More lapsing...

. I’ve been a lapsed simplist lately. I know I should know better, and what’s even worse is that I have the time to devote to making conscious decisions. Not sure why I’ve decided to take the easy way out on numerous occasions. I figured after I stopped working 7 days a week, I’d be better able to focus my attention on making better decisions. But alas no. Instead of asking a friend if I could borrow (have) an old phone that they weren’t using or heading to Goodwill to see if they had a used one I could purchase, I headed to Target and thought a $5 cheap plastic phone was a better idea. Instead of taking time to look up the cat’s vaccination schedule and speaking up at the vet, I let her go ahead and give him his vaccinations at least 6 months earlier than needed and at full cost (remembering afterward that PetCo does them for considerably less.) I brought new foam cushions into the house to finish up the couch, forgetting the effect that the off-gassing fumes would have on me for months and months into the future. And on and on, the list goes. So starting here and now today, I’m going to refocus my attention. I have the time, there’s just no excuse for why I am not more mindful of my actions, especially in these troubled economic times.

Link of the Day: Junk Mail Gems

We’re all about creative reuse here at the Daily Dose, and yesterday I came across this site: Junk Mail Gems which “turns trash into treasure”. Now the best way to get rid of junk mail is to cut it off at the source by opting out of marketing mail and removing your address from their system…BUT, even with those tricks, there’s always going to be some junk mail that slips through. And what Gretchen from Minnesota has done here has created some great examples of upcycling (recycling a material to make something of higher quality than the original product): pins, magnets, wallets and jewelry created using recycled materials, and each piece is handmade and unique. Even nicer is the fact that she gives you hints on how the items are made and provides links and ideas on how you can recycle your own junk mail.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame Week

So it apparently is “Lights Out” night while watching Game 4 of the ALCS… So I’m sitting over here in the dark waiting for the Red Sox to come back from a 3 run deficit. It’s gonna be a long 9 innings if they can’t come back and I have to sit here in the dark. I wonder how many people are actually also sitting watching in the dark as well… the website already has 105,000 registered participants (all probably excited about the prospect of winning a new TV that uses less energy too.)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame Week

This might all fall into the “every little bit helps” file. Caught a playoff game in Anaheim last week and noticed that the beer cups are now made from corn and considerably larger (more beer in the cup means less trips to the beer line… uh, and less cups!)

'Take Me Out To The Ballgame' Week

To celebrate the baseball playoff season, I thought I’d round up a few attempts by the national pastime to “green up” their sport.
First, I caught this bright idea from the perfectly coifed & chiseled Anderson Cooper during the ALDS game 4 between the Red Sox and the Angels: As part of his “Planet in Peril” series he is trying to rally the viewers to turn their lights off during game 4 of the ALCS. But be sure to leave your TV on. Maybe someone mentioned the irony of this request, because doing a Google search, I can’t find anything about it online.