Eco-friendly moving

I knew that I would have to do it at some point, but I didn’t think that some point would come around this quickly.  There is no other chore that I hate more than packing.  I don’t know why, but it is just something I’ve always hated doing.  Since today is April 1st, that means we will be moving in about a month (I still have no idea where yet!).  Over the past week we’ve started to organize things into three piles: pack, sell, and donate.  We are trying not to throw anything away or purchase any packing materials (with the exception of tape) in an effort to reduce waste.  This is partially because we are poor college students (some U-Haul moving kits cost $800!!!!), but also because we are trying to reduce our carbon footprint.

Here are some ways to make your move as green and cheap as possible:

1. The most important tip I could give people is to get creative!  Before you go out and buy something, try to think of a way that you could replace that item with something you already have or of a way to get it used/free (think craigslist, yard sales, and consignment shops).

2. Don’t buy boxes!!! If you know you are going to be moving, start saving boxes a few months beforehand.  A great way to get free boxes is to ask a local business for any boxes they are throwing away (hopefully recycling) or you could ask neighbors, friends, family etc. to save their boxes for you as well.  Just make sure the boxes are clean and still in good shape before you fill them up!  There’s nothing worse than having Grandma’s china set come crashing to floor because your box was not sturdy enough :(.

If you run out of boxes last minute and don’t have time to scavenge for free boxes, don’t waste your money on moving boxes (some can cost upwards of $8 a piece!) buy something that you will use again, such as plastic storage containers.  It may cost a little bit more money up front, but chances are you will use it in the future, which is better than throwing away a moving box.  Storage containers also tend to be a better option for heavier items, such as books.  These normally go on sale around Christmas, so if you know you will be moving and have a place to put them, pick up a few when they are cheap!

3. Packing materials – here is where the creativity comes into play!  Just like boxes, packing materials (bubble wrap, peanuts, etc.) can be expensive and wasteful.  A lot of people use newspapers to pack boxes, which are a cheap (free if you are not the one buying them!) and easy to come by alternative.  But if you have a lot of fragile things that need to be wrapped really well, it is very easy to go through a month’s worth of newspapers in just a few boxes.  An alternative is to use things that you will be taking anyway: bath/kitchen towels, washcloths, t-shirts, pajamas, bedding etc.  All of these things can be used to wrap things instead of bubble wrap and will ultimately save you room because you will not need to pack them separately.  We used towels and blankets to wrap around picture frames and to fill any empty spaces around fragile items (so they don’t moved around in the box during the move).

4. Make the most of your space – this one may seem rather obvious, but it is easy to lose sight of when you are trying to pack quickly.  When packing large items like pots, pack things around and inside of them (spices, utensils, small kitchen tools, or any preserved food you plan on bringing with you) so you are not using a whole box for just one or two items.  In this case, using towels (instead of newspaper or other packing material) to pack around pots to keep them from moving is a great space saver.  Even smaller things like glasses or vases can hold things like toiletries (if you are not opposed to mixing rooms), just make sure they won’t fall out of the glass, which would make a huge mess!

5. Furniture – large pieces of furniture (especially dressers) are a great place to pack smaller boxers and can be a great space saver.  The best way to do this is to remove all the drawers and stuff from the furniture, place it in the truck, and then put everything back in it.

6. The last thing that I try to do, which I realize not everyone has the space to do, is save boxes for unique/fragile items.  For example, I saved the boxes my TV and Kitchenaid stand mixer came in.  Each of these boxes has styrofoam on the inside to hold the item snuggly in place.  I unfold all of these boxes and store them in the back of my closet or under the bed.

7. Make sure you really want the stuff you are packing! – Another seemingly obvious one, but it is easy to start packing everything, even if you don’t really want it, when you are in a rush.  If you have the time, it is definitely worth a few minutes to put stuff aside that you no longer have use for  and drop it off at a thrift store.  It will save you space and your new home will start off clutter free!

Do you have any packing tips that I missed?  If so, I would love to hear them!

Got ink?

The art of tattooing has been practiced for thousands of years by people all over the world.  Traditionally tattoos were used as a form of identification to denote things like tribal loyalty, social rank, and coming of age.  Tattoos are becoming more popular in North America, although there is still a strong stereotype linking tattoos with deviant behavior.  Younger Americans have embraced tattoos in a warmer fashion than previous generations have, but usually only the tattoos that are considered “tasteful” (which most often means small and easy to cover up for job interviews, family functions, etc.) are accepted.

However, there has been a recent trend of people using tattoos not only as a way of self expression, but also a way of expressing their love and passion for a cause, animal, or person.  We’ve all seen the mom tattoos, which was a way for sons to display their affections for their mom like a proud badge of honor on their bicep.  Not that there is anything wrong with that guys, but lets start getting a little creative!  Here are some of the tattoos that have caught my eye recently:

This is my ink:

 I always wanted a tattoo, but it wasn’t until my Sophomore year of college that I was able to figure out what I wanted to display on my body.  I thought about getting lyrics from a song, but could not decide on one song or of a good place to put it.  After a lot of thought I finally decided on a red “cause ribbon” (I’m not sure what they are actually called).  The red ribbon stands for individuals with HIV/AIDS.  Out of all the different causes, and associated colors, I went with HIV/AIDS because of my interest in the disease and the strong stigma associated with the illness.  According to the World Health Organization, 34 million people (children and adults) are currently living with HIV or AIDS.  In recent years, the disease has become more manageable with the use of a variety of medications, but they are very costly and require a great deal of monitoring by a physician.  Many people with the disease cannot afford the medication, do not have the time required to properly maintain treatment, and/or are unaware of services that can help them pay for treatment.  Some people don’t even want to pursue treatment because of the stigma attached to the disorder.  I want to change that.  My tattoo is a reminder of this and is placed on my foot to symbolize all of the steps I will have to take in order to achieve my goal.

Do you have a tattoo?  If so, I would love to see a picture and hear your story!

Mr. Big

For all of you Sex and the City fans out there, I introduce to you – Mr. Big; my soul mate, best friend, and partner in crime.  As I’m sure I will be talking about him a lot, I figured a formal introduction was warranted.  His real name is Nick and he’s originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, he loves the Phillies (sometimes during the season he gets so excited that he starts to look like the Phanatic, green fur and all!), dogs, swimming, Bruce Springsteen, anything edible, fixing things, physics, and long walks on the beach (he really does, I swear!).

We met briefly, through a mutual friend of ours, during our Freshman year at Washington College.  We became close friends our Sophomore year, and as corny as it sounds, the rest is history!  Within weeks of our courtship we both knew that we wanted to experience life together.  This past June, we planned a long weekend in Cape May.  While walking on the beach the first night we were there, he wrapped his arms around me and told me that he could not imagine living life without me by his side and that he thought we should get married.  Ok so those weren’t his exact words (he tends to be a man of few words and by few I mean only those necessary to get the point across, nothing more!), but it’s how I like to replay the moment in my mind!  He proposed with a sterling silver Tiffany ring, because he wanted me to be able to pick out my ring.  This is partially because his knowledge of jewelry is a little lacking, but mostly because I am extremely picky, OCD, eccentric, whatever you would like to call it.

After responding to what seemed like an onslaught of text  and facebook messages we headed into to town looking for jewelry stores that sold estate jewelry.  We wanted to buy an estate ring for two reasons (1) as I’m sure you will come to know, we’re practical and estate jewelry is significantly less expensive than new jewelry and (2) I wanted something unique that still fit our budget.  Little did we know, Cape May has tons of antique stores and many of them sell estate jewelry!  After pursuing a few stores, I found one that I loved – a marquis diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds (pictured at the top of the page).  It was also the perfect size, so I have worn it everyday since!

We will both be graduating in May and are starting to put together ideas for our wedding (well I do most of the planning, his main contribution is “yes dear” 🙂 ).  As I said in my previous post, about all I know for sure at this point is that I want peonies :).

“Whenever I have knocked, a door has opened. Wherever I have wandered, a path has appeared. I have been helped, supported, encouraged and nurtured by people of all races, creeds, colors and dreams.” – Alice Walker

My First Peonym

I considered many names for my blog, but finally decided on Peonyms because of my love for peonies.  There is nothing more beautiful than a fresh bouquet of lush peonies.  Oddly enough, I love that their beauty comes from the imperfect arrangement of their petals.  Because they are so lush, it does not matter how their petals are arranged or that some petals vary in size, shape, and color, which differentiates them from many other flowers.

My life is so hectic right now and I am uncertain about many things in my future, but one thing I know for sure – I want to have peonies in my wedding!  Whenever I am feeling stressed and overwhelmed I take a moment to stop and think about walking down the aisle to the man of my dreams, wearing the perfect dress and carrying huge bouquet of peonies!  Works like a charm every time :).  So I wanted peonies to be an inspiration for my blog and peonym to stand for “a sweet little nothing”, or little post.

Over the next few months I will post about mine and Nick’s (my fianceè) journey from college life to the real world: graduating, job searching, apartment hunting, wedding planning, etc.  I wish I could say that I knew of an over arching direction as to where this blog will go in the future, but I haven’t quite figured that out yet!  I’m just a girl itching to express my creativity and this is my journey!