This is the first segment of a series I’ll be doing this week about non-consumer holiday gift giving. Today I’ll talk about “experiential” gifts, tomorrow I’ll have ideas for handmade gifts, and Thursday I’ll give you some frugal gift ideas that cost under $10. “Experiential” gifts are my absolute favorite, both to give and to […]
Breaking The Compact Without Regrets
This is the front of our house. See that orange thing climbing up the wall? Can you tell what it is yet? Ah ha! A ceramic gekko, a souvenir from our road trip a few months ago. Click here to read about our drive across Highway 40 and our stops along the way. We bought […]
Our mini kitchen remodel
It’s a mini remodel, not a mini kitchen. This photo shows off the brilliant “Lichtenstein style” painting my husband did of me. These are all “after” photos. I know, I realize the main attraction of these transformation stories are the “before” and “after,” but neither my husband nor I had the forethought to take any […]
No Impact Week
Inspired by Colin Beavan, A.K.A. No Impact Man, the Huffington Post has declared this “No Impact Week.” I was just checking out the website, and it’s all about the stuff we’re talking about on this blog and other non-consumer blogs: how to reduce your carbon footprint by not buying stuff, eating less meat, wasting less, […]
My First Real Temptation: AKA "The Skirt"
A few weeks ago, my husband and I attended a “block party” event in nearby Pasadena. The shops and restaurants in the downtown area known as “Old Town Pasadena” were opening their doors and offering free champagne, appetizers, wine, and raffle prizes. Free stuff, we’re there. Of course they weren’t doing it out of the […]
Make your own envelopes
I made all these envelopes from an old World Wildlife calendar in about 10 minutes! I love them! It was actually fun, and I can’t wait to use them. My mom is definitely getting the panda face. One of my favorite things I’ve been doing this year is making greeting cards, mostly for birthdays and […]