21 Feb 09 Recyling In Charleston
There’s a lot of stuff that can be recycled.
Some stuff can be recycled in the home, without even going to the dump or the recycling center.
We’ve now purchased some of those 99 cent fabric grocery bags at Publix (and other supermarkets do them too). They not only mean less plastic in the landfill, but it’s actually easier when carrying the groceries from the car to the kitchen, as you don’t have a couple of dozen flimsy plastic bag, but 3-4 strong fabric ones.
However, we’ve still got a huge stack of those plastic ones, and, i’ll admit that sometimes we forget to put the fabric ones back into the car.
The recycling bit? We use those plastic carriers in the trash cans around the house. It saves us money, and we’re not using yet more plastic.
We collect Aluminum cans here too. It takes us a good while, as I tend to drink bottled beer or a growler, and I don’t drink soda, and Kathy not very often. Still, they do build up, and there is a place we take them on Rivers Avenue in North Charleston, that pays for them. Last time we went, we got about $8-9. It wasn’t a lot, not for over a years worth, but its better than nothing, for no effort beyond finding somewhere to store a few hundred crushed cans.
I recycle paper as much as possible. We don’t usually buy a newspaper, but we still get plenty of that annoying junk mail garbage. We use that in the fireplace, helps get the wood burning.
As for office paper, I recycle that too. When I’ve printed stuff out, invariably on one side, and I’ve finished with it, I cut them into four, and use the other, blank side for notes. I keep a stack of that on my desk at all times.
Stuff you can easily recycle in Charleston includes, Aluminum Cans, Steel Cans and empty Aerosol Cans, Plastic, and Glass Bottles. Also Paper products and magazines.
There are a number of sites around the county where used motor oil and flters can be disposed of, if you change your own oil.
There are also a number of recycling centers that accept bigger household items, such as computers, monitors, printers, adding machines, telephones, TVs, CDs DVDs, and cassette players, and other, similar items.
There you can also take old paints, cleaners, polishes, pesticides, and automotive products.
To find out more about recycling in Charleston county, check out this link
Remember though, not only are you helping the community by recycling some of your waste, but you can also save yourself some money in the process!
Tags: aluminum cans, annoying junk, blank side, bottled beer, drink soda, empty aerosol cans, fireplace, glass bottles, groceries, grocery bags, growler, household items, junk mail, landfill, motor oil, plastic carriers, recycling center, stack, steel cans, trash cans
09 Jul 08 The Daily Plate
Still on course for the most part here. It’s never been my intention to bore the pants off you all, by starting a daily blog diary of everything I eat – that would be boring reading, or it might make you feel hungry and encourage you to eat more yourself!
Anyway, I’ve lost 11 lbs since I started. I really should do more exercise, but I am watching what I eat.
Occasional lapses or splurges don’t hurt, as long as they’re occasional. Last evening for example, at the Tweet Meet, I ate chicken fingers in honey mustard, and a few fries, and washed it down with two pints of draught Guinness.
I totally refuse to get into that frame of mind I’ve seen some folks adopt – the “I’m slimming so I’ll deny myself anything that is remotely bad, and I can’t eat out, because I can’t weigh it” mentality.
I am finding the online app at The Daily Plate is great for keeping “score” on both my exercise, and my eating habits. It’s working so far. It’s not until you actually look at the values of what you eat, that you realize that the seemingly harmless sandwiches and extra rice and potatoes are loaded with calories that you perhaps don’t really need!
I was convinced I was eating healthily as I don’t eat sweet stuff, or drink soda, and have wholemeal bread and rice for the most part. Sure, that’s great for fiber intake, but it’s not so good, when you eat four sandwiches instead of one, or an extra plateful of rice on top of your dinner.
Some things I’ve found useful then. Use a program like The Daily Plate to calculate how much you really eat. Try and do some exercise, even if it’s a few sit-ups, or a walk to the mom and pop store, or a few stretches. You don’t have to pay to go to a gym to get useful exercise.
Don’t buy candies, and cookies, and extra stuff for other family members or in case friends come by. Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry – you will always buy more than you need. Eat more fruit and vegetables. I’ve found a roadside stall that sells mangoes and peaches, and at the supermarket we buy more apples and bananas. They are good to snack on mid morning or afternoon – much much better than chips and dips!
When you eat meals, cook a little less. Do not go back for seconds. If there is food left over, refrigerate or freeze it for another day. Some things are simply tastier the next day anyhow.
Try and get out of bad habits. Many of us eat because we always do at that time, perhaps when watching TV for example. Do you really need to eat a big bag of popcorn when watching that movie on HBO? No, because if you weren’t watching the movie you’d not be eating the popcorn! If you really need to eat something, grab some more of that fruit. Better yet, skip the movie, and go for a walk.
I had a terrible habit. I loved to have a late night snack. I’d make a couple of sandwiches, and take to bed and eat while reading a book. I love to read last thing at night, as it helps me unwind so I can actually sleep. Most everyone says it’s bad to eat late; it’s not good for the digestive system, it encourages heartburn or acid reflux (which I tend to suffer from), and some say it’s a good way to put extra weight on. It’s also a good way to upset one’s partner who complains loudly about the crumbs in the bed.
I’ve eventually managed to quit doing that, and now I take an apple to bed instead, and I’ve even gotten to the point that I seldom eat that, so those bad habits can be broken!
Tags: candies, case friends, chicken fingers, draught guinness, drink soda, eating habits, fiber intake, frame of mind, fruit and vegetables, grocery shopping, honey mustard, keeping score, occasional lapses, pop store, roadside stall, sit ups, sweet stuff, Tweet, two pints, ups
22 Jun 08 The Daily Plate
I’ve decided, due to a few factors, that the time has come to make a little more than a cursory attempt to lose a little weight. I’ve been asked more than once, when the baby is due.
I did the BMI thing, and it tells me I’m obese. Not clinically obese, but obese nevertheless. It still conjures up in my mind, pictures of huge huge people, and I don’t think I’m huge, but I know I’m overweight.
Until I got into my mid-thirties, I always looked underweight if anything. In my mid-twenties I can remember asking an older friend how I could put weight on, and he suggested I eat more potatoes. Well, I’ve always enjoy potatoes in their many forms.
Thing is, it all seems to be down to portion control. I read about this in a number of articles. I don’t eat as bad as many folks I read about online, and talk to. I don’t drink soda of any kind; don’t take sugar in coffee; don’t drink that much alcohol; seldom eat dessert; don’t put more than a real drizzle of dressing on my salads; almost never eat take-out food.
However, I do like a good plateful of what I do eat. Mostly we cook and eat at home, and if I go out during the work week to visit a client, I will usually take sandwiches with me, or get a sandwich somewhere.
Well, I’ve been pointed in the direction of The Daily Plate. It looks like a useful aid to achieve my goals.
Upgrade to Gold to create your own progress bar!
My goals are this. I want to lose 65 lbs. I’m not going to start one of the many diets about; they’re all theory, and I’m cynical. I want to lose weight, not put dollars in someone else s pocket so they can tell me their idea of dieting. I don’t want to jump on the fad of the week. Diets go in fashions, and I’m about the most anti-fashion, anti-follow-the-crowd person I know.
So I’ve started this new regime from last Friday. Today is day three. As I said, it’s normal food, none of this overpriced lean cuisine style crap ( I don’t eat prepared processed packet food now, and I’m not going to start).
I’m still going to the pub from time to time. I’m just not going to have seconds, or finish other people’s plates anymore. I’m going to quit being the house dustbin, and put the leftovers in the refrigerator, or even freezer for another day, and not have seconds.
I’m supposed to lose two pounds a week, so this will take me about nine months. I guess by the time I’ve finished, if I succeed, I won’t get asked if I’m pregnant anymore, and I might look like I did just eight years ago
Tags: alcohol, bmi, coffee, crowd, cursory attempt, dessert, diets, drink soda, drizzle, fad, fashion, mid thirties, mid twenties, portion control, potatoes, progress bar, salads, sandwich, sandwiches, thumbnail
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