Panicked, frustrated, and extremely annoyed with myself, I removed myself from the table in search of soap and hot water.  I scrubbed and I scrubbed and… nothing.  The mark was still there, mocking me, taunting me with words of “Well Sarah, maybe if you had done your homework earlier…”

So, I removed myself from the table again, this time in search of a different cleaning supply.  I came back with Lysol, Windex, 409, and Clorox wipes.  Why these were even in my house, I didn’t know—I certainly hadn’t cleaned in a while.

I tried each one of these; I scrubbed and I scrubbed and… nothing.  A slight improvement, but not really.  The design was still clearly visible.

Tired, cranky, and still annoyed, I turned to Google for answers.  In searching for ways to restore my table, I came across the website AltUse—Alternative Uses for Everyday Products.  ‘Interesting,’ I thought to myself.  ‘Bet they have something in there for me.’

And oh, how they did!

Hair spray and rubbing alcohol (not together, of course)—those were the magic products to remove the marker stain.  Never would have thought of that, would you?

Me either.  I owe a big one to AltUse.

AltUse is a collection of tips, ideas, and recommendations about using what’s around instead of getting something else.  As their mission statement says “We enable site visitors to save money, and to help save the environment, by putting their stuff to work in new ways.”  They encourage the reuse and recycling of materials; giving products a new life or another purpose, while delaying–or even preventing–a trip to the landfill.

Next time you’re in need of a solution (for anything really), check out AltUse.  You might be surprised by what you can do with those old coffee grounds, an iMac computer, and olive oil.  Ah, the great discoveries that procrastination brings.

Locavor

1) the 2007 Oxford American Dictionary word of the year  2) one who consumes products from within a specific radius.

I had never heard of the 100-Mile Diet until I stumbled across it on MotherJones.com, a nonprofit news organization.  Sure, I was familiar with the benefits of local foods, but being the curious person that I am, deemed it worthy of further investigation.  In short, the 100-Mile Diet is exactly what its name implies:  everything consumed must be from within a 100-mile radius of one’s home.

Everything consumed.  That seems like a lot to ask, doesn’t it?  Already, I strive to be a locavore and a conscious consumer, frequenting farmers markets and co-ops.  The Willy Street Co-op makes my life easier by labeling all local items with a purple tag, from produce to pastas, breads to beverages.  Recently, Willy Street started labeling their bulk food items with the country of origin, or if possible, providing more specific information.

As I perused the aisles a few days after stumbling upon the 100-Mile, I had a shocking discovery: many of my favorite bulk items were not local.  I thought that I was doing my part just by buying in bulk—I never stopped to think about where these grains and beans came from.  Sadly, the closet ones came from Minnesota, a fact that disturbed me given Wisconsin’s farming culture.  This is in no way a bash on Willy Street—they do a phenomenal job and are without a doubt one of the best grocery co-operatives in the country.  Rather, I was disappointed in myself for not having realized sooner that local extends beyond products with a purple tag.

In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be taking the next step in my local eating efforts.  As of yesterday, I’m on a quest to find rice, beans, and other grains grown within 100 miles of Madison, WI.

At Powered Green, we are challenging you to take the next step.

- If you are already a locavore, ask yourself if there are additional ways to do so.  You might be surprised by what you discover.

-If you’re not eating local, first ask yourself why not and then check out the links below for additional information.

Best of luck in your efforts!  Keep us updated, and we’ll do the same for you!

Eat Local Challenge.  Even though October is halfway done, it’s not to late to join the October Eat Local Challenge.  Check it out at http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/.

A bit more about the 100-Mile Diet from the duo that started it.  http://100milediet.org/.

Want to be a locavore but not sure where to go?  Look here to find sustainably grown food in your area at http://www.localharvest.org/.