EARTH DAY 2013

Happy belated Earth Day! Actually, I should have posted this on Monday, but have just not gotten around to it until now. It shouldn't matter though, as in fact every day SHOULD be "Earth Day!"....

Right? Speaking of which.....

This weekend I was reminded that this is something we don't perhaps think about as often as we should. John and I had the pleasure to spend some time this weekend with his uncle, visiting from Seoul, Professor Hosub Yoon. 
Professor Yoon is the Dean of College of Design at Kookmin University and the Head of Environmental Design Institute in Seoul, Korea. His passion as a visual designer and environmental activist has led him to travel the world to raise consciousness about environmental issues through visual design. His specialty and usual 'event' includes creating on-the-spot hand-painted tee shirts for children, featuring a variety of his own nature-themed designs created out of natural paint, and using his slogan:

On this visit, Professor Yoon visited with us and did an event in Carroll Park, creating dozens and dozens of tees for the excited crowd of kids watching and helping (by holding the shirt corners tight).  He also visited the schools of two of his grandchildren and did shirts for their whole classes. 

As you can see, happy kids, beautiful tee shirts, and hopefully a day that will make them think and spread the word about environmental concerns and responsibility.

You can read more about Professor Yoon's work, and mission here: Green Canvas.

He's truly dedicated, and his energy and enthusiasm for spreading the word about environmental awareness is amazing to observe. If only more people had even a little bit of his energy, and dedication to the idea of 'saving the earth', just a LITTLE bit, we would be getting somewhere, I think.

Over the course of the weekend our family spent a lot of time with Professor Yoon, in a variety of New York City's most high-profile public places, creating shirts, having conversations, and just generally spreading the 'word'. The kids helped out enthusiastically by giving out buttons and postcards with his unique messages and drawings, (and goofing around in the park) and by laying shirts in the sun to dry. 

  

What I learned while doing this both on the High-line, and in Union Square, was mainly these two things.

 1) There is a lot of interest in the message, and if only two or three people go away from one of these 'events' with both a free shirt and a willingness to share their concerns about environmental issues...that multiplied many times....will begin to make a difference in how we live and hopefully help people begin to make responsible changes in how they use energy and our Earth's resources. I believe that we need little reminders every day of the small but important changes we can all make in our consumption habits.  

Exchanging ideas, sharing thoughts

 2) It's incredibly hard to give things away for FREE in NY. New Yorkers are skeptical, and wary. If they see what looks like something being sold, they will skirt around and avoid you most of the time, unless they WANT to spend money. Somebody claiming to give something for free is doubted. However once people were convinced that there was no 'catch', they were also very open and willing to talk, share and exchange ideas and thoughts, and of course very grateful and happy for their free 'gift' shirt.

Free Tee Shirts!

This skepticism about getting something for free, the idea that someone would just give something away, is one that I hope we are, as a society, willing to leave behind. I think it's crucial that we leave it behind. We are trained to believe that everything is for sale, or can be bought, and also that things with no 'value' assigned to them are not 'worth anything'. And this is exactly the thinking we need grow out of if we want to be open to sharing what we have with others. Whether it's giving away a bag of clothing to someone who needs it, or that food you're hoarding (for no reason) to a food bank, or less common things like giving away that bike you never use to someone who needs one to get to work. Or giving away those suits and heels you really don't fit anymore (let's be honest...they just don't fit) to a recent grad who has interviews to go on and can't afford the clothing. The key element, aside from setting aside this hesitancy to give stuff away because we 'might use it again' is just plain getting over the hassle of doing it. It's rather difficult to actually give stuff away, in the best and most useful way possible. It's a HASSLE. But we need to do it.  Before you just toss things, think to yourself "who do I know who might need this?". And then, don't be afraid to ask them if they need or want it. If you notice or see any requests from organizations or groups that need specific items (books, toys, food, shoes, etc...), keep that information on file so you can contact them about it later when the time comes to get rid of those things. Keep an eye on your local neighborhood email lists and freecycle community emails, Yerdle notices and Facebook messages, the bulletin board in your building's laundry room.  Ask around....chances are you can cut down seriously on what you throw out. That stuff is still useful, just maybe not to you. And the value of it (which is exactly zero in your closet or garage or attic) can be huge when it's put in the hands of someone who needs it. Once we get into the habit as a society of sharing our belongings better - once we all get over our sqeamishness about asking for things and giving them, and once we have better systems in place to facilitate that sharing, then in that way we can all start saving. 

Saving money, saving space, saving resources, and hopefully, eventually...saving the earth. 

I hope.

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PARTY TIME! (UGH)

I want to talk about the dreaded goodie bag a little bit. I may be overreacting, but in my opinion these things just simply have to go. They are little lovingly-packaged symbols of all the excessive, wasteful, pollution-creating, and landfill jamming practices that we all participate in (or at least tolerate) and which we should work towards eliminating. We really don't have to buy any of this stuff, so why do we do it?

Habits are certainly hard to break, especially when they come tied up with other pressures like wanting to have happy kids, and make a memorable and great birthday.  And my post here should  also acknowledge the pressure most of us feel (or think we do) to outdo each other, or to at least outdo our own previous efforts.  That pressure, which is largely self-imposed, just leads not only to an ever-increasing spiral of expense and waste, but also leads to kids who don't appreciate the little things, and just expect more. (MORE MORE!) So, in fact there's another whole discussion to be had about how overinflated our idea of what a 'good-enough' birthday party is...but that's for another time. For me, just looking at getting rid of the goodie bag habit is a start towards cutting back on all the little things (that add up) that we do NOT need, but still buy. If each and every one of us just said no to buying this kind of thing, imagine the savings! Imagine the reduction in trash and junk and industrial waste, fuel consumption, etc. It's ONE small thing that just simply can go, and nobody would miss it. It wouldn't even make much of a difference to how much your child enjoyed his or her party. Most of the time, really, the kids could not care less whether or not they get this stuff. In fact, the only time they care about this stuff is when they get it and then it immediately breaks. Otherwise, I don't think it would even register if there was no goodie bag. And even if it does register...so what? Aren't we simply spoiling them? Maybe they should learn that we simply do NOT NEED everything that we 'want'.

Does your child you need another one of these?

No, they do not.  You know those ear pieces are coming off in five seconds, right?

Do you need any more of this around to leak in your handbag and not work anyway?

Probably not.

Is there even a remote chance that you must have another one of these things?

Doubtful.

And finally, what possible use has ANYONE ever had for this?

I am TELLING you right now, it's never going to work, and then it will break immediately. You will lose the ball, and step on it in the middle of the night.

A friend recently posted something about birthday parties and goodie bags, and how much he was dreading the end-of-weekend collection of breakable junk that would be yielded by having two young kids with more than one party each to attend that weekend. I genuinely felt his pain, as he was expecting to be sorting through shards of disappointingly broken 'toys' (and similarly shattered hopes) by Sunday night...and no doubt planning when he could surreptitiously chuck them out. This got me to thinking about this habit we have, and wondering why we all put up with it. As my friend pointed out - what's the underlying idea? Is it a consolation prize for your kids since it's....not THEIR birthday? What, didn't they have enough fun eating pizza and cake and jumping in the bouncy castle for three hours? What is the deal? The goodie bag is one of those things that makes having a kids party, at least for me, less fun. For that matter, it's one of those things that makes GOING to a kids party somewhat less fun. 


If you want to give me one of THESE goodie bags, ok...but otherwise...no thanks. 

My suggestion, and one which I think actually kills two birds with one stone, is this: when planning the party, if you really feel compelled to send the kids home with 'something' - try to make it at least something that is, in itself, of lasting value and/or related to the party event.  For the same amount of money that you would spend on all the little stuff, and the bags, and the ribbon to tie it....you can buy something real to give out. Or, even better, give nothing. Send them out the door with a balloon and a wave and a 'thanks for coming!". 

Here are a few ideas, things we've done in the past, which all worked well and didn't cost any more than it would have to fill up a bunch of goodie bags. 

Olivia had a party at the house, the 'activity' was a 'make your own tee shirt'. I bought some inexpensive tees from one of the MANY places on line that sell them, ironed on the names of the kids attending in advance of the party (sports style, on the back), and let them paint and draw on the fronts with laundry marker pens. They enjoyed doing it while at the party, and took home their shirts as a 'gift'. I saw some of those kids wearing those shirts for literally years afterwards. This took some time to get the shirts and put on the names, but did not cost more over all than buying both 'activity supplies' and goodie bags.

Olivia another year had a 'sundaes party'. Instead of a cake - we had all kind of ice cream and toppings. The kids each received a glass old-fashioned sundae bowl and made their own concoction to enjoy. They took home their bowls if they wanted them. Neighbors tell me that they still enjoy having ice cream out of the 'special ice cream' bowls. 

The year Olivia had a party at a playhouse, where the kids saw and participated in a retelling of "The Frog Prince" - each child received an inexpensive Scholastic paperback edition of that fairy tale.
And another year it was a sketch book, something everyone can use and while it's certainly true that it may have been unnecessary to give it, it was something I believe is useful to have.

I will try to keep up this tradition with Theo's parties, since he's now in the age group that will be having and going to parties where the goodie bag tradition is in full force. Olivia is at least kind of over that phase, and the much mellower 'two kids to the movies', or 'couple of friends sleep over' is so much less stressful to plan.

This year, the friends at Theo's party at the house each received a plastic Yamaha recorder. A real one. The kind you can actually make music on. Really didn't cost more than a goodie bag would have. You'd be amazed. I think I actually saved money! (A joke...)

And, full confession here, I also did make goodie bags to give out at Theo's preschool this year. I did. 

I did it because other parents had done the same, and it was his first birthday party at a 'school', and he wanted to do what the other kids had done. And, because about half of the kids were also (though invited) unable to make it to his party - I really wanted Theo to feel like he was sharing his special day with everyone. So, in go the cupcakes...and in went the goodie bags. However, I have to say I regret it, and I've vowed to never do it again. What was in the bags? Crayola metallic colored crayons, stretchy iridescent lizards that stick to the wall, a punching-bag balloon, and a small watercolor tablet. It was at least arguable that the stuff inside had some 'fun-value' and probably would not break immediately. However, it was all totally excessive, and I know that. I promise, I won't do it again. The cupcakes should have been enough.

But that's the point, it's really hard to break out of this habit - we feel pressure to do it and the idea of providing anything less than (our idea of) a perfect party or birthday for our kids just seems....hard to imagine. But I truly think that we can all agree that if everyone made an effort to shift away from the kinds of things we buy...pretty much knowing it's crap....then we can change the expectation and maybe even eventually start scaling back on all the excess.  We should try.  I will. 

I won't lie though, these things are really pretty great:

 

But that doesn't mean we NEED THEM.

A couple of community messages, about useful things you can do this weekend! 

I plan to take Olivia's old small bike to this event and hope to score a 'new' bigger one for $15! Also, possibly a new helmet for free if I get out there in time.

 

PS 261 Kids' Bike Swap & Rodeo
Saturday, April 6th
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Thomas Greene Park
3rd Avenue between Douglass and Degraw Streets

If you’re looking for a fun family activity this Saturday, be sure to
check out PS 261's third annual Kids' Bike Swap and Rodeo. It’s a great
opportunity for your kids to score a cheap bike, donate a bike they've outgrown,
and learn to ride or hone their riding skills.
* Bring an old kid’s bike and swap it for a gently used one from the
available bikes for just $15.
* If you don’t have an old bike to donate, you can still purchase a
gently used bike for just $25.
* Bike New York trainers will be on hand to teach kids to ride for
free. (Advanced registration required. Visit
_www.bikenewyork.org/learn/kids/learn-to-ride-kids_
(http://hwww.bikenewyork.org/learn/kids/learn-to-ride-kids/) for details.)
* Bike New York will also offer bike skills clinics to teach basic
and advanced skills for riding.
* The New York City Department of Transportation will be giving out
free bike helmets for all ages while supplies last
All proceeds from the event will benefit PS 261 programs threatened by
budget cuts and Thomas Greene Park.

More info at _MakeBrooklynSafer.org_
(http://makebrooklynsafer.org/April_6th_Kids_Bike_Swap.html) .

 

ALSO - Please consider taking the time to go out and vote in the participatory budget vote this weekend. For those of us who are local, this means a trip to Carroll Gardens Libraray or the Old Stone House on Saturday, (10 - 7) or the Carroll Park park house - easy! - Sunday 10-5. Watch the little video linked below - it's well done and cute, but reveals the not-so-cute reality of our kids' bathroom experience!
Here's the scoop:

The bathrooms at PS 58 are in a terrible state of disrepair.  Not surprising: the last time they were renovated was 1954.  Take a look a this video to learn more and see two kindergarteners attempt to use current bathroom: 

Check out this video about our schools' YUCKY bathrooms 

By voting in the Participatory Budget Vote this weekend you can help get our renovation project funded!  What is Participatory Budgeting?  Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. That means this week you get to go to a polling place and vote on which projects will receive funding from the City Council. More on participatory budgeting here:  http://www.pbnyc.org/

Bring one or more documents proving current address and age.  Here is a list of accepted documents: http://pbnyc.org/content/pbnyc-voting-april-1-7-2013

https://vimeo.com/62308352

Newsflash! 

Addendum to the electronics recycling event in Bayridge - if that is NOT convenient for you, there is also going to be a city-run E-waste and general safe disposal event held this Sunday April 7th in Prospect Park, Park circle, (that's the corner of Parkside Ave and Prospect Park SW). 

The flyer came in the mail. Most people probably threw it away. (Or...hopefully recycled it...)

Here's the link for more info on what is being collected, calendars and TONS of useful information about safe and responsible disposal:

nyc.gov/SAFEdisposal  

 

 

Electronics recycling day! 

 

Not an endorsement for a particular high school or anything like that - just passing along some info. If you're looking to get rid of electronics and need a place to properly recycle them, this high school (see below) of Shore Road in Bayridge is hosting a e-waste event this Saturday.  Just a little FYI.

Electronics Recycling Event

The Robotics Team, with the help of Community Board 10 and Vanguard Environment, will be hosting Electronics Recycling Drive in the school parking lot on Saturday, April 6.
From 10am-4pm, anyone can drive through and drop off their unwanted computers, monitors, phones, printers, DVD players, digital cameras, ink cartridges, and much more.
Please help get the word out and make this event a big success.

Please contact Mr. Schreiner at jschreiner@xaverian.org with any questions.

http://www.xaverian.org/

BOOKS, I CAN'T QUIT YOU. 

 

I just can't stop collecting books. I know that I should be on the 'e-reader' bandwagon by now. I know it. It's right up my alley, etc and so on, but I just can't do it. I like a real book in my hands, maybe it's because of past professions, perhaps I have a clinging loyalty to the 'ink on paper' way of doing things. Surely it's a habit that I could just break and I'd probably be happy to be free of these piles of paper that are just....hanging around the place. For those of you who buy your books in a digital format, this is probably a non-problem. You are maybe to be applauded for the ecologically sound practice of buying digital media, but I just can't do it. SO, for me - the constant accumulation of ACTUAL books can be a challenge to my limited space. There are fairly few that I'd consider reading again, and those I hold onto of course. And there is that subset of books I've read that I would not read again, but that I've nontheless decided is a 'classic' or 'school-type' and which I'm holding onto for my children to read, at some point. Why buy another copy of "Sister Carrie" in 10 years when I have it right here.... Right? (Hmmmmm...)

I just can't make the leap to digital, though most of the other members of my book club, and many other people I know and who are real appreciators of literature, totally back the experience of reading on a tablet of some sort. I just can't do it. I like the feeling of a real paper book in my hands when I'm settling in for a nice read. I'm a voracious and rather indiscriminate reader, so this means that there's almost nothing I won't pick up off a stoop or take for free if it's being offered. If I'm not currently reading something, there's almost nothing that's beneath my 'giving it a try', because reading nothing is something I can't tolerate. 

Luckily (or maybe not...) for me, just living in Carroll Gardens Brooklyn is like having a free library open 24-hours a day all around me. It's a smorgasbord of free reading materials around here. Rarely does a day pass when I don't see a box, bag, or pile of books sitting on a sidewalk, in a doorway or on a stoop. I cannot pass them by without looking. I don't do this with anything else (toys...NO! clothing DEFINITELY NO!) but I cannot pass by the books.  I'm like this guy is with gum, except it's books. 

And though I don't always take something, I would say that half the time I do, because I just can't leave them sitting out in the weather to go to waste. I understand why people put their books out, I really do (after all....someone will take them...right?) But, I do wish that people would take the time to find a more responsible way of passing on their unwanted reading materials. 

I keep a bag in my bedroom, usually a reusable shopping bag in sturdy paper, doubled, and whenever I finish (or find) a book that is clean and whole but that I already have, finished reading, cannot sell, or do not want, I pile it into the bag. When the bag is full, I take it to Housing Works. 

I also sell books on Amazon.com, or give them to book drives when I hear of one. Sometimes a local library will hold a book drive - selling used books for proceeds to support the program. Scout troops recently held drives to replace books for kids who lost homes in Sandy, our recent unwelcome hurricane visitor. Some great kids books went there from our house recently, and I was glad to be able to help. 

I'm always talking up Freecycle, but I guarantee that if you offer a bag of books, you will get a taker. Especially children's books.

Daycare centers and childrens' playspaces and shelters will take kids books too, they get so much use there that they run through them like nobody does at home, and they need 'new' ones often.  

These are just a few ideas of ways that I've given books away, and tried to at least keep the number going out equal to the number coming in.
Today, a friend brought to my attention another great resource for recycling of books; Better World Books. 

The link is: http://www.betterworldbooks.com

What they are offering is kind of a clearing house for many (not all) of the still-good-quality books you may no longer want to keep. If you have books that you want to donate, you can do so at their expense. They will send a lable for you to use to ship the books which they then sell. The proceeds go then in part to the great cause of literacy programs, it gets the books out of your space, and keeps them out of the trash! They also offer information about other ways to pass books along in a responsible manner, as well as the option to sell them yourself. The next time my bag is full, IF I can't make it to Housing Works, I will try out this option. I'm so happy someone is doing this! 

This post is in honor of my book club friends; see you tonight! I'm looking forward to discussing "Gone Girl" with you! By the way - I bought "Gone Girl" in hard copy (I know, I know...e-reader blah blah blah), read it in a couple of days, listed it on Amazon, and sold it and sent it out before the week was finished.... The ideal book experience for me!