Do great minds think alike. Or do fools seldom differ?

Hhhmmm - apparently I'm not the only one wondering whether a digitized world is necessarily a more eco-friendly one (see post below). Treehugger.com has something to say on the topic as well.

Of colds, cooties and disposable towels (and Friday tip for inexpensive elegance)

With cold and flu season just around the corner, there’s bound to be lots of talk about how to prevent the spread of germs. And just like your mummy, Health Canada says washing your hands will go a long way to preventing transmission of illness.

I'm with them on that. But what to do when it comes to drying your hands at home? Our collective fear of cooties may be behind the launch of a disposable hand towel from Kleenex . It’s marketed as a convenient and hygienic alternative to cloth towels. Made from ink-, dye- and fragrance-free papers, the sheets come in a pop-up dispenser. A box of 60 sells for about $3.50.

While I agree that paper towels are useful in public (I detest all air dryers except the one made by Dyson), I don’t think I’m ready to use disposables in the home. I tend to change my hand towels fairly regularly anyway. Instead of heavier towels that take a while to dry, I use plain white linen towels that I pick up at flea markets and thrift shops. I also use mismatched, over-sized table napkins found at the same kinds of spots. They’re cheap, easy to store and to my mind, easy to keep clean. I just throw a bunch in the wash once a week and dry them outside in summer and on an indoor line in winter. Do I iron them? Of course not! But I do sometimes spray them with homemade lavender linen water.

If you are really concerned about keeping towels separate during flu season, you could divide up linens, sew on monogrammed initials for each member of the family and give each person one hook in the bath or powder room. Speaking of - check out the classic coat hooks from Lee Valley Tools. Very pretty, no?

I don’t know, maybe after four kids, I’ve just developed a lassez-faire attitude towards all this. What do you think?

Wary of waste

 

 

 

These pretty images of Moleskin notebooks reminded me yet again of how much I love paper products. I know, I know, paper is supposed to be wasteful and the world would be a better place if we all communicated electronically all the time. Technology will set us free from wateful practices, right? Except, except, I’m stumbling on this one, as I become more and more conscious of e-waste. A couple of recent light-bulb moments:

In the last two months, I’ve had to ditch two point and click digital cameras (not cheapies) because they just stopped working. I was advised by the repair department at my local camera shop that fixing them would probably cost more than they were worth, and that because they were past the warranty, the manufacturers wouldn’t replace them.

When the digital LED-lit temperature gauge on my oven stopped working, I phoned my repair guy, thinking I was probably in for a simple, inexpensive repair. After all, it just meant replacing a little light, no? Ah, no. I was told that the entire front panel of the stove would have to be removed (and sent to landfill, presumably) and replaced with a new panel that would cost — get this — $500. That’s just plain goofy.

So I’m now asking myself – just how much electronic waste are we creating? To give you an idea, there’s some interesting numbers on U.S. e-waste on Retrevo.com.

If like me, you’re becoming fascinated by waste issues, don’t miss Ellen Moorhouse’s Trash Talk column. In the meantime, if you have e-waste you want to get rid of safely, go to Do What You Can, a site that tells consumers how and where to dispose of their e-waste across the province. I’ve also just found out about Ifixit.com, on online resource for DIY  gadget repair. So maybe those cameras aren't  fit for the pit just yet.

 

Home show here I come (albeit slowly, and with a bit of a limp)

 

 

Well, I’m back in the saddle, so to speak, after weathering not one but TWO falls over the last few weeks. (My right leg still looks like ground beef!) Fortunately, I should be right as rain in time for my appearance at the International Home Show at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. I’ll have lots of great ideas for entertaining this holiday season – none of which will cost too much. There will be sneak peaks of new décor and tabletop products from Trudeau (like the super cute little fondue pots and individual serving plates shown above) and glittery ornaments from Debbie Travis’ Christmas collection for Canadian Tire (see pics below). I’ve also been experimenting with new goodies from Hamilton Beach and Procter-Silex, and will have tips and tricks for how to use everyday appliances such as slow cookers, electric skillets and hand-held mixers to create luscious meals that can will wow dinner party guests or make something special out of a weekday family dinner. And yes, I will have a few fun giveaways. See you there!