Mass Balance of Household Waste

If you are like me, it seems like the house is filling up with junk as fast as I can take boxes to Goodwill.  I mean well and try to de-clutter a little every week, but it feels like I am constantly throwing away or donating.  So how can I get on the diminishing side of this mass balance equation?

If we want to reduce our waste output, we need to either reduce our inputs (buy less) and/or increase how much we use something before it gets thrown out as waste. 

 

1.  Inputs - Reduce what you bring in your house.

When buying something, think about how long you will use it.  Buy only what you need or think you will use.  I admit, I enjoy going through the dollar section to find a little knick knack or toy for the kids.  Sometimes it is my bribe to keep them occupied while shopping.  But more often than not those little trinkets end up in my donation pile (or broken and thrown away within hours).

Just say no to Free Stuff.  This includes the freebies at parties or random Schwag that you are not going to use.  Often I will put this directly into a donation pile, but it is even better if I do not bring it in the house at all.  I mean how many reusable bags can I really use?  I already have them spread all over my house, cars and garage.

Shop with intent. Create a clothing list (like a grocery list). Think about what you really need for your wardrobe before you shop.  (Honestly, I never have time to clothes shop for myself anymore, so it only happens when I am really desperate and run out of socks.)

 

2.  Internal Processes - Re-use

Internal processes define what we do in our household and in our daily routine.  

One option is to use less, so that a container of something lasts longer (I.e. Soap, water, paper).  I have gone to using fabric napkins, which does create more laundry, but cuts down on paper waste.

Buy quality - I have to admit, I am guilty of buying the cheapest item, which tends to get broken or thrown out quickly.  What I am trying to do is buy with intention and choose something that may be more expensive, but more sturdy and higher value in the long run.  This is especially true of children's toys, shoes and furniture.  When I was young, I never knew how long I would stay in one place, so most of my possessions were "disposable."  Now that I have a family, we should be more stable and able to build a home with intention.

Make your momentos useful - All of the "stuff" we have in our home should "bring us joy."  Either we use it or we enjoy having it around (i.e. photos on the wall and decorations).  If it is something that is meaningful to you (momentos, etc) then consider a way to display it and share it with others.  I usually pick one or two of the kids' drawings to display for a week.  Then I either take a picture or store my favorite ones.  I plan to review the saved artwork with them annually and pare it down as we go.  We also send artwork to the grandparents every once in awhile, as cards.

Use milk/yogurt containers and cartons/tubes for crafts or storage;  Pinterest can give you lots of ideas. 

Use the library.  What a great way to get fresh books every week without overflowing the book case. Think about swapping toys & puzzles with friends to have something new to play. 

3.  Outputs - reduce Trash and other waste.

Reduce what you throw away.  Monitor your trash for a week (how much, what is in it).

Compost - some communities may have a compost pickup for grass and leaves, as well as food waste and soiled paper/cardboard (like pizza boxes, tissues, etc).

Use fabric napkins and use washcloths and towels for spills, instead of paper.

 

As a consumer, it is up to us to make smart choices and vote for change through what we buy.  I will be the first to admit that I will sometimes choose the option with a hard plastic package because it is cheaper or convenient.  Sometimes there is not a comparable alternate.  The first step is to think before you buy.

Think about your packaging choices.  Monitor how much you are trashing.  Buy staples from the bulk bins. 

 

It is not easy or all that convenient, but we need to get out of the rut of a "Throw Away Culture."  It will not only help sustain our environment, but reducing clutter in our lives should help us focus on the important things.  

I suggest we make better choices about the inputs, processes and outputs of our homes (and lives).

 

 

Why join SWE (Society of Women Engineers)

I knew I wanted to be an engineer my Junior year in high school when I attended an Engineering day for high school girls sponsored by a collegiate SWE group in my area.  In college, SWE was one of those organizations in which fellow women engineering majors could have a leadership role without jockeying with the boys. 

After graduating, when I was working in manufacturing, I didn't have a lot of female role models.  I was the first Plant Engineer at my company.  I was managing men twice my age.  I was isolated in a plant environment, rather than a more diverse Corporate setting.  I needed a network of other professional women in technical fields that I could relate to and share experiences.  I needed SWE.

It wasn't until I changed jobs and moved to the Clorox Company that I reconnected with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).  In my current role, I work with chemical and mechanical engineers that are designing new consumer products and processes...and a majority of them are women.  Not only is there a network of technical women at work, the company is a strong supporter of SWE and science outreach programs.

At this point in my career, I feel that the SWE organization and mission is even more important.  I enjoy networking with other female engineers that are working mothers like me, but I also enjoy sharing my story and experiences with new engineers.  I want my children to see the possibilities of engineering and science.  I want to help shift our culture to value women in the workplace, especially in STEM fields.

For those of you who are still practicing engineering, why have you not joined SWE?  

I want to see you at the next National Conference (WE15 in Nashville in October).

For those of you who no longer consider yourself in an engineering profession, I have 2 thoughts:

1.  Once an engineer, always an engineer.  Those of us that studied engineering share a bond and were trained to think in a certain way, using science to solve problems.

2.  I would bet you still want your kids to learn how to use science to solve problems and build something great for the future.  SWE supports outreach to girls for just that reason and I encourage you to get involved in those types of programs.

We need a network that understands our challenges and can support us in all parts of our journey.  I believe the Society of Women Engineers has built a strong group of supporters of women in engineering that can do just that.

Ready to join me?

http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org

Another event to look forward to,

WE15 in Nashville, TN;  October 22-24, 2015

3 days of speakers, networking and celebrating women in engineering;  Plus they have daycare!

http://we15.swe.org

Kid Science - Train Books

My son loves trains and loves books, so not only have we been to every train ride and exhibit in the surrounding area, we also have a full library of train related books.

Here are some of our favorites, based on accuracy and detail of trains, engines and steam power.

1. Locomotive by Brian Floca, Caldecott medal winner. There are a lot of words, but is written with a nice cadence and my son has already memorized half of it.  Highly recommend this book. 
2. Steam, Smoke, and Steel: Back in Time with Trains by Patrick O’Brien - my favorite part is that one of the engineers is a woman. Can spark discussions about history and family trees.
3. Little Train by Lois Lenski - classic basic storyline about what the engineer, fireman and conductor do and points out key parts of the engine
4. Big Book of Trains by DK Publishing - we love all the big books by DK Publishing.  Very informative and detailed.
5. Trains - Eye Openers Series - Includes pictures of model trains and specific parts to find on each one.  (also DK book).
6.  My Big Train Book - Priddy Books board book;  Priddy Books usually have great close up pictures of real objects that are good for pre-readers
7. Snapshot Picture Library Trains - another series with real photographs and not too many words.
8. Terrific Trains (Amazing Machines) by Tony Mitton - Actually have not read this, but really like the Tremendous Tractors in the same series.  It not only rhymes, but describes what the different tractors do.

Some other favorite train classics with good visuals and/or stories:

1. Freight Train by Donald Crews - CLASSIC visuals for all ages
2. Steam train, Dream Train by Tom Lichtenheld - My son really liked the pictures of the animals loading the train.
3. Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis - we also really like his Tugga Tugga Tugboat boat book.
4. Crack in the Track (Thomas the Tank Engine Story) - let's be honest, any Thomas books. 
5. The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper - Classic
6. The little red caboose Golden Book - Old school, but classic

Others that are next on our list:

1. Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg
2. Smokey by Bill Peet;  the Caboose Who got Loose was cute, but not our favorite. 
3. The Goodnight Train by June Sobel
4. The Potty Train by David Hochman
5. Dinosaur Train by John Steven Gurney

Any other suggestions?

Chapter Books for Preschoolers

Here are a few books that we have tried reading to our preschooler. Most of them have some basic black & white drawings within the chapters to keep them interested every couple pages, but most of the pages are just words.  I like reading several chapters before bedtime because it allows my children to close their eyes if they want and think about the images and story.

Charlotte's Web (E. B. White) - I was concerned that this would be too deep, especially because it deals with death at the end, but my son enjoyed the story and seemed to understand the plot matter of factly. 

Mouse and the Motorcycle;  Ralph S. Mouse (Beverly Cleary) - Talking mouse, motorcycles and cars, a young boys dream.

Rabbit Hill (Robert Lawson, Newbury Award Winner) - More talking animals and a clear moral message at the end.

The Littles (several books);  (John Peterson) - They are not mice, but tiny people with tails living in the walls.  Clever stories.

Stuart Little (E. B. White) - Another talking mouse that gets adopted by a human family.  He gets to drive a car and a boat.

The Adventures of Raggedy Ann & Andy.  (Johnny Gruelle) - short chapters and good lessons;  kept engagement with some pictures.

Little House on the Prairie  (Laura Ingalls Wilder) - I thought these would be above his head, but the stories are exciting, especially when there are wild animals and native Americans.

Boxcar Children series (Gertrude Chandler Warner) - a little old school, but fast paced entertaining stories about 4 orphans having adventures. 

The Magic Treehouse series (Mary Pope Osborne) - We read the first one about going to a land of dinosaurs.  It was fun.

Amelia Bedelia (Peggy Parish) - very short and can be read in one evening.

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (Betty MacDonald) - a little silly, but a good passive way to discuss proper behavior. 

ABC Mysteries (Ron Roy) - entertaining, simple mysteries. Still a little young to get the concept (ex kidnapping) and solve the puzzles. 

The Turret (Margery Sharp) - I expected this to be a little faster moving, since it involved characters from the Rescuers (rescue aid society mice). The language was very grandiose for this age.

Winnie-The-Pooh;  The House on Pooh Corner (A.A. Milne) - a little slow at first, but may pick up once we get into the characters. 

Any other suggestions?

Preschool Presentation - I am an Engineer

It is women's history month and what better way to celebrate women than by sharing your story with your kids...as well as their friends.  My son is only in preschool, but I wanted to start making an impression on him and his friends early so I volunteered to talk about my job at his preschool.  Luckily, it was not the same day as the firefighter, but hopefully they took away something from the activity.

Using the Tech Bridge kids presentation model (Tech Bridge organizes science and engineering activities for girls.  Check out their website http://www.techbridgegirls.org), I organized my presentation into 4 parts:

1.  Ice Breaker

2.  Introduce yourself

3.  Activity

4.  Wrap up

Tech Bridge focuses on school age girls, but this model can be used for all ages (including college), with appropriate activities.

I started the kids in a circle.

1.  For the Ice Breaker we went around the circle and shared our name and favorite thing to make.  I went first to give them an idea.  "I like to make cookies."

2.  I brought a couple printed slides with pictures of different things engineers build and work on.  I also printed some key words in big letters.  Most of the kids can not read, but they do recognize letters.  Here is a sample of the introduction:

"I am an ENGINEER.

Engineers design and build things.  

Some engineers design Buildings.

Some engineers design Machines.

Some engineers design computer programs.

Engineers solve problems. 

I work on machines that make things, like soap, bottles and food, that you can buy at the store.

I help solve problems to make the machinery run faster and better. 

When things like food are made in a FACTORY, that is called MANUFACTURING.

In a food factory, we use materials & ingredients to make something that is then sent to a store for you to buy. "

3.  For the activity, we set up an assembly line to make snack mix.  I assigned each student to a job along the assembly line.  After explaining the roles, we spread the kids out along a table and the "packers" donned hair nets and gloves.  When I said "go," the Delivery team brought the box of supplies to the table, the Unpackers took the materials out and spread them along the table.  The Bag leaders opened zipper snack bags and passed them to the first station.  The Cheerios leaders put a scoop of Cheerios in the bag and passed it along.  The Goldfish leaders put a scoop of Goldfish in the bag and passed it.  The Pretzels leader put a handful of pretzels in and passed the bag.  The Bag Sealer sealed the bag and put it in a box.  When the box had a few bags, the Store Delivery team put one bag in each cubby.

I have to admit, it was a little hectic and some kids sampled the snacks before the bag was closed (including my son), but in the end we successfully made enough snack bags for each child to take home.

4.  Finally we wrapped up back in a circle and talked about how things are made or MANUFACTURED in a FACTORY.

Materials come in the FACTORY - >

they are Processed ->

They are Packaged ->

And then they are shipped to the grocery store.

Do not be afraid to share what you do with your kids early and often.  I want my kids to declare proudly "My Mom's an Engineer."

Making Your Partner a Real Partner

I recently presented at a Society of Women Engineers conference about how to succeed in a Dual Career Household.

Here are the Highlights:

1.  Communication is Key
a.  Manage expectations - Share your values with your partner.  Let your partner know that your career is important to you.  This can start when you are dating.
I remember when I went out to dinner while I was still dating my now husband.  I was the maintenance manager at a 24/7 dairy plant and I got a call from work.  The plant was down and they needed my help troubleshooting the failure.  I bowed out of the rest of the date and although my husband was disappointed, it was not the last time I got calls at inconvenient times or in the middle of the night.  That said, further into the relationship I also had to set boundaries with my work about when I would go into the plant and when I would counsel by phone, but the experience demonstrated the nature and importance of my work.

b.  Build Trust - Effective communication requires that partners have built a level of trust so that they are able to be honest and open with each other, without fear of judgement.  I really like the book The 5 Love Languages, by Gary Chapman.  It helps identify what style of love your partner appreciates so that you can demonstrate your love in a way that speaks to him/her.  Building a strong base of love and trust will help the communication and planning towards a family vision.

c.  Planning - Life is busy and in order to support each other, you need to coordinate your plans and schedules.  Especially after kids, the daily schedule requires more rigor and communication.  My husband and I share an online calendar that we can each see from our phone.  We add work events as well as weekend plans.  We discuss any unusual events at the beginning of the week and confirm who will pick up and drop off the kids on a daily basis.

2.  Clear Priorities - Defining a clear vision for your family helps when you are making decisions along the way, especially around relocation and kids.  This is a difficult discussion, especially when you are new in careers and not sure where you want to go personally, let alone together.  If you can not articulate specific goals, then describe what a successful future feels like.  This vision can change, but it is important to define your values and dreams for the future.  The vision can help set priorities as well as intermediate goals that you can work towards as a couple.  Think of yourselves as a team, working together to accomplish something great.  As you both grow, you can refine your vision, as well as the priorities and goals.  

3.  Division of Duties - With an increased number of dual income households, women still bear a majority of the household duties.  Do not just assume you need to do the same things your parents did.  Discuss the duties that need to be done in your household and who will do them.  It could change from week to week, depending on travel and work demands.  These duties should not be delegated to one or the other;  the work needs to be taken on voluntarily.  Another trap I tend to fall into is gatekeeping.  My husband will volunteer to cook during the week and I will get stressed out because I do not see him planning the way I would and I start to take over.  If you decide to split the duties a certain way, do not hover and provide negative feedback, unless you just want to do it yourself.  Outsource the mundane tasks that you do not need to do yourself (housecleaning, laundry, pre-made meals), if you can afford to.  There is no secret formula, this division can be what works for you and your partner, but you need to be honest when you need help and share the burden.

4.  Continuous Improvement - We are not perfect and circumstances change.  Be flexible when situations come up.  Have empathy and appreciate the work your partner is doing, both at home and work.  Forgive your partner when mistakes are made.  You are in this together and you need each other.  Continue to develop your "process skills" (time management, stress management, conflict resolution) to reduce conflict and stress.

Think of you and your partner as a team.  The same skills and tools that make work teams successful, help spouses and parents.  If you are clear about the Vision and work together for a common goal, the results can be very fulfilling.  

Let me know if you have suggestions that work for you.

What I am Reading Now

I have read several books that I would recommend recently.

Lean In:  Women, Work, and the Wll to Lead, Sheryl Sandberg;  ok, I read this awhile ago, but I refer back to it often.  If you are a working woman and have not read it yet, get it now.

Never Eat Alone:  And Other Secrets to Success, Keith Ferrazzi & Tahl Raz;  The author is a great salesman and master networker, but he has some good ideas and suggestions that can help all of us expand our sphere of influence.

Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office:  101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers, Lois P Frankel, Ph.D.;  A lot of good ideas about how to be perceived as a capable leader in the office.  There are enough suggestions you can pick and choose which are most relevant & important to you.

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts, Gary Chapman;  Great relationship book that helps identify what methods of showing love are important to you.   Suggest reading with your partner to build communication and trust in the relationship.

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus:  The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex, John Gray, Ph.D.;  Although this book is a little dated and tends toward generalizations, there are some insightful observations about how women and men relate to each other.  Unfortunately, since we tend to be problem solvers, I think female engineers are from Neptune (a little of both).

Getting Things Done:  The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, David Allen;  I admit I love lists.  This methodology takes lists to another level and helps organize your action items for maximum productivity.  It sounds complicated at first, but once implemented, it can be rolled into your daily routine.

Rich Kid Smart Kid:  Giving Your Child a Financial Head Start, Robert T. Kiyosaki;  This book covers some of Mr. Kiyosaki's methods from Rich Dad Poor Dad, but also introduces ideas to help teach our kids to think like entrepeneurs and learn from failure.  

Others that are on my list, but I have not read yet:

Quiet:  The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Susan Cain

The Richer Sex:  How the New Majority of Female Breadwinners is Transforming our Culture, Lisa Mundy

What suggestions do you have?