Time to Shake Things up Around Here

See the new colors? This blog was looking soooo boring. Blah. Soft greens, greys, with a white background--BORING!!

Also, I think I might go buy a bunch of stuff today, just because.

I did go and buy a new cardigan that I wore at the homeschooling conference, and I think I might just throw off this yoke of oppression--this "We Don't Buy It" crap. Who needs that kind of limitation in life?! If I want to go out and get myself a little something, something, why not?!

I DESERVE IT!

Enjoy this April 1st.

A Food Confession

I saw them sitting there, so cheery and innocent on an end-of-stand display at Trader Joe's. I've heard of them, known their name forever and never really understood what they were, or how they looked, smelled, tasted. And, so now I know.

I don't like kumquats.

There, I've said it. Make of it what you will. I'm free.

Long Time No Post

Hello cyber friends! Hello internet folks! Hello pixel readers! How are you?

I said I wasn't going to post here much because of the homeschooling conference work I'm doing. It is now ramping up with database entry and hounding workshop presenters to return contracts and working out all of the details. And, you know what? I really, really hate that kind of work. I do! There is no joy in this. It's not exciting figuring out what workshops there could be for the kids at the conference. It just feels like a lot of work and responsibility and pressure.

I do not like that. Plus, I can't procrastinate like I would like--there's a deadline! I can't really wait until the last minute to have someone just sort of wing it. No. This is a well thought out, well planned, well executed endeavor that I somehow am involved in. Yikes...

Have we been buying new things while I've been away from the blog? Sort of a mice will play while the cat's away thing? Me, not accountable to you compact watchers? NO! HA! We have not bought new things--well, not much any way.

My daughter said she would like new clothes. Not the nice ones I'm able to find her from Goodwill or The Salvation Army, but honest to goodness, brand new, fresh from the giant container shipped over from China clothes from Target. So, you know what I did? I got her some nice, cute clothes from Target and she was happy. Also, although I was able to avoid it for many years, I got her some American Doll stuff for her birthday. She already had a hand-me-down doll from one of her cousins and she wanted some outfits for her.

Here is my thinking. The Compact was all my idea. The kids willingly agreed to it two years ago at the tender ages of 9 and 7. They have been very thoughtful and understanding about things and wanting things and the value of things and the need vs. want of things. So, when they've really wanted something, I have seen how they value it and have gotten it for them.

We're not going for monastic here. We're going for relevance and self control and to try and avoid choices that are dictated by popular culture or peer pressure.

My kids still (still!!) have fun with a cardboard box. They have fun with sticks in the yard. They have fun with leaves and bugs and tape and yarn and cool new clothes from American Girl for my daughter's doll.

You know what else? If my daughter wants to play with dolls at the age of 9, I'm going to support that for as long as it lasts. If my son is happy making faces and noises and playing tag and hide-and-go-seek at the age of 11, I'm going to also support that for as long as it lasts. These are my little kids who are behaving like little kids.

Yes, they have occasionally mentioned other things. My daughter, out of the blue and with all seriousness and some contempt, asked my why couldn't she have an i-pod?! Hmm? Why?! (Her 12 year old friend had just gotten one). My son has asked when both kids will get a cell phone... Um, that would probably be a "never" from me, but who knows what the future holds? My husband doesn't even have one. Partly it's because he doesn't need one, and party it's because that would presuppose that he would want to talk to people more, and on the phone.

My husband once pointed out to me the silliness and ridiculousness of my sister and I talking on the phone when we were only one room away from each other at a hotel. It didn't seem silly at the time. My son has also jumped on the point-out-ludicrous-things-when-you-see-them band wagon. He asked me why I gesture wildly with my hands when I'm on the phone...

What's your point son?! And, what's it to ya?!

We also bought a new car! Whoooo! A new, used car that is. It's only three years old and has four doors--decadent! Our old car was fourteen years old, had two doors and was on its last legs. We held out and didn't make any little repairs on it because we didn't want to put any more money into it knowing that we would soon buy another car. So:

• The horn was broken (the fuse not replaced, I should say)
• The cloth ceiling liner shredded and my husband just took it out so we had a metal ceiling
• The air conditioner was out
• The emergency brake didn't work--how often does that come up, really?
• The driver side door handle had come off and the only way to open it was by lifting one of the two nubs (automatic theft deterrence)
• The driver seat was ripping
• My tall 5' 10" body could barely fold into the passenger seat and I was unbelievably cramped and uncomfortable for long rides

Our new car has four doors! Great gas mileage (30, 34)! Room to easily hold a canoe on top! Air conditioning! Is only three years old and will accommodate our growing kids and a friend in the back.

We got a Scion xb. Aren't we cool? We are so inherently cool that we can drive a boxy, unstylish car with impunity.

Here is our cool car, 'cause that's how we roll.

Yeah, that's right. So cool, it's exponential cool and the sum is greater than the parts. It all adds up.

Enjoy your weekend and enjoy your ride, whatever that might be!

I am Selling Out... Kind of...

I started this blog as a challenge for my family and myself to see if we could live in a simple way and not buy new things. I thought it would be interesting to see if we could live through the limits that The Compact would impose on us. I wondered what we would discover about ourselves and about our neighbors and the typical consumer lifestyle that we are all pressured to live. Would we be able to live a year without buying any things that are new? Would the kids feel out of step with other kids? Would I pine for anything? Would I chafe under the restriction?

My husband makes a good living *knocks on wood* and we have always lived fairly simply, but if I wanted to get a little something from Williams Sonoma I could have. If I felt like getting a Hanna Andersson outfit for my daughter, that was no problem. I ended up not doing that very much, because I ended up not buying very much for any of us, even before The Compact. It was an easy switch to make to just buying used things from Goodwill or the Salvation Army and we found lots of nice, gently used things from Eddie Bauer (for me), and The Gap and every other place I used to shop when the kids were little and I wasn't a bit concerned with them outgrowing their clothing in a 2 month time... That was a little frivolous of me, but the clothes were very cute and 100% cotton. I felt that was important for tender new skin.

I found all sorts of decent clothing that was perfectly good. It didn't matter to my kids, or me or my husband either, if things were a certain brand. The Compact would have been far more difficult if that had been the case, or if we had cared if things were part of a current trend. Trendy, we are not.

So The Compact has continued to be a part of our lifestyle. We have purchased new things and then I have confessed to you all right here on this blog. We've gotten a water heater and a manual lawn mower and shoelaces and goldfish and leotards and props for performances and new toys for the kids at museums and gifts for them at X-mas and at birthdays. We've gotten used things too, but we have not been pure, just very conscious about our purchases. We haven't really been frivolous.

I started this blog as a way of tracking our lifestyle and seeing how we progressed and then realized that if we weren't purchasing new things, I could show you what we were doing instead. If you don't buy it, what in the world do you do? For many people buying is a form of entertainment or even sport--the challenge of finding and then getting the great deal. On one of my April Fool's Day posts I put up a Google AdSense banner and explained that we would now be carrying ads. I wrote:

See the ads over there, at the top of my blog? They pay me to run them here. That's a good thing. Why wouldn't I want to make money here? What would be the possible point of making all of these posts? Really, I don't get it. People only do things for money. That's what makes the world go round. Why would I sit here writing things for no reason? If I'm not getting paid, what's the reason then? I'm not tracking on that, really.

That was a joke. I write here because I feel strongly about many issues and want to share what I know. I write here because I like to write and hope to share something good with others: political outrage, unschooling joy, ways to be healthy with raw milk, kefir, the seminal book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, my hilarious husband... My secret ambition is to be a paid writer somewhere, somehow. It would be ideal if it was on my terms wouldn't it?

I feel like when I grow up, this is what I'll do as an adult. And then I realize that I am grown up and I am a writer, of sorts. So, why not now? What the heck am I waiting for? As my father quoted Hillel to me when I was an emotional teenager, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?" Sage words there.

So you know what? I am going to continue to write here and get money for my writing from having ads!! What?! "But, Laura, what about your whole 'We don't buy it. We're living on The Compact. We think new things are bad. We are holy and pure and think serious thoughts all of the time...' What about that stuff?!" you argue indignantly with me. Ah. I see your confusion and concern. Seems a little hypocritical doesn't it? Well, you are wrong! Wrong I tell you!! Because you know why? I'm going to have ads for stuff I believe in. Ha!

Food. Whole nutritious food! You have to eat, even on The Compact. I am a huge fan of kefir and kombucha, and yogurt, sourdough starter and dried foods that retain their enzymes and... and... and all of the stuff that Cultures for Health sells. So guess what. I am now an affiliate of their site and every sale that they make, linked from here at We Don't Buy It, I get paid for. Hurray!

I will now have some ads here. Also, I may have product giveaways. Have you ever wanted to try and make yogurt, or kefir, or sourdough bread? It can seem like a lot of work and it can seem overwhelming, but it's not if you have easy starters and quality ingredients. Maybe you'd like to try one out. Maybe you'll win a contest and get some for free and then you can.

I will review products too. I'll let you know what I think. (Yeah, that's a new one, because I've always been shy about sharing my opinions, haven't I?) *snort*

I am selling out sort of. But, as it turns out, not really.

I Must Confess

In addition to all of my questioning about the efficacy, safety and necessity of vaccines, I am still conscious of stuff, or the lack thereof. We still are not buying it...except when I have. So, I confess.

My recent purchases have been food related though, so I'm giving myself a little wiggle room on those ones. Well, on one of them, the other one I didn't need.

This first purchase addresses a health issue and I have been keeping my eye out for anything remotely similar at Goodwill or any other resale shop I have frequented for the last year and a half--no luck. So, a few days ago, I broke down and bought some of these:

These are pyrex glass food storage containers to contain all of the leftovers that I create. I don't want to use the plastic ones that I have.

I basically no longer use the microwave (I just heat coffee in there) and I never did heat food in plastic in it. I know that plastic leaches into the food and I didn't want that in my husband, or myself or my kids. What I didn't realize was that it kind of leaches always. It's not uber stable. But, glass is.

OK I say fair enough on that purchase. But, then we went to the fantastic store, American Science and Surplus in Chicago (they also have an online catalog here) where I bought the kids some Harry Potter physics kits--we already have done some of the exercises--it's difficult to find the center of gravity when you make homemade mobiles out of thin dowels and circles of cardstock. That was a fine purchase. The kids were also allowed to get whatever they wanted with their own money. Prudent, and frankly imprudent, spending are both great lessons at this age. "Are you sure you want the giant squishy worm thingy that is offgassing and so I won't let you take it into the house, but you may enjoy it on the porch?" Yes, my daughter answered. "Is this really what you'd like to buy?", I asked my son. "Yes. I really want it." And so the chicken chucker is now languishing on the computer desk after it broke on the second day of ownership. Who knew that a chicken chucker could be a delicate thing?

I bought myself a coffee mug--an exact duplicate of one I already have, as my husband pointed out--but, I just couldn't resist. It has the store's name on it and its catch phrase, "Incredible stuff, unbelievable prices!" It announces when it was established ("Est. About 1937"), and I just love that it's vague. You know, 1937ish. And above the name is hovering an optimistic guy who is wearing a Da Vinci-like helicopter strapped to his back. His arms are outstretched and he is flying as if he's in a hanglider. It's so hopeful and creative. So, I bought it.

I confess.

And Speaking of Reading--A Confession...

OK.  That last post wasn't really very light reading.  But, I do think it's important reading.  I think it gives an inside view as to how the scientific community speaks to one another about problems in medicine and research and vaccine production, hidden away from the public's eyes. It was very candid, wasn't it?

Not light reading, but illuminating.

This post, however, is not about that post.  This is its own post and is not dependent on some old-timer post.  This is new blood.   This is one of the smartest and brightest.

No it's not.  Joking!  There's actually no pressure on this post.   It can just be without judgment--at least no judgment from me.  It may be judged harshly by others, but that's between the post and those people--not really my business.

Here is this post:

I must confess.  I just read the first part of The Hobbit and skimmed the rest,  because--this is difficult, but I will just let it gush out in one agonized admission--I HATED it!

I know!!   How is that possible?!

I don't know what to tell you, but I couldn't care less about poor Bilbo Baggin's adventures.   I didn't care when he was stuck in the mountain.  Couldn't care less.  I didn't care when he was in the forest and there were spiders everywhere--I had faith that he'd get out of it somehow.   But, I was not worried or concerned.

I knew his compatriots would fare OK too--even the big one who had to do things by himself.

I never read about the dragon--I assume they managed it--right?

I just blithely, and without a twinge of regret or guilt in my conscience, carelessly skimmed to the end and read that Bilbo got back home and they were impudently selling all of his stuff! But, even then I didn't care...

I felt great sympathy for when Bilbo was hungry--which was a lot of the time.  But then they'd be a guest to someone and eat some roasted haunch and drink up water or mead or ale.

I liked the character of Bilbo Baggins.  I hated the story of The Hobbit.   

There, I said it.  Do with it what you will.  As I said, it's between the post and you--leave me out of it.

P.S.  If you must know, I also hated the first Batman movie, the musical Chicago, feathered hair in the late 70's and early 80's, The Bridges of Madison County...

Go ahead, chew on that!

An Explosion of Paper on My Table

I bought the kids new construction paper the other day so that they could make valentines for their friends in their homeschooling group. They've done this every year and each year the number of kids grows a little bit. So, I have the kids start on their valentines a few days in advance because they will get soooo tired doing it. Everyone should have problems such as these.

If you saw my kitchen table now, you would see red and purple and blue and white and pink scraps all jumbled together and spilling over the edge onto the floor. Pretty, but messy.

I have to do my part and make cookies which we'll bring to the party later today. The kids will all decorate bags to put on the gym floor to deliver each other their valentines. Everyone will eat too much sugary, baked treats and candy. My kids will bring their valentines home and add them to the others from previous years which they will look at for a few minutes. I will find little bits of paper on the floor hiding underneath the table legs or behind the cabinet somewhere weeks from now...

Homeschooling is fun.

What was that question about socialization again?

It's Been a Year!

It's been a year on The Compact and a year of blogging about it today! Whoo! We mostly made it.

Early on, I had wanted to be so pure and not get anything new. Well, except for underwear and shoes. I thought we should search for shoelaces and my husband just went out to Walgreens and bought some. He thought it was ridiculous to take such a rigid stance and thought a shoelace purchase at Walgreens was perfectly acceptable.

The whole point of The Compact, for us, was to try to live lightly and simply and realize that what we need and what we want are very seldom the same. We wanted to see if we could rise to the challenge and remove ourselves from the typical societal pressures when it comes to things in our lives. We have always felt comfortable going our own way and hearing our own drums that we march to, and this time we applied it to our purchases for a year.

We didn't buy any CDs or DVDs or new clothing--even though I've blown holes in the butts of two pairs of jeans and now am wearing ill fitting jeans that I got from Goodwill. All of the kids' clothes we got from Goodwill, except dance wear and some shoes. All of my husband's clothes we got from Goodwill. No new kitchen equipment, no new knitting needles, or yarn even. No new dishes, or houseplants (although that would probably be OK), or candles or patio furniture or gardening equipment (although that would certainly be OK--food production)

We did get a new water heater (decadent) and a vacuum (also extremely self indulgent).

So my husband bought shoelaces and lumber for making things and didn't feel any sense of failure or guilt for not being pure. I, on the other hand, tried to be more stringent about it and still ended up buying the kids NEW stuff for Christmas. Yes, I did. I blew it. I didn't plan well at all and realize that if I had looked at e-bay weeks earlier, I'm sure I could have gotten them nice things that they would like and that were well made. As it was, I bought them things from a great toy catalog and they appreciated their gifts. My husband got me a new used camera, on the compact there!, and I got my husband slippers and boots and a cool fern fossil. I consider all of that compact compatible too--shoes are OK and a fossil is life--that's OK. It's certainly not new...

My husband's take on the whole compact thing is that it is merely a reminder to not get anything that you don't need. It's perfectly OK, good even, to make things and if you need to buy new materials to do that that's OK. The point is to not be frivolous and silly about purchases and to be mindful about how and where things fit into your life. Do they serve you or do you serve them? Is your house more and more cluttered and are your closets exploding with the trendiest clothes only to be thrown away 6 months later? Do you find that you have to update all of your electronic equipment, even if it's working just fine, because there is a slightly faster, shinier, more colorful version? If you didn't get the latest stuff, what would that say about you? What would that mean? Would you somehow be less? Would you have less value as a person? Does the latest mean the greatest until the next latest comes along? What is improved? Why do you need that improvement?

Is self denial a punishment? How?

I had hoped that others would join us in this adventure and no one, that I know of, has really adopted it as a lifestyle. My friend E. though, decided she wouldn't replace something in her home and decided to repair it instead because she thought of me and what I was trying to do here. Thanks E.

In light of the recent economic collapse, I thought about the ramifications of what I was asking people to do. People are being laid off because of less buying. That's what I am espousing though, isn't it? But, perhaps it's not the act of buying rather the type of buying that ultimately is significant. One of the reasons for us going on The Compact was that there is an unbelievably huge garbage stream caused by our purchases and then throwing away so quickly. The materialism and commercialism of our culture is polluting the earth. We thought that was unconscionable and unnecessary.

What if people had more connections through their purchases? When we get the milk, meat, eggs and honey from our co-op farmers, we know who managed the animals and how and we are more aware of our food that way. If we bought hand made things, instead of mass produced manufactured objects from big box stores, we would be supporting small companies and families and co-ops and helping them have a livelihood. Purchasing new things in itself isn't bad, it's how and when and why that becomes so convoluted.

Which brings me to my blog. I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the visitors and commentors who've stopped off here. You are an interesting bunch, and I know I'm not alone in my thinking--that's extremely gratifying. We are not alone.

I've thoroughly enjoyed writing about our year here. Lots of political stuff got in there--well, how couldn't it in this election year?! And I've written about how we've lived our day to day lives as a way of showing what you can do when you're not purchasing anything. If We Don't Buy It, what do we do? I don't have great tips about how to resist buying crap. Perhaps people really need that. I just thought it would be good to share our experiences and hope to inspire others to think about their own purchases. And then I started becoming disheartened and thought that inspiration isn't enough.

That's where I am now. I'm trying to think how this blog can become a more active place and be much more about acting out these principles in a bigger way. I just think we're all fooling ourselves if we think that making cloth napkins is going to save the earth--it's not. It's a nice step, but there are factories and corporations that are spewing out toxins and pressuring people to buy more and throw out more and they are the ones that are messing it up. We are all complicit in that if we buy into their commercialism and continue to purchase, purchase, purchase. There needs to be huge groundswell of people refusing to accept these old ways of operating.

So, this year, I'm going to try to be more of an activist and I will share that with you here. What can we do? Who can we talk to? How can we bring pressure to bear? It's not enough, although it is helpful, to pat ourselves on the back because we are foregoing the newest i-pod. Collectively, if we stopped being so materialistic and stopped purchasing new stuff all of the time, I think it could make a huge difference. But, the companies that are in business have to change as well. Stop making junk! Stop exploiting workers around the world! Stop polluting! We have to force them to stop business practices that move us all down this destructive path. Some of that will come through political activism.

Laws force corporations to behave. They don't do it on their own. Ever. Some laws are better than other laws. So, this brings me to HR 4040 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which just passed in August and will go into effect on February 10th. This law is to protect children from dangerous toys. Remember the lead filled toys from China last year? Pthalates? This bill requires third party testing on every toy being sold in the U.S. That sounds reasonable, except what about the mom making beautiful Waldorf dolls in her house with organic materials? She will have to comply with this law too. She will have to have testing done on her toys even though they're obviously safe. No more Waldorf dolls from her probably. So, even more mass produced plastic toys that will get thrown out. Aggggh!

Here's commentary on the bill:

H.R. 4040- the CPSIA, truth and fiction

• December 5, 2008 at 2:07 PM by LuminousMom
• 33 Comment(s)
• 4654 Total Views

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I know this is long, but it is important. There is a lot of panic in the handmade nation right now.. because this law directly affects us in an unfair way. We are doing everything we can to have it modified to include us, to be fair to us.. but at this point, we are being treated the same as big industry.. and while this will not affect them substantially, it WILL affect us. Hundreds, if not thousands, of crafters across our country will be put out of business. Those crafters are not only an integral part of not only the local economy but they supply quality handmade goods as an alternative to mass produced and wasteful big box store goods. They will not be able to do what they do anymore if this law does not add an amendment for us.

So as a crafter this has hit home for me, last night my DH and I, and my mom on the phone.. sat down and read the 68 pages line by line, to see where I and my business fit into this. This affects anyone who sells goods to children under the age of 12, anyone who HAS children under the age of 12, anyone who MAKES goods for children under the age of 12, and anyone who buys things for children under the age of 12.

For those who don't know, the CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008) is an act designed to protect our children from unsafe toys, aka.. lead at excessive levels.. and that's a noble cause, HOWEVER, this act requires ANY item designed, marketed to, intended for use by, or looks like it could be designed FOR any child under the age of 12 must be tested. Sounds like a good idea, but you have to consider that the cost for these tests (estimates on different websites vary) have ranged from $100.00 to $4000.00. Even if we assume its $100.00, the average crafter cannot afford to have every "batch" of their craft tested. This act is poorly written and doesn't address the REAL problem... it forces testing on products manufactured in the US, when our products weren't the problem to begin with. We should be forcing testing on every product IMPORTED to the US, but a witch hunt on good American companies making good healthy products is not helping. In this economy, do we really need to put more of a burden on our businesses?

THIS AFFECTS EVERYONE! This affects at home care-takers, daycares, and schools... as your cribs and any toy items must be tested for lead. This affects crafters, of course. This affects Re-sellers, such as Salvation army and others, as THEIR apparel and toys must be tested. This affects GARAGE SALES. According to this act, you CANNOT sell any item for children under the age of 12 which has not been certified to meet the legal levels of lead. I am NOT joking, that is in the act. It is breaking the law to do so, and the fines are high.

Here's an example... if a bib maker makes 10 different styles of bib, with two fabrics on each bib, Velcro, and heavy weight sew in.. she must have all10 of those bibs tested, at the $100 a pop (or more) and if she sews a different style, even using the same fabrics, THAT must be tested. EVERY time she makes a new batch, they must be tested.. even if they use the same supplies. She must also PERMANENTLY label her items with the batch number, so consumers can know when it was made and what batch it came from.

If a dress maker who makes children's dresses sews 20 different dresses, in 3 sizes each, she must have ALL sizes of all 20 dresses tested, even if they are made of the same fabric. That's 60 tests. And don't think this doesn't affect ADULT apparel makers too, because it does... how many of you have 12 year olds who wear "adult" clothing? Not all 12 year olds shop in the junior section.. so adult clothing manufacturers will have to take extra precaution to ensure their products are never marketed to anyone under the age of 12, it goes so far as to say they cannot APPEAL to children under the age of 12. The law STATES that.. how can a dress maker ensure their product doesnt appeal to a child under the age of 12?

Small businesses CANNOT absorb the costs of this, they will either close their doors or raise their prices.. or stop selling items for children under the age of 12. We all buy our products (materials) from retailers here in the US... surely if those products (materials) were tested that would be good enough, right? No. The finished product must be tested, regardless of the materials being safe.

Here are some TRUE-VS-FALSE things we managed to find, in regards to this Act, and how it will affect CRAFTERS specifically, of any item for children under the age of 12. Do your own research and read the law.. and of course, all of this is subject to change because there are amendments to this Act, and there are people fighting to change it. This isn't the "final word" this is a.. right now we think.. kind of deal.

Statement - certain things will be exempt for testing, like apparel, because fabric doesnt have lead in it.
FALSE- all items marketed to, designed for, advertised as, or for use by a child under the age of 12 must be tested for lead, even if it does not contain any.

In 180 days, must test less than 600 parts per million. In 365 days, must test less than 300 parts per million. in 3 years from date of enactment, must test less than 100 parts per million. WHAT the item is does not matter. It MUST test if it is to be used by a child under the age of 12.

Statement - on Feb 10th the store shelves will be empty, everything not tested must be disposed of.
UNDETERMINED-I am getting conflicting information. I cant say yes or no on this, to be honest I don't trust anyone's "opinion" on this, including mine. I have contacted my states governor, and my senator. Both of their "offices" have replied that my concerns will be addressed. I don't know how long that will take.

Statement - on Feb 10th you must stop selling anything which has not been tested
UNDETERMINED-I am getting conflicting information. I cant say yes or no on this. I have contacted my states governor, and my senator. Both of their "offices" have replied that my concerns will be addressed. I don't know how long that will take.

From what I read.. I gathered that all items are subject to an up to 10 month grace period for testing.. you have to have certificates for every item to prove you had them tested. BUT, I could have read it wrong. I will wait to see what the governor or senator says.
ACTUAL TIME LINE FOR ACCREDITATION-
ITEMS WITH PAINT - NO MORE THAN 30 DAYS
CRIBS, PACIFIERS - NO MORE THAN 60 DAYS
SMALL PARTS - NO MORE THAN 90 DAYS
CHILDRENS METAL JEWELRY - NO MORE THAN 120 DAYS
BABY BOUNCERS, WALKERS - NO MORE THAN 210 DAYS
ALL OTHER CHILDRENS PRODUCT SAFETY RULES - NO MORE THAN 310 DAYS (10 MONTHS)

THIS IS ACCORDING TO SECTION 102 of the ACT, view the PDF at Thomas.loc.gov, search H.R. 4040

Statement - All cribs must be tested if they are to be used in a daycare, home care facility, or to be re-sold (such as a hand-me down store, or consignment shop)
TRUE - unless amended (and it SHOULD be.) - It shall be a violation of section 19(a)(1) of the Consumer Product Safety Act for any person to which this applies to manufacture (make), sell (store or otherwise), contract to sell or resell (consignment store), lease, sublet, offer, provide for use (give away!!) or otherwise place in the stream of commerce a crib which is not in compliance with a standard promulgated under subsection (b). (meaning it must meet the lead levels I mentioned above... 600 parts per million, then 300.. maybe 100 eventually).

This applies to any person that -
(a) MANUFACTURES, DISTRIBUTES, OR CONTRACTS TO SELL CRIBS; (Salvation army, Consignment stores, Goodwill, Garage sales, Deseret Industries, Baby stores, Walmart.. it affects ANYONE who wants to SELL a crib.)
(B) BASED ON THE PERSON OCCUPATION, HOLDS ITSELF OUT AS HAVING KNOWLEDGE OR SKILL PECULIAT TO CRIBS, INCLUDING CHILD CARE FACILITIES AND FAMILY CARE HOMES; (Daycares, at home care facilities, babysitters, ANYONE who has children in their home and receive pay for it.)
(C) IS IN THE BUSINESS OF CONTRACTING TO SELL OR RESELL, LEASE, SUBLET, OR OTHERWISE PLACE CRIBS IN THE STREAM OF COMMERCE; OR (Consignment, Salvation army, Crib retailers, Baby Boutiques)
(D) OWNS OR OPERATES A PLACE OF PUBLIC ACAMODATION AFFECTING COMMERCE (HOTELS)

BASICALLY - THIS AFFECTS ALL OF YOU! According to the way this law is written, it could be ILLEGALfor your sister to give you her crib without having it tested. It could be illegal to sell a crib which has not been tested, even illegal to give it away. Cribs should be tested, but there should be an exemption or "grandfather" clause for ones already in circulation! I cant afford to have my kids crib tested so I can donate it after she doesn't need it anymore.. I KNOW Goodwill cant afford to have all kids cribs tested before they can sell or donate them. This is RIDICULOUS.

All "Durable infant or toddler products" must be tested... those are defined as:
(A) Full size cribs and non full-size cribs; (B) toddler beds; (C) high chairs, booster chairs, and hook-on chairs; (D) bath seats; (E) gates and other enclosures for confining a child; (F) play yards; (G) stationary activity centers; (H) infant carriers; (I) strollers; (J) walkers; (K) swings; and (L) bassinets and cradles.
ALL of those items are included in the law I posted above, ALL are illegal to sell or give away, even by you, without a lead test certification.

If you planned to donate your children's old items, you can't. If you planned to give them to a friend, you can't. If you planned to sell them, you definitely can't. According to this law, as it is written right now, you CAN'T. its ILLEGAL. (to find out what you can do, keep reading)

1) DEFINED TERMS- As used in this section

(A) The term `phthalate alternative' means any common substitute to a phthalate, alternative material to a phthalate, or alternative plasticizers

(B) The term `children's toy' means a consumer product designed or intended by the manufacturer for a child 12 years of age or younger for use by the child when the child plays

(C) The term `child care article' means a consumer product designed or intended by the manufacturer to facilitate sleep or the feeding of children age 3 and younger, or to help such children with sucking or teething. (PAJAMAS, BEDDING, BLANKETS, BIBS, PACIFIERS, TEETHERS, BOWLS, SPOONS, FORKS, CUPS, HIGHCHAIRS, ANYTHING TO HELP A CHILD SLEEP, EAT, SUCK, OR TEETH)

(D) The term `consumer product' has the meaning given such term in section 3(a)(1) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2052(a)(1)).

(A) AGE- In determining whether products described in paragraph (1) are designed or intended for use by a child of the ages specified, the following factors shall be considered:

(i) A statement by a manufacturer about the intended use of such product, including a label on such product if such statement is reasonable.

(ii) Whether the product is represented in its packaging, display, promotion, or advertising as appropriate for use by children of the ages specified.

(iii) Whether the product is commonly recognized by consumers as being intended for use by a child of the ages specified.

(iv) The Age Determination guidelines issued by the Commission staff in September 2002 and any successor to such guidelines.

(B) TOY THAT CAN BE PLACED IN A CHILD'S MOUTH- For purposes of this section a toy can be placed in a child's mouth if any part of the toy can actually be brought to the mouth and kept in the mouth by a child so that it can be sucked and chewed. If the children's product can only be licked, it is not regarded as able to be placed in the mouth. If a toy or part of a toy in one dimension is smaller than 5 centimeters, it can be placed in the mouth.

Statement - well how will they know we are not complying? They wont worry about us, we're small potatoes.
TRUTH -Maybe, maybe not. Is it a risk you are willing to take? I listed the fines below. Just be aware, in the UK they have had tougher toy laws for a long time.. as a result, their toys are safer.. but also as a result, crafters are subject to having their product confiscated, even at craft shows, if they do not comply with the law and regulations. YES, they can find you. Will they? Maybe not.. but I am not willing to risk a $100,000 fine to find out.

(1) CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT- Section 20(a)(1) (15 U.S.C. 2069(a)(1)) is amended--

(A) by striking `$5,000' and inserting `$100,000';

(B) by striking `$1,250,000' both places it appears and inserting `$15,000,000'; and

(C) by striking `December 1, 1994,' in paragraph (3)(B) and inserting `December 1, 2011,'.

I'm not sure if LuminousMom is right in all of her concerns, but this bill does seem very poorly written and makes it even more difficult for people who craft handmade toys for children to bring them to market.

That's the last thing we need as a culture. We don't need less well made, quality things, we need more--at least as far as they can start replacing junky, cheap things that will be thrown out in 6 months. What if everyone started buying good things, even if they were a bit expensive, and only bought what they really needed? How would that work in our consumerist culture? Less frequent spending. Longer lasting things. Less push, drive, pressure to buy the latest great thing. How would that change our relationship to our things?

I'm going to find out how we can ammend this, and make it more suited to the problem it's trying to address.

So, We Don't Buy It is still about not buying, but it's also now about less bitching and more action. It doesn't do a whit of good if we all know this stuff and then everyone still behaves in the same ways. It doesn't matter that some of us are buying less if overall the big box stores are still churning out the junk day after day after day.

The ice caps are melting!! That is huge and it means a lot that we are all a part of that happening. It's not enough to shake our heads and tsk and then throw up our hands and say, "We know it's awful, but what can we do?"

Well, I don't what we can do, but damnit I'm going to find out.

You know how Obama got elected? He was elected by a groundswell of grassroots energy that gave and e-mailed and gave again. Bit by bit by bit. And, it worked. And, the inspiring thing, is that it has always worked. People who come together with a common concern around a common cause can and do affect change. Change happens when people care and get active.

Active!!

So, gosh darn it, this year is about getting things going. It's not just not purchasing new things, which we will continue to try and do, it's also about acting on the things we all now know. Somehow.

Welcome to the second year of We Don't Buy It.

Two Sticks and a String Equals X-mas Gifts

When we first started The Compact almost a year ago, I thought I might go to thrift stores and find old sweaters to unravel and then I could harvest the yarn. There are people who do this and there are even youtube videos showing you how to unravel the yarn and how to take apart the seams. Fine. If they can do it, I can do it. I thought I would find all sorts of old fishermen sweaters in perfect shape that I could buy as my supply of yarn. That didn't happen. I never found anything suitable. I have tried to not buy new, and I have gotten all sorts of things used, but that hasn't taken away the fact that I am a fiber snob. I don't want an old acrylic sweater to take apart.

So, I haven't been knitting as much as I had done previously. I didn't feel right about getting new yarn, although my husband has gotten new bike parts, new lumber, a new vacuum and just as recently as 2 weeks ago a curtain rod and curtains--Compact cheat. We really haven't been as pure as I had wanted us to be.

Any way, I already had a bit of a supply of wool yarn and I started making felted coasters. They knit up quickly, they're mindless--no they're not mindless...well, they are, but that's hardly the point. I can be mindless as I knit them because it's not a difficult pattern to follow. I can talk with my friends while our kids take classes and lessons together and eventually knit up a pile of coasters.

Here is what they look like once they're knitted and before they're felted.

The edges curl up and you can see the individual strands of yarn. They will look completely different once I throw them into the washing machine with hot water and a little bit of mild detergent. You know how at some time in your life you or your mom or your husband threw a sweater into the wash that shouldn't have been thrown into the wash and it became doll clothing? Normally you don't want that to happen, but I'm going to do just that intentionally to make the coasters felt. I'll go do that now. Wait here.

I did it and they all turned out beautifully. Let's look at them together.

Here's a green set for my Mother-in-law.

Before:


After, now that they're felted:







How about a set for my husband's brother and his wife?

Before:




And now they are felted. Let's see:

Wow! These are turning out great!! I bet I could sell them on Etsy, except that this is a blog espousing not buying new things. There's some irony there. I could sell, but not buy? I could encourage others to buy? Except, as a friend clarified for me--they're art! Art doesn't count on The Compact, at least not for us. The world needs art--it explains, defines, elucidates, enraptures, provokes and who doesn't want a nice, interesting looking coaster?! Although, I don't think coasters are what struggling people need right now. Do they? I don't know, maybe some universal health care or something like that would be good. Let me know...

Let's see the final set for my sister-in-law and her husband.

Before:




Those sure are vivid oranges, rusts and golds; coincidentally just like their kitchen. All of these coasters (except the green set) were knit with Noro Kureyon yarn. It is a hand dyed wool yarn from Japan and it is beautiful.

Let's see after now:

We don't buy it (well, sometimes...confession coming soon) and if we can make it, we do.

Note: Reader Tamsen admired these coasters and wondered about the pattern. I got the pattern from Knitting Pattern Central, which has all sorts of free patterns. The pattern I used for the coasters is here. Wow, I just wrote the word "pattern" like 50 million times...

New Purchase Confession

We are impure. We are full of purchases that besmirch our good name in the Compact.

After receiving a FREE three month membership to the YMCA from a friend in our homeschooling group who can not use it, my husband realized that the tennis shoes he had bought earlier in the Summer at Goodwill (pure) were not enough support for running around the track. So, he looked up online what kind of shoe would be best for him and found a pair at Sport's Authority, or Dick's or somewhere like that.

If you've bought running shoes, you know that that was not an inexpensive purchase. And besides that they were NEW! Yet, how would my husband find something that would feel comfortable on his feet if he did not get a new pair of shoes? On the other hand, how do impoverished children in parts of Africa and Asia and South America run around barefoot all of the time? How did pioneer kids like Mary and Laura Ingalls go barefoot? Maybe because they're kids? And, they don't have a choice...Yeah, but what about the marathon runners from Kenya that train in barefeet and then come to Boston or Chicago and kick butt in running shoes? They're adults. How does that work? Well, maybe the fact that they're marathon runners and are already fit and so don't have as much bulk as my husband does allows them to pound their feet for 26 point whatever it is miles without special Nike or New Balance shoes made just for running back at home.

My husband decided it was OK to get new running shoes. He probably can't get away with running barefoot. Although, if you go to that link, you will learn that running barefoot would probably be the best thing. Being barefoot all of the time, would probably be the most healthy for all of us. Hello Barefooters! We have been going to the Y a lot and see it as part of our good health and fun for the kids and good for our mental health as a family. My husband's feet were hurting in the Goodwill shoes and now they don't. He needed cushy shoes. So be it.



Thankfully, we do have the money to buy things when we need them. The point of the Compact is to challenge ourselves to see if what we want is first of all what we need--it mostly never is--and to see if we can find it used somewhere--we mostly can. Shoes are tricky and we have decided that if we need to get them new, we can. Underwear, bras, shoes, bedding, all of those we can get new if we want to.

Our Compact is not about being austere and monastic. It's not even about being frugal, even though that is a direct result of not buying new. It's about really seeing how we interact with things. How much stuff do we need? Must we get more stuff?

Another confession: for my son's birthday party, we bought the kids some fun plastic flying bats and a set of googly eyes that go on the hand to make a creature for party favors. New stuff there. New, plastic stuff there. New, plastic, made in China polluting at every step of the manufacturing/shipping/packaging/getting-rid-of process stuff there. Actually, I'm sure they will not be thrown out when they're done being played with. They'll be donated to Goodwill, or freecycled or something like that. Our friends don't throw things out like that. These are kids who will appreciate such things. They like being silly together and pretending, even though they are all getting older. I like to support their innocence and creativity. Googly eyes are perfect for that, even ones made in China and that may decompose in about 1,000 years.



There are a couple of other things that we purchased that I don't remember now, but they seemed necessary at the time.

We don't buy it--except when we do... I confess.

Rationalization...

A couple of weeks ago, I bought three Obama shirts from his website to support his candidacy for president and to show the world that I support him. I can not wait to wear one to the Y while the Fox News is blasting on the TV as I pedal on the stationary bike. That ought to show somebody...somehow. The shirts just arrived and I happily wore one to the park yesterday.




Don't they look great?

My husband saw me in one of the Obama shirts when he got home and countered that with telling me that he intends to buy a CD--a brand new CD. That is definitely off the compact. That can't even be rationalized away like an Obama shirt can be.

My husband just thinks I wanted the shirts and it's convenient that they support the campaign. Perhaps... But, since they DO support the campaign, I'm looking at them as a gift from the Obama people to me for all of my support. (My friends at the park sort of suggested that line of reasoning to me--thanks guys) Who am I to turn down a gift, really?! Glad I could help!

Besides, maybe some undecided voter will see me walking in the hall at the library with my two cute little homeschooled kids and will think to themselves, "You know self, I've been on the fence too long. There's just too much riding on this election this time. I don't want the war to go on in Iraq. I want regulation on Wall Street and in the Mortgage lending markets. I want my kids to have health care and when they grow up not be drafted into one intractable war after another. I think there should be ice at the North Pole. Say, look at that nice woman with her perfectly behaved homeschooled kids wearing that dynamite looking Obama t-shirt! Now that's some stranger's opinion that I value and look--she's for Obama! Hmmmm... That's it!! I'm off the fence! Obama it is!! Yes we can! Yes we can!"

That could happen, right?

New Purchase Confessions

We've been doing pretty darn well on our little life experiment here of not purchasing any new things. Really, we have. We have kept to our compact mostly. But, at the Legoland Discovery Center the other day, I let the kids buy themselves some lego--some sort of Star Wars vehicle (my son tells me it's clone wars related...whatever that means exactly), and my daughter got a fire engine and an ambulance--a rescue vehicles theme there for her.

When we went camping last week--and when I say camping, I kind of mean that in the loosest sense possible in that we were at the tiniest state park in existence and on the other side of a creek surrounding the campsite were condos and houses who seemed to think that their lights should be on all night in their back yards that sent glowing streaks through the trees into our campsite...it was kind of a dud experience...and it rained...and we never took our canoe off of our car...and we only stayed one day...my kids said that they loved camping and my husband said that yeah, we ought to try that some time--my husband had to buy new nylon rope for the tarp. So we had that purchase too.

I've bought some "educational" things, but those are not a part of the compact--that's my kids' education and I can buy new if I want to. Although, my son busts me on that saying that they don't need the new maps I got them (oh yes they do because they're accurate), or the Shakespeare books--we could have gotten them used somewhere or checked books out of the library. Yes, well, I know that, but that is only a reflection of his literal, black/white thinking. There are shades of grey, son, hopefully you'll learn that soon.

I've not bought any new yarn this whole time, but I've also not found a sweater to unravel and use the yarn for knitting something else. My husband has bought lumber to make things, to frame out the windows in the kids' fort and make the little dutch door. We changed our phone company and got a new cell phone as part of the deal. We have not been pure.

Have we purchased new clothes? No, except for the kids performances in various dance/acting groups they're involved in. I have not purchased new clothing other than underwear and socks for anyone in this family in 8 months since we started the compact in January. Have we bought any CDs or DVDs or Books or Magazines? No. We have bought things from Goodwill and some of them seemed to be new--but they were at Goodwill, so not part of the usual commerce flow. Any new electronics? No. Any new beautiful things for my hair? No. No new jewelry, no new perfume, no new decorative items for the house. No. No. No.

This isn't too far from how we used to live. We were never huge consumers. This is not a difficult lifestyle--we are free of feeling any kind of pressure or gnawing desire to get and acquire and upgrade and consume. That feels pretty good. We don't need it, we're not going to buy it, it just doesn't come into play around here at all.

But, by God, my kids did need their lego and my husband did need his rope and lumber and we were given the new phone and I needed the kids to see the real relative sizes of the different places of the world and so I needed to get those maps. Because truth does matter, and that's why I'm confessing all of this to you.

We don't buy it...except when we do.

New Purchase Confessions

We find that it's not too difficult to forgo purchasing new things. It's not, at least not for most things. But, we have purchased a couple of new things recently. I confess.

After the hey-we're-all-in-this-together celebratory 4th of July bike helmet rip off, I had to get a new helmet and I did--it's grey and willow. Willow is a lovely green, isn't it? I can go biking with the kids again. Well, now I can go with a helmet on and exhibit a good example of safety consciousness for them. Husband... When they're ready, I'm ready.

Yesterday, a giant box was on the front step. Finally, my husband's Father's Day gift arrived. A reel mower. We do already have a gas powered mower, yes, but my husband wanted to stop wasting gas to cut a lawn we really don't have much affection for, and felt he could enjoy the mechanical/manual nature of a reel mower.


I bought it new...I didn't even look for one online. We haven't done that much. This computer I'm typing this post at was bought from Craig's List as a Christmas gift for me by my husband. All of our drinking glasses are from Goodwill. The kids clothes are from e-bay or Goodwill. My clothes are from Goodwill. We've been diligent.

But, I wanted a brand new mower for my husband and I wanted it now, damn it! I didn't know which one to get him. So, I harangued him, and harangued him, and he looked up from what he was reading and said, "Huh?" My haranguing skills aren't up to snuff, clearly. I can't tell you how often I feel like Charlie Brown's indistinct, muffled teacher speaking around here. If you can hear me talking, but you don't know what I said, you have to say to me, "What did you say Mom?" or "What did you say beautiful wife of mine?" Why don't they get that?!

We went online just last week to pick out the mower and get it from a company in Indiana. Fantastic! We would be supporting an American company from just next door--not a big carbon footprint on our carbon reducing manual reel mower. It's already green and we haven't even used it yet!

Guess where it's manufactured? Yes, China...

New Purchase Confession...and a New Poll

We bought a new thing the other day. Yes, we did. I must confess. And so overpowering was the desire, the perceived need, that we didn't even flinch at the idea. We didn't even pause and reflect on how it would mess up our compact not to purchase anything new.* We just ran out and without thinking much about it got...

A NEW WATER HEATER!!!

Woo hoo!! Aren't we completely decadent! Sorry, I probably shouldn't be so brazen and crass to brag about our material wealth like that. Kind of low brow, huh? Any way, we get hot water. Luxury, I tell you.

And actually, I think it is luxurious. To not have hot water pointed in a real tangible way to how completely spoiled we are and take these little every day luxuries completely for granted. And when I say tangible, I mean that I took a shower and went in there knowing full well that there was no hot water. People bathe without hot water all over the world every day. Have you ever had a completely ice cold shower? Try it if you haven't just to see if you could handle it. It was kind of a fun challenge--once.

I used less conditioner in my hair too. I didn't want to spend one second in there longer than I had to.

Which brings me to a new poll. (I know people already answered a poll a while ago about whether or not they leave the lights on in their house and I never have talked about it again. That's lame. If you participate in a poll, you should see the results, right? It's like when there's an asterisk and then you never find what it means at the bottom of the page. Gah! I hate that!! The result of the poll was that almost everyone turns off their lights. A couple of brave souls admitted that they sometimes turn off the lights. Thanks for being honest and for taking that poll. Now, on to this new one.) Please answer the poll at the side. What every day thing in your life would you miss the most? Say you lost your dishwasher because it broke, or someone burgled your house and stole your air conditioner...Which things would you miss the most?

I really missed our water heater. I'm glad to have it back again. Oops. I'm bragging again. Sorry.

NOTE: In the poll, you can vote for as many choices as you'd like. Maybe it's a tie between several things...You can also go change your vote, if you need to.

February Confession

You know how many new things we bought in February? Guess. No, lower. Nope, lower still. Yes, that's right ZERO!!

No new shoe laces, or clothing, or blackberries or books.
No new pots, pans or dishes. No makeup for good looks.

No new jewelry, or purses or boots.
No new tools, or watches or suits.

No new posters, or paintings or plaques or floor plants.
No new furniture and designs all there to entrance.

No new play dough or sailboats or dolls or toys.
No new anything for moms, dads, girls or boys!

January Confession

It didn't occur to me that I would be in this position and yet, here I am. I have to confess. I must. I need to get it off my chest. Here goes.

We bought some new things in January...Don't hate me. I've already confessed about purchasing ballet shoes, tights and a leotard for my daughter. At the time, I thought it kind of was a health issue with the shoes, and I just wanted to get everything together for her quickly. As it turns out, more things were purchased in January.

My husband went out and bought shoe laces--new shoe laces. Otherwise, would he have gone to a thrift shop and bought shoes, with laces and then freecycle the shoes? Or, maybe they would have had a basket filled with them or something. Any way, he didn't even try on that one. My husband also bought wiper fluid for the car, but that doesn't count because if we don't have wiper fluid it's a health issue in that we won't be able to see through the salt film build up on the windshield and we'll hit someone and that's not healthy. Also, I went to a frame up shop and framed up a poster and two brass rubbings that the kids did when we visited London in October. Here they are,

(As an aside, our walls are not really raspberry colored, but I photoshopped this picture to make it brighter so you could see the people better and when I did that, the walls went from the terracotta that they are to the raspberry that they are not...not that there's anything wrong with raspberry. Some of my favorite walls are raspberry...)

My husband and I loved this poster. It was on the wall in the breakfast room of the little hotel we stayed at in Bloomsbury. We would sit there having our traditional English breakfast every morning before we went out and hit the town and we would enjoy this poster. It's so 1920's and British and of that time and place. So, I scoured cyber space for it, found it in guess where--London, and bought it for my husband as a Christmas gift. When it got here, I went and framed it up and rationalized that I was giving it to my husband and it was a CHRISTMAS gift which was pre-compact and where was I going to find a poster frame with glass in the exact right dimensions and that looked right for the poster?...that's what I said to myself.

The same with these rubbings that the kids did at St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

Daughter's

Son's

That's all for January. We did not buy a single new thing other than what I have now confessed. That's not bad, but it's not not buying anything new for a whole year is it? It is buying new stuff.

I would say that that's OK and we'll do better in February but we just bought a new furnace after our old one crapped out...but, that's a health issue. We can't live in a suburb of Chicago and not have a working furnace. Right??

We'll try to not get anything else in February. And for the record, we did go to a museum in January and we did not buy anything new there...