Organizing and Organic.

  

Get Organized

 An adjunct to the To-Do list is putting organizational systems in place that let you have more time. Did you ever consider that the reason you put off menial tasks that would take you all of 5 minutes is because you can’t find the tools to do the job. Here’s a great idea, you know that drawer in your kitchen that’s full of junk. Make it a utility draw. Have one or two essential tools from the office and garage here. i.e. hammer, pens, ruler/tape measure. I’m telling you; this can work a small miracle in your life just knowing you don’t have to rummage through that nasty, cluttered tool box in the basement. Same thing goes for keys; check books- have a place for these things and always keep them in that place. Keys on a hook in the front closet work well and your check book in your office or maybe your kitchens chef desk-wherever you pay your bills from. What an energy saver!

 

An ECO- Warrior

 Green. That's the phrase of 2000’s.  'Green build, 'green' party, eco-consciousness implies a 'green' mentality. It's not a color in this context though. It's a state of mind. It refers to the conscious decision to leave a smaller footprint on the earth, to tread lightly. How? By recycling, reducing, and reusing; by changing light bulbs over to long-lasting fluorescent; and by driving a hybrid electric vehicle. The list does go on. But pushed to the extreme an over-zealous eco conscious attitude can lead to an entirely unsatisfactory lifestyle.  

 

The 3 “R”s

 Recycle, re-use, reduce- it’s a great mantra in theory, but it can be taken too far. Let's take an imaginary friend I have uh hum, let's call him Ralph. Ralph decides that he needs to get off the grid. Be self-sufficient and stop being gouged by the power companies with price hikes. He builds a house from tires and mud and pop cans and covers it with dirt and grass.  So, it's basically like living like a mole. I don't think you need to go that far; there are more and more contemporary builders out there who use environmentally friendly building materials and construction. Much more so than our traditional stick homes, with its preponderance of glues, toxins, that out gas into the air for years and years.

 But start where you are. Use a natural fibre shopping bag instead of all those plastic ones, use recycled toilet paper and other products that can come from consumer waste.

Organic

 If the cost of buying organic food is prohibitive then try to buy locally grown produce and smaller farms for meat, a 100 mile radius is a good start. At least you’re reducing the gas for shipping as well as supporting your local economy. People still debate whether organic food is better for you. Well, well, we definitely know it’s not worse for you and frankly it just tastes better so that is enough reason to make the switch. Again, if fully certified organic is just too pricey many of the big-name manufacture’s are creating product lines that are free of artificial colors, flavours and preservatives. Good for them! The fewer chemicals you ingest the better for your health. Next time you renovate choose materials that are formaldehyde free and paint with low VOC paint (volatile organic compounds). Bamboo makes great flooring because it is a renewable resource. And of course, yes drive a hybrid. As of this writing the government of Ontario will give you tax breaks for choosing this eco-conscious choice.