Puppy pantry
Since (as I've disclosed with some sense of longing) I don't currently share my life with a dog, I transplanted this trash-load of canine canned food and condiment from the sidewalk in Greenwich Village to the animal shelter in SoHo. And following suit, this doggie in the window is having a snooze because his belly is so full!
Ownership transferred, value reinstated, puppy well-sated.
The 4Fives!
Last Monday I had the best Monday in many Mondays. I was asked by my new friend Jackson (of the wonderblog Superforest) to come speak with his friend Bee's 4th and 5th grade class (the 4Fives), who themselves run a formidably awesome eco blog. We spent the morning talking about trash and value and abundance, which carried us over to some freegan gifts I had bestowed upon my friend in Uganda, which segued into the documentary that I shot there, which brought us to gay rights...all of which yielded some very insightful conversation. I was just tickled pink to make their acquaintance.
Produce produce, and people will partake
Freegan produce, tortillas, rice, and beans yield Mexican feast. The formula for simultaneously satisfying the Mother Teresa and the Ebenezer Scrooge inside of you is so simple.
Mystery ingredients
One nice thing about dumpster diving is that you never know what you're gonna get, so you end up cooking stuff you wouldn't otherwise. Case in point: rutabaga. I don't think I had ever even held a rutabaga in my hand until I unearthed it from the garbage bag. But the superbowl was coming up, and I also had potatoes and ricotta from the garbage and parmesan and creme fraiche left from my roommate who moved out...so I made a slightly wonky but delicious rutabaga and potato gratin. I also had salsa, marshmallows, and hot dogs buns left from a previous dive, so I purchased the appropriate accompaniments and had quite the last-minute superbowl feast to share with my friends--and I even watched like two minutes of the game for good measure!
With patience comes Cinderella
This jolly face belongs to the new owner of these shoes. I came upon the shoes in the trash bin, asked my feet to shrink, and when they didn't I threw them under the couch knowing that at some point they would find their Cinderella. And now they have.
A little lagniappe
Oof it's been a while since I posted, but that's because I took a little sojourn to Uganda. Before I set off though, I had moment of foresight. In anticipation of making dear friends with whom I would want to leave a farewell gift in appreciation of their friendship, I brought along some of my superfluous frugan niceties. Plus, I always like to give a gift with a little more utility than flowers or cards or chocolate. Pictured above are a digital camera from the NYU dumpster and a tape recorder from the Columbia post-graduation dump. Also, yummy mens cologne and lotion that someone had left behind in the Business Class goodie bag on Emirates. The happy camper Brother Andrew writes, "Thank you very much for my gifts which you gave me i am still very happy I now know how to use both the camera and the Re coda, at first I could use it with out a flash but now i am ok." So much better than gifting the landfill.
Sharing is caring
One of the niceties of urban hunting and gathering is the generous stockpile that it generates in the pantry. When my brother comes over to study, I can make him a snack. I rest easy knowing there is always something to whip up, and I don't think twice about the cost (in fact, there is always plenty of food solely because it is free, otherwise I think my cabinets would be quite barren). On this day, I had hamburger buns, onions, and sloppy joe sauce all from the trash, so I paired them with some ground chuck in the freezer, and in minutes I had a hearty delicious dish to fill the belly of the brother.
Halloween
Halloween costumes can be the cause of such stress! They're cheaply constructed, generic, and expensive.
Some thrift stores set up Halloween sections during this time of year. If you live in Los Angeles, at the moment there is a large section in the Goodwill at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and 6th St in Santa Monica. I'm sure other thrift stores have a similar set up. They may not have the hottest superhero your child most desperately needs, but they're likely to have more unique options (no one wants to show up wearing the same thing as someone else), and still allow your kids the fun of roaming the aisles to pick out his or her own costume. I think it's also a good chance to instill that Halloween really is about having fun, getting dressed up, and stuffing yourself with candy. And just as much fun can be had in a used Gumbi costume as in a brand new Iron Man costume.
I've also heard of parents organizing costumes swaps. Both are really great ways to get kids fun new costumes on a budget, and while helping to minimize clothing manufacturing and landfill use. If you're in New York, go to this one that my friend is organizing on October 24th !
Another idea is to convert an old costume into something new. With new accessories a fairy can be adjusted to a princess, remove the padding and get a new nose and an elephant becomes a seal, dye a good witch dress and it becomes a wicked witch.
You can also make your own costume. All of my favorite costumes growing up were made by my mom. They were nothing too elaborate, but it ensured that no one else would have the same costume, and I got to help her out and suggest changes here and there, so I got just what I wanted. We also stored costumes away, so I often wore what my brother had worn a couple years prior. They also had a great homemade touch--accents and accessories were actual tactile objects, not just screen printed onto chintzy fabric. Scrap fabric, string, glue, tape, paint, and carboard boxes can take you a very long way. It's so much fun to get creative with kids. Making costumes with them is a great way to stretch their imagination and encourage them to find ways to translate that imagined idea into a functioning frock.