Drive Without AC? I Do It.

The most common response I get when I tell people that I don't drive with AC unless I'm on the high way is a very surprised look followed by, "Why in the world would you do that to yourself?" I just smile because, yes it is hot sometimes, but for the most part I really enjoy doing it. And I'm one of those weirdos who likes to be warm - or hot - so unless it's really hot I'm usually not all that bothered.

Yes, you might get a little sweaty, but think of how wonderful it is to feel the wind blowing through your hair during your morning commute. Or you could be like me and use it instead of your blow dryer (I think my air looks better overall when I let it air dry instead of subjecting it the heat of the dryer everyday).

Here are my tips to drive with the windows down and still be pretty and not smelly when you get to the office:

• Get a good deodorant.
• I am in love with my Kiss My Face deodorant. It won't stop you from sweating, but it will block any and all smells from exiting your armpit.
• My mother swears by baby powder and it's ability to soak up your sweat whether it be on your feet or under your arms.
  
• Wait to put on your make-up.
• I have ridiculously oily skin, which means that foundation has a tendency to turn orange and streak down my face when I get sweaty.
• Waiting until you get to the office means that you can have the chance to wash your face and give your make-up a chance to stay on your face without streaking.
  
• Keep a hairbrush in the car at all times.
• If you drive with your windows down, your hair will probably need to be brushed when you get to where you're going (if you have long hair, that is).
• Find a small hairbrush to keep in your glove box or in your purse.
  

And here are some positive aspects of driving with your windows down that you may not have thought of before:

• You can make friends with the people in the cars that you sit next to you at long stoplights.
• You could stumble upon your next favorite band thanks to the guy that's playing his music really loudly.
• You could have a stoplight dance party to the music that the guy next to you is playing really loud (yes, I have done this before)
• If you sing along to your music in the morning, you might find yourself next to a record producer at a stop light you will hear your lovely vocal stylings and will sign you on the spot for a million billion dollar contract. How about them apples?

You also might want to stop and consider the fact that you will be saving gas when you shy away from using the AC when you're running your errands around town. By own calculations, my 4-door sedan usually gets 200 miles to a half tank. The last time I filled up I payed close attention to my AC usage (as well as some other hypermileing tricks which you can read up on here) and managed to get an extra 40 to my half tank of gas. 40 miles! I have to say, I am willing to get a little sweaty if I can get that many more miles a gallon overall.

If you really can't bring yourself to endure the heat of the afternoon, which I understand (it's 93 degrees here today), then consider just doing for your morning commute. Usually at the time that you're driving to work it's just starting to get warm out which means that the breeze from your windows should still be kind of cool. If you look a little wind-blown when you get to the office, brush your hair and you should be good to go. I bet you'll see an increase in your gas mileage too. Even if it ends up only being a small jump, a little is better than nothing!

My First Self Challenge

Yes that's right, a challenge. And even though it says SELF challenge up there in the subject line I would like to think that you, loyal read and like minded person, would also like to challenge yourself to make less of an impact on your earth and do something to better yourself. My first self challenge is one that I came up with while I was cleaning my room last night. I had clothes everywhere and I couldn't help but think about what a pain it was to have so many things to find homes for. And that's when it hit me ... are you ready for it? Drum roll please ...

I am challenging myself to go 365 days without purchasing a new article of clothing.

Now, this may seem daunting to some of you out there, but don't be afraid. I know that when I stop and think about it, 9 times out of 10 when I go shopping I buy things that I know (or think I know) I will wear even if I don't really need it. My favorite jeans are holding up just fine, but that didn't stop me from buying another pair in a different color last week. I wanted them, I don't need them. And unless you're a kid and either out growing or destroying all of your clothes then odds are what you have now is sturdy enough to see you until the end of the year.

If a year seems like a few months too long to go without purchasing another pair of jeans then that's fine. You can shorten it however much you would like. A month, 2 months, 6months ... whatever feels right to you.

And, if you were curious, there are a few exceptions to this challenge.

1. If I get pregnant and need to get some maternity clothes (doubtful)
2. If I am asked to stand in someone's wedding and need to buy a bridesmaid dress (also doubtful)
3. If my apartment should catch fire and all of my closet is burned (very, very doubtful. I hope.)

I think that this challenge will do a few things for me. I think that I will be able to better appreciate what I have, which is something that a lot of Americans could benefit from. I don't need to constantly add to my closet in order to be happy. I think that it will fun to talk about with other people. I can finally really figure out what I don't wear and send it to a charity or make something out of it. Plus, think of all the money I'm going to save!

Did you know that on average Americans throw away more than 68 pounds of clothes per person per year? 68 pounds! These are textiles that could probably be mended, given to a charity, or recycled into something new. If you are curious to read more about the environmental impact of the clothing industry you can click on the link and it will take you to an article from the Environmental Health Perspectives website which I found very interesting and really helped me become more motivated to stay out of the mall for the next year.

And there you have it. My self challenge. Are you going to do it with me? Post a comment and let me know!

Going Neon Green

I've decided that I don't just want to go "green", I want to go NEON green. I want to be so eco-friendly that the enviornment and I will end up being BFFs. The kind of BFFs that talk every night on the phone for 3 hours at a time and never run out of things to talk about. The kind of BFFs that tell each other everything and would never lie or hurt one another. How exactly do I plan to because so awesomely neon? Well, I'm glad you asked.

#1. I plan on getting canvas tote bags to use at the grocery store and at the mall.
#2. I will only buy local and organically grown food (farmer's market here I come!)
#3. I will recycle everything that I can, even if it means saving it all up in the garage and making a monthly trip to a plant.
#4. I will use as little water as I can ... which means that I might start taking baths and emptying the water with a pan to water my plants. Which means ...
#5. I will use only bio-degradable bath products to cut down on the nasties in said bath water (I also have learned some tricks that will let me use fewer bath products overall).
#6. I will have a tiny veggie garden on the patio to help with the finances.
#7. If I can figure out how to do it without pissing off my neighbors, I plan on starting a compost pile to cut down on my overall landfill contributions.

At this point, that's my plan of action. I plan on doing more research to find more neon green ideas ... I will let you know of them as I become informed.

Also, as of this posting, the name and focus of this blog will be changing. Instead of focusing on myself, the focus will switch to green living. My hope is that you will find some tips that may help you live a life that has a smaller footprint on the Earth, even if you don't end up going neon green like I hope to over the coming months.