There were seventeen sets of nail clippers. Books were on the shelves, books in boxes under the bed, and even more books in the attic. I found at least two dozen pairs of eyeglasses each with a sunglass inset. A microscope. Three weed whackers, four typewriters, and the boxes from every appliance he owned. At least 15 winter coats—why so many coats?
Posts filed under Minimalism
Green Living: Ditching the Paper Towel
Did you know the invention of paper towels was completely accidental? Many are familiar with the Scott Paper Company which founded toilet paper all the way back in 1879. In the early 20th century, the Scott plant received a railroad car’s worth of paper rolled too thick for toilet paper. Instead of scrapping the whole load, one of the founders used a story he heard about a school using small pieces of soft paper to hand out to students with runny noses during flu season as an entrepreneurial opportunity. The paper was perforated into small towel-sized sheets, called Sani-Towel, and sold to hotels, restaurants, and railroad stations for use in restrooms. It wouldn’t be until almost 30 years later before paper towels were popularized for household kitchens the way they are today.
How Your Grandmother Paved the Way for Green Living
My grandmothers were many things. Wise, kind, the best at giving hugs, and the best at baking cookies, as I’m sure your own grandmothers were. When I look around at things as they are today, I often wonder what my maternal grandmother, who lived her life as a farm wife, would have thought of the fast pace of our current world. I don’t have to wonder what she could have taught me about the ongoing efforts I make to live more sustainably, though. I learned those tips from watching both of my grandmothers throughout my life
Hitting the Road: Life and Love in a Backpack
The end of 2018 brought a drastic change in my life. I had been on the road for sixteen months before I moved to the charming town of Ann Arbor. I went to Italy over Christmas to visit family, and until then I had been travelling around Asia. My plan was to carry on with my nomadic life. I was going back to Thailand for the month of January, then I was going to make my way back to China, where I was temporarily living and working as an outdoor guide. I had decided that when I grew tired, I would move on toward new horizons, maybe to New Zealand or Australia.
One Step Toward Zero Waste
There was genuine shock on my face when my youngest sister, at just 11-years-old, accompanied me to a Starbucks on a weekend visit and very firmly told the barista that no, thank you, she did not need a straw. She had brought her own. My shock continued as she reached into her purse and pulled out a reusable metal straw. After she finished her drink, she then lovingly washed it out and put it away before we continued with our day. I’d like to say I taught her that, but unfortunately this is one I can’t take credit for. She informed me it was a trend among children her age right now, all of them buying reusable straws with the rallying cry of “save the turtles.”
Rediscovering Recycling
Recently in the United States, the recycling movement is under attack. The federal government is dismantling one major environmental policy after another, and new quality-based restrictions by Chinese scrap buyers have sent the value of many recyclables into a free fall. This is hurting all recyclers, but especially those in Michigan, where landfill overcapacity had already put recycling at a disadvantage.
Room to Breathe — Organizing for Happiness and Harmony
How one's personal space, be it home or work, is organized has a great impact on one's energy, productivity, and sense of self. Organization, use, and harmony among multiple users of the space all have a hand in affecting our well-being. To some, well-organized means sparse, but this can be detrimental to usability and may not work for everyone. Luckily, there are a number of tools at our disposal to bring organization and harmony to our living spaces.
