Reflection: Weeks 5-8

Well I must say that the past couple weeks have flown by and here we are into the second round of reflections. In this reflection of weeks 5-8 I will be summarizing everything that we have learned.

In week 5, we completed an eye opener activity called Score Your Diet. This was a quick way to see how our diet scored on "nutrition, the environment and animal welfare". My score ended up as a 71, which is classified as excellent. After completing this eye opener, I realized that I consume more processed food than I thought I did.

Week 6, we learned how to create a graphical header for our blog. We were allowed class time to play around with Picnik to design our own creation. If you look above, you will see that I had some fun in editing a picture I took of my sunglasses taken on a rock at Gooseberry Falls. Also in weeks 5 and 6, we blogged about the third and fourth quarters of our Read 'n' Seed books. It was really cool to read my blog group's posts on each of their books. Everyone had such interesting books that I actually looked forward to hearing more about them each week.

In week 7, we were introduced to Junking. We also had to complete an eye opener on theEnvironmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database website. Here, we had to pick one piece of cosmetic or personal care product that we used daily and enter it into their database. I chose to use my Physician's Formula Mineral Foundation. It then showed us a full review on our product, including the hazards that can be caused by using it. It was a real eye opener for me because I found out that the products used to make my foundation were known to cause cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity and other contamination concerns. This was a great resource to use to find out which products really are safe for us to use on a daily basis. Week 7 also was our final post on the last quarter of our Read 'n' Seed. I think everyone got a great educational experience from their books and it was cool to hear their final recommendations on what they read.

In the final week 8, we watched a documentary called "Tapped". This showed us the global effect that bottled water/plastic products are having on our environment. It's so crazy to think about the power that some companies can have over us without even realizing it. It truly made me think about never wanting to purchase a bottled water again! In addition, we also had to complete an eye opener called, Junk on the Brain. We learned about several terms related to Junking and were able to research local vendors and second-hand stores. My favorite part of this assignment was to visit the Junk Market Style website. Here, we had the chance to explore the site and find three different junk projects that inspired us. It was really neat to see what everyone found and to read about why it had inspired them.

Well, there is weeks 5-8 all summed up! Each and every week is filled with a plethora of environmentally friendly information and I cannot wait to learn even more! We are now being arranged new group members so I am also excited to view some new blogs for these next couple weeks.

Eye Opener: Junk on the Brain

Part 1:
Antique/Antiquing: "Antiquing" is shopping for antiques. An antique is defined as an "old collectible item."

Junk/junking: Junk is "discarded material and junking is defined as to discard as useless or sell to be reused as parts; scrap."

Flea market: This is a type of "bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered."

Thrift shop: Also known as a charity shop, this is a "retail establishment operated by a charitable organization for the purpose of fundraising. They usually sell mainly second-hand goods donated by members of the public".

Upcycling: This is the process of "converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value."

Resale shop: Identical to a thrift shop, it is defined as the "selling of something purchased".

Part 2:

The above terms have everything to do with environmental health. These terms define a new way to reuse what we consider “junk”. Instead of just throwing our old stuff into the garbage we can reconstruct new ways to get use out of it. Or we can donate it so that someone else has the opportunity to use it. This is a great way to “recycle” old things to create a new environmentally friendly object.

1. Antique Boutique: 357 Canal Park Dr, Duluth,Mn 55802 (218)529-7667
   
2. Old Town Antiques & Books: 102 E Superior St, Duluth, Mn 55802 (218)722-5426
   
3. General Trading CO: 420 NE 4th St, Grand Rapids, Mn 55744 (218)326-3451
   
4. Goodwill: 700 Garfield Avenue, Duluth, Mn 55802 (218)722-6351
   
5. Green Purse: 218 Orchard Rd., Kohler, WI 53044 (920)459-8518
   
6. Plato's Closet:5115 Burning Tree Road, Suite 315C, Duluth, Mn 55811 (218)733-9455
   

I have never been to an antique shop but I do use Plato's Closet. I love Plato's because it has gently used clothes for very reasonable prices. I like to buy my jeans there because I like the feel of "worn-in" jeans. I have also used Goodwill for halloween costumes and other occasions where I would need to dress up.

Part 3:

I thought this project was super creative! Kathy Stantz used an old window to make an organizer/bulletin board. This is something that I can actually see myself making and it's great to see steps on how to do it.

This project is a clock made out of an old gear. This inspired me because it looks authentic, is easy to do and only took 30 minutes to create. Sue Whitney did an awesome job in creating this gear-clock.

This one is my favorite. With the holiday season creeping right around the corner, what's better than making some antique ornaments! Sue Whitney creates these with old sugar bowl lids, how easy it that?! This is a project that I would love to create for a more traditional way to decorate for Christmas time.

I hope you enjoyed learning more about Junking! I look forward to hearing your comments on the projects I found that had inspired me.