Ban the Plastic Bag

We were recently watching "Long Way Down", Ewan McGregor's motorcycle adventure show where he and a buddy bike from Scotland to South Africa, and noticed that not only is Africa more than lions and elephants, it's littered with plastic bags. Yes, the obnoxious plastic sacks that you bring home every time money leaves your pocket. 

It was sad. Beautiful African landscapes, exotic plants and breathtaking views, blighted with awful, ugly plastic bags. Ugh.

How many plastic bags are in your home right now? Do you take them back to the store for recycling or do you stuff them in the trash can, out of sight, out of mind? We return ours to the store, but I'll admit the pile grows huge before we take them back. But, at least we take them back. 

PLEASE don't stuff these bags in the trash! They won't go away, they don't biodegrade, and chances are they will end up clinging to a tree or bush somewhere, choking an animal who mistakes them for food, or even worse, end up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The trash in the patch doesn't just float around out there; animals mistake it for food and it ends up back in the food chain, which means we end up eating plastic, too. Plastic lives forever.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Boycott Plastic Bags: Simply say "no thanks" when you check out. Hand carry your purchase, tuck it in your purse.

Take your own bags to the store: I have a whole batch of mismatched canvas bags that we haul to the store - they work great (and never split or tear).

Write to the stores to ask them to stop using plastic: Most stores offer bags for sale (usually $1 or less) and they will give you a credit when you bring your own bags in for them to use for your purchase.

Drop me a note and let me know how you are Banning The Bag. I'd love to hear how you are making the world a better place for everyone.

THANK YOU!

Thanks to our awesome KUDL listeners we delivered over 20,000 handmade Valentine's to the kids at Children's Mercy Hospital for our 16th Annual Valentine's Card Shower. Check out the video HERE . Thanks to Fox4 for the great video!

What did you do for Valentine's Day?

3-Day Weekend

Friday the 13th, Valentine's Day AND President's Day all rolled into one weekend? WOW! It's a holiday extravaganza! And the stores are going full tilt with sales. But, before you rush out and buy things you hadn't planned on buying, stop and ask yourself "do I really NEED this?"

I've been working on that query a lot lately, the whole "needs" versus "wants" quandry. I WANT another pair of Converse (purple), but I certainly don't need them. Bummer. I WANT new sheets and a bigger TV and cuter dishes and the list goes on. But, I don't truly NEED anything. I'm truly blessed, and for that I'm very thankful. Besides, replacing any of those things will only force me to get transition something that still has plenty of life left in it. Did you know that the majority of items in landfills are CLOTHING ITEMS? Not trash, not toxic waste, not back issues of magazines, but clothing and shoes! Ugh - think how those could be put to reuse or recycled instead. Great reason NOT TO SHOP in this article (my husband will be so proud of me for posting that!)

So, when the siren song of sales beckons this weekend, pause, and make a good decision. And don't forget to recycle or donate what you decide to jettison. And have a Happy 3-Day Weekend!

Date My Brother in Law

Tanna does a great feature called Bachelor Degree. This week's hottie is my awesome brother-in-law, Jim (he's pretty casual in this pic 'cause he just took his beagle, Harvey out for a walk - I wanted to catch him in his natural state). Check him out! or send him an e-mail to let him know how brave he is for doing this - lol.

My New Track Bike!

A long time ago, on a race track far, far away, this 89/90 Yamaha FZR600 raced and made someone very happy. Then that someone became bored with it's charms, and shuttled it off to a new home. It made it to the track a couple more times, but work and duty called so mostly it sat alone in a dirty, dusty farm building. This past weekend we rescued it from it's hiding place under the tail end of a John Deere Gleaner in a barn in Kansas. Welcome to our motorcycle family, FZR!

With Ron's motorcycle expertise and patience, spare change for parts, and my unflagging encouragement ("Is it fixed yet? What's that part for? When can I ride it? What cha doin' now? Can I sit on it? When can we paint it?"), it will soon join us at track days in and around the midwest. This is my track bike. Yea!

(This project made possible by my husband's inability to shrink from a motorcycle challenge. Thanks, honey!!)

Decorating Tips from The White House

Learn from the pros

Meet Joe Biden's Teeth

Show Your Smile and Get Free Gum!

A Defining Moment

inauguration
1569, from Fr. inauguration "installation, consecration," from L. inaugurationem (nom. inauguratio) "consecration, installment under good omens,".... -Dictionary.com

My son's 5th grade class will be watching today, even eating lunch in the classroom so they don't miss a thing. I wonder if years down the line he'll recall this day every time he eats Pringles and a bacon sandwich?

Where will you be watching?

Triple Dog Dare Snares Another One

When it's this cold out, simply saying "it's cold" is the ultimate understatement. Frigid, stupid chilly, gelidity, deep freezer, the Most Not-Warm Day Ever, etc. are better descriptors, but still don't get the whole "I'm freezing my identity off" conditions across. I often jokingly tell the kids "don't stick your tongue on anything metal today!" (we love A Christmas Story!). Having grown up in a home with metal ice cubes trays in the freezer, I know the hazard and bizarre circumstance of having a body part frozen to an inanimate object. Funny at first, but then "ou-ouch." And your instinct to pull away quickly - NOT GOOD.

But it looks as though not everyone recognizes the danger: Triple Dog Dare Snares Another

Walking the Walk

We're so lucky - we live close to our elementary school. Yes, my kids will miss out on the daily routine of bouncing to and from their education on vinyl bus seats, but I'm OK with that. 

Each morning my husband walks our kiddos to school. Each afternoon I walk them home. It's great to get out and see the neighborhood, interact with the other parents, and embrace the elements! Even bad weather (snow, rain, wind) isn't so bad when you're bundled up and walking with people you know.

Walking to school is a great deal, too, in that it eliminates unnecessary vehicle traffic in the neighborhood, cuts down on exhaust fumes in the vicinity of young lungs, and, of course, shrinks gas costs as short car trips are not very fuel-efficient. I wish everyone had the opportunity.

Our local grocery is right down the road so we walk there, too, provided we don't have a huge shopping list. The kids are so used to it, they ask "do we have to take the car?" if we head for the garage instead of the sidewalk. We love it!

Check out out KUDL's new web page, 1Thing. Our wonderful partner, Bridging the Gap, has great ideas for cutting down on emissions and getting healthy. Check out the Walking School Bus info, too. It's a great way to do good for our world, and get in some kid time while you're at it.

Do you walk in your neighborhood? How are you cutting back on your carbon footprint?

At least I'm not doing this, Mom

Watch the the look on the face of his girl friend. I think I've felt like that!

Skinny Snacks

Snack and stay skinny! (from Yahoo!)