CasaSugar

Would You Be Happier If You Never Had to Take Out the Garbage?

Elka Karl — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:15:32 PST

Sunset recently profiled a family in Mill Valley, CA, who chose to downsize to a smaller home as well as live a zero-waste lifestyle. You should definitely read the article on Sunset. Take a look at this video as well to get a snapshot of the family's practices, and a pretty surreal image of how much garbage they produce in four months.

Would you be happier if you had this little clutter and garbage in your life? Do you think you could make the switch?

Clean Up the "Carbage" Because It Can Drive a Mom Crazy!

LilSugar — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:00:00 PST

Garbage in the car can make a mom crazy, especially if she spends a portion of her day shuttling the kiddos. Some people chalk it up to having children, but many parents had cluttered vehicles before babies. Whether it's snack wrappers, forgotten toys, or spare clothes, here are five tips to eliminate the moving mess!

One-toy rule. Lil ones love to bring a toy box worth of goodies with them wherever they go, but few kiddos ever get to playing with all their loot, so limit them to one belonging. And make sure they exit the vehicle with it.
Pay the meter, toss the trash. Food cartons, water bottles, and juice boxes can add up - especially when kids need to snack between activities. To prevent backseat buildup, toss the trash each time you park or pay a meter. Turn it into a game for your youngsters by delegating the task to one of them.
Save the paper and plastic. Find a spot in the trunk or glove compartment and start a bag arsenal. Instead of tossing the sacks you get at the drug or grocery store, keep a few to use as trash receptacles or in an emergency.
Assigned seating. Most families have one messy kid- the child who has mysteriously sticky hands or empties his sandy sneakers on the car mats - so stick to assigned seats that hold each kid responsible for his or her space.
Weekly wipe down. Keep your vehicle tidy using wet wipes and a hand vac to clean spills and hard to reach crumbs at least once a week and make sure to enlist your children in the routine. When they find out how much time and energy goes into cleaning up soiled messes, they are less likely to make another one!

Cool Idea: An Interactive Trash Bin

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:00:33 PDT

British fashion designer Paul Smith and Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic today unveiled a five-foot "rabbit bin." Whenever a passerby drops rubbish in the bin, the bunny's ears light up. The bunny is part of the Design Museum Super Contemporary Exhibition in Covent Garden. I love the concept of making civic responsibility (such as keeping your city clean) whimsical and fun. Perhaps the streets of my fair city would be a little cleaner if there were rabbit bins here.

Would you want a rabbit bin in your town?

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Casa Verde: Consumer Culture Art

CasaSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:30:26 PDT

Think you recognize this painting? Guess again.

While it may look like Seurat's "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte", it's actually a photograph from Seattle photographer Chris Jordan.

To see what this image is made from,

.

Jordan creates murals, which he then photographs, from consumer trash. His photographs urge viewers to rethink their daily habits, from tossing disposable coffee cups to drinking cans of soda. In the San Francisco Chronicle article "Consumer Culture Turns to Murals of Trash, Jordan explains his project:

The images, part of Jordan's latest project, "Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait," were an attempt, he said, to take "the dry unfeeling language of data and to translate it into the visual language of feeling."

Tossed out each year: 130 million cell phones. Used each hour: more than 1 million brown paper bags. Used every 5 minutes: 2 million petroleum-based plastic bottles. Produced every eight hours by jets flying across the United States: 11,000 contrails. Used every six hours on those flights, 1 million plastic cups, because, Jordan said, it's illegal to refill your cup on an airline flight.

I'm always happy (though definitely disturbed) to see art that rethinks our consumerism, and Jordan's art definitely makes an impact. While these aren't images everyone wants to see, they are absolutely necessary if we are to turn over our disposable lifestyles (and yes, I definitely count myself among the millions who are living this way). While recycling is a good option, we need to also remember the first two points: reducing and reusing.
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Dog Days of Summer: Keep Pets Out of the Trash!

PetSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:45:31 PDT

Keep the trash safe from your nosy pets! In addition to the obvious dangers of cleaning product poisons or choking hazards, the bacteria and molds found in rotting foods can seriously endanger your furry friends . . . they can't distinguish between spoiled and fresh yums!

The millions of bacteria found in your old take-out or spoiled meat can lead to food poisoning and inflammation or bloating of the intestinal tract and abdomen (bacterial enteritis). What's more other foods like cheese, nuts, and pasta are ripe environments for a variety of molds that can produce the scary-sounding tremorgenic mycotoxins, substances that cause symptoms similar to snail bait or strychnine poisoning. If your pup has ingested these metabolites, look out for muscle tremors, spasms, seizures, and elevated temperature – it can require overnight hospital care so bring a pet to a vet if you suspect it!

Even if your trash is safely contained, learn one more risky spot pets can find these threats when you

The fungi, molds, and bacteria that grow in garbage and compost can also be found in weathering fruit on the ground – so if you've got a fruit-baring tree nearby, don't let your pets eat the fallen fruit!

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Casa Quickie: Garbage Disposal

CasaSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:00:07 PDT

To keep your garbage disposal smelling fresh, take half of a lemon and pop it into the disposal. If you do this monthly, it'll help prevent icky odors from building up, and keep your sink, disposal, and kitchen all smelling fresh. I've found that using a lemon that's already been juiced works fine as well. If you already have an odor issue in your disposal, try using half of a lemon followed by a handful or two of baking soda.

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Is Sarah Connor Only Happy When it Rains?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:45:03 PDT

Raise your hand if you recognize this face! Yes, that is Shirley Manson, lead singer of Garbage, the group that scored some hits in the '90s, including "I'm Only Happy When it Rains." There is intriguing news today that she is joining the cast of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles when it returns for a second season on Fox.

Manson will be a regular as "Catherine Weaver, the CEO of a cutting-edge high-tech company."

Last I heard, Manson had been looking to record a solo album but I don't think it's finished yet. Or rather, Wikipedia says it was supposed to release two days ago and it didn't. I wonder if that's still in the works or if she'll put it on hold to focus on acting. She is one of the coolest rocker women from that grunge era of yore and I'm excited to see what she can bring to the small screen.

So what do you think? Is this the weirdest casting news you've heard in awhile? Or totally perfect career progression for a rock star from the '90s?

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FABTV: Garbage "Special"

FabSugar — Sun, 25 May 2008 11:11:22 PDT

Does anyone else seriously wish they were a superhero? I know I'm not alone, but sometimes I will settle for driving around a futuristic craft looking fierce with a slicked-back pony, liquid red lips, and a furry red vest. This video may be borderline Battlestar Galactica geeky but it's dope, OK. Shirley Manson was a diva in her own right, with her punky-posh style. But I love this song, too; it's got a good groove. Watch how the ka-booms in the video synchronize with the song. Special, indeed.

Twin Peeps

GiggleSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PDT

Too bad they let go one of the more stunning women on America's Next Top Model. I mean, I know Lauren couldn't walk or even talk properly on camera, but she is amazing looking! She looks just Shirley Manson from the band Garbage.

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Casa Quickie: Trash Made Easy

CasaSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:00:51 PDT

Keep a small supply of trash bags at the bottom of your garbage can. That way, when you pull out your full bag, a fresh, new bag will be waiting for you. Just make sure you take out that full bag of trash, and refresh the bag supply when it gets low.
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