Life’s an adventure!

Since getting rid of my car last week to embark on an experiment in carlessness, life’s an adventure!  No more mundane trips to the post office or grocery store.  Now, I take bus adventures and fun rides with friends.  As the painful blisters on my feet from Day 2 have almost completely heeled, I ventured…

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Bulk up: buying in bulk

Responsibly disposing of our waste is a pretty important task.  Many of us don’t give much thought to where our trash ends up, but there is a great big pile of trash in your town or city called the landfill.  It is brimming over with all the things you leave out for the trash pickup…

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Getting into the flow of car-free living

Yesterday (Day 4) was pretty good.  I was disappointed to STILL not have a nice day on which to ride my new electric scooter.  (We had wind gusts of up to 29 mph.)  So, I sucked it up and walked down to the bus stop.  My blisters from Tuesday are healing up nicely, and I…

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Car related expenses

In conducting this experiment, one of the things I want to keep track of is how much money I spend on transportation without my car.  Yesterday, I spent $2.25 on bus fare.  Not too bad.  Today, however, I took a taxi, which cost me $13.30 with tip.  I had to be at a very important…

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Rough start to Day 2 living without a car

9:45 a.m. – The wonderful new owner of my car arrived to sign the Bill of Sale.  I handed over my keys, and she gleefully drove away in my (now her) trusty silver ride.  A bit of melancholy set it. 10:00 a.m. – I rushed down to my bus stop five streets away.  I was…

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Know your food

I know I say it a lot, but we really should be paying more attention to the food we eat.  As much as possible, we should know the source of our food.  When you open up a can of store-bought canned vegetables, do you really know anything about those vegetables?  Do you know how long…

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Walking the talk: my attempt to live without a car

You might remember on January 1st when I pondered whether to take the plunge and try to live without a car.  Well, take the plunge I have!  Today my car will find a new home with a friend’s mother.  I’m so happy to pass on this fine specimen of a vehicle to someone who will…

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Time for more backyard urban gardening

There is a great way to ensure that you have access to fresh, locally grown produce – grow your own.  As I’ve shown you in the past, you don’t have to have a lot of space to grow your own vegetables.  Whether you’re a condo dweller or own a detached home, you have plenty of…

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Energy efficient hot tubs are responsible relaxation

I don’t know if you’re like me, but I sit a lot.  Consequently, my shoulder, neck and back are prone to excruciating pain on a regular basis.  I go for the occasional massage, which does help, but it gets rather expensive.  Even when I sit less and move around more, I seem to feel “tight”…

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Eat locally: be a locavore

Do you ever think about where the food comes from that you cram into your mouth?  Do you ever wonder who handled it or how far it traveled to get to your plate?  When you buy food at the grocery store, you can know a bit  – the produce has a sticker with its place…

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Ditching your car

I am planning to add solar to my home at some point in order to completely eliminate my already quite low electric bill.  It’s a big investment, so I am researching the cost and then saving enough money to be able to pull the trigger.  When planning, I have also considered that my next vehicle…

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Being green is a family affair: greening your family

I don’t think it’s any secret that the “family” has changed a lot over the last 30-40 years.  “Family time” now means rushing to get your kids’ meal after you get home from work, rushing them to do their home work, maybe sitting down for some mindless television watching together and then rushing to get…

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A recycled twist on the Christmas tree: cardboard

It’s hard to believe, but this good old-fashioned country girl has not decorated a Christmas tree since moving to Florida 6 years ago.  It’s been very hard for me to get into the Christmas spirit in the absence of snow and frigid weather.  (Although, at this point, 65 feels pretty nippy to me.  But that’s…

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McMansions no more: a move toward small houses

If you’re from Florida, you know what a McMansion is.  It’s an embarrassingly large (3,000+ square feet), yet somehow mundanely generic house, usually built for just two people – often a second home that is only lived in for part of the year.  They are the epitome of conspicuous consumerism and the apex of wasteful and greedy…

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Don’t beat yourself up: environmental guilt

For those of us who are trying really hard to live more sustainable lives, it is often frustrating when we revert to our wasteful ways.  Maybe you were visiting a friend and etiquette required that you flush *every time*.  Or you were dining out and knew the food wasn’t sourced locally.

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