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Repurpose! Jars Edition!

By tinychoices | January 27, 2012

Let’s take a quick internet tour of some interesting repurpose projects. Maybe y’all will find some weekend project inspiration!

We love JARS. glass jars! they’re hefty and heavy, sure, but they are super durable and you can be positive that the jar itself (though perhaps not the cap) is chemical-free. How can we keep showing jars the love after we’ve exhausted their original contents? Here are some neat ideas from the internet!

[[Photo from flickr user Chiot's Run via creative commons license.]]

Topics: Repurpose!, Waste | No Comments »

New Shower Curtains!

By Karina | January 23, 2012

It’s no secret that for several years I have struggled with unsightly shower curtains. In my last apartment the curtain was in tatters by the time I moved away but I didn’t want to buy a new one! The house I live in now requires two shower curtains – one to protect the unfinished window sills in the tub, and one to protect the rest of the bathroom from the shower splatter – and they were also both held together with duct tape and getting incredibly disgusting with mold and soap scum. The last time we washed the curtains they started to split, so they were also held together with duct tape.

Now for nearly four years I’ve been publicly announcing my intentions to sew my own curtains. The way I see it: cloth curtains could be washed without concern of shattering or shredding. Plus by sewing curtains I would be avoiding the purchase of new shower curtains that would be either PVC or another plastic, heavily treated cotton, or incredibly expensive.

So this weekend when I had a free hour I sat down and made two shower curtains.

I know! So exciting, right? The first photo is the curtain that protects the window – my partner already had this fabric in his stash. I had to hem the top and the bottom to make a neat seam.

The second is from an old sheet we had stashed in the fabric closet. It was just about the right width, and all we had to do was cut it shorter on the bottom (so it doesn’t soak up all the water from the bottom of the tub. That was just one hem.

And then I put in grommets – which is not the best or most fun thing to do. I have a grommet tool already and we just had to buy some extra grommets to complete the job.

and Hey Presto! Finally we have new and beautiful shower curtains. I am so thrilled about this! And further, it’s really improved the quality of shower I can take. The water is so quiet when it hits the cloth that there is no comparison to the old plastic curtains we’d used for so long.

And I especially like that we had the majority of the materials ready at home to make the curtains!

What kind of shower curtain are you using in your home?

Topics: Crafts/DIY, Home | 4 Comments »

Easy Peasy Tip: Remake It

By tinychoices | January 21, 2012

Sometimes by changing something small, we can get a second life out of things we already own:

Have you remade anything lately?

Topics: Easy Peasy Tips, Waste | No Comments »

Repurpose! Pallet edition.

By Karina | January 20, 2012

Instead of happy econews, let’s take a quick internet tour of some interesting repurpose projects. Maybe y’all will find some weekend project inspiration!

I love wooden pallets. It turns out they’re good for all kinds of things:

Have you used wooden pallets for anything around your house? What are your favorite examples of pallet repurpose?

[[Photo from flickr user Eclipse Awards via creative commons license.]]

Topics: Repurpose! | 2 Comments »

Easy Peasy Tip: Try a teleconference!

By Karina | January 14, 2012

These days it can be really hard to collaborate with other people. We all live far away we have busy lives, and lordy, what a lot of gas to drive between places. So if you have to go to a meeting, try collaborating with a teleconference! If you ‘ve got a good group of people, it can be a wonderful experience. It’s easy to set up with free tools like wiggio for conference calls, or skype or google hangouts for video. Not only will you be saving on time and fossil fuels, but you can also have your slippers on, enjoy a cup of hot tea, and even slurp down some dinner while you’re meeting.

Just be warned – the cat WILL jump right in front of the table, the kids WILL scream even more before bed, and you will probably feel shortly after starting the call that maybe you should have taken off your funny hat and puffy vest to be a little more professional. And use the restroom before you start!

Photo from Karina’s recent google+ hangout to discuss exciting Cooper Union things!

Have you used online collaboration tools? Do you have any favorites? What about hilarious goofy stories during the collaboration?

Topics: Easy Peasy Tips | 2 Comments »

Happy Eco-News Fridays!

By tinychoices | January 13, 2012

Topics: Happy Eco-News | No Comments »

Palisades Park Commission

By Karina | January 9, 2012

We’ve been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather with some nice weekend hikes lately – we’ve been finding spots of nature and taking advantage of it wherever we can!. This weekend, we went for a ramble through the Palisades Park – and stumbled upon some ruins called “Millionaires Row” which really piqued our interest. One of the Ringling Brothers used to have a summer home! Giant hotel resorts! There were bunches of big mansions all along the cliffs – until they made the park and knocked them all down.

What’s really interesting is the history of the Palisades Park – after large quarries were found destroying the cliffs of the Palisades citizens and regulators banded together to stop them – lead by women’s clubs.

To respond to this threat, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) was formed in 1900 by the New York and New Jersey state legislatures “to provide for the selection, location, appropriation and management of the certain lands along the Palisades of the Hudson River for an interstate park”. The park stretched along the cliffs for 14 miles between Fort Lee, New Jersey and Piermont, New York. The first step in this preservation effort was the acquisition of the Carpenter Brothers trap rock quarry in Fort Lee, New Jersey for $132,500, most of which was donated by J.P. Morgan.

The Palisades were cobbled together through a bunch of (generally rich) conservationists who bought up land and donated it to the Commission:

The unwavering backing of benefactors has been critical in almost every major Park undertaking since then: the first 10,000 acres of today’s Harriman State Park were donated (along with $1 million) by Mary Harriman in 1910; the Palisades Interstate Parkway became possible when the Rockefeller family, in the 1930s, donated key parcels for the project; dozens of citizens’ groups raised the funds necessary to purchase High Tor in 1943; Archer Huntington donated land adjacent to Little Tor the same year; in 1998, the lands that form Sterling Forest State Park were purchased, in part, with funds from private land trusts such as Scenic Hudson and the Open Space Institute; the visitor center at Sterling Forest was completed in 2003 thanks to a generous gift from U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey.

Of course, the Palisades Park was also created, in part, because of the Palisades Interstate Parkway. This highway was designed and built by Robert Moses – who was kind of the highway constructor of rich guys who wanted to get their way by knocking down everything in their path. So as much as the Palisades Interstate Parkway was created with a seed grant of land from John D. Rockefeller (700 acres over a 13 mile stretch of land along the tops of the cliffs) – that was probably acquired through generally acceptable land sales (like this one) — much of the parkway was “paved,” so to speak, with condemnation of properties that people actually didn’t want to turn over. (Like this compelling story of the Elephant house – and this kind of less compelling story of the Riviera. And the families who lived at Cape Fly-Away.)

The Palisades Park is an interesting look into US History – a time when a group of people had kind of the right idea, but then, it was kind of steamrolled through by the “right people,” and if you weren’t with them, you were kicked out. But now we all have access to a beautiful park that celebrates a section of the Hudson River that really shouldn’t be blocked off for the use of those with special access. These days, when issues of eminent domain has been bolstered to support the rights of corporations over the individuals – these questions are still present. So not to be a downer, but how do we watch for this kind of thing? How do we make sure that all of the stakeholders are properly represented, and somehow build consensus to protect land and open access to all?

I got no ideas, but I would love to hear some! Do you have any examples of this in your own area?

[[Photo from flickr user ladymay79 via creative commons license.]]

Topics: Favorite Green Places, Transportation | 3 Comments »

Easy Peasy Tip: Make some Soup!

By Karina | January 7, 2012

During the long cold days of winter, there’s nothing better than a bowl of soup. And soup is one of the most perfect foods – better than pickles or cabbage, even! Because it is not only warm and filling, but it can be super affordable to make, and also can use up lots of leftovers and odds and ends from your pantry and leave you with lots of leftovers to put up.

What’s probably best about soup is that you can make a big pot, it will make your kitchen smell delicious, and you can invite people over for a wonderful party. Have someone else bring some bread and another person the salad or dessert, and you’ve got an instant dinner party with friends without making too much mess, fuss, or trouble for any one person. Take it from Jenn – it’s perfect! And if you’re not sure where to start, Karina highly recommends this delicious and easy curried lentil soup.

Do you have a favorite soup recipe to share? Leave it in the comments!

[[Photo from flickr user slowping via creative commons license.]]

Topics: Easy Peasy Tips, Food | 1 Comment »

Happy Eco-News Fridays!

By tinychoices | January 6, 2012

Topics: Happy Eco-News | No Comments »

Mexican Water Bottle Gourds

By Jenn (TinyChoices.com) | January 4, 2012

It’s been awhile since we’ve had a water bottle post here at Tiny Choices, but some of you may remember that we used to write them fairly often– trying to avoid disposable plastic water bottles meant there was some thought going in to which option worked best for our lifestyles.

Well, I was recently told about a type of water bottle I’d never heard about before– and, talk about being green!  Turns out that the traditional way of carrying water in Mexico is in a “Mexican Water Bottle Gourd” (Lagenaria siceraria)!

It’s impossible to get more eco-friendly than these: it’s a gourd.  With a corn-cob stopper.  And if you want to get fancy, a piece of rope tied onto it as a handle.

So while we debate the merits of stainless steel vs. aluminum vs. glass, and worry over the type of paint used in the pretty design, and whether the bottles are made in the US or China… we could all instead be carrying around these awesome gourd water bottles and call it a day.

If you want to DIY one yourself, you can buy a Mexican water bottle gourd online for about $5 and make your own canteen… and whittle yourself a corncob stopper after a nice homecooked dinner.

[Image by Mixtec.org]

Topics: Food, Waste | 1 Comment »

Tractor Trailer Aerodynamics

By Karina | January 2, 2012

I drove to Ohio and back again this weekend with my partner and the little dudes to ring in the New Year at Aunt Kate with my partner’s aunts and uncles – and on the way, cruising on Rt 80, there were a few tractor trailers with lots of modifications. I’ve seen many of them before – the gap closures and the trailer skirts – but for the first time we saw a trailer with an added back that narrowed down – to smooth the air as it goes around the trailer and to reduce drag.

All of this got me interested in how, exactly, people were improving the efficiency of these tractor trailers.

Apparently, there are four major places where air drag can slow down these vehicles and waste fuel:

So it makes sense to evaluate some simple fixes to improve the drag. And apparently it’s also a USEPA initiative called SmartWay, which is a program to implement, measure, and track the effectiveness of these options, offer grants, and help to sift through the techologies available.

For example, to reduce tractor trailer drag, there are the following options:

Some of these fuel efficiencies don’t look like much, but when you consider that over the course of the year, you can save thousands of dollars on fuel costs using these retrofits, it looks a lot better. For the owner-operator of a truck, that might represent profit or needed repair funds where there was little before as they tried to keep up with escalating gas prices. For the fleet owner, that might make the difference between expansion or contraction of their fleet. One manufacturer estimates that the advanced trailer end faring would be paid back in fuel savings in six to twenty-four months.

And you know, even if the environment isn’t the first thing on the minds of the long haul trucker (or fleet owner), moving goods is a necessary in this culture we’ve got, and I’m so excited that these retrofits are available to make this kind of transportation a little greener.

What kind of crazy aerodynamic mods have you seen out there on the road?

Topics: Transportation | 2 Comments »

Easy Peasy Tip: Find your Nature!

By tinychoices | December 31, 2011

This week, take a look around your community and Find your Nature – no, we’re not getting personal here! not YOUR nature. But the nature spot that you have closest to your house. Is there a park you can walk or bicycle to? Is there a small community garden nearby? Do you have a surprise hidden state park that you can go to and hike away the afternoon?

One way to do this easily is to zoom in with Google Maps and use both the map and the aerial photograph to find interesting looking places to investigate.

It’s important to know what kind of great natural resources you have near by because it’s much harder, when you’ve got a hankering for a park, to find something right then and there and head out. If you’ve already got an inventory of awesome spots to go to, it’s a lot easier to get yourself moving to visit and utilize them! Also once you know about them, you’ll be able to volunteer and help out. In the spring there will probably be park clean-up days that you can pitch in at. You’ll get to know your community better, in number of ways.

Do you have natural spaces nearby? Do you get creative in any way?

Topics: Easy Peasy Tips | 1 Comment »

Bottled Water Making A Comeback?

By Jenn (TinyChoices.com) | December 28, 2011

Something strange has happened in the past few weeks, and it’s so odd that it’s made me take notice.  While dining in restaurants (which, as you know, I do an awful lot) and asking for water to drink, I’m brought a bottle of water instead of a glass of tap water.  Which is very troubling.

For the past few years it seemed like many restaurants were more amenable to serving customers tap water, even though they make a huge markup on selling bottled water.  With all of the environmental pressure against the bottled stuff, I’d noticed that there was less of a hassle getting a plain ol’ glass of water, which I really appreciated.

But now it seems like things may be shifting back to bottled, and I’m wondering why.  My first thought is that since more businesses are struggling to stay afloat in this economy, eateries are trying to make extra dollars any way they can– and refusing to serve tap water and only providing bottled water is one sure-fire way to do just that.

And they’re sneaky about it, too!  Perhaps knowing that some patrons are anti-bottled, the waiter will bring the bottle to the table and crack it open as they approach, leaving me no time to cry, “No!  No bottled water!”  And of course there are times I’m incredibly thirsty and need that water, so it’s either bottled or nothing.  If I can hold out until after dinner I do, but given my history of dehydration sometimes it’s a little difficult to do.

Of course, when this situation has happened recently I’ve talked to the restaurant managers, telling them the reasons people prefer tap water and the arguments against bottled water.  They listen politely and I can only hope I’ve helped them to think about this issue in a way that goes beyond the few extra dollars in their pockets.  And it goes without saying that I won’t patronize those restaurants again, and I’ll let the owners know the reason why.

Have you had to make an unexpected eco-decision lately?  How’d it go?

[Image by Dottie Mae via Creative Commons]

Topics: Food, Waste | 3 Comments »

Happy Eco-News Fridays!

By tinychoices | December 23, 2011

Topics: Happy Eco-News | No Comments »

Lighter-Impact Vacations

By Jenn (TinyChoices.com) | December 21, 2011

I’m the luckiest duck around– surf trip for the holidays!

But when it comes to being green, outdoor sports can be a tricky thing.  While riding your bike through the woods or hiking along a treeline ridge are close to no-impact activities, all of the bits around the sport itself can sometimes be incredibly impactful.

First, there’s the gear: bikes made in foreign lands, the metal mined to make them, and the shipping involved in getting them to us (not to mention the paints, waxes and plastic bits); clothing made out of “performance fabrics” are mostly made from petroleum, and it turns out, shed microscopic plastic fibers every time you wash them, which end up in the ocean and on beaches (which is one reason Team Tiny Choices advocates wool clothing).  And surfing?  Petroleum-based sticky wax goes right from my board and into the mouths of fishies.

Then, there’s the arriving: for those lucky enough to live close to their activity of choice their transportation footprint is small, but many of us need to drive (or, worse, fly) to get to the mountain or crag or surf break.  So while enjoying the great outdoors is most certainly a green activity itself, as usual, we humans can make it more impactful than it needs to be.

So, how did I make this trip as green as possible?

Have you taken or planned a trip lately?  What considerations did you take to green it up?

Topics: General, Yoga & Fitness | No Comments »

Kids Gifting

By Karina | December 19, 2011

It’s just a short week before Christmas is here (if that’s the one you celebrate!) and we are kind of nutters in my household right now. Like, perhaps we might have been saving all of our holiday gift procurement until (cough) NOW. We’re saved by some secret snowflaking and a tendency to get our nieces and nephews dorky nerdpresents which are easily procured. It’s the handmade stuff that is really stressing me out – I have so much left to do!

This year we also tried something new – we worked with the little dudes to figure out what they can make for all the grownups that love them. At first I kind of floated the idea of what they could make… and a couple of weeks later, when nothing had happened, I started to get a little concerned.

Next I started to think of things that they could make! My nephew, for example, has given Christmas ornaments out every year. They’re wonderful and I love to see them each time we put the tree up. I know that others put together cookie plates or other kinds of food, and I was even wondering if we should make snow globes. I wanted to give the boys a chance to put together something they wanted to gift, but with easy-to-complete requirements.

When my partner and I first set out the gift idea to them this weekend, they were *highly* resistant. I was actually pretty surprised! At first Twelve said he would buy (or had bought) things for everyone… but that was just plain not true. Then he said he didn’t want to do it at all because it would be too hard, so I may have pulled a little guilt trip by saying how discouraging it was for them to say things were hard without trying them, because we want them to feel like they can do anything that they try to do… if they don’t feel like that then we have FAILED THEM. That worked pretty well and the next thing you know they were having a really wonderful time making a bunch of gifts. The mood shifted from “we don’t want to, we’ll buy” to “it’ll be too hard” to “stop helping us! we are supposed to make these gifts ourselves!”

I’m not going to post what we eventually made, but they made it together, it’s amazing and will not take up lots of space, and I hope that everyone will love it. The boys are really proud, which is probably one of the most important things. I love that they will have a chance to see how easy it is to make a gift for someone and to personalize the holidays that way, and I hope that this will become a long-standing tradition.

Do you have special gifts that kids have given you or that you’ve made with your kids?

[[Photo from flickr user J Maz Photography via creative commons license.]]

Topics: Crafts/DIY | No Comments »

Easy Peasy Tip: Snuggle Up for Warmth!

By Karina | December 17, 2011

Snuggle up with a loved one or with a pet to stay warm at night. If you go to sleep with a hat on you’ll probably fall asleep warmer than otherwise. The socks under the covers are a good tip too if it’s exceptionally cool. If you do all these things, you can reduce the thermostat a few extra degrees – try leaving it at 55 or even 50 degrees over night and see how you do!

In the winter we all do nutty things to stay warm. But let’s stop thinking of them as nutty. Let’s just accept them as cost-cutting and energy-saving!

Topics: Easy Peasy Tips | 2 Comments »

Happy Eco-News Fridays!

By tinychoices | December 16, 2011

Topics: Happy Eco-News | 2 Comments »

My Vegetable Soup

By Jenn (TinyChoices.com) | December 14, 2011

I haven’t always been the best at cooking my own meals; having been a lifelong New Yorker, I grew accustomed to being able to grab food on the go– a slice of pizza, a burrito, a bagel sandwich, were all foods found acceptable to eat while walking down the street.  Many evenings found me munching while travelling from one engagement to the next, food purchased strategically along my journey: 2 more blocks to the subway, that’s enough time to down my slice before I get there…

I now find myself in a place which only has a few “to-go” type restaurants, which I do employ frequently in my meal rotation– but thing get dull after a short time if I eat there too frequently, and the real restaurants nearby get too pricey to eat in every day.

So after years of cooking infrequently & reluctantly (as proof, see: Crockpot Cookin’, Rice Cooker Meals, and the useful Tiny Choices Meal List), I am now cooking much more frequently– and while there’s a learning curve, I love it!  It’s not always easy: there are many, many times I look forlornly in my fridge while wondering how long another handful of almonds will sate my belly.  But then, since there are no other options, I get myself out of my house and down to the nearest store to load up on veggies and tofu and whatever other basics I need to prepare a quick meal.

We’re not talking high cuisine here, though I do really enjoy working with more involved recipes for a holiday or special meal with friends.  Most of the time I’ll whip up some kind of veggie stir-fry kind of thing, with the vegetables I’ve got which aren’t wilted, whichever seasonings catch my eye first (could be spicy! could be soy-saucy!), and mix it with both various cooked beans and brown rice (both of which I cook up in large quantities and store in the freezer for these quick meals, smart, right?)

One day recently I found myself staring, yet again, into the fridge, with a friend on the way for dinner, and it occured to me: veggie soup!  Nothing’s easier than a nice big pot of soup, so: I sauteed some onion, chopped all kinds of veggies, tossed in handfuls of cooked beans and brown rice, lots of water and some veggie stock, and brought it to a simmer.  I then put a few cupfuls into the blender and whirred it around, then poured it back into the stockpot, which thickened things up nicely.  A quick run to the corner bakery for a couple of hard rolls, and I was ready for company– not to mention all the leftover soup for my fridge and freezer!

From desperation to delicacy, and all for about $2 or $3.  So I’ll just keep reminding myself: if I can just remember to be even the littlest bit prepared, I too can manage this Responsible Food thing!

How about you: what are some of your quick go-to meals these days?

[Image by Witneyinchicago via Creative Commons]

Topics: Food, Waste | No Comments »

So, Tiny Choosers, I’ve been busy…

By Karina | December 12, 2011

Hi there gang,

It’s been a whole week! You know, since Jenn and I started this website on June 23 2007, we have put up content almost every day. (HOLY CATS, this is post number 1,598.) So this radio silence thing was kind of unusual.

The thing is – I got busy. CRAZY busy. The college I attended – Cooper Union – has a financial crisis. To make a long story short, Cooper Union has traditionally been a free school – full scholarship for everyone admitted. And now the Administration is talking about changing that – and I’m trying as hard as I can to stay engaged, work with alumni, and doing my best to keep Cooper Union free and wild. I helped organize a Community Summit which took place last week, and then after that I had to catch up on my sleep – all while managing my day job and family lives.

(I was at a holiday part this weekend in Pittsburgh and my friends were asking what’s new with me… and I kept starting to tell them, and then saying – “you know? it’s kind of boring.” They’re sweet and asked for more details, but it’s hard to explain.)

It’s been tremendously busy. But as I wrote in my reactions to the summit, “I feel more than ever that the Cooper Union community is a reflection of Peter Cooper himself – the idealism, the creativity, the force of vision and the ability to see through ideas to the very end – we have embodied that through our own strengths and through the strength of education we received at Cooper Union.” And as Peter Cooper (the Founder of Cooper Union) said – “I have endeavored to remember that the object of life is to do good.”

So, friends, I’m still here, and I’m still making tiny choices. I’m sorry I’ve been away! I’ll be right back to write about them, most certainly. Please bear with me as I try to effect some change in this other important corner of my life.

So, um, are y’all still doing ok? Any news?

Topics: General | 1 Comment »


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