A Bright Idea

A Bright Idea

by The Well Admin
May 31, 2012

 

Remember those jars full of fireflies that used to light up the summer nights? Here's an equally innovative, but far less cruel way to light up the sky sans electricity. Whether indoors or outdoors, solar lights can add ambiance to your dinner table, front walk, or make for a really cool backyard chandelier.

Create your own solar lighting with these super easy steps:

Materials 

• Glass frosting spray (Disregard if you already have a frosted jar)
• A flip-top canning jar (make sure the top is NOT frosted—that's how the solar panel charges)
• Clear adhesive (packing tape, glue)
• Any solar light—the simpler, the better for taking apart (See Tap the Well for places to purchase them.) 

Directions (These might sound confusing, but it's much easier than it sounds)

1. Dissemble the jar, and set aside the top—you don't want to frost this; a clear top allows the solar panel to charge. Spray one coat on the jar and set aside to dry.
2. Take the solar light and using a screw driver or a skinny chisel, gently pry the solar panel loose from the surrounding case. Take care to keep all wires intact and then discard the casing.
3. You will be left with the solar panel (still connected to the battery, a small circuit board and the light sensor.)
4. Place the solar panel (face up) and the battery, circuit board and light (face down) in the the hallow casing of the lid. Secure it with adhesive and allow to dry.
5. Set this bad boy out in the sun for a few hours and it'll be ready to go at dusk!

Clever Ways to Benefit from " Stuff".

The Mesh Directory: Explore Clever Ways to Benefit from "Stuff" Without Having to Own It

Have you heard a lot about the "sharing economy" or "collaborative consumption," but don't quite know how to tap into it? A new online directory helps you find enterprising businesses and projects around the world that, collectively, are fostering "a community and economy where access trumps ownership."

The so-called Mesh Directory serves as a clearinghouse for businesses that throw the conventional model of "create, sell, and profit" out the window. Instead, these companies use social media and wireless networks to provide people with goods and services at the exact moment they need them, without the burden and expense of owning them outright.

From bike sharing and home exchanges to peer-to-peer lending, energy cooperatives, and open source design, these businesses are spreading like wildfire. Consider now-household names like Zipcar for car sharing, Kickstarter for fundraising, Groupon for daily deals, and Airbnb for lodging. Or, you can check out less-known companies like Never Liked It Anyway, which bills itself as "a place where once loved gifts from once loved partners get a second chance." Here, users can post ads featuring their unwanted jewelry, wedding paraphernalia, and other items in the hope that there's a willing buyer out there.

The Mesh Directory contains links to hundreds of other websites worth exploring, in categories ranging from kids' stuff and DIY to food & drink, energy, and mobility. And the list is growing daily. According to Lisa Gansky, the site's developer and author of the 2010 book The Mesh: Why the Future of Business Is Sharing, the Mesh is your essential guide to the new wave of information-enabled commerce that's improving both our communities and our planet.

Simple Living is:



freedom from stuff and over-consumption . 

• 
• living intentionally and with integrity. 
• caring for the Earth and Earth's inhabitants. 
• an act of faith and a spiritual discipline. 
• living ethically. 
• a political act and an economic revolution.
• time tested and patriotic in the spirit of Thoreau. 
• anti-empire and pro-community. 
• our future as a species and a planet.  

Wherever You Go, There You Are

“Something wonderful begins to happen with the simple realization
that life, like an automobile, is driven from the inside out,
not the other way around.
As you focus more on becoming more peaceful with where you are,
rather than focusing on where you would rather be,
you begin to find peace right now, in the present.
Then, as you move around, try new things, and meet new people,
you carry that sense of inner peace with you.
It’s absolutely true that,
‘Wherever you go, there you are.’”
–Richard Carlson

Written by Shirley | Filed Under Inspirational Life

Hide IT!

May 7, 2012 in Minimalist Tips                                                              

Grand Ideas .      Thanks,  Lorilee Lippincott   of lovingsimpleliving.com                                         

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Photo Credit: Image: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I have seen this idea in many different places.  I used it in Project 333 for cloths, just last week I saw it on Jill’s Blog with toys, I put it in my book a few months ago.  It is everywhere because it works.

Need help with minimalism?  Want to simplify but having a hard time getting rid of stuff?  Try this: 

Hide it!

Here is how it works:

1. Take as much as you can out of a room or closet and pack it away
2. Put it away in storage with a date on it (6 months or a year out)
3. If you remember something you need that is packed away you can go pull it out
4. When the date comes, donate or sell what is left in the box because you have now proven to yourself you don’t need it

The beauty of this is that it works for those of us who have a hard time making decisions.   Not knowing if you will need it in the future is a huge stumbling block for getting the minimalist home you want.  This is a not-fully-committed-but-still-practicing kind of minimalism that can help you get back on track.

So find some boxes or bins:

• Try Project 333 or make your own version for the closet
• Pack away some of the books
• Pack away some of the kitchen tools
• Pack away some of the kids toys…they might not even notice
• Pack away some household things
• Pack away anything else you can find

Lighten up the house without making the full commitment to part with it.  Have your cake(minimalist home) and eat it too
If you have found this post helpful or are enjoying this blog please help me get the word out by sharing with your friends through social media. Thanks!

Noah Ark of The 21st Century

Making fun of climate change

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Gift to The Planet

Enjoy this guy's philosophy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPRPlai9QM0

Being frugal

Being frugal

Frugal doesn't mean giving up beauty...it just means you get it for free

Enough

How much is enough in life? Richard Gregg wrote, “Voluntary simplicity involves both inner and outer condition. It means singleness of purpose, sincerity and honesty within, as well as avoidance of exterior clutter, of many possessions irrelevant to the chief purpose of life.” Discover the personal and environmental benefits of simplicity,