Spotlight: Westland Distillery

T is a fan of whiskey (thanks to my Dad for teaching him an appreciation of finer spirits), so for Christmas I gifted him a tour and tasting at Westland Distillery. 

Pro gifting tip? "Experiences" like tours are naturally zero-waste. 

Now, even if you don't like liquor, distillery tours can still be quite interesting, from a science or manufacturing perspective. 

We were treated to a great history of the company, their processes and facilities, including this still, which is one of later steps in production.

Of course, what I was most interested in was all the ways Westland focuses on circularity. (If circularity is a new term for you, it's sort of what it sounds like: finding ways to keep production materials in circulation for as long as possible. This includes activities like reuse, recycle, rent, and so on.)

For example, Westland starts with as much local materials as they can, including local barley and local peat. In fact, barley was chosen due to its ability to be sourced locally, vs other whiskey crops like corn. When you first walk into the shop, the first smell you get is a rich grain smell. At first, I couldn't place it, but as part of our tour, we had the opportunity to sniff multiple varietals of barley, and sure enough, that's what caused that amazing, bread-y fragrance that surrounded us.  

In the whiskey-making process, there are several steps, including germinating then drying the grain, then mashing it. Post-mash, Westland sends the spent barley to a farm in Enumclaw for some happy cows to enjoy. I just picture them like my cat and dog, who normally get dry kibble, so then wet food is such a treat. I don't know what breed those cows are, but this is what I imagine: 

Further into the process, Westland recognized that C02 is a natural byproduct of fermentation. They saw the value in this as not just a waste product, but a resource. So they became the first distillery to use a recapture tank for the C02, which then they resell to other industries. This type of project is a great way to demonstrate how sustainability doesn't need to be more expensive - in fact, it can be a way to generate new income streams or recoup cost.

Finally, they participate in barrel exchange with local breweries. If you ever see sherry cask aged whiskey or whiskey barrel aged maple syrup, you're already used to this concept. By exchanging barrels, different beverages can impart different flavors into the end product, and those barrels get an additional use. With the craft beverage movement in full swing, this is a great way to create those unique flavors. 

These concepts are just a few examples of how Westland's beverages are "Thoughtfully Made". If you want to learn more about their sustainability efforts, check out their website here. 

As for you, I hope you're inspired by some of these creative approaches, and seek our businesses like this to support.

A Look Back at a Our 2023 Thoughtful Choices

(Image by Marco Verch, Creative Commons license)

Ah, New Years Eve in Seattle. This year was fortunately milder weather than some years, cool but not rainy or icy. T and I decided to celebrate with a stand up comedy show, so we took the light rail into the city. Public transit is always a great option to save to save on gas and expensive parking, but kudos to Sound Transit who made it *free* for the holiday to prevent drunk driving. 

After a great night to wrap up the year, it was time reflect on all we accomplished in 2023. 

For this blog, I created 30 new posts and 7 videos. Video was a brand new format for me, which pushed me to get more comfortable in front of the camera, but which you all responded well to, so I am definitely taking a resolution to bring you more videos in 2024! But most exciting was that we were able to share and talk about all those ways to make a positive impact on the planet while all not breaking the bank. With just the items I highlighted in new content this year, I saved over $946, showing that all those small changes add up!

As a reminder, here's how we did it:

Secondhand Fashion

Beat the winter blues with a rainbow sweater and saved $83 (91%) at thredUP.

Went girly while saving $44 (72%) by purchasing a puff-sleeved blouse at thredUP.

Used the thredUP Fashion Footprint calculator to understand how my purchasing choices stack up.

Saved $88 (69%) at Goodwill on non-jeans pants for my new job. 

Wore a one-of-a-kind Halloween costume due to thrifting and reuse, saving me $131 (63%)

Bought upgraded brand name like-new kicks for $87 (87%) off at Crossroads Trading.  

Travel

Made secondhand shopping part of my sight-seeing in Salt Lake City, and scored an embroidered dress as a souvenir. 

Purchased secondhand jewelry as a vacation souvenir, and learned that thrift shops are "charity shops" in the UK. 

Took Uber Green and brought a few reusables for lower impact travel.  

Food Waste

Saved end-of-day pastries from the landfill and 67% by using the Too Good To Go app. 

Rescued some late-season harvest by making fried green cherry tomatoes. 

Learned that I can use strawberry stems in multiple ways for no-waste summer treats. 

Used carrot tops as the greens in pesto. 

Mend/Repair

Saved $25 (63%) on a secondhand tank, and made it work for my short stature by altering the straps. 

DIY / Artists

Upcycled cardboard cores into roses. 

Saved on gift tags by making them out of last year's greeting cards. No new tags, and a second life for the cards!

Found an artisan at the Vashon farmer's market who uses reclaimed wood to make beautiful cooking utensils. 

Purchased earrings from a local artisan made from upcycled bicycle innertubes. 

Supported trash sculpture artist Thomas Dambo by visiting his troll creations made from reclaimed scrap wood. 

Other

Saved $45 (53%) by purchasing a rug for my home office on Facebook Marketplace. 

Went compostable with Pela for my cell-phone case. 

Recycled that hard-to-dispose of makeup packaging at a Nordstrom BEAUTYCYCLE box. 

Quick Craft: From Last Year's Greeting Cards to this Year's Gift Tags

I really enjoy receiving holiday cards, especially from my loved ones who live far away and I don't get to see as often as I like. But eventually (usually just in time for the next year's batch), it's time to pick my favorites for the scrapbook and retire the rest. 

But did you know... 1.3 Billion (yes with a "B") holiday cards are sold each year in the US? And then subsequently put into storage or thrown away?

For those that aren't photo cards, the festive text and images are ripe for repurposing! Today, I'm cutting out the best parts into gift tags.

Take this card, for example:

The layout and size of text and images makes it really easy to cut out 2 tags, one of the Danta abd one of the text. 

Simply cut out your preferred shape and attach to your gift package. 

Now, this type of card requires a little more creativity. Since the whole card is one big image, you'll need to select a portion of the image for each tag. (Note: a card like this isn't even recyclable due to the glitter, so it's a great pick for giving a little more life!)

I chose to use cookie cutters to assist this process. Since they have no center, you can see through to frame which portion you want to show. Once you've selected the area you want, you can trace around the cookie cutter as the outline of a festive-shaped tag.

After tracing, cut out your tag, and attach to your package.

Happy merry-making! Feel good knowing that you got free tags, and gave a second use to a some paper.

New Job, Used Pants

Last week, I started a new job! I'm proud this is my first job with a substantial focus on sustainability (ask me about jet fuel!).

That said, new job, new culture, and I don't even know: what is "business casual" these days? With the Pacific Northwest being generally casual, and having spent the last 12 years in tech, which is even more so, I now didn't know how to dress. In my experience, business casual includes a wide range from "jeans with a nice top" to "suit - no tie required". Insert panic. 

I wasn't worried about tops. In the last 3 years of work-from-home, I had perfected the Zoom work mullet: blouse on top, sweatpants on the bottom. However, I was pretty sure that I should own some non-denim pants, at least until I saw how my colleagues dressed. 

Of course, enter Goodwill. In-person thrifting is the fastest way to try on many brands all at once. 

I scored these charcoal slacks and paired them with an Alfani faux-wrap blouse from thredUP.

For a little bit of fun, I paired them with these Mia color-block booties (also thredUP).

I also picked up these navy slacks, and paired with a bright green cable knit sweater, and taupe booties.

All in all, I got 3 pairs of pants for just shy of $40.

The navy Nine West slacks run $48 new; the eggplant Gloria Vanderbilt brushed cotton pants also cost $48; and the charcoal George slacks ran $32. In total these would have cost $128 brand new resulting in a 69% savings. Not too shabby to quickly refresh the wardrobe, and with little risk if I were to discover that jeans are the norm. 

If You Like Fried Pickles, You Might Like Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes

A few days ago, I shared that if you grow tomatoes, you should go rescue those last green tomatoes and bring them in before the freeze. There are still so many things you can do with those green tomatoes to prevent food (and the fruits - pun intended! - of your labor) from going to waste.

First, keep those green tomatoes in a paper bag. If you have an apple, toss it in there too. The ethylene from the apple will off-gas and help the tomatoes ripen faster. Even without an apple, these are my tomatoes after about 4 days in the bag. You can see that some of tomatoes have ripened! And some more will over the next couple weeks. Be sure to check the bag every few days to retrieve ripe tomatoes and discard any that inevitably spoil.

Second, put those green tomatoes to use! There are several recipes out there for green tomatoes, both full size and cherry. This week, I tried a new recipe for Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes, using up about 3 cups of my surplus. Start by measuring, rinsing, and drying your fruit.

Coat them first in flour, then in egg white, then in a breadcrumb/cornmeal mix.

Deep fry your coated tomatoes at 375 degrees for about 2 minutes until golden.

 

LET THESE BABIES COOL for a few minutes as the juices inside will be quite hot, and then dip in your favorite sauce. I made this awesome remoulade which felt appropriate for southern-inspired food, but ranch would also be good.

Now, these tomatoes were much more tart than their full size counterparts. If you like fried pickles or even salt and vinegar potato chips, than these are for you. If you are expecting the sweetness of a ripe cherry tomato, you are in for a bit of a sour shock!

Having experienced the flavors here, I'm now thinking that green tomatoes would also make for great pickles or salsa. Here's to getting the most out of your garden, and not letting any of that goodness go to waste.

Second-Hand Smurfette

As you all know, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. You can dress as crazy as you want, and go as far as you want with makeup. And, of course, it's tons of fun to see how everyone else dresses too: some classic (like witches), some super topical (like Barbie), and inevitably the creative or obscure (my friend T went as a character from her favorite video game). 

This year, I chose to be Smurfette, which I think falls into the obscure category, now that Smurfs are "vintage" 😜 The great thing about a costume like Smurfette is you can go as far as you want to (I chose not to do my entire face blue this year), and a lot of components you may already have in your closet.

(Smurfette grabs a meal in a spooky diner.)

Instead of painting my whole face and skin, I brought the blue into my makeup with blue eyeshadow (and of course some sparkles) and blue lipstick. Makeup is an easy way to enhance your look at low cost and with little to throw away. I discovered the same matte product would work well on eyes and lips.

 

I went out 2 nights this year, so could play around with the look. In this second look, I went for a smokier eye, and darker lip, giving Smurfette a bit more of a goth vs. glam look.

Here's how I sourced the outfit:

Second-hand from thredUP, I purchased a Victoria's Secret beanie $13 (vs $20 new), Mainstream dress $22 ($50), Under Armour active t-shirt $12 ($30), Fabletics leggings $20 ($53), and Hushpuppies Soft Style pumps $10 ($55). Overall, I spent $77 for a $208 value. This is comparable cost to a pre-packaged, ill-fitting polyester costume, but I got to make it completely my own. I will keep the beanie, tee, and leggings for my regular wardrobe, gaining even more value than a packaged costume. The shoes and dress I'll either donate or re-sell.

Reused from a previous costume, the blond wig. No additional cost here, and getting more use out of an item. Staple products like wigs are great to keep for multiple looks throughout the years.

All in all, I'm excited to have had an entirely second-hand Halloween, and can't wait to start plotting next year's costume!  Did you repurpose, thrift, or DIY any of your costumes this year?

Sam Edelman Sneakers for a Steal

Who doesn't want an extra little pizazz when kicking around for casual errands? These grey velvet sneakers are a cute upgrade vs the typical Keds or Converse. 

And these black satin ribbon laces? <chef's kiss>

Sam Edelman sneakers typical start at $80, with a pair like this retailing for about $100 new. These were a happy find at just $13 at Crossroads Trading. 

Now that we're out of sandal weather, I'm adding more sneakers to my thrifting list!