Happiness?..

 No more worrying about tomorrow, crying over yesterday but focusing on today!

I've come to realize that we all struggle with happiness. Especially with this recession, and the horrible economy.  Were all walking around worrying about tomorrow, or not letting go of yesterday.  Now I personally know about this because I'm constantly worrying what's going to happen tomorrow, and when my minds not on tomorrow, it's on yesterday, or last month, or even years ago.

But it's getting me no where!!! Absolutely no where!!

 A best friend of mine, has recently hit this wall. The wall of depression, that horrible feeling of what's my purpose In life?  Why am I going through these struggles? Is it even worth all this unhappiness?

After our long conversations of why they shouldn't give up, how these bad times will end and there will be happier ones. I've thought to myself and said, why am I being such a hypocrite?  Why am I saying think about the great things in life, those happy times, and you will be happy, when I never do that myself?  I dwell and complain, and those are horrible things to do.

But it's time that I be grateful for what has been given to me. For good health and family, for a home, for all the ones that love me. And even though things are tough, finances are tight, and things just don't go the way I plan, I should be thankful for what I do have. 

So from this day on I will not think  worry about tomorrow, cry over yesterday but focus on today. What can I do today? How can I make a difference during the time that I know I have?  Because tomorrow is not a guarantee, so we should make do with the time we got, and go about life like it's our last 24 hours.

Ever hear the saying "think happy, be happy"? Well I'm going to put that to the test. Positive thoughts from here on out, and I hope it brings me the happiness that I've been searching for, for a very long time.

Maybe you should consider droping the unhappy thoughts and worries.  And began a new day on a happy, more positive note.

How to change someone's life with a plastic bottle

How a plastic bottle can light up people's lives, save energy and save carbon.

350 and September 24th. What you need to know.

On October 24th 2009 people all over the globe came together for a cause very important to them. This global day of action was considered the largest in history with millions of people participating in over 5,000 documented events in more than 188 countries. This was a plea to the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen to come to an agreement on climate change. The photos and videos from this event and the events held since are extremely moving if you have not seen them, and it truly shows how despite all our differences, people can come together for a common goal across political, ethnic, and religious boundaries, for the sake of our future health and happiness.

See photos 350 action photos here.

350.org was founded in 2007 as an effort to educate the public about what climate change is actually happening and encourage us as citizens, groups, or just as individuals to do what we can about it. The agreed upon level of CO2 in the atmosphere for human survival is 350 parts per million based on collaborative efforts of scientists around the world. There have been a series of global days of action including December 12, 2009 and October 10, 2010 in which many other nonprofit organizations including 10:10, tcktcktck, and Moving Planet joined forces with 350 and added numbers and voices.

The next planned day of action is September 24th 2011. This day of action corresponds with the possible implementation of an oil pipeline that would stretch from Canada to Mexico which is being deceptively advertised at "ethical oil" but really won't make enough better and will be a step in the direction we as a planet do not need to go. There is most likely an event somewhere near you wherever you are. Please search facebook or use the 350 website to read up on this and find an event near you and participate or at least sign your name to the petition, it really does help.

 Check it out at 350.org

Lovable dog needs home!!!

Trying to help a fellow dog lover find this pup a  good loving home.

He's located in the Fontana Area. Help save a life.

20+ Ways That We Are Saving Money!!

I'm sure that like us, many of you have been looking for ways to spend money. Well this isn't another blog about what you should do. This is just a post about what we do, and how we attempt to save any amount of extra cash.

Household

1. Make our own coffee

Well Starbucks and coffee bean may have delicious drinks.  Sometimes it really breaks the bank when your buying from them daily or even several times a week. Make your coffee at home, it will save you a couple dollars.  You can even Google recipes for those iced drinks and try them out at home. But if you just got to have your fix, try using a reusable mug or thermos, not only are you saving the environment, but Starbucks and Coffee Bean offer a discount for using reusable containers. Getting a Grande Hazelnut Cappuccino from Starbucks for $1.75 is possible in this day and age. 

2. Cut down on utility use

We always have the thermostat set to 78' in our home. And it stays pretty cool, if you keep your blinds or shades shut. Regulating your energy use will save you a good amount of money on those utility bills. Also try using power strips and unpluging all items when they are not in use. Those phone charges and lamps rack up your bill, so unplug everything and you may notice a different in your monthly payment.

3. Cleaning products

You don't have  to all those expensive cleaning products that are made from harsh chemicals. Using half vinegar and water will do the job just as well. Its better for your health and leaves less impact on the environment. And if you need a little extra help try using baking soda for those hard cleaning jobs.

4. Make your own soap

You can buy castile soap in bulk and dilute with water and some baking soda. You can start with a 1:3 ratio of soap to water or whatever consistency will work best for you  and adding in a couple tablespoons of baking soda for that extra odor control.

5. Bottle your own drinks

Save money and the environment, by bottling your own water. Thousands of dollars get spent on bottled water, but the truth is tapped water and bottle water are the same. If you feel unsure, boil the water before bottling, and use a reusable water bottle. Then instead of just tossing a toxic plastic bottle into a landfill, or sent to a recycler where a good portion of the plastic is lost in the process, you can just wash and reuse the same water bottle.

6. Take a lunch

Skip going to lunch at your favorite fast food restaurant, and just pack your own for work or school in a reusable container or lunch bag, including reusable sandwich bags or lunch boxes. No more buying paper bags or plastic baggies. You'll save cash and our planet.

7. Corn starch makeup

To control oil and shine, instead o f buying pressed powder use a light layer of corn starch with a reusable brush. For darker toned skins use a lighter layer so your skin does not look too white and ghost like.

8. Cook at home

 Don't spend $40 dollars on take out for the family. Cook more meals at home, not only will you save money but you'll most likely eat healthier.

9. Grow own produce/ composting

If you grow your own tomatoes and strawberries you won't have to buy them. Also you end up eating healthier since you have fresh mostly organic food right there that needs to be eaten. If you compost your food you will end up with free organic rich plant food and won't have to buy plant food or potting soil.

Shopping

10. Buy from second hand stores

You can find items of good quality in second hand stores and well your saving money your also helping your local businesses.

11. Buy used books

Text books are expensive, so we always buy used, unless we can not find a certain book anywhere. By using used books, we are saving a huge amount of money, and when we no longer need the book, we re sell it, to acquire some extra cash.

12. Look for used or free items  on craigslist.

Which brings us to our next money saving way. Look for items that you need on craigslist or eBay. Many people sell there used items at reasonable prices, and if you get really lucky, you might even find what you need in the free section.

13. Don’t buy name brand

You don't really need those top name brand items, the less expensive generic brands are just the same, and sometimes even better.

14. Reuse what you got

If you feel like you need to redecorate or need some new furniture, consider re using what you have at home. I'm sure that table is still in good condition, just sand it down and give it a fresh coat of paint or stain. You'll spend way less making it look nice then on a new piece all together.

Entertainment

15. No cable, instead use Netflix's instant streaming

Drop that expensive cable company and settle with Netflix's instant streaming. Im sure you would make better use of their selection, then your 300+ cable channels.

16. Go to inexpensive outings

Don't spend all your time in front of the t.v. , have a family day out and head to the park or take a bike ride. You'll get good exercise and spend some good quality time together. But if you really have to see that latest movie, then try a less expensive theater, there are some pretty nice little theaters that show the same movies, and you'll spend $6.00 on a ticket instead of $11.

Transportation

17. Preventive Car maintenance

Keeping your fluids up and changed if necessary and tire pressure up where it should be will save you money on possible damages and also money on gas if your car is running more smoothly.

18. Ride a Bike or Take the Bus

 With gas up to $4.00 a gallon, who isn't looking to save some extra cash. Try a alternative way and ride your bike or take the bus to work or school. Do this if you have to run small errands close to home too. You'll get lots of exercise and make that full tank of gas last a little longer.

19. Getting all errands done in one day

Making the rounds and combining trips saves gas. You save gas if the car is already warm and also because going out to the shopping center once a week rather than twice saves the money for that trip.

Pets

20. Vaccinations at local humane society

Most counties have a humane society location where discounted vaccinations, spay/neuter services, and veterinarian visits are given. Sometimes it's a matter of getting there on a Saturday morning for an extra savings but it is well worth it.

21. Grooming the dog yourself

Having a poodle, although it may be a little 8 pound one, can rack up charges when you take him to a groomer 3 times a year at $50 a visit. Instead, invest in a good shaver which will pay for itself within the year, and keep the maintenance up on that so it lasts a very long time.

22. Preventative Pet Care

Vet bills get expensive. A canine tooth cleaning alone can start around $600, and good oral health can lengthen the life of your pet by years. So get your dog used to brushing their teeth or if that is difficult, which it can be, there are gels and wipes that are very effective and inexpensive. There is also proper nail trimmings and ear cleanings which you do not have to visit a vet to do if you just follow the instructions correctly for your pet's needs. These actions will save you money, and give you some more quality time together.

Family ?

Just some thoughts…. Family is a funny thing. People surprise you. Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's just something you have to learn to live with in your own way. But from what I've learned, family is what you make it to be. People don't have to be a close biological lineage to you to be there for you and care for you "like you're family". It's such a wonderful feeling to have people where you feel and know that you are always welcome, where you are greeted with a genuine happiness at your presence.

After all, we are all family. We all have struggles and hobbies, strong opinions about certain things, or little odd habits like collecting found keys even if you understand that you'll never know what they go to. We can almost all relate to each other in some way if we are "blood" related or not, even across continents and languages. Sometimes those can be the best relationships and last a lifetime, and they are worth it.

We are all in this mess together, and it just makes life more enjoyable to help each other out through it by being kind and being able and willing to care for one another. And isn't that what people really want? Just to be able to enjoy life and be content with who they are in the world? So first be kind to yourself, and wave and smile at a neighbor you haven't talked to in a while. It just might make your day feel a little brighter when they smile and wave back.

COMPOSTING !!!

OK, so I get a little excited because I think composting is kind of awesome... The idea that what once came from the earth is going back, and how a banana peel and Baker's bag can turn into fine dark dirt in a matter of weeks. It's good for keeping all that organic biodegradable waste out of landfills where stuck most likely in a plastic bag surrounded by tons of people's trash it would otherwise never really decompose. But also it's extremely good for your garden, lawn, and other plants, and you save money by never needing to buy fertilizer or potting soil.

Anyway... as there are many 'how to's and lengthy descriptions of how and why you should compost on the internet, I thought I'd just write out from experience what has worked for us. Collectively, we have a home compost bin in a house with a garden and lawn setting, and our newest experiment, an apartment compost tub which in its first few days is doing very well.

So the idea of compost is a sort of special chemical balance of things that produce the right environment for objects to degrade, break down, dissolve, turn into dirt. For this you need some air, dampness (water), and a mix of "green" and "brown" waste most ideally a half and half mix with some brown on top. I'll explain that in a minute.

Browns
As you can see from this picture of this awesome Sun Chips bag, it is laying on top of what looks like lawn clippings, leaves, and shredded paper. These items, along with coffee filters, cardboard, cornstalks, cotton fabric or string, dryer lint, tea bags, wood peices, and anything else that is relatable to these objects are your "browns". It can be tedious to chop everything up when you get a lot of waste going, but the smaller the peices the faster they disappear. I put all my paper and what my cheap shredder can take, into it and dump that out on top of the compost pile when the can is full. I never cut up the tea bags and they decompose fine. The wood and cornstalks took a while, over a month, because I did not cut or chop them up at all... I got a little impatient and lazy... but with a little mixing they got there.

Greens
Your coffee grounds when they are wet, egg shells, fruit and vegetables, weeds (ones that are not seeding if you can catch them), hair (not in clumps though, because yeah... it would get gross. But if you pet sheds or you pull a few strands off your back before heading out the door it's ok to throw it in your compost container and later in the compost bin/tub), and anything that from the description of these would seem similar and has no recent (a month they say) pesticides on it are your "greens".


Mixing and Tending
We keep a stainless steel container on our kitchen counter and throw our greens and browns, besides yard waste and papers from the shredder, into it throughout the day and dump it when it is full. (The container does not leave food stains or smells behind which is why we opted for metal.) You do not need to make even layers of green and brown like a shepherd's pie even though some people may tell you to start out this way. As long as there is a good half and half-ish amount of brown mixed in with the green and brown covering the pile then you will be fine.

You want to put your pile/bin/tub somewhere it gets sun so the ingredients can get some help heating up to break down. The pile should be warm to sort of hot anyway since decomposition produces energy, and therefore heat. So don't be worried about that.

The more often you "turn" your pile the faster it will decompose (the norm I believe is once a week). The idea is to keep all the ingredients well mixed up and aerated since air is vital in decomposition. If you have any spare brown waste around you want to turn your pile first, pour that on top, then wet your pile.
To turn it you can just get a shovel or pitchfork, whichever works for the space you have, and get under the pile with it and flip it over peice by peice, making sure you get the stuff on the bottom so the weight of the pile isn't left squishing it down where it can't get air. Then it is a good idea to lightly to moderately wet your pile depending on how dry it is. Water is also very important for the process. After you have turned your pile and left some brown on top to control smell and keep in moisture, you can add your new waste by digging holes into the pile, dumping it, and then covering it back up with brown. :)

Some Extra Points

Beans and Potatoes
We learned this the hard way. If you need to toss out old potatoes or raw beans for any reason, crush them up real good, I mean to a powder for the beans and a broken up mush for the potatoes... get the kids in on it, make it fun, or else you will have a sprout invasion. These guys will grow in the middle of the pile in complete darkness and you'll be turning your pile to find more and more baby plants EVERYWHERE. Unless you want that then keep from putting chunks of potato or whole raw beans in your compost.

Also, as the compost does it's thing, the pile will get smaller, so if you think you are producing too much waste when beginning, just give it time. You can use this in your garden as a potting soil or plant food replacer, sprinkled on your lawn or in your flower beds, or put into a tied up t-shirt and dunked in a bucket of water to make "Compost Tea" which all plants LOVE. If you are in an apartment setting or somewhere you can not use the compost or dump the rich dirt, I hope that does not stop you from starting composting, so please ask someone, a neighbor, family member, or friend may have a garden or lawn to use it on and would appreciate the savings. Also if you live in an apartment complex or something similar, ask maintenance if they could use it since you believe in what you are doing and don't want to stop just because you have no place for some extra dirt.

Well there are a few tips, I will probably think of more later, but for now good luck and happy composting!

Help Animals In Need: The Neglected, Abandoned, Abused, and Orphaned

When considering something like a pet, you should always consider adoption. You may not expect to find the purest of breeds in a animal shelter, but  you will find, innocent animals that just want to be loved.  Besides the issue that there is no such thing as a "pure breed" dog or cat any more than there is a "pure race" human being, a walk through any shelter or county pound would show you how many good show dog looking material animals happened to by whatever means find their way to that unfortunate place. While every pet owner is always attracted to animals by the breed, pure breed dogs and cats, are not always the healthiest, for reasons of familial diseases and disorders among other things. Careless owners who irresponsibly backyard breed their animals and the horrible puppy mills who only use these kind creatures for reproduction, contribute to the vast over population of animals.

You can help this problem by adopting an animal that is in desperate need of a good home. There are many animals in shelters today just because the owners could no longer care for them, or they just didn't want them. Maybe their dog had a litter of puppies they didn't want, there are many reasons why we humans neglect and abandon our animals. But just because one owner didn't want them, does that really mean that they shouldn't have the chance to find a new home?

Adopting a pet from a shelter does not just benefit the animal, but the owner, the shelter and the world. When adopting a pet, you have a wide variety of animals to choose from, and the animals are pre screened and treated by veterinarians. All animals also have their temperment tested, just to see what type of family would be best suited for them. And only the animals that are safe to adopt out are. You will receive a animal with up to date immunizations, licensing, micro-chipped, spayed or neutered, (all these services are included in the adoption fees so you don't have to worry about hidden fees) and you can ensure that you have chose the right pet for your family.

When you take a animal from a shelter you open up more space for them to care for other animals in need. Shelter over crowding is a very big issue, and it could only be helped if more people adopt animals . Most shelters are non- profit organizations, and have limited funding, and by adopting a pet and paying the adoption fees for your new pet, you help provide shelters with the funds to continue what they do.

In all adopting benefits everybody, and you are not just getting a new companion but you are saving their life. Millions of animals are euthanized every year, and only we can lower those numbers.

So when thinking about a pet, consider adoption, there are many resources out there to help you find the right pet in a shelter.

Save a Life, Adopt Today.

*top photo from East Valley Animal Shelter in Van Nuys
**bottom photo from Animal Rescure Coalition of North America (arc-na.org)

Who we are...

Boredom brings about many different things for people. It sparks creativity and the need to solve problems or undertake new projects. This blog wasn't so much started because we were bored and have nothing better to do, but we decided that we have many things we have accomplished and much more we have to learn.

So our basic idea with starting this blog was to express the ideas and questions we have about doing the things we are interested in whether it's sustainable ideas at home, fun and inventive activities for kids and family, or pet advice.

We are students, parents, and friends just trying to make the best out of what we have to leave behind the most positve impact we can.