Glass Honey Dispenser

We consume a lot of honey in our house.  I'm not convinced that local honey will cure my allergy symptoms but I am convinced that it's yummy, which is why I put so much of it in my tea.  We buy it in bulk but pouring a little bit into my tea from a 6 pound jar is awkward to say the least so I keep refilling my old plastic bottle.  He's a cute little bear but he's plastic, which makes it easy to squeeze and keeps everything clean, but it's still plastic.  I'd rather not store my food in plastic.  Plus, the flip-top lid broke last month.

I didn't want a mess so those super cute pots with the equally cute dippers were out of the question.  (Yes, I know there is a technique but I didn't want to explain it every time someone needed some honey!)

So I was stumped.  I started asking friends but, like me, they were also still relying on their old friend, the plastic honey bear, too.

Then I found this:

Hello, sleek glass dispenser.  Good-bye, plastic bear.

 

It is actually marketed as a maple syrup dispenser but so far it's working well as a honey server too.  It quick, easy, and clean!  (No explanation required.)  Plus, since I like simple lines, I think it's even cuter than that old honey bear.

Do you have any other ways I can replace some of that lingering plastic in my life?

Peace,

Stacey

Beauty Unpackaged (LUSH)

Why had no one told me about LUSH before last month?!?  Seriously, did you think I wouldn't love the idea of a store that uses minimal packaging?  Did you think I'd be scared off by bar shampoo?  Was it the smell?  Wait!  What?  You didn't know about LUSH either?  Well, you're going to love it! They are fresh handmade cosmetics that are made from organic, plant-based products that are never tested on animals.  Did I mention that most of them come without any packaging whatsoever?!?

Let me start at the beginning.  I've been contemplating the "No 'Poo" hair washing method for a few months now... okay, closer to a year but I'm "nervous."  Crazy, I know!  Especially since I'm not into hair in the first place.  And, really what do I have to lose?  If I don't like it, I could always just go back to my conventional method.  (Maybe I was just to lazy to hunt down a bottle for the shower... it couldn't be that simple.  Could it? But I digress...)  So when a friend suggested I check out this store because they sell shampoo bars with no packaging rather than liquid that comes in (dum, dum, dum) plastic, I was excited!  Super excited!

I was so excited that I even braved the busiest mall around to check it out.  I left with 2 purchases and 4 free samples!  I got so many samples because I was hesitant about the smells.  I quit using or wearing perfumed (or "stinky" as I now think of them) products about 6 years ago.  Now I can barely tolerate them.  According to the manager on duty, LUSH is all about the smell.  My friend who told me about it loves the Karma scent and I almost bought it. 

Anyway, I've been using the Seanik shampoo bar and Jungle solid conditioner ever since that trip last week. Neither of which are stinky at all! And so far, I'm loving it.  Seriously!  Give me a month or two and I'll do a better review.  I'm just happy to find plastic-free hair products so I wanted to share it with you.

The only regrettable thing (other than the fact that I'm not being compensated for this post) is that I couldn't find any package-free products that did not contain SLES.  Boo!  What is so hard to find something without SLES or SLS?

Let me know of any other stores that are package-free.

Peace,

Stacey

31 Days of Green Little Things: Bring Your Own To-Go Container

It's hard to believe that I only have a few more days left in my 31 Days of Green Little Things series!  If you're new here (welcome!), this is where I discuss the little things I do to help the environment.

We take our own carry out containers when we go out to eat.  I know.  What?!

Well, it all started at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  They use stryofoam to-go containers and we hated having to chose between wasting perfectly delicious food just to avoid styrofoam containers. One day it was like a (compact florescent) light bulb went on.  Why not bring our own?!?  So we did... to that restaurant.  Many of the other restaurants we like use reusable plastic or compostable paper containers so when we needed to take something home we didn't mind... too much.  Then another (even greener LED) light bulb turned on.  We should always (try to) bring our own.

We take our own bags when we go shopping, why not take our own food storage containers too?  Now we do.

We chose reusable over compostable this week.

We've mesmerized our friends and servers in the process.  Seriously!  Friends always comment about how "smart" I am for bringing my own to-go container.  Servers are usually confused at first but usually dig it.  One guy now he asks me if I remembered my container rather than if I need one.  (O.K. maybe we go there a lot.)  Last week a new server complimented us on it.  She was thoroughly impressed, which led us into a conversation about how she brings her own grocery bags when she goes to stores that charge for every plastic bag but had no idea she could take them to other stores!

Today I let a friend use my to-go container because we didn't have any leftovers but she did.  She was happy and that made me happy.

The other way we cut down on needing to take anything with us is to share our meal.  Most meals are big enough to feed two adults.  If we're still hungry, we get dessert.  Hooray! And, let's be completely honest, desert is my favorite part anyway.

Now if only I had a stove and/or oven, we could eat at home again....

Peace,

Stacey

To follow other "31 Days" journeys, check out The Nester.  She's hosting this party. 

I started a Facebook page for my blog.  "Like" it if you're so inclined. (Please.)

31 Days of Green Little Things: Be Straw Free Campaign

Welcome back to my 31 Days of Green Little Things!  This is where I discuss the little things I do to help the environment.

We’re living through a kitchen remodel right now so as you can probably guess we’ve been eating at restaurants much more frequently than usual.  One of the simplest things we try to do while eating out is to decline plastic straws.  This is harder than it sounds because servers are quick!  Here's the boy (Milo Cress) who inspired us to take a look at how often we (unnecessarily) use plastic straws.

What do you think? Could you be straw free?  Or maybe just a little less straw dependent?  It's a little thing but, boy, does it add up quickly... just ask Milo.

Peace,

Stacey

To follow other "31 Days" journeys, check out The Nester.  She's hosting this party. 

I started a Facebook page for my blog.  "Like" it if you're so inclined. (Please.)

31 Days of Green Little Things: Bring Your Own Bag

Welcome back to my 31 Days of Green Little Things!  This is where I discuss the little things I do to help the environment.

I know you’ve heard this one before so I’m not going to harp on why we need to bring our own bags.  I am going to offer some tips that have helped us remember to bring our reusable bags.

Gather up your bags.  We stuff all our grocery bags (including a cooler bag and a wine bottle bag) into one bag. Then put them in an obvious place so you will see them when you head to the store.  We keep ours near our grocery list.

Keep some bags in your trunk (or bike basket) for unplanned trips to any store. I have a friend who keeps a ChicoBag in her purse because it folds up so small and fits into its own storage bag. 

If you forget your bags in the car, ask the checker to put your purchases back into your cart.  I did this once and after having to bag my food in the parking lot, I never forget to bring my bags into the store anymore.  It was a great way to help me remember!

If you don't want to buy anything new, reuse the plastic ones from the store until you've exhausted your supply. These tend to fold up very small and can even fit in a pocket.
We did this for a long time before we invested in canvas ones.  

Another no cost solution is to make your own by repurposing something you already have.  Here’s a really simple way to make your own bag from a t-shirt.  One tip: use a small-ish t-shirt (no bigger than an adult size medium) because the first time I tried, I used one of Mr. Green Stuff's old shirts and it turned out to be an enormous bag!

Did you know that many stores including Target and Whole Foods give you 5-10 cents off when you bring your own bag?  Just another way that being green saves some green.

We reuse (other people's) plastic store bags for our kitchen trash.  Friends send stuff to our house in them.  People have given us unpotted plants in them.  Boy Scouts leave them on our porch. (Don't worry; we participate in their food drive.)  Caribbean grocery stores won't let you leave without forcing some on you.  And the couple times in the past 5 years when we've miraculously run out of them, our friends were more than happy to give us the ones pouring out of their kitchen cabinets.

And, remember that once it becomes a habit, it’s easy.  How often do you forget to bring your phone/purse/wallet/keys?  Bringing your bags will become a habit too.

If you have any tips for remembering your reusable bags, please share them in the comments or post them on Facebook.

Peace,

Stacey

To follow other "31 Days" journeys, check out The Nester.  She's hosting this party. 

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31 Days of Green Little Things: Say Goodbye to Plastic Food Storage

Welcome back to my 31 Days of Green Little Things!  This is where I discuss the little things I do to help the environment.

With all the scary information out there about plastic leaching, we’ve replaced all our plastic food storage containers. 

By now you know that I’m not one to run out and buy the newest “thing” and I’d rather use up what I have before buying something new so this is what I did.  At first, I would recycle the plastic ones only when they would crack, become stained, or get those weird white bubbly spots.  As I began replacing them with glass storage, I liked the new ones so much better that eventually I decided it was time to let the rest go.  I repurposed a few as storage containers for things like screws, dishwasher soap, seashells, and crayons.  I donated the ones that were still in new condition.

I replaced most of them with glass storage containers and repurposed food jars but I also got some stainless steel boxes, cloth baggies, and even made my own.  Most of my glass containers have plastic lids so I try to avoid any food contact with the lid.  I also wait until the food is cool before putting on the lid. I really like the solutions I’ve come up with for replacing baggies.  I purchased a couple but more than anything I use the cloth bags that our rice comes in and the little cloth bags that my old purses and wallets came in.  They're all surprisingly sturdy.

I’m not asking you to get rid anything you still use but if you choose to continue using your plastic food containers, please, don’t use them in the microwave. 

What’s the craziest thing you’ve repurposed (safely) into a reusable food storage container?

Peace,

Stacey

To follow other "31 Days" journeys, check out The Nester.  She's hosting this party. 

I started a Facebook page for my blog.  "Like" it if you're so inclined. (Please.)