jody's blog
random thoughts, ideas and chaosfree polypropylene [day 229]
Instead of buying ziplock plastic baggies and other plastic containers, I like to reuse containers I already have. Instead of placing my plastic sour cream containers, margarine containers or other food containers directly into the recycling bin, I wash them and use...
2 stores in store [day 228]
I had to go to 2 stores for work yesterday. I needed a frame, a mat board and to have 1 photo printed. I decided to go to Aaron Brothers for the frame and mat board, because in January, they have their "buy one, get one for a penny" sale. I found the perfect frame,...
are you expressing yourself or propagandistically supporting financial insanity? [flashback – day 227]
Original post: January 1, 2009 About two months ago, I got a really cool pair of shoes from a friend's teenage daughter. She said she was not wearing them anymore, so I took them home with me. The shoes were awesome, great colors and artwork! As soon as I got home,...
necessary clothing [day 226]
Amy found this clothing store in New York City called Necessary Clothing. Yes, clothing is necessary, and from the looks of the mannequins, you might need to buy several pieces of it. I did a little research on this store. They're located in the SoHo district and it...
behind again… [day 225]
It's actually day 227, so I have some catching up to do. Post holiday busyness? Maybe. :) I like this logo I found earlier today. Big thinking. Transform. Inspire. Challenge. I have so many ideas in my head! I need to be better about recording them. I carry a...
keep walking… [day 224]
I recently found this at a thrift store. I had no idea what it was, I had to look at it a bit. It's a doggie treadmill. A revolutionary exercise system for dogs, to be exact. This item, at a thrift store, was marked down to $99.99 from $299.99. If it's selling...
the green machine [day 223]
I'm really not sure exactly how much money I've saved doing this challenge, as I haven't tracked it, however I know it's a substantial amount. I have no debt, I'm not always broke and comparing my finances to last year, I've spent way less. I attribute the savings...
what retailers should you support? [day 222]
I found myself being irritated at the grocery store, stirring over the little yellow tags again. (day 160... trained shopping monkeys) Upon a very deliberate observation, I would guess 60% or more of the little yellow tags are 'low price' tags and not 'sale' tags....
I miss windex [day 221]
I cleaned my house yesterday and I really miss my bottle of Windex. Vinegar and water is good, but it's just not Windex.
let’s move in together [day 220]
I went to the movies on Christmas day and saw the movie How Do You Know. I don't do chick-flicks and the way I ended up at this movie was a text message gone wrong. It wasn't horrible, but it's really just not my type of movie. While waiting for the movie to start,...
new year’s resolutions [day 219]
I don't have any resolutions for the new year. I'm doing the no shopping challenge, I'm getting a lot of things done in my house and I'm doing most of the things I want/need to be doing. One thing I do want to change is my cooking habits. Cooking is not fun for me,...
what would I buy today… if I could? [day 218]
Some setting materials for the pile of slate in my driveway. I can make two countertops and finish my patio. Some gray paint. Caulk and wood filler. (I got liquid nails for Christmas!! Thanks Lloyd and Susan!) A modern bathroom light fixture. I guess I would only...
sometimes I want to shop [day 217]
Sometimes I have a desire to shop. Not because I need anything, but because I just feel like it. Maybe it's because I was raised that way or because it's the cultural norm, or maybe because it's human nature. I don't know exactly. I still shop on eBay and...
a year in pictures [day 216]
Honestly, some of these might be more than a year old, but they're all the same, year after year... lots of stuff. Most of these were taken in abandoned places, houses, farms, buildings, vehicles, you name it. No matter where I go with my camera, I always find lots...
my kids are okay with it [day 215]
Here's the answer to the big question, "Were your kids okay with this no retail shopping Christmas?" Yes. I'm very proud of them. I'm imposing some of my challenge on them, but just by the stuff I get for them. They both work for their allowance and they are allowed...
the story of stuff [day 214]
I have an idea. I know, no surprise... I stumbled upon this little video called The Story of Stuff. It's a little over 20 minutes long, but I watched the whole thing. Before I get into the details here, take a look if you haven't seen it. If you don't have time to...
A post Christmas story of be longing [flashback]
This was written 4 days after Christmas last year on my blog iembracechaos.com. What is out of the ordinary? Choosing to help others and live differently in a way that changes life as we know it. My kids really didn't seem all that bothered by the lack of gifts they...
shopaholics are cute :) [day 213]
I had to go to the grocery store for a couple of things, and as I was walking through the store, I found something that seemed a little off. Shopaholic wine glasses. Cute, right? Not so much. The definition of a shopaholic is "a compulsive shopper", also known as...
returns [day 212]
It's the day after Christmas, the day where everyone returns the gifts they don't want. I gave myself a Christmas gift yesterday, and that gift was to take a day off of blogging. I'm a couple of days behind and will get caught up. I did go dumpster diving on...
twas the night before Christmas… the culturally correct version [day 211]
Let me me be perfectly honest here. I really hate holidays. And, I'm an equal opportunity holiday hater, I don't like any of them. I love Christmas, that is the true meaning of Christmas, but I hate the cultural crap that comes along with it. I just want to skip...