November in Georgia:

Today is beautiful here in Georgia! I am wearing a no-sleeved shirt and jeans... and it's perfect. This is what weather.com is showing:


The best part though: it is that perfect time when half of the leaves have fallen to the ground to crunch under my feet, yet the other half remains on their branches, bright red/yellow/orange for my continued viewing pleasure. It is wonderful.

Craving Nature:

Wherever this is, it is where I want to be right now. Seriously, click to enlarge and take in all of the beauty.

From the amazing Dooce.

I know no better feeling than driving down country roads with the windows down, the sun shining, cool temperatures, and changing leaves. And that is what feeling this picture evokes. It is pure. bliss.

Reuse is Just as Good as Reduce, Right?:

I feel guilty. I get plastic bags at the grocery store like every other non-environmentally-conscious person. So why don't I just get some cheap canvas totes that will allow me to be more eco-friendly and have another excuse for a fun crafty project in making them cute? Because I use said plastic bags to pick up the puppy poo every day.

I need those bags.

There is no other sanitary or convenient way to do this. I could always buy little baggies, but it'd be the same thing... still throwing away lots of plastic. Damn.

I know that at least they are being reused, and there really isn't any alternative, but I still feel a little guilty about it. I can't help it.

On a brighter note, check out my adorable nephew hanging outside while my sister line-dries her clothes:
He's just watching the clouds pass by. How organic! I love it. (And it helps that he is the cutest baby ever!)

Wooden Toothbrushes:

This was front and center on the BBC site today and I couldn't resist sharing.

This woman in England tried to go an entire month with buying anything with plastic or in a plastic container. Whoa. It's crazy how integrated plastic is into our lives nowadays... she even had to buy a wooden toothbrush! Ugh. This immediately made me think of my wonderful Auntie Sue, who has chills run down her spine to even think about wood touching her teeth. (That means no toothpicks, no popsicles, no chopsticks, nada. Strange, but that's why I love her!) While I'm not as bad as my aunt, I can't imagine this to be a great way to start the day.

This month's plastic used versus last month.

I try to do my part, but my gocco is plastic... and I don't think I could give it up.

Handmade Is Best:

I met up with my Aunt and company in Helen yesterday. After an unintentional detour that caused my trip to take an extra hour, I pulled into the strange, strange little town. I had never been to Helen and didn't realize that they entire downtown area is all Alpine architecture and most of the stores hold German/Swiss/Finnish/Norwegian/Belgian/Danish goods. Interesting...


From here. This is a glimpse of what the whole town looks like if you've never been yourself...

I guess I should start by saying that I took the Handmade Pledge recently and since my relatives were doing some early Christmas shopping, I decided to follow suite. Well, actually it wasn't until I found some I-really-don't-need-this-but-I-can't-leave-without-buying-it-so-I'll-buy-it-
for-someone-else items that I joined in on the fun.

First, can I say that I'm an awesome girlfriend? Yeah, I am. When I saw some authentic German beer steins, I couldn't pass up getting one for my sweetie. (He's been fantasizing of lifting that cap and indulging in frothy beer goodness since I met him.) And they are hand-painted in Germany? Sold.

Next, I can across the coolest thing I've seen since the Gocco. Soy candles! Not only are these better for the environment, but the "wax" can also be used as lotion! I admit, I was skeptical because I figured that it would feel cakey and gross on the skin, but it was some good stuff! Wait, you and your husband make these all yourselves? I'll take two. Someone super special is going to get these babies come Christmas time!

Of course I didn't leave without getting a couple of things for myself... We tasted some great wine from the oldest vineyard in Georgia (I didn't even know Georgia had vineyards to be honest) and I felt the need to support the small farm. It didn't hurt that the wine was amazing. I drank a glass last night, yum! And I'm not going to lie and say that I didn't go home with a bag of homemade chocolate-y treats from the candy shop. I totally did.

Overall it was a great day. I got a few Christmas presents, the weather was surprisingly nice for mid-August in Georgia, I got to go to a place I had never been before, and most importantly, I got to spend some time with family. Perfection.

Is It Still Morbid If It's Socially Conscious?:

Warning: This post is totally morbid.

I started watching Battleground Earth and the challenge posed to Ludacris and Tommy Lee is to have a "green" funeral. I've always said that I want to be cremated following my final demise because I really don't think that my corpse should take up space just for the purpose of decomposing. I never thought about all of the eco-friendly options there are!

Most important piece of information that I learned is that the embalming process can contaminate ground water and is really bad for the environment. Watch the show for more interesting information about all of the awesome ways to leave this earth without becoming a burden... I still think I'm going to opt for cremation. But I hope that I am never in an urn on somebody's mantle... That's just awkward.

PS- "Green" funerals are usually much cheaper. Another way that they are less wasteful!

Manufacturing Nature:

Warning: This is going to be a rant of sorts.

I don't drink bottled water. Not only is it not safer than tap water, it's expensive. Why, I ask, would you pay so much more for the same product that is simply conveniently packaged? Oh yeah, and that packaging... it take 700 years before it even begins to decompose. Seriously. That means that every ounce of plastic that has ever been made since plastic was invented is still around today. The vast majority of which is sitting in landfills.

At least here in Georgia, the tap water is just fine... I honestly cannot taste the difference. I understand that in some places the tap water is just gross. I'm always reminded of this when I order a glass of water with my meal in Florida. Yuck!


With the growing popularity of Sigg bottles, there is no excuse to be wasting plastic. Plus, they are so much cuter! If the taste of tap water is the problem, those machines at grocery stores that will fill up your gallon jugs are much cheaper and much more eco-friendly.

If all of this isn't enough to convince you, there have been some studies that found a direct correlation between drinking bottled water and tooth decay. Tap water here in the states has higher levels of Flouride. The UK doesn't... that's why they are notorious for having nasty teeth. Therefore, bottled water = Brit teeth = less people will want to kiss you. And isn't that what it's really all about?