break the chains of your plastic bag oppression!
i used to come home from the supermarket, unload my groceries, and disgustedly try to stuff all of my newly acquired grocery bags into my overflowing ikea bag holder
. something about the whole process drained a little bit of my soul out every single time. ugh.
nowadays, i carry around a super-lightweight tote bag that i just pull out whenever i need to transport stuff that i buy. (i know that this is not a newsflash to anyone, but i am surprised at how many people still do not do this!) not only do i get glances of respect at the market, when i get home, i don’t have to roll up my yucky plastic bags. and it feels sooooooo good. oh yeah, and i’m saving the planet in my own little way too. that’s always a perk.
every now and then, when i’m cooking for more than one, i’ll end up needing extra bags. when that happens, i try to use as few plastic bags as possible, and save the ones that i do take. for every month that i don’t fill up my ikea container, i make myself a cornish hen and eat it guiltlessly. so far, so delicious.
in true swyyne fashion, i need to do a product plug, so here it is: cole haan’s logo market bag is sturdy, classic and smells nice too.
i’d also like to mention that last time i was at whole foods and a guy pulled out his own tote bag, the females around him noticed and reacted with delight!
it’s a win/win situation people.
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make it…literally
words are our friends and they deserve to be showcased! mimicking these identity elements from westwood hotel is a very clever way to use your old folders, cardstock and heavy paper:
door hangers
coasters
these would make a nifty housewarming gift too! just draw your design on whatever material you want to reuse and cut it out.
this one is a big more difficult to replicate, but oh so sweet:
images courtesy of www.fubiz.net
i wonder if the designer took his inspiration from the cartoon wordworld?
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new baubles at the etsy shop
as promised, 3 new pieces:
coat of charms tartan bracelet
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http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15739752
easy being green tiny leaf ring
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http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=15740828
citizen cane rosebud ring
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http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=15741316
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you can still use that! rose tea ice cubes
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fragrant and soothing, rose tea is delicious to drink but the beautiful rosebuds are all too often discarded without ever being seen because they are enclosed in an opaque bag.
look at how gorgeous the buds are!
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i wondered how i could reuse these lovely nature bits after making tea with them.
one way is to freeze them in ice cubes! then, when you have guests, serve them chilled green tea with the contrasting deep pink rosebuds floating on top:
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another way would be to dry them out and top cakes with them or float them in clear pink jello.
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l.a.m.b. gwen stefani band bag
for trade! preferably for another bag/holding receptacle of some sort. in gently used condition. does not come with the golden lamb, but otherwise is in beautiful shape.
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swyyne etsy shop
the swyyne etsy shop had it’s grand opening over the weekend, and grand it was. well as grand an opening as an online shop can be, which isn’t really that grand, i suppose. wow, how many times did i use the word grand in that sentence? a lot.
anywho, check it out here.
we only have 3 items up so far, but i’m feeling ambitious, so there may be 4 by tomorrow. i’m nice like that.
the eat your heart out spoon necklace (in gold or silver). perfect for that pretty piggy in your life:
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the eat your heart out fork bracelet (in gold or silver). i’m more of a fork girl me’self.:
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the prisoner of love necklace (in gold). ’nuff said.:
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abercrombie and fitch sweater size s
just in time for fall, this is a cozy abercrombie and fitch long sleeve sweater.
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size s, but fits more like an xs
heather grey
brand new with tags and moose insignia
yours free! good luck!
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tory burch ballet slippers - congratz!
amanda from orlando intends to do not only 1, but 3 good deeds (in her own words):
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how to recycle your bottles and get a free table
it looks like these are filled with different colored water. it would be cool to have different substances in each one as well; sand, dirt, plants growing with roots, toy soldiers, etc.
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the MP3 experiment
improv everywhere will be hosting it’s next mission: the mp3 experiment on saturday. here’s the scoop:
Date: Saturday, September 27 (rain or shine)
Location: Governor’s Island (detailed info here)
Time: The event will begin at exactly 3:15 PM. Arrive early and remember to budget time for weekend subway service delays and lines to get on the ferry. The event will be over at 4:06.
Wear: A Red, Blue, Yellow, or Green t-shirt.
Bring: An umbrella and an uninflated balloon.
see you there!
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toby ann stavisky, your website really disappoints me.
attempting to take my own advice from my last post about the bigger better bottle bill, i visited senator toby ann stavisky’s website so that i could inform her that i really want this bill to be passed. boy, was i surprised when clicking on the “email senator toby ann stavisky” link on her contact page resulted in this:
how you gonna do me like dat senator toby ann stavisky?!!!
not to let a little obstacle like a dead link get in my way, i clicked on the “your opinion counts” link which led me to this page:
umm…yeah. that makes me feel like my opinion actually doesn’t count. at all.
i will give senator toby ann a call tomorrow.
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the bigger better bottle bill
did you know that those 5 cent coin refund machines at your local supermarket only accept carbonated soda and beer bottles and cans? i didn’t.
now, most people don’t think of some dude picking through trash cans as a conservationist or recycling advocate, but if you really break it down, he is a professional recycler. he gets paid to pick up after those of us who are too lazy or ignorant to separate our trash. now think of all the water, iced tea and sports drinks that you drink. as you can imagine, those three categories alone now make up over 30% of the entire beverage market. that may not be important to you, but to a homeless person, or someone who just needs some extra cash, every water bottle in the trash is a wasted 5¢ towards dinner.
if we want to save our planet by recycling, and there are people out there who are willing to pick all of the recyclable bottles and cans out of our garbage for only 5¢ apiece, why in the world would we not offer coin refunds on all bottles and cans?
that is what the bigger better bottle bill wants to do. for the past six years, people have been trying to get this bill passed. the state assembly (majority democrats) has passed the bill several times, but republican-heavy senate is still an obstacle mostly due to opposition that the bill faces from beverage companies, grocers and consumer advocates who are worried that prices may increase. i don’t know how much, if at all, the bill will cause prices to increase, but i am more than willing to pay a couple of cents more for a vitaminwater if i know that other vitaminwaters out there are being picked up out of the garbage and returned to recycling centers by someone who is possibly getting a meal out of it.
if you want to know more, here is a very interesting article from the indypendant: http://www.indypendent.org/2008/09/12/bigger-better-bottle-bill/
and here is a sample letter that you can use to send your own email to your state senator:
Subject: Please Support the Bigger Better Bottle Bill
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
As a constituent concerned with conservation, and a frequent consumer of non-carbonated beverages like bottled water and sports drinks, I stand with Audubon New York in strongly supporting the Bigger, Better Bottle Bill. This legislation would expand New York’s bottle deposit law to include non-carbonated beverage containers, which have become a major source of litter in Audubon Important Bird Areas (IBAs), Parks, and other important habitats across the state. The original Bottle Bill was created to reduce litter and support recycling of carbonated beverage containers, and has made a tremendous impact in reducing this waste.
Not only will this legislation promote recycling, but this proposal will also take back the unclaimed nickel deposits, or the bottles that are not redeemed, and put that money into the state’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to support recycling and other critically important environmental funding projects. Dedicating these unclaimed nickels to environmental funding projects makes good fiscal sense for New York. It has been estimated that over $190 million annually could be returned to the state if these unclaimed nickels were collected and dedicated to the EPF.
Expanding the bottle deposit law will promote increased recycling, and decrease the pollution associated with these containers, all while providing new funding for important environmental programs. I urge you to support this important environmental initiative that will help to make IBAs and state parks cleaner and more enjoyable for all.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
You
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sk-II facial treatment essence
as you all know, sk-II is highly coveted and also very expensive. essence, the most desired of all the sk-II products, is made with pitera, which was discovered when a scientist noticed that the hands of workers at a Japanese saké brewery looked beautiful and young. i bought this bottle in the spring, but i can’t help feeling guilty about using the rest of the $140 bottle. plus i have another, much cheaper product that i’ve been using. it isn’t quite as enriching, but it’s about $3.99 a bottle.
when i was first debating whether or not to purchase sk-II, i wished i could try it first. so if anyone would like to be my guest and try it out, please email me and get the rest of this 150 ml bottle for free! i promise that i have not tampered with it in any way and (to my knowledge), it does not go bad within such a short timeframe.
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details here.
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update on the free bare escentuals at sephora
i got mine! the sephora on 48th and 5th is still fully stocked with the exception of the “fairly light” shade (i got the last one). you probably want to call in advance to see if they have your color.
the jar they give you is a good size and perfect if you want a mini container to put your big bare minerals into! yay!
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check out my cute little baby buki!
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free makeup!
it’s free of toxins, but it’s also just plain free! as in you don’t have to pay for it. seems too good to be true, but people have been walking up to the counter at sephora and getting their 10-day sample of bare escentuals and baby buki brush…all gratis. you even get to choose your own shade!
hurry!
you can also get the sample for free with any purchase online http://sephora.com/
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why is this a site?
swyyne has always been an experiment for me. with all of the other super eco sites out there, i've been feeling like i want to contribute something just a bit different. so for now, here are my random musings.
look for stuff
feed yourself
