Take the Stairs

From my good friend Valerie, here's a beautiful picture of how to weave sustainability into every day life:






This video illustrates such a great concept: Just make sustainability fun. Make it easy. Make it an option that no one really thinks about, but just does. I mean, who wouldn't take the piano stairs?

I think about my kids... All four of them are obsessed with escalators. Maybe if we had one in our house, they would take the stairs at the store instead of taking the escalator. But a piano stairway? I can promise you -- there would be no way we'd ever take the escalator again. In fact, I suspect there would be a lot of running up and down the piano stairs to make music.

Kids have it right. It's about fun. When sustainability is more fun than the other option, I'll pick sustainability every time.

Reuse and Recycle -- But Simplify? Maybe...


I found this great slideshow on MSN Lifestyle with 50 ways to reuse or recycle everyday household items. I'm definitely trying the pancake batter in a ketchup bottle... In fact, I'm soaking an old ketchup bottle right now to ready it for my next batch of pancakes!

I love ideas like these, although I will confess that I am cautious about implementing them. I'm starting to ask myself -- why am I saving this? Am I really going to use this again? Is it taking up room in my house that would be better used for something else? How does this simplify my life?

We live in an 1800 or so square foot, split entry house with four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and about a 10,000 square foot lot on a cul de sac. When we moved in here, we had a three-year-old and a 13-month-old. They each had their own room, and I said we were never moving again.

Fast forward 7 years... We now have four kids, and the two dogs and two cats we had are still with us. My husband has started working from home, so he uses the fourth bedroom as an office. I've also started freelancing, but I don't have an office (more about that in another post). Our two boys and two girls share the two bedrooms, and mercifully, we have a large downstairs area where they can play and watch TV.

Still, I feel like we're bursting at the seams in this house. We've mulled over moving, but that seems like a lot of work, especially with the market the way it is right now. Anywhere we want to move would require quite a leap in house payment, and that would require me to work more and be less available for the kids and the house. Is that really a sustainable life?

Sustainability is about the long term. For now, we're staying put. I'm busy simplifying, reducing, and organizing to make it feel less cramped around here. The honest truth is that I love my house. Making it more livable will be more sustainable for all of us.

Say What You Mean...


I came across this handy list for decoding ad agency speak while I was perusing MarketingProfs.com. The article is amusing, too. I'm definitely going to try ordering an "iced, tall, no-shot Americano" sometime.

The list made me think, though -- are you saying what you mean and meaning what you say in your writing? Am I? It's easy to fall back on buzzy language and consultant-speak sometimes. Some of my biggest pet peeves:

• Writers who use "utilize" when "use" will work. Who are you trying to impress?
• "Literally" when the writer means "figuratively." I hear people say things like "our business is literally exploding." That sounds messy.
• "Challenge" in place of "problem." To me, this is more of the affirmation sandwich-type stuff. Everyone knows you mean "problem." Just say what you mean.

What about you? What's you biggest buzzword pet peeve?

Green Jobs Still Growing in the Pacific Northwest


Check out my latest published article in Northwest Construction.

Green Job Opportunities Grow for Niche Contractors

I've been writing for this construction industry magazine for some time now. I'm finding that my interest in green building, sustainability, and construction in general is growing with each article I write.

More articles coming shortly....