simpletruths

Seventh Generation Green Cleaning

via www.gogreenstreet.com

I'm entering a contest to win this! I know - How cool would it be if I won?!

One reason I'm so excited to enter is that our local Target recently stopped selling all Seventh Generation products. I know - rude. They still sell Method which is cool, but SG was the only brand that had 100% recycled material paper towels. Because really - cutting down trees just to wipe up some spilled juice is a waste of so many resources it's not even funny.

In the absence of recycled paper towels we've been using more cloth - which I realize is better all around. But I almost felt that that buying the SG paper towels was my little way of saying "Yes, please, keep stocking these." Because literally they were the ONLY recycled ones - way off at the very end of the paper goods section...right before you got to the vacuum display.

Anyhow - everyone keep your fingers crossed for me.

And people in The Bay - where can I get SG products now that Elephant Pharmacy is gone and the San Leandro Target lost it's mind? Before you answer that I should tell you that yes there's a Walmart nearby and no, I don't shop there - so that is not an option.

oh, and if you follow this link you can go enter the contest too, if you want too. but I'm adding that information in really small type so you don't mess up my chances :)

Filthy mongrel

Isla Taboga
Originally uploaded by ~julia

Have you ever gotten in a space where you feel like you’re doing EVERYTHING? Where every single exertion of effort seems magnified by the perceived injustice of life? The inequalities, the unfairness, oh the burden of it all!!

When that happens to me I find it useful to think about all of the things I don’t do. Like, for example, laundry. Since we’ve moved into the house last August I think I’ve done laundry (from the color sorting to the final folding) once…maybe twice.
Nope, once.

I am an avid participator in the folding of laundry because, if I weren't, there would just be baskets of clean, clothing sitting around.
I can almost hear the wrinkles setting in.
My husband’s solution to that of course is to either A- not care or B- iron. But ironing is a whole other step that can usually be avoided with the proper timing of dryer extraction and folding.

Yea, I talk a good laundry game but see the original statement about my laundry habits – or lack there of.

If it were left up to me, laundry wouldn’t get done until I was down to the funny looking underwear....


Another thing I don’t do – Garbage/recycling/yard waste collection. I mean, I throw everything into their proper receptacles, but the gathering of bags and the setting out of bins the night before or the morning of grabage day…nah. If I happen to be outside on Friday evening, and it’s still light outside, and I’m not already carrying several bags, and I don’t have to head off a toddler from running into the street, then I MIGHT roll the bins back into the side yard – but I might not.

What else?

Vacuum. Yea, I know, what kind of mother am I right? Well, in my defense, I do sweep. But as far as vacuuming goes, even once there is a visible layer of yarn pieces, cereal and graham cracker crumbs, and whatever else…I just start doing my pushups in the bedroom so I don't have to have it within inches of my nose. But if that does happen, I just do exercises where I'm standing :)
We only have the one rug in the living room and we don’t wear our shoes past the entry way of the house and like I said, I do sweep. So it can’t be that bad, right?

Those are the big three domestic chores I put in minimal amount of effort into. And I don't feel one twinge of guilt. Besides, I don’t want Mr. Man to feel left out.

Rainy day thoughts

Having a bit of a panic attack of sorts.  The kind I know is silly and will pass shortly but, in the moment, quite urgent. 

I hope I’m a good mom.  I mean really, that’s a lot of pressure – much of it self afflicted. 

I also want to garden, and sew, and knit and crochet and cook and dance and play and teach and love and be loved and I, of course, feel like it ALL needs to be done right now. 

Oh, there’s just so much doing to be done. 

Almost every night, after the little one has been put to bed, and dinner has been eaten– you'll find me standing in the dining room, staring at the dishes in the kitchen, or the stuff I still haven't organized on the table, or the unfinished scarf/pair of earrings/hat….just staring. 

I know that I can only pick one before my mind becomes completely useless, but I'm steadily working through scenarios in my head where all three can be completed, if not simultaneously, then at least in rapid succession.
At some point, when my mind starts racing faster than I can realistically keep up, I hear this calm voice of reason “Julia, come sit down.”  And that’s really all I need most nights, to cuddle on the couch with my husband, a skein of yarn, a glass of wine and Top Chef from the previous night (what did I do before DVR?).
 
I know, I know I try to do too much. And then the thought of everything I want to do paralyzes me - until nothing gets done. 

This fall my mantra is ‘pick one thing’ 

 For now, the yard will have to wait.  I'm content just enjoying the walnuts and oranges - but come springtime it's on!

That one thing is etsy/artfire.  I hope to have a few pieces (earrings, button scarves, and knitted cowls) up on etsy and possibly artfire by the end of this month. Yea I know,  3 weeks isn’t a lot of time, but I've thought it out.

• I’ve been sitting on several pairs of half finished earrings for about a month
• I’d planned on doing a small local sales event of sorts on that day, but it fell through
• If I work on a little each day then it's plenty of time
• I’m not trying to stock my shop like I’m Macy’s; a few, well made items is all I’d like to start with.

But assuming someone actually wants to buy something – I’m looking for nice, inexpensive, packaging ideas…anyone?

Defining Space

My little crafty corner is starting to come together; complete with a desk just big enough to hold my sewing machine, with a few drawers for needles, hooks and the like.  Then, on my last trip to the Alameda Antiques Fair I found this little gem  

So far, the only thing I have on the shelves are a few little jars of buttons.  (I've got a little bit of handitack holding each one down -  earthquakes aren't gentle on small glass jars).  

 In one of the drawers I've hidden some of my almost finished earrings

 

The space is still a work in progress, but it feels great just to have a place other than the dining room table and living room floor, and some semblance of organization that doesn't revolve around large plastic bins.   I'll probably never have a swanky room with cubbies just for yarn, and fabric organized by color and material.  But luckily, none of those things are that important to me.  As long as I'm not relegated to sewing on the dining room table I'm a happy camper.

Table? oh THAT table!

before:

 

after:

I can't even being to tell you the joy I felt after rediscovering our table... It's all about the simple things in life.