book store a few months ago :)

I'm very excited about it, still, not nearly as excited as I am about Avatar. The scenery and graphics were fucking beautiful {pardon my french}. And the story was so unique even if the basis of it was derived mainly from the traditional Pocahontas/John Smith story, there was so much more to it. The character development was very in depth and the execution of it all was perfect.


The only downside....I am now having a midlife crisis at age 22, hating myself for the job I have. I feel so conflicted. What is quite apropos about this feeling is what I learned before seeing the movie. In the morning, Shane and I visited the Leonardo da Vinci: Genius exhibit at the MD Science Center. In the BBC film you could watch at the end, it explained how da Vinci was a pacifist, yet he was smart to design military equipment as he lived in a time of war. I wish I could remember the exact quote, it was worded quite nicely. But I feel like that, exactly like that. I love nature, I love untouched land, yet I'm working as an urban designer for an architecture firm in a profession that destroys nature. Regardless of any and all progression this industry has made towards sustainability, I can not ignored the fact that the natural world constantly suffers for what we do...for what I do.

I am John Smith, I am the selfish human...the alien in Avatar which kills the forest for its resources.....yet I have more of a personal and emotional connection with the Na'vi.

More and more I think the Goucher Cultural Sustainability Master's program is something that might be right up my alley. I just don't know where a degree like that would leave me.

I Want....

dark hair
another tattoo
to go back to school and get a master's degree in.....art? art history? architecture? urban/environmental design? historic preservation?


Troll man I found in my rendering at work today :)

Dear Life...

I missed a few things along the way....can I start over? I never studied abroad, and I REALLY wanted to. I never gave NYC a chance. I've lost touch with nature, I stopped singing, and now I'm loosing art. Not to mention I've practically lost all my friends already. I never made those visits during school I promised them. We didn't have those Summer reunions. I am in love and I'm happy, but I just feel like I'm missing so much....there's a part of me that's missing. I just don't know where to look for it.

This awesome Dragon Sleigher ecard is my brother's work

Break Me Off A Piece....

of your winter break please? I have to go back to work on Monday....ew. I love the job, but I hate seeing my life waste away and go by so quickly because I'm always working. I don't want to work, it's a part of life, a part of life that I'd rather spend enjoying with friends and family. Now that my week off is almost over, I'm realizing all the things I didn't get done. All the errands I planned to make, all the chores I wanted to knock out....all I did was play video games haha. Time well spent? Probably so.

My mom's Aunt and Uncle are in from California this weekend, I love to see them!

Let's Recap...

...on all the wonderful things I got for Christmas!
Another Christmas with my baby <3
Happiness
Steel Pan (lifelong dream)
Pocket watch
Koi necklace
Mixed tape of love
Little Big Planet (Wander and Fiddle!)
Owl Napkin Rings (=P)
Black Pearl Pandora charm

Then of course, clothes, panties, candies, a nice bottle of wine, calligraphy books, a yule log ornament(!), music, eco-friendly lunchboxes, etc.

Music to Look Into

METAL:

Becoming the Archetype
Machinemade God (Bought album "Masked" 12.28.09)
It Dies Today (I really want to like this band...but 2 years after I first heard about them, I can't say I would buy their music)

ALTERNATIVE:
Shinedown (If it weren't embarrassing to listen to this kinda music I might already own a song of theirs)

POP:
Lady Gaga (Crazy, I know)

Spoiled Little Rich Kids

snow storm 12/19/2009

Well this Christmas was absolutely terrific! I've made public the things that I've wanted for some time, not so that people would buy them for me, just because I wanted to share my neat finds and to remind myself to someday get them. But everything I've mentioned wanting in the last few months I've gotten! And I feel bad about it! I feel spoiled and greedy, but I never intended for anyone o give me the things I've said I wanted. The exceptions being a mixed (tape) that Shane made me and the steel drum set I have listed on my Christmas list for 6 or more years. But I once mentioned 2 finds on etsy.com that I would have liked to buy for myself. Shane saw them and bought both for me! And on facebook, I linked the coolest little owl napkin rings, and my kris kringle bought me those! The one I feel most guilty about is the book I told Seth has been on my Christmas list for years now, the one that he then gave me from his own library. In retrospect, it must have sounded like a hint, but it certainly wasn't. Everything else I received was everything I could have ever wanted and more! It was the best Christmas!

Geothe said of Rome:

What has not been destroyed by war, has been destroyed by the architects."

Twenty Things

Twenty things I've learned about Wicca

1. It's history and traditions are far from what you are told and led to understand as a child. There is no satan worshiping and Wiccan Witchcraft is never about hurting anyone.
2. There are infinite interpretations of the craft, and it is even acceptable for a witch to draw from other religions.
3. Wicca is about duality; good and evil, male and female, day and night
4. There is energy and spirit in everything
5. Everyone, not just the Wiccan, is affected by the energy around them, which is particularly noticeable during the full moon.
6. Certain religions, such as Christianity, have drawn from Pagan beliefs and used them to their advantage so as to make their religion more prevalent or to force their beliefs unto others. Whereas Wiccans don't believe in proselytizing.
7. Wiccans believe in a threefold karma. Whatever you do, good or bad, will come back to you
8. Meditation and focus are very important, still very difficult for me, personally, to achieve.
9. Witches assume the roles of protectors, and are responsible for making sure those without voices are heard. Many witches are vegan or vegetarian, and all believe in caring for the Earth.
10. Esbats and Sabbats revolve around celestial events, the solstices and the equinoxes. The wheel of the year is a never ending cycle or birth, growth, death and rebirth.
11. Time of day/month is important not only in magick, but in self exploration. The time of birth will predetermine much of a person's character.
12. After death, a spirit will continue in the world where it will either return into the life of another or stick around to be a guardian or spirit guide to another.
13. The most important line of the Rede of the Wiccae is "an it harm not, do what you will" and it sums everything up.
14. There are numerous traditions, all unique to the other
15. There's much to be understood about your current situation, just by looking at what's around you
16. Colors may hold personal connections for an individual, but they also have other universal qualities
17. No magick should be done for another without asking their permission
18. Animals are considered to live lives of perfect love and perfect trust, thus being allowed to move freely through magick circles
19. There is a difference between magic and magick. One is reserved for people like Chris Angel
20. A male witch is not called a warlock. A warlock is a witch that has broken an oath and thus been ostracized from the community. times three.

Twenty Things I Want To Learn About Wicca

1. Working with and combining pantheons
2. Using runes
3. Meditative healing, balance through healing
4. When it is and is not appropriate to do magickal work for mundane things, how to incorporate magick into daily life
5. Doing quick magick. Other religions can say a quick prayer for perform a simple act in honor of their religion. Witchcraft, however, seems like much more needs to be done in a process or in the right conditions.
6. I don't quite understand whether or not a circle must be cast for everything. For my Yule festivities, do I need a circle or do I celebrate the evening throughout my entire home? What about kitchen magick, do you put a circle in the kitchen? Do I have to draw up a circle for every spell I cast? Or only in ritual?
7. What can a solitary do to be recognized in the community?
8. How do you know when all other options have been exhausted and its time to turn to magick?
9. How can I talk to the spirits and energies around me? Can I ask them for their help for small things? Like helping me rid a headache at work?
10. Can I address the Lord and Lady outside of a circle? I've come to understand you don't ask them for things, but what about if I need guidance or support, or if I wish to ask for care to be shown to the animals I see killed on the side of the road when it's unsafe and there isn't the time for pulling over. Once again, if I were to pull over, need I cast a circle to say a blessing?
11. What are the consequences of using a magickal tool for mundane uses, or temporarily using a mundane item for magickal purposes?
12. Making magickal potions and making talismans, amulets, and charms.
13. Can I bless and put energy into things to be used for mundane purposes? When does it get to be too much, and no longer special? Can I bless every meal and put energy into every dish?
14. Couldn't it be seen as disrespectful to tell nature through spell to or not to do something? Should nature be allowed to take its course?
15. Using stones and crystals
16. Understanding astrology and determining each days planetary order
17. Ways to defend Wicca, calmly, to skeptical people
18. Accepting or justifying certain lifestyle choices I've made for health, comfort and enjoyment, that may not embody Wiccan principles in their entirety but that help me to live an easier life.
19. Not only a Wiccan issue, I want to be able to grow and nurture a plant without killing it.
20. How to be a better person.

30 Second Catch Up

I stumbled across this awesome blog the other day....it was mine! I was super excited to see it on the first search page...I google image'd something, clicked on a visually interesting thumbnail and what did I get but my own blog! Of course I didn't recognize the image since it was an image I linked, but it was awesome nonetheless.

Yule is Monday, and there is much that needs to be done, though this looming blizzardish snowstorm coming from the South seems menacing and could be a problem.

Grrr....my computer has been annoyingly slow lately. Mainly browsing the internet but in general, too. I need to address this. Well, as the time becomes available I will write about my Yule adventures, right there's business to attend to.

Becoming a Witch

An excerpt from Solitary Pagan

Gary Cantrell also expressed this well when he wrote, "Truly becoming a witch, be it done as a Solitary or in Coven, is a deeply moving and profound mental, spiritual, emotional, and sometimes even physical experience. It is an awareness of your connection to the God and Goddess, an awareness or maybe even a reawakening of your eons-old link through your ancestors to that wonderful and all-encompassing things we call Nature. The feelings and emotions that will surge through you when you experience that awakening are impossible to describe with the written word. They will alter your heart and raise your soul. They will leave an everlasting mark on all who experience that awakening with an impact on your very psyche that is almost physical, and your life will be forever changed. Once you truly acknowledge and accept your rightful title of witch, regardless of how it is conferred, you will never again be the same." (page 9)

So I Have a Lot of Questions....

Perfect compass with the Tree of Life on Etsy by JewelsbyNature

First, why is it taking so long to finish this book! I have like 8 more, and I still have a quarter left to read.

More importantly, though, I have questions regarding the content of the book, and what I don't understand of it. Like where do I begin!? Obviously, I've already gained so much information but I feel like I need to at least finish the book before I can even get started...but how do I know that what comes later in the book will have me completely prepared? Certainly it would be easier to learn from a coven, but I just think that finding one that I completely agree with might be difficult. But I wonder if I would even be recognized in the community as an educated and practiced witch if I didn't belong to a coven. I don't want all this hard work to be for nothing. And I don't know how well I grasp some of the Rede of the Wiccae.

21. With the fool no season spend
or be counted as his friend

So basically, should I judge someones character/personality and not be their friend because? Or does a fool mean more than what I know it to be? Then there's ...

25. True in love ever be
unless they lover's false to thee.

If you know me at all, this hits home hard. So whatever happened to forgiveness? Or does this assume there was no apologies or recognition on the lover's part?

There are technical concerns, too. Like what if the tools I used for magick were used for a mundane purpose? What are the consequences? Why am I never supposed to use it for mundane purposes again once I've used it for magick? And how, then, do some people make their mantels their altars? The book also says to resist the temptation to invite a friend to ritual. It uses the scenario of wanting to show off knowledge, which wouldn't be why I'd invite someone, but rather to share the experience with them. Like Shane, should I never invite him? I'm certain I'd sometimes want him to be a part of it so long as he's willing. My next question is obviously a minor detail, but this book suggests I make my Book of Shadows a loose leaf book and take only the sheets I need to into ritual. But, you see, I think loose leaf is a little tacky if you can't get good paper, and where can I get good paper? And where can I get a unique looking binder type book to keep it in? And I like the idea of keeping all my magick notes with me in ritual. After all, isn't there energy in the written work I do as well? My only concern doing it my way, is how do I find an old spell I wrote if I can't alphabetize it? Where I really get confused, however, is when we begin to mention the quarters and the 5 points of the pentagram. For example, a censer represents Air and is to be placed in the Eastern part of my alter. But if I substitute a cauldron for my censer, I now represent fire, so does it then go in the Northern or Eastern Part? And then how does the pentagram itself get oriented, it would be impossible for it all to be in the right direction...so spirit goes at the top?

There are so many more....

• The pentagram is also referred to as the Devil's Star, but would witches call it that if we don't associate it with evil?
• Not relating to witchcraft, why does the moon grow right to left and English is read left to right?
• If Samhain is the Wiccan New Year, why does The Witches' Almanac say it starts with Ostara, the Vernal Equinox? And then even more perplexing, why does it actually start with Yule once you open it?
• Samhaim is clearly one of the most significant Sabbats, but when most friends and relatives celebrate that evening, should I abandon them? Yes, I care about this, very much so, but let's be honest, if Halloween is on a weekend, not many parties will be on different nights.
• And Yule, I know some traditions will carry over, but do I need to abandon my childhood (Christian-ish) family traditions? P.S. I'm curious to know how Wiccans view chopping down Christmas trees, because it bothers me.
• As for staying within one pantheon, does that mean forever? Can I work within multiple as long as I don't mix and match?
  
• Lastly, I've been reading about all the different guests you can invite to ritual. Surely, I'm going to make a mistake and piss someone off, why should I even bother?

Phew....that's a lot....and I still have 9 more chapters to go...

Witchy Woman

As a dedicate, I will need a magickal name. I'm having trouble finding it, so I'm going to answer a few questions from the Idiot's Guide...

1.) Do you have an affinity for a particular God or Goddess whom you have read about?

Yes, Gaia. I admire her and since I have known of her, I have always felt a stronger connection with her as a Goddess than with the Chrisitian God. When I began to lose my connection with Catholicism, I knew there was one thing I could believe in: Mother Earth. The only downside is that she's not an Irish Goddess, she's Greek. And I'm more interested in Celtic traditions.

2.) Do you have a favorite myth or legend? What is it? Who are the characters? With which one do you identify most strongly?

I'll get back to you on this one... I was having trouble thinking of them, then I thought about the movie Robin Hood, though I would rather associate myself with a female character. Then, this morning, I found my Irish Myth, Legend and Folklore book from my grandparents. I thought it were a sign. But all the stories are more like ghost stories and about fairies and bad witches. I'm going to look into my art books because I KNOW there's someone. For now, there's Robin Hood. The phoenix is also intriguing, though it's not like I've had a lifelong fixation with it.

3.) Is there a species of animal that is special to you? What qualities does that animal have?

The wolf. Teacher, Intuition, Loyaltiy, the Shadow, Devoted, Loving, Intelligent, "Strength and knowledge to stand alone...knows the importance of family and friends."

4.) Are you particularly drawn to one of the four Elements- Air, Fire, Water, or Earth? What about other natural substances such as different types of wood or metals?

While I love being in and near water, I have a strong appreciation and connection with Earth. Wood or metal? Well, I like silver, but I have no strong connection with it or any other metal. I'm not sure I understand what is meant by wood? Not tree? Ok, well I like Mahogony, but that's not much of a name... Because that's the next question...

5.) What is your favorite plant? Favorite flower? Favorite tree?

I have a respect for Oak, however, for it's history with human kind. I'll look into wood some more as I'm sure I'm forgetting a tree that I do like. Favorite plant? Bamboo for it's renewable qualities? Flower is the black rose, though, I'm aware that's not a real flower....I've always liked forest related names: Sylvia/Sylvana

What about adding words to the end.....like heart, oak or whisper....I think I have it...though I think I'll keep it to myself and the Wiccan community and not on the world wide web...... an update...I tried my hardest to think about choosing a name as I fell asleep, reading that it may come to me in my dreams and it didn't work. Other, more depressing current events of my life kept popping up. But after having thought of the name, I dreamed that I was using it on applications in the Wiccan community! I bought a car yesterday, maybe that's because of all those forms I was filling out...maybe it's a sign that it works?

All this I need to do research on....or shouldn't I? I would rather it come to me....I'll sleep on it.