Green and Frugal: Repair Broken Electronics Vs. Throwing Them Out

Electronics are often ignored for the amount of energy they require and the amount of waste they leave behind. There has been an influx of repair services that could ultimately play a big role in reversing some of our collective habits. Specifically, electronics repairs for popular smartphones like the iPhone, computers and gaming consoles. If you live in or around a city, you are likely driving or walking distance to one.

With cell phones, people get great deals when they sign up for a coverage plan and in return the phone is affordable. The problem is, these phones are very vulnerable to breaking. The new iPhone breaks in a strong wind, it's been reported (presumably). A broken LCD screen can cost as much as a new phone with an extended plan discount.

The quality of repairs can vary from one place to the next. If you see a place charging $20 more ask them why. Ask the less expensive store the same question. Generally speaking you get what you pay for but local shops can offer great deals. Plus with walk-ins, you can get it repaired in as little has 10 minutes for broken screens. Mail-in orders are a great option too, especially for those of us who have been trained by Netflix to really enjoy the process again.

This all reflects the evolving trash awareness that is inescapable. The good thing is old electronics are worth money. People are realizing this with DIY repair resources and technology readily available to everyone. It is possibly one of the good things that has come out of the 'frugal' stranglehold from the economic downturn; people are figuring out that with just a little bit of know-how they can repair their electronics, and extend the life of their favorite toys. And if they don't want to bother, these services that offer repair solutions will be more than glad to take it off your hands.

Guest post by Repair Launch - Save Responsibly

Movie Review: Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth

As you may know, I signed up for SwapTree.com and had completely forgotten that the movie An Inconvenient Truth was on my "want list." Lo and behold, I was notified that someone was interested in swapping my book, The Kite Runner (great book, by the way). I finally found some time this weekend to watch this enlightening movie. Mind you, many people feel that it's a political propaganda film, including my history teacher husband, so I tried to watch the film while leaving my political feelings aside.

You're essentially watching Al Gore give a PowerPoint presentation about global warming. This isn't an action thriller, however the statistics and history that he cited were incredible and helped to keep my attention (no easy task).

For example, he showed how the glaciers of the North and South Pole were rapidly melting, how the earth has been experiencing a warmer and warmer climate and how this all ultimately impacts nature, animal species and what the future may hold if we keep going down this path. I was completely floored since many of these statistics were completely new to me.

One key fact about global warming that I never realize is our ability to reverse the damage that has already been done. I didn't realize we had a chance to redeem ourselves!

While I question the authenticity of some of the statistics (mainly due to my husband's prodding), I did find An Inconvenient Truth interesting.

Have you watched the movie? What did you think?

Green and Frugal: Helping Haiti

Given all that Haiti has gone through, I can't help but try to help in any way that I can. So when a company that created a non-profit film on Haiti's agricultural crisis and the grassroots sustainable ag-based recovery movement emerging there called Hands That Feed, reached out to me to help promote their cause, I was all ears. Haiti is an amazing test-case of the failed models of the past, and they made this film both to promote a new path for Haiti, as well as leverage this "teachable moment" for the world.

"It was a mistake. I have to live everyday with the consequences of the loss of capacity to produce a rice crop in Haiti," Bill Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 10, 2010. "The country has the best chance in my lifetime to achieve this objective: to build a modern self-sustaining state. But what it means is that we have to think about our roles in a different way, and how we will play them in this reconstruction process.”


Hands That Feed: a documentary film

I'd love to hear what you think.

Green and Frugal Flashback

I just realized that I have more than 250 posts on GreenandFrugalLiving.com since I started writing back in October 2009 (ooh, the one-year anniversary is right around the corner). For me, it's incredibly hard to believe. With that, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at some of my favorite posts:

• Product Review: Pangea Organics Skincare Discover Kit
• Green and Frugal: Where to Donate Old Running Shoes
• Website Review: RelishRelish.com
• Wacky Wednesday: The Cable Company Will Not Cooperate
• Frugal Tip Tuesday: Use Coupons Any Way Possible

I'd love to hear which posts you enjoy as well as what topics you'd like to see.

I'll Be Back...

Yes, I know that I've been slacking. I'm not sure how it suddenly became July 11th, but here we are. I promise I'll have some new posts soon!

Stay green and frugal!

Frugal Tip Thursday: Slow Down

Here's another great post from our friends at The Greenest Dollar...

A Novel Idea: The Slow Home Movement

My life has been feeling pretty hectic lately. It feels as if I’ve got too many balls in the air,  that I’m too plugged in, too “in motion” all the time. It feels as if I’ve just been skimming on the surface of things, going too quick to really absorb and reflect on the thoughts and information I’m processing all the time.

I’m sure you’ve had that feeling before. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that most of you feel like this a good deal of the time. Rushed. Overstimulated. Out of control. Stretched too thin.

It’s not good!

The point here is that I’ve just been feeling frazzled, and I’m not sure when I became so obsessed with Getting Things Done. I’ve been trying to figure out how to fix it, but I couldn’t really put my finger on what was wrong, you know?

Well, I was on Facebook yesterday (of course!) when Planet Green posted a great article on the Slow Home Movement.

As soon as I read it, I was like YES! This is what I’ve been searching for!

I was so excited that I couldn’t wait to share this with all of you.

The Slow Home Movement

Author Shannon Honeybloom just wrote a book called Making a Family Home. And, it’s all about how to create a slow home.

According to Shannon, a slow home is all about creating a slow, nurturing environment where you do everything from cleaning to cooking with thoughtful intention. It’s about putting rhythms and rituals back into your life. It’s about giving yourself permission to do nothing. It’s about creating enough time to be bored and to let your mind wander.

To me, this just sounds lovely. After all, when was the last time you were bored? For me, it’s been ages. I’ve always got too much to do to be bored.

But, that’s the whole point. Most people do too much. We’re Facebooking and Twittering. We’re watching hours of TV a day. We’re taking our kids to endless events and playdates, helping with homework, cleaning, cooking, checking email on the Blackberry…it never ends!

As a result of this crazy pace. we’re more stressed out than ever. The human mind needs, and craves, empty time to think and be creative. But, most of us are too busy to give it this luxury.

The Slow Home Movement is the direct response to this frenetic pace. It’s a way for us to learn how to slow back down.

So how do we do it?

How to Create a Slow Home

So, how can we create a slower home?

Well, I couldn’t find a ton of information online. And, I haven’t bought the book (since I just learned about it yesterday) so I don’t know what’s in there.

But what I did find, and come up with on my own, is this:

• Set limits on TV and Internet time. Close the door to your home office.  Lock it if you have to.

• Take time to have a slow breakfast with your family at least once per week. Light candles, make pancakes, and visit with each other.

• Take baths. Long ones. With candles.

• Stop multitasking. Science has proven that our brains truly can only focus on one task at a time. So, do one task well, instead of two poorly.

• Stop being afraid to take a nap. They’re not just for seniors and toddlers.

• Drink a cup of tea. But instead of drinking it while you’re on the phone, or writing an email, or vacuuming the floor, drink it in an actual chair, while you’re staring out the window.

• Talk slower. Instead of just using words to get information out as fast as possible, think about what you’re saying. Remember, conversation used to be an art form. To learn more about this, read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

• Cook and eat slower. You can find more information on the Slow Food Movement here.

• Consider reading Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort of Joy. I bought this book years ago, and forgot all about it until I was looking for ideas to slow down. I dug it out of my bookshelf this afternoon, and wondered why the heck I hadn’t picked it up in so long. This lovely book is full of essays, geared towards women, on how to slow down and find your “authentic self”. The writer, Sarah Breathnach, is amazing. She’s warm and intuitive, and reading this book is like getting to talk to a great friend who understands exactly how frazzled you are, and who has the wisdom to guide you through it. There is one essay for every day of the year, and they’re all delightful.

• Follow the advice of Zen Habits: if you were going to take tomorrow off, and spend it entirely by yourself, what would you do? This no-holds-barred look can really put you in touch with what your heart’s been trying to tell you you need.

Last Word…
I’m declaring, here and now, that I’m going to make the effort to create a slow home. I have to. All I have to do is look at my desk, which is currently scattered with papers and books and unfinished projects, to know that I’ve been doing too much.

I need to get back to a time when I don’t wake up at 6 a.m. and immediately head upstairs to start working. Or, rush through my workout so I can “get back to work”. I need to get over the fierce drive to create something everyday, to knock stuff off my list, to have an uber-clean house. It’s just too exhausting!

I’d love to hear back from all of you on this. What do you do to slow down? Have you heard about this Slow Home movement? If so, how have you created a slow home?

Happy Valentine's Day -- 21 Worst Valentine's Gifts

I hope your enjoying some quality time with your loved one, family or friends. Enjoy!

Today's post is courtesy of our friends at CouponSherpa.com.

Breaking Up is Easy to Do: 21 Terrible Valentine's Gifts

The saddest Facebook Group I've ever seen is dedicated to Valentine's Gifts and has only two members -- both of whom founded the site. I'd like to think this represents a wholesale rejection of the commercially bogus holiday, but possibly it just reflects poor marketing or a lack of interest on the part of the founders. More likely it's the latter as a 2009 study revealed eight-million Americans send themselves Valentine's Gifts each year. As one of the millions of singletons definitely not looking forward to Valentine's Day this year, I thought it only appropriate to compile a lengthy list of gifts to give your loved one if you'd like to join the ever-expanding crowd of single Americans.

1. Bittersweet Bathroom Scale
UncommonGoods -- $95
Also recommended by our good friends at the InventorSpot, this bathroom scale is insulting decorated with bon-bons and replaces the numbers on the dial with such sickening-sweet affirmations as, "simply ravishing" and "I'm a perfect 10." (Excuse me. I think I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.) The product description says it will "lighten the mood," but reminding a woman why she has a fat tire around her waist isn't usually a great way to cheer her up or get her in the mood for some romping.

2. Anatomically Correct Chocolate Heart
From PushinDaisies.com, "a mortuary novelty shop." -- $16.95
ShoppingBlog.com says, "Our favorite is the one-pound, anatomically correct, solid milk chocolate heart, which...would make a perfect Valentine's Day gift for that heart surgeon who saved your life after performing a triple bypass on you. Although he'd probably then lecture you about avoiding animal fat and milk chocolate, so as not to need his services in the future."

3. Biojewelry From Your Own Bones
Biojewellery Project -- Priceless
Guerrilla-Innovations.com says, "Why go to Tiffany's for a wedding band when you can have one grown from your own bones? Biojewellery of London uses a four-step process to turn bone chips from your jaw into skeletal circlets of your everlasting devotion."

4. Gift Certificate for Breast Implants
See the plastic surgeon of your choice -- $4 ,000 to $8,000
The viral YouTube video "5 Worst Valentine's Day Gifts" suggests you're likely to get a slap in the face when she opens this gift certificate -- unless you live in L.A., of course.

5. Picasso Contact Lenses
FashionContact.com -- $25/pair
These truly disturbing, three-toned lenses will turn your lover's eyes into a cubist Picasso painting. Not into fine art? Try their Magic Disco Lenses in day-glo colors. The Klyque Lingerie Blog recommends the "Hello Kitty Contact Lenses," but the illustration appears to be Photoshopped. Watch out if she squeals with glee when you present these babies.

6. Adult Footie Pajamas
JumpinJammerz -- $44.95
Recommended by HipMomsWhoWork, who says, "No one over the age of seven should ever wear footie pajamas." Guess I'm a major dork because I immediately ordered a pair. Still, I'd be pretty appalled to receive a babyfied PJ on Valentine's Day -- particularly the "drop drawer" style.

7. "High Maintenance"
UnderwearSpreadShirt.com -- $18.40
The fabric may be 95-percent cotton and oh-so-breathable, but what woman -- or man, for that matter -- wants to be informed quite this bluntly you think they're "high maintenance.

8. The Razorba Back Shaver
From ShopInPrivate.com -- $29.99
You may be totally grossed out by his (or her) fuzz-covered back, but it's less than wise to tell your Honey Bear he needs to loose the back rug. HipMomsWhoWork.com humorously (we hope) asks, "if they make an extended handle so you can shave your butt?"

9. The Flat-D Fart Filter
PrivateWay -- $14.99
Men might find this the perfect gift but women will smack you over the head for suggesting they ever fart. PrivateWay proudly says, "Now you can enjoy farting without hurting others. The comfortable filter pad fits inside your underwear and diffuses the smell of bad gas." Apparently the Flat-D (stands for flatulence deodorizer) was originally designed to defend against chemical warfare.User Comment: "Maybe I can get my co-worker to put one over his mouth?" --BM

10. The Cell Phone Flask -- Because You're a Lush
CellPhone Flasks -- $10.95
Because nothing says "I love you but you drink too much" like a four-ounce flask advertised as the perfect accessory for those who never want to be without their vice. The carrying case features a convenient belt clip, so you can keep your liquor close.

11. LiceMeister Comb
HeadLice.org -- $9.95/16-count box
What better way to tell your loved one his/her love doesn't really scratch your itch -- it's the microscopic bugs that have you jumping. As a special bonus, the LiceMeister with a Critter Card, helps you identify the difference between lice eggs (nits) and normal hair debris (dandruff).

12. Bald Guyz Head Wipes
BaldGuyz Consumer Products -- $4.99
Let your baldy know his sweating chrome dome appalls you with these handy head wipes. Disaboom.com says, "Not only are you pointing out your guy is losing his hair, you're accusing him of being unable to perform possibly the most simple hygiene task imaginable. Who needs special head wipes to care for a bald scalp? I mean, if he could wash his hair before he started balding, I'm pretty sure he can wash his bare head now."

13. Love Bandit Bear
From Vermont Teddy Bear  -- $69.95
This sickeningly sweet stuffed bear is dressed in a "dashing" black shirt with an embroidered red heart and carries a bag of heart-shaped candies "to sweeten the deal." In PointlessBanter's insightful post "Crap Women Don't Want for Valentine's Day," the blogger notes, "The last time a grown man gave her a pantless stuffed animal and used the phrase “Love Bandit” she ended up having to testify in open court. And don’t believe the commercial, guys."

14. Personalized Musical Framed Love
PoetryGift.com  -- $54.99
Talk about ewwwww! Because there's nothing quite so egotistical as giving your lover a framed photo of yourself with a tiny music box that tinkles, "Having My Baby" or "Muskrat Love."

15. One Acre of Land on the Moon
LunarLand.com, "Earth's oldest, most recognized celestial real estate agency." -- $29.99 to $59.99
You promised her the moon and gave her a lousy lunar acre? Since 1980, over 300 million moon acres have been sold as entirely useless gifts. But wait, there's more! The premium package includes lunar documents listing the actual location of your acre by quadrant. Upgrade to continent-sized parcel of five-million-plus acres for just $13 million and she'll be thrilled you blew all that money on something so utterly inane.User Comment: "I’d much rather have a membership in the Bacon of the Month Club than, say, an acre of moon property. Heck, I’d rather have one slice of bacon than lunar real estate." --Jax

16. Stuffed Toy Version of Your Face
IAmAStuffedAnimal.com -- $65
Makes the perfect punching bag if you're planning to dump your partner on Valentine's Day. Just add a few strands of your hair before wrapping.

17. Flitter Fairy
Top Notch Gift -- $19.95
An excellent gift for any girl, as long as she's under 10 years of age. Give a fairy to an adult woman and she'll begin to wonder if you truly are just a Metrosexual. According to the sucrose-sweet copy, "Flitter Fairies™ magically flit and fly all around you with enchanted flapping wings! It’s easy to guide your fairy with your magic wand!" Make sure you check out the promotional video on the product page.

18. Your Faces on Adam and Eve Artwork
MyDavinci -- $44.45
Imagine your photos seamlessly transformed onto Adam and Eve's faces by professional artists. Ack! Also available in 27 other styles. Fig leaves included. Older couples may enjoy the American Gothic version.

19. "I Comes Before U" T-shirt

Better Than Pants -- Reduced to $9 from $17.99 (Can't imagine why)
Let your love know they're a raging egotist with this white cotton shirt. Comes in up to 5XL, for that extra added insult. But the "You'll Do" T-Shirt for yourself and sleep on the couch for a year.

20. Electronic Matrimonial Mediation Marriage Counselor
Uncommon Goods -- $125
Why pay for a marriage counselor when you can let a machine solve your disputes. A spin of the wheel offers 10 different humorous, yet helpful, illustrated suggestions. "Makes a great gift for newlyweds." Yeah, right!

21. 8-Bit Dynamic Life Shirt: Measures Proximity to Your Lover
ThinkGeek -- $24.99
I've saved the tackiest for last. One shirt's for you, one for your lover. Whenever you're both "in range," the pixilated hearts on the chest start brightly glowing, "letting you know you're close enough to hug." If you can't figure that out without a shirt, something is drastically wrong with your relationship. Make sure you check out the  lame sales video on the ThinkGeek site.

What's the worst Valentine's Gift you've ever received?

Sick of the Snow Yet?

If you live anywhere near the East Coast, you've probably had your fill of snow this week. And supposedly there's more to come next week -- NOOOOOO!!!

It's funny how you don't think about what a snow day costs you (aside from the aggravation of your children fighting all day while you're trying to work from home and your husband is trying to dig out).

Here are some costs you may not have thought about:

• Sick or personal day if your job doesn't enable you to work from home
• Gas (if you're plowing your own driveway)
• Cost to pay a plow service
• Ice melt
• Snow shovel

Regardless of what it costs you, the pictures are usually priceless...

Doesn't look like we'll be gardening any time soon.

The kids couldn't get enough of the snow...in their mouths.

Wacky Wednesday

A happy belated Memorial Day! The long weekend threw me off, which is why I've been slacking on the posts. I promise to have some good stuff later on this week. Stay tuned...