Tag: #upcycled

Living Organically

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

Cardiac disease, type II diabetes, irritable bowel, inflammatory disease, anxiety and some cancers. What do they all have in common? They are often a result of living in our modern world: food choices, stress and the environment we live in. By the time we are retired, we have lived long enough to expose ourselves to numerous toxins in our food and environment. I know that I have eaten way too many slices of greasy pizza and McDonald’s hamburgers in my lifetime. I don’t know about you, but as I get older, these types of foods do not settle as well with me. I feel sluggish when I eat them. So, I am seeking out healthier, fresher, more organic choices in my everyday life. Not just with my diet, but also my home environment and how I manage stress. We can’t change how we lived in the past, but we can make improvements now. Small changes add up.

At the beginning of 2024, I chose “the upcycled life” as my word(s) of the year (WOTY). I chose it, not just for the traditional sense, but also because the very essence of upcycling is creating something that is of higher quality and a better version than the original one. So, this year I am seeking out ways to create a higher quality of life and a better version of myself. Not only am I trying to eat more organically, but I want to live a healthier, more organic lifestyle.

A more organic diet

It is about eating fresh with less processed, sugary foods. I have come a long way from those years of eating salads with iceberg lettuce and ranch dressing. Matter of fact, I have become the queen of salads. They are not necessarily low calorie, but they are fresh and packed with nutrients. I love poppy seed or ranch dressing, but they are loaded with unhealthy fats and calories. Now I use a simple olive oil dressing that I can throw together quickly. I have modified a few recipes to come up with my own version. I thought I would share it with you since I get asked for the recipe a lot.

Salad Dressing Recipe

2 Tbs. good quality olive oil

1 Tbs. white peach balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. honey

cracked black pepper

You can change this recipe in several ways.  A lot of times I will use regular balsamic vinegar and add 1 tsp. Dijon mustard.  Or use lemon juice instead of vinegar, which makes a great salad with fish.  Try using real maple syrup instead of honey.  I like to add fresh fruits, nuts and avocados to my salads, but the options are endless. Experiment and enjoy a healthy and delicious salad!

The Blue Zones

I am not a big believer in fad diets. They are not usually sustainable. The one diet that most physicians recommend and that has withstood the test of time is the Mediterranean diet. It focuses on eating mostly fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and healthy fats that come from nuts, seeds, olive oil and fish. The recommended foods in this diet are high in antioxidants and help prevent inflammation and obesity. Bonus that it includes red wine in moderation. Three of the five Blue Zone areas eat similar to the Mediterranean diet.

The Blue Zones, first identified in 2000, are areas in the world that have a much lower incidence of our modern maladies such as heart disease, diabetes, depression and cancer. Consequently, people live healthier and much longer in these areas. The five Blue Zone communities are Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Cost Rica; Icaria, Greece and Loma Linda, California. While diet is a known common denominator among the Blue Zones, there are other characteristics that these areas have in common, such as a strong social network, a sense of purpose, and being physically active throughout their entire lives. There has been a plethora of research into these communities and their secrets to longevity. Their diet and lifestyle are a great example of living a long, heathy, organic life that we can learn from and incorporate into our own lives.

Eating local

Local farmer’s markets are a wonderful way to get fresh off the vine foods and they have the benefit of providing a delightful aesthetic experience. Walking along the rows of colorful vegetables while listening to someone strumming their guitar is a feast for the senses. Of course, the very best option for organic food is to forage from nature or eat from your own garden. It doesn’t get any fresher than that.

Mr. U grows a beautiful garden every year and I get to enjoy going out and picking fresh vegetables and colorful flowers from it. There isn’t anything better than stepping outside in the morning, still in your robe, to pick some bright red raspberries for breakfast. Or stepping out your door to gather a few vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh basil for dinner. I use the abundance of basil in the garden to make homemade pesto.

Mr. U’s greenhouse (he built) and garden. I love the weathered wood and rusty corrugated metal he used to give it a time worn appearance. We have to keep a six-foot fence around the garden to keep the deer out.

I am not a big believer in buying “organic” labeled food for a few reasons. First, Mr. U grew up on a farm, so I understand the significance of pest control. Also, I am not convinced that it isn’t just a marketing tactic for many of the foods that are labeled “organic.” (GMO foods and meat may be an exception.) Lastly, my little brother has a master’s degree in biochemistry, and he runs a lab in California that does research on pesticides and chemicals in our environment and foods. He assures me that the amount of chemicals in our fruits and vegetables is minuscule and that it would take much, much more than that to be harmful to us, even over our lifetime. So, I trust him, (even though he is my little bro that used to wear a colander on his head as a helmet), because he is super smart. I still wash my fruits and vegetables really well.

One of the key factors in healthy eating is portion control. As we all know, here in the good ole USA, we have lost our awareness of what a normal portion is. Oversize portions lead to oversize bodies. Once we get in the habit of eating a larger amount of food, we begin to think that is our normal and do not feel satisfied unless we have that amount. Hum…ask me how I know. So, I am working on portion control and being attune with my body and recognizing when it is full and satisfied.

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Michael, Pollan

Stay tuned next week for ideas on how to create a more organic, healthy, and less stressful environment.

The Upcycled Life

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

In keeping with my word(s) of the year, “the upcycled life.” I decided to share some of my favorite upcycled items I have created.  In my household decorating, I prefer a mix of new, upcycled and do it yourself (DIY) items.  When done well, it can be a perfect combination.  I think that the key is knowing your style.  Knowing what brings you pleasure to look at and makes you feel comfortable and at home.   If you only choose things that you love, they will typically work well together. 

I have made way too many decorating mistakes by picking something because it was the latest style, or I was in a hurry and did not want to look any further, or I was trying to save money and bought something I did not really love.  I can’t unsee that pink floral couch and loveseat that I bought years ago.  Ugh. The cover photo is a cabinet that we inherited over 30 years ago. I painted it white and sanded the edges afterwards to give it a distressed look, long before I even knew what chalk paint was. It has been my craft cabinet ever since. Mr. U added the dowel so I could hang rolls of ribbon on it. Unfortunately, I do not have before pics to show you.

I thrifted the old coat hanger and painted over the dated oak. Perfect for bathroom towels. I found the shelf at a garage sale years ago. It was a dark, ugly mess, but I loved the towel holder that hung below it, so I picked it up for $2.00. After a little sanding and giving it a coat of paint, it was as good as new. It has hung in my bathrooms ever since.

Upcycling takes a discarded object that may end up in the landfill and gives it new life. It is a reinvention of sorts. It requires a vision and creativity to upcycle something and give it a second existence. But why upcycle and DIY when it so much easier and quicker to buy an item readymade?

  • It is typically less expensive. We all know that the cost of things has gone up exponentially, particularly in the past couple of years. A few cans of paint and sheets of sandpaper are a whole lot cheaper than buying a new piece of furniture.
  • It is satisfying to complete a project yourself. It is satisfying to know that you revived something that would go to the landfill or gave beauty to something that was an eyesore.
  • It builds confidence and independence. Maybe it goes back to the frontier days when people had to get creative and make do with what they had. Think of all the women that picked up a needle and thread to make beautiful, one-of-a-kind quilts out of old worn-out shirts and dresses.
  • It is more unique and can be tailored to your specific colors and style. Amazon and Walmart have made us into cookie cutter consumers. Shopping online with a simple click of a button lacks imagination and creativity. Don’t get me wrong. I love the convenience of online shopping and I do my share to feed the pig. But when you upcycle something, no one else is going to have the exact same thing. It puts your own unique stamp on it.
  • It is good for the environment. This one goes without saying. According to Environment America the average American throws out 4.9 pounds of trash per day. That is almost 1,800 pounds of material/year. Well above our body weight! Of course, a lot of this waste is organic material, but it still gives us pause to consider how we can help decrease this waste in our little corner of the world.
  • I can’t really put my finger on it, but it just feels cozier. More homey. It brings me joy to use and look at items I have upcycled. It contributes to my unique style. It can be something I thrifted or something I did myself. Either way, it just feels good and cozier to surround yourself with a few of these items.

How you upcycle may depend on what is available to you. Most people have unique opportunities for upcycling, based on where they live or people they know. We are very fortunate in that son #2 is part owner of a wood mill. He supplies us with left over wood ends that we use for projects, or as firewood. Every year we also get a couple bags of sawdust from his mill to put around our rose bushes to protect them the winter freeze. Mr. U has upcycled the wood ends in multiple ways.

Mr. U made the rotating cutting board and the red Adirondack chairs mostly from left over scrap wood.

Upcycling does not necessarily require remaking something, it can simply be reusing items in a new, creative, and different way. An old teapot becomes a planter. Tattered maps or sheet music can be framed, made into cards or used as wrapping paper. I have used the light tissue that old sewing patterns are stamped on as tissue for a gift basket instead of store bought. It makes a fun, unique way to wrap items, particularly if the gift is for someone else that sews. My sister-in-law gets old candles from the thrift store and melts them down. Then she pours them into cardboard egg cartons to use as fire starters. I think of Roadsidea as a form of upcycling. You are using objects from nature in new, creative ways. And don’t forget all of that leftover food sitting in your fridge that can be upcycled into a soup, salad or stir fry.

Thrifting as a form of upcycling

Thrifting (aka: buying something at a secondhand store) is a great way to reuse items that may eventually be discarded. When I see beautiful items that someone has thrifted and/or upcycled it stirs my creative juices. It is infectious, in a good way. We feed off of each other’s creativity. I am inspired every time I eat at Sorella’s restaurant. The young owner thrifted frames and gave them all a coat of bronze paint. Then she scoured secondhand and vintage shops for unique Italian pictures to put in them and they became the gallery wall that you see as soon as you enter the restaurant. She also thrifted mismatched pieces of china, serving dishes and glassware to use at the tables. Who says thrifting can’t be beautiful and elegant.

The gallery wall and upcycled wine glasses (left) and serving dishes used at Sorella’s Restaurant.

We are a throw away society. Just stop in at a secondhand store and you will find all kinds of treasures, waiting to be given new life. My good friend rummages through thrift shops for quality wool and leather clothes that she transforms into one-of-a-kind bags. She recently opened an Etsy shop, LoLo Upcycled, to sell her beautiful, unique bags. If you want some thrifting inspo, check out Liz Marie Galvan’s IG page or her recent book, Create Your Own Cozy. She has curated a lovely home with upcycled and thrifted items.

A bag made from a men’s wool shirt and pumpkins made from thrifted sweaters.

While I enjoy upcycling, I am not a purist. I do it when I see a fun and interesting project I want to try, or when I don’t want to spend the money on something new. It is a great creative outlet and is satisfying to see something transform by the work of your own hands. Have you upcycled anything lately?

Reflecting Back & Planning Ahead

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

Happy New Year! It feels like 2024 went by in a flash.  Do you feel the same?  Looking back, I realize how full and textured it was.  Rather than ringing in the new year with horns, fireworks, and drinks, I usually find New Years Eve a time of reflection.  Did I live the past year the way I hoped and planned?   What stands out?  And of course, how do I want the next year to take shape?   I don’t like to make new year’s resolutions, but I find that choosing a word to help guide my life for the year is a good way to keep centered. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and join me as I look back on 2023 and forward to 2024.

Looking Back – My WOTY for 2023

I chose “awe” for my word of the year (WOTY) last year. I wanted to spend more time really seeing, and truly appreciating the beauty and wonder in my life. I experienced so many “awe” moments in 2024, but I was also breezing through life so quickly, I missed a lot of them.  Probably too many.  I would give myself a B for my goal of “awe spotting” in 2023.  Having been a college professor for many years, I feel compelled to breakdown how I got to the grade of a B for 2023.  Below are the bullet points I identified in January 2023 to move me towards experiencing more awe in my life and how I graded each one at the end of the semester year.

Get out in nature.   I always feel better physically and mentally when I am out in the awe-inspiring beauty of nature.  We went camping several times, did some foraging, I took a lot of walks, and did some kayaking and biking, but I would like to have gotten out even more than I did. No weather excuses.  We had a lovely wedding out in our yard last summer when son #3 got married.  And we did a pizza party around our outdoor pizza oven for the rehearsal dinner, so I am counting that as being out in nature. I would give myself a grade of B in this section.

Experience life in person and not from a screen.  I don’t watch a lot of T.V. so that is not an issue for me.  As a matter of fact, I was trying to watch a little more T.V. in the evenings with Mr. U just so I could stay up on the conversations that always flow from the latest series and shows.  However, I do spend a lot of time on my laptop, reading other blogs and of course, writing this one.  I wrote 50 blog posts last year; one a week, with the exception a few weeks when we were gone on a trip. It surprises me how quickly two or three hours can go by when I am in the flow of writing.  I would give myself a B+ in this section.

Spend time with a child.  My grandchildren always help me experience awe. This year I was blessed with a new granddaughter.  Holding her and watching her start to smile and giggle gives me deep awe-inspiring joy. My other two grands (7 & 9 years old) also leave me in awe. We took them camping and had a sleep over at the lake, as well as several other overnights. Time with them makes me laugh and puts life in perspective.  I would give myself an A- in this section (only because I wish we had even more time together) and they all get an A+ in my book!

Extend kindness.  It has been engrained in me to always be polite and nice, but I get so busy that sometimes I forget to extend kindness to others beyond that.  Of course, it is easy to show kindness to those we love, but my intention with this was to extend more kindness to complete strangers, like paying for the coffee of the person behind me in line. Sadly, I give myself a C in this section, just because I got so busy that I did not seek out enough ways to extend kindness to strangers. Have to work on that one.

Travel.  New sites, sounds and smells always elicit awe for me. We did a couple macro trips this year to Cabo and over to the east coast. We also made several mini and micro trips this year: Seattle for a game, helped son #1 and DIL move from Texas to Omaha, Priest Lake to celebrate my dad’s 96th birthday, Leavenworth to see the Christmas lights, Yakima wine tour with a group, Quinn Hot Springs in Montana, Glacier National Park, and Scottsdale for some winter sunshine.  We did not go on a river cruise in Europe so that is still on my list. And while we did several trips, I would still like to do a little more travel. I would give myself a B in this section.

These grades all averaged out to a solid “B” and made for a wonderful and satisfying year.

Looking Ahead – My WOTY for 2024

It is difficult to pick just one word to help drive your intentions for a year.   There are so many options.  I considered the word “savor,” because I want to savor every beautiful minute of this one precious life.  But it is too similar to “awe” and we all know how that went last year; B average and all.  Besides, it is a commonly used WOTY and I wanted something unique that would express who I am and how I want to live out this year. Something I can hang my hat on.  I chose the word… drumroll please… upcycled.  Or, if I can indulge and use three words, it would be “the upcycled life.” I plan to live an upcycled life in two ways. One is the typical meaning of upcycle and the other is a different twist on the concept of upcycling, which has stuck with me ever since I wrote about it in a previous post about upcycling.

In our throw away world, I want to try to reduce waste and reuse items in new and unique ways. The definition of upcycle is to reuse items in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original, such as we did when we painted our kitchen cabinets – what were we thinking? We plan to downsize in 2024 and move into a much smaller home that I grew up in.  One that my dad and grandpa built themselves. However, it will need a major rebuild, so we are hoping to embark on that this fall.  We want to upcycle a lot of the wood, logs and interior into the rebuild, which will be a huge undertaking.  Stay tuned.

While I will be using the word upcycled in the traditional sense of reusing old things in new ways, I also want to use it as a prompt for how I live this year.  If the very definition of upcycling is to create something that is of higher quality and a better version than the original one, then why shouldn’t that be true for our lives as well? Upcycled speaks of living creatively – of finding unique and creative ways of living better. I always want to challenge myself to be my best, so living the upcycled life fits perfectly with that commitment. And now that I am retired, I have the time, freedom and opportunity to live my best life and be the best version of myself that I can. No excuses.

So, I am planning to live an upcycled life this year. Not to lose weight necessarily (although that would be a welcome byproduct) and certainly not try and look 30 years old again, but to live creatively and to be the best version of myself that I can. I want to be strong and healthy and happy so that I can enjoy life fully, unencumbered by joint pain, low stamina or concern for how I look or compare to others.

Happy New Year to each of you! Thank you for following along on my retirement journey.  I hope the year ahead is full of blessings for you.  Cheers to you, cheers to the new year and…. cheers to the retirement years!

Upcycling

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

Is there anything more satisfying than making something with your own hands?  Why yes, as a matter of fact there is.  And that is making something with upcycled materials.  Taking old, discarded items and transforming them into something beautiful or useful brings a sense of delight and gratification that you don’t get from purchasing materials off of the store shelf.  How many times have I bought expensive supplies for a craft project, only to find it would have been cheaper to buy it readymade?   Of course, there is always the satisfaction of making it yourself, and it adds a unique stamp on the finished piece, but more often than not, it is equally or more expensive.  Particularly if you include your time.  I know.  I know.  I am retired, but my time is still valuable.

My good friend is the queen of upcycling.  She makes gorgeous bags out of discarded sweaters, leather jackets and wool skirts.  So, I was all in when she suggested that we make stuffed pumpkins for fall out of upcycled materials.  My friend googled some directions, and we gathered our materials:

  • Old, worn fall-colored sweaters that we thrifted.
  • A half bag of stuffing I had in my closet, as well as stuffing from some pillow forms that I was no longer using.
  • Brown, gold, tan, green and cream colored jute and thread that I had on hand.
  • Thin copper, green and gray wire that I dug out of the bottom of my craft box.
  • I took a walk out on our property and collected some sticks.  Mr. U helped me to cut them into various short lengths for the stems.   
  • I found some cinnamon sticks in the back of my cupboard that were left over from making cider last winter that would be perfect fragrant stems for the smaller pumpkins.

My friend came over and I poured us each a hot cup of coffee, lit a pumpkin scented candle, put on some Michael Buble music and we spent a lovely afternoon transforming sweaters into a pumpkin patch.  I have to admit that it felt a little odd cutting up the worn sweaters, but I reminded myself that they would be given new life.  Our little pumpkins were fun to make and turned out full of puffy character. They came to life when I displayed them next to a small dish of acorns that I picked up via Roadsidea. While everyone on social media is showing Christmas decorations, I prefer to completely indulge in fall until Thanksgiving. But the day after Thanksgiving, it is full on Christmas for me.

The transformation begins.
My friend working intently on a pumpkin.

Meet Simon, the 1st

Probably the very first fall decoration I ever made was Simon the scarecrow. His cloths were made from old materials I had on hand from previous projects, long before upcycled was trendy. He is well over 25 years old and not in too bad of shape. Most likely, that is due to the fact that he spends most of the year in the fall decoration box. Looking back, I can’t believe that I took the time between raising young children, work and caring for a home to sew a scarecrow that is set out for 2 months of the year. Not only that, but my mom loved him so much that I made her one…and my sister…and my friend. Hense, Simon the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. What can I say, the need to create is strong. I still smile every September when I pull him out. He adorns the entry table until Thanksgiving and then he returns to his coffin box for the rest of the year. He will definitely make the move when we downsize.

LOLO Bags

As I mentioned, my friend puts her creativity, thrift and imagination into motion to transform old forgotten and discarded items into something beautiful and useful again. I have been with her on a few of her thrifting jaunts and her eye for seeing beauty in the ugly and worn is never ending. I see an ugly, outdated leather coat or wool skirt and she sees a trendy new bag. When possible, she uses belts or straps from worn out bags as the handles. Each item is unique and has a tag that explains what the material was in its previous life. Below is a sampling of some of her upcycled bags.

The bag on the right was a pair of men’s wool pants (the bottom was a leather jacket) in its previous life.
This bag was a men’s wool shirt.
These charming little bucket bags were a women’s wool skirt in their previous life.

An upcyled life

Retirement is the perfect opportunity to upcycle our lives. The Oxford Dictionary defines the term upcycle as the “reuse of discarded objects or material in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original.” Now that we are retired, we have the time, freedom and opportunity to transform our lives. We can sit in front of the TV and let our retirement years slip away unnoticed or we can upcycle our lives. We are discarding our careers in order to have more free time for the things we love. It might be upcycling our health by getting out and walking every day or eating more fresh, real food. It might be taking old interests and upcycling them into something fun and useful again. Below are a few examples of people I know of that have upcycled their lives in retirement.

  • A retired schoolteacher/coach and his wife upcycle items to sell at a local vintage marketplace.
  • A retired physician now creates beautiful watercolor paintings and glass art that he sells in an art gallery in their coastal town.
  • A retired college professor takes treks out in nature equipped with his large lens camera and captures risky action shots of bears, moose, elk, and bald eagles in their natural habitat. He sells these astounding pictures online.
  • A retired graphic designer became a home interior content creator and Instagram influencer.
  • I know of several retirees that have started blogs and written books.
  • A recently retired nurse starts selling her upcycled LoLo bags online.

The opportunities to upcycle and recreate our lives in retirement are endless and it sure beats letting our days slop into each other unnoticed. I hope you take time in the colder months ahead to enjoy nesting, creating and maybe upcycling something… even if it is ourselves.  I would love to hear what others are making from scratch or how you have upcycled your life in retirement. Creativity breeds creativity.