Christmas Cards

ornament or tree topper from a Christmas card - instructions

In an age of email wedding invitations and texted break up messages I really really appreciate receiving a real Christmas card with a hand written signature. It's one of the things I love about Christmas. When my girls were little they would take turns designing the family Christmas card, which I would color copy at Kinko's. I still cherish those cards! But you can't hang on to that stuff forever (although I do still have them, but wouldn't expect everyone else to keep them!). So, what to do with these symbols and sentiments? 

In the past I've reused them to make little TO/FROM cards for gifts. (Why buy when you already have such lovely patterns?) For a few years everyone sent us their cards received and the next Christmas we took them to a nursing home and decorated the doors of each of the residents. And this year, I learned to make the ornament in the picture above, from Pinterest of course! I used them to decorate the tree, but also in lieu of bows on gifts. 

I checked out some ideas on the interwebs and liked these the most:

• cut them up and turn them into place cards for the holiday table
• make into a recipe card to go with the plate of treats you're giving (you know they will ask you for the recipe anyway!)
• cut the front off and turn the folding card into a postcard (cheaper to mail!) 
• decorate the top of a mason jar full of treats

I got these ideas from 5 ways to upcycle holiday cards and 10 crafty ways to upcycle old greeting cards. I hope you had a very Merry Christmas, and I challenge you to save, reuse, or at least recycle all your cards this year! 

Box and Tray Upcycle

I bought a pair of cowboy boots and was impressed at how very sturdy the box and lid were. I made this little tray from the lid. I simply decoupaged with newsprint to even everything out, then I added torn up tissue as the top layer, in shades of purple. The dots are made with my 1" hole punch, I used some tissue paper for that too - giving it a contrasting pattern. This is a perfect little tray to corral all my incense and hookah stuff. It's finished with a little semi gloss varnish so it's water proof enough that it could hold drinks or tea cups if needed.  I used the same treatment to made a little storage box out of an empty soy milk box. I cut it down to size and used up one of the cut off pieces to make a little lid - it's attached with wire. I use it to store extra keys. Next time you get a sturdy little box in your life, think about reusing it for storage or other purposes. These make great Christmas or other gifts!!!

SIDENOTE: Did you know that tissue paper cannot be recycled? It's the paper version of styrofoam - sort of the end of the line. I like to reuse and upcycle tissue as much as possible. 

Kombucha

Kombucha is fermented sweet tea. Because I like fizzy drinks I decided to start making my own. The fact that Kombucha is actually a carbonated drink that's GOOD for you is a great added bonus! It's really easy - find out how here and here. Over the past few years I had kept nice liquor bottles once emptied. I also use them to store iced coffee and iced tea in the fridge, or to make up some soda from the soda-stream if I'm having people over. I know it takes a little extra time and effort to make my own instead of purchasing soda, Kombucha, etc. but it just makes me happy knowing that I'm not adding more containers to a landfill or recycling container. My favorite recipe is with green tea, or with yerba mate - both make a mild and delicious Kombucha in 5-7 days. There's still time to make Kombucha as Christmas gifts!!! 

Cardboard Tube Flower Decorations

Toilet paper is one of those things I just cannot bring myself to work around in terms of single use - although I have looked into it here. Instead, I'm figuring out ways to use the cardboard tube left. I made these little flower decorations as gift toppers that can be used for Christmas tree decorating too. You can tell just by looking at the picture that I folded the tube, cut little rings and then glued them together with hot glue. I used a single hole punch to make a hole to add a little yarn through so they can hang from a tree, and glued on some embellishments in the middle of some. Pinterest has loads of ideas on how to reuse cardboard tubes, consider keeping them and turning them into art projects!

It's December folks - that time of year that most threatens our commitments to better eating and less consumption!!!!

Insta-Trashbin

I always seem to need extra trash bins - whether I'm cooking, in the car, in my camper, or working on a project. I've found gallon milk jugs to be perfect instant trash bins. The handle makes them easy to transport to the trash/recycling/compost bin when full. The plastic makes it water proof and easy to clean if things get messy or stinky in there. They are easily replaced if they wear out. They are small enough that you can have one in the closet, on the dryer, another by your desk and one under the sink. Just the perfect insta-trashbin!

Cereal Gift Box

Gift wrapping seems like such a waste of paper and boxes, all to just get ripped up. But it definitely adds to the fun of getting a gift...So, even though I don't eat sugary cereal - when I saw this little gem in someone's trash I knew I had to have it! I added a little crotcheted plarn set of handles and reused some tissue paper and it was ready to go! If the box weren't so cute, I could have recovered it with some other recycled papers such as weekend funny papers, collage of scraps, etc. For a smaller gift, upcycle a toilet paper roll, sounds tacky but I promise it comes out cute. Check it out here. 

Christmas is coming - will you commit to reducing single use paper during this time!?

Less Packaging

I am always on the search for ways to use less packaging and wanted to share this new one I've found.  As you may know, most of what we buy in packages is water - whether that's a soft drink, liquid soap, shampoo or in this case creamed coconut. This small package is the equivalent of several cans of creamed coconut and is about the size of a juice box. So, 3 packages worth in one package. And, it's recyclable - the box is paper, and inside is a vacuum packed plastic bag. Plus, it's organic and very tasty.

Paper Art

paper hearts sewed down the middle and thumb tacked to the wall

I have always been drawn to paper, to stationary, journals, note pads, books, to post-its, ephemera, museum guides, maps, and old photographs. But my love for paper is doing battle with my desire to minimize and reduce rather than recycle. Last year I also challenged myself to Use it Up - that is, use what I had rather than bring more and new things into my life. Enter Paper Art. I needed some artwork in my living room, above the TV, and made the paper heart strands above. I made a little springtime wreath from egg cartons (I promise it doesn't look all that much like a 3rd grader made it...) and another from the pages of an old book. I also made a Christmas card from the pages of that old book. Paper is a beautiful, plentiful and diverse media for so many projects. I doubt I will get rid off all my paper, but I'm trying, one art project at a time....

Ceramic Tile Note Pad

Most notes I write on paper don't really need to be kept or transported away from my house. Most of them are little reminders, phone numbers I need to have temporarily, tally marks for something I'm working on or just a quick doodle. So why use paper? Instead, I came up with this simple ceramic tile note pad and have one by my bed and another in the kitchen. At first I just used the tile and marker. Then I got fancy and made a little cloth backing for it, with a loop to keep the pen. It's a perfect solution for a temporary note or for my daughter trying to explain some mathematical concept to me!

Shampoo Bar

One of the things I really wanted to learn to DIY was shampoo - I hate buying then having to recycle those darned bottles. So here are the things I've tried that didn't work:

1 - the "no poo" method. This involves washing the hair with a mix of baking soda and water, then rinsing with a mix of apple cider vinegar and water. I tried this for a few months. It was a disaster. In my online research it said to just wait it out, that my hair was somehow addicted to shampoo and had to adjust to going natural...but that never happened for me. My hair was a greasy mess and I never got out of that stage. I only wash my hair a few times a week, so I just didn't find it believable that it was "addicted". Anyway, that was a total bust, even thought I wanted it to work, and even toted around that stuff when I travelled, etc. From what I can tell, this method works best for folks with frizzy or curly hair, and I'm the total opposite. 

2 - castile soap - I won't bore you, but it didn't work either. I may as well have used thousand island dressing. 

So - because my goal was to find a way to avoid purchasing the plastic bottles of stuff...I found a really great little all natural shampoo bar at my local Natural Grocer's store - and it works great! The bar is wrapped in paper, which is biodegradable, and claims to last as long as 24 oz of shampoo, which for me is a really long time. So, mission accomplished!

Paper napkins and towels

A roll of paper towels lasts me 18 months - I know this because out of curiosity I've written the date purchased inside the tube. That's great, but I know I can Do Better. It turns out that most of my paper towel use happens when I'm out and about. For example when I use a public rest room and dry my hands after washing, or when I'm at a restaurant and they don't use cloth napkins (I'm known to prefer a hole in the wall over a fancy restaurant any day, but there are down sides). So, I was intrigued to learn that in Japan people carry their own cloth hand towels to dry themselves with. The founder of People Towels has nice little write up on this. According to them, the average American uses upwards of 2,400 paper towels a year. Easily convinced, my first thought was to purchase some little wash cloths, they are inexpensive enough. Then I remembered, I have more bandanas than I know what to do with. So now I carry a bandana with me, it's folded and put in a pocket of my bag. I change it weekly, or more often if needed. It's used in restaurants as a napkin, and in bathrooms to dry my hands. It's an easy enough committment and easy to keep up with. 

If you're not convinced to carry your own little bandana (or towel, or a cute vintage hankie!) at least consider drying your hands in a scientifically proven efficient manner (oooo, fancy!) as shown in this brief explanation. Shake and fold people, shake and fold. 

Milk Carton Reuse

Milk carton food container

Sorry I've been missing for so long! I do have some more ideas to share though!

I found another way to reuse a milk carton - as a leftover/food container. I have been slowly getting rid of all my plastic containers and using glass. Recently I committed to taking one home cooked meal a week to a sick friend, and have found myself wanting to buy disposable foil pans (which I did once) as well as plastic food containers so she wouldn't have to worry about returning anything to me. This is so much better because it's reusing something that I only have so many creative uses for. My only caveats are:

• wash empty container out immediately with warm soapy water to get all the dairy out
• let food completely cool before putting it into the container - it has a waxy coating that makes it wonderfully waterproof but is not made for hot things
• clip, tape or staple the top to close it, but be careful not to jostle too much because it's not sealed like a plastic container would be

I'm pleased with this reuse!

Plarn Basket

basic instructions here

I would have totally taken basket weaving in college it they offered it! When I saw this basket making pin on Pinterest I decided to try it out. I had already cut out some 1" strips of bread bags for plarn that hadn't worked out for crochet plarn. So, I put them to use to make this kooky little hinged basket. At some point I'd like to make a bigger piece such as a tray, laundry basket or small trash bin. I really like how it turned out and it was a lot of fun to make and a great way to upcycle plastic bags into a functional little container.  

Glass Bottles

Glass bottles being washed for reuse

Much as I try to NOT to purchase single use bottles, they creep in. They come with guests. They come holding delicious sauces and liquids that I don't know how to make. Some I send off to recycle. The ones that have good tops that can be washed (most of them) I clean and reuse. Because of the small opening, cleaning can be a bit of a challenge. Typically they go through the dishwasher but don't come out fully clean. Enter the bobble wand - find it where the bobble water bottles and filters are sold. It's silicone and small and works great for larger mouthed bottles. The secret weapon for harder to clean or small mouthed bottles is activated charcoal. I keep a few tablespoons in a tin by my sink. These little black "rocks", along with hot water and soap, and a vigorous shake, gets bottles clean clean clean! So, after all that, what do I use these bottles for? 

• home made salad dressing
• lunch box drinks such as tea, kefir, soda
• home made syrups for my soda machine
• concentrated coffee for iced and hot coffee
• iced tea
• instead of water bottles

Refuse - the fourth R

cards ordered from moo.com

The Plastic Pollution Coalition has introduced me to a fourth R - Refuse. So it's Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Refusing brings a bit of advocacy into the Reduce strategy. And that's perfect for what I'm trying to accomplish this year. It will however be a challenge for me to go this Refuse route. By nature I'm a conflict-avoider and recoil at the thought of embarrassing someone for essentially doing their job (giving me a straw, paper napkin, disposable cup, etc.). I'm going to turn that awkward moment into an opportunity to share the message with others. When I ask the waitress if I could use my own cup for a cold drink...I'm going to share the reason why with her, ack! I'm enlisting a prop to help me out. I've purchased 100 of these little cards to help me broach the subject and leave people with something to think about. On the front is a brief statistic and the link to this blog, and on the back is an image related to upcycling/reusing. I hope that the act of handing this over and gently explaining what I'm trying to accomplish this year will endear me slightly and make this refuse thing easier to deal with. 

(I did a bad and ordered some mini-cards that are not printed on recycled paper, they do claim to be sustainably sourced though...I'll Do Better next time...and now I REALLY feel pressure to use them up so that won't have been an even greater waste of resources).  

Bread Tags

bread tags generally come in these two designs

Those well engineered little bread tags have a multitude of uses once you've finished the loaf. Here are some ways I've been using them:

• keeping appliance cords wrapped - standing blender, hair dryer, etc.
• labeling electrical cords - that mess of cords behind my TV for example
• quick label for keys - just clip it on like a key ring
• keeping track of the end of a roll of tape (no more scraping around the edge to find it!)
• labeling jars, as in the example above

Turns out there are many many other applications and here's a list of 33 uses for bread tags!

DIY Foaming Soap

foaming soap

My quest to reduce single use items has led me deeeep down a DIY path that has nicely overlapped with my desire to know what exactly I'm using to clean my house and body. One of the first things I figured out how to make on my own was foaming soap - those of you on Pinterest have probably already seen this, but here goes. Lest you think, like I did, that the soap itself is special, the magic turns out to be in the container...yeah, the one usually thrown away or recyled when the foaming soap ran out. Or, you could refill with a tell tale liquidy soap that can be purchased in yet another single use container. Totally seems like cheating when you learn that they are selling you watered down soap in a second container - especially when you read "instructions" that say "refill only with our product..." 

So, here's the deal. Once you use up the original container, you open it, pour in maybe a 1/2 inch of liquid soap (buy the biggest container you can of that so you are buying the least number of consumable plastic bottles) and then fill the rest with tap water. There you have it, handy and identically foaming soap. I use Dawn blue soap for dishes and Dr. Bronner's castile (almond and peppermint are my two favorites) for hand soap in the bathroom. 

Living Plastic Free?

Glass Jars - I like to spray paint the tops to give them a unified look.

In my interwebs perusals I came across this TEDx talk by Beth Terry who has committed to living plastic free. That seems like a worthy but insurmountable task - plastics free. I am committed to greatly reducing my single use plastics consumption. In her talk she gives 8 reasons why personal change (to live plastics free) matters. She inspired me to reflect on the most significant and relatively easy changes I have already made towards eliminating my consumption of single use plastic:

1. Carry my own cloth to use as a drying cloth and napkin
2. Save glass jars and use them to store food, leftovers and lunchbox food
3. Keep several travel mugs and reusable cold drink cups in my car so I can easily use them and have enough for a travel companion 
4. Have more grocery totes than I really need in my car so that if I always have some there if I (inevitably) forget to return them immediately to the trunk. 

Please take a look at Beth's short and entertaining talk - linked above - she makes some really great points. 

Shredded Plastic

I cut up plastic bags to make plarn (plastic yarn - fyi see more on this old blog post). There's only so much plarn I can use though. And, there are smaller bags that are not conducive to plarn, such as bags used to hold crackers inside the box, or raisin bags that are too sticky and a different texture than used for plarn. What to do? Well, I've started cutting the bags up and keeping them to use as stuffing for some outdoor pillows I'm making. I'm accumulating the shreds in an empty milk container so it's convenient to cut them up as they empty in the kitchen (I think of it as plastic composting). I know the shredded plastic won't be as soft as polyfil, but it's waterproof and that's what I need. I'm thinking it will take me a year or more to have enough for one pillow (they are big - I'm upcycling two empty 50 lb bag of pinto beans). We'll see!

Toilet Paper Roll Gift Box

toilet roll tube covered in paper

I like to give handmade gifts, jewelry especially. This wrapping is perfect for any small gift and really easy to put together. First, I wrap the tube in a narrow piece of paper - this is a page from an old children's book. Then, I wrap the gift in tissue so it doesn't fall out as easily. Last, I tie it up with a ribbon, that's it! 

Drawer-ganizers

Berry tubs make good organizers for kitchen and other supplies

such as closures, egg cups, cookie making supplies, napkin rings

Food containers are one of my largest sources of single use waste. Milk, berries, mushrooms, honey - these are some of my staples that generate containers that I then need to reuse or recycle. I had an 'aha' moment when I realized that on the one hand I was looking to buy plastic storage containers and on the other hand was recycling plastic storage containers. That's when I started putting these "throwaway" containers to better use. Instead of recycling them, I'm upcycling them. It takes a little effort (cleaning them, removing stickers) and they are not as sturdy as plastic organizers you buy, but they work fine. Organized using free upcycled containers, problem solved!

No Tissue Cold Season

I'm facing this cold and allergy season without tissues! This means I'm using the wonderful collection of hankies I inherited from my beloved Grandma Rose. I don't remember seeing her carry a hanky, but do remember my dad always had one on hand. I have one in my bag, one by my bed, and have enough that I can change out every day as needed. I've seen so many of these at thrift stores and garage sales. A quick online search captured a deal on eBay for a lot of 10 for $3.60! So from here on out - no more tissues, bring on the hankies.

If you do decide to use paper tissues - know that Greenpeace mounted a campaign to pressure Kleenex brand, Kimberly-Clark, to change to sustainable practices in procuring paper fiber. Before their 2004 campaign was closed, Kimberly-Clark was cutting old growth forest for our tissues. The greanpeace "Kleercut" campaign shamed them into changing their practices. So, if you have to use disposable, do it with Kleenex brand. See the Greenpeace success story here. 

Taking Inventory

So far I've been sharing some things I've already been doing to reduce single use plastic and paper in my life. In order to figure out how to use even less, I have to ask myself What consumable plastics and paper do I use? I looked online and didn't find any kind of self assessment for single use consumption (although here's a good one to assess your overall carbon footprint). 

Here are my conclusions about what I use:

• At home - ziploc bags, paper towel, toilet paper, wax paper, foil, plastic wrap
• At work - printer paper, toilet paper, paper hand towels
• Out and about - paper plates, napkins, toilet paper, paper hand towels, straws, disposable coffee and cold drink cups, and occasionally grocery bags and grocery produce bags

If you're in the mood to do a simple self assessment, try this: write the purchase date on items such as the box of ziploc bags, foil, plastic wrap, paper towel, etc. See how long it takes to go through it and then try to make it last longer, or even better, see how you can eliminate it. I have the same foil, plastic wrap and ziploc bags that I bought when I moved to my apartment in January 2011. As I run out of these items I'm going to try to come up with alternatives or just live without them. 

For the most part I think I have the tools I need and just need to be more organized so I don't get caught without them. For example, I have a lot of travel mugs and water bottles, but sometimes forget them at home - am going to move them to the car. Same goes for reusable grocery bags. The first things I'm going to actively work on to Do Better are paper towels and straws. Stay tuned!

Plarn - Plastic Yarn

plarn rug in the making

My Grandma Rose raised 5 kids as a single mom during the Depression. They didn't have much and nothing went to waste. I admire the ethic that was borne of this hardship. My cousin Jackson and I discovered a shared love of our dear Grandma and of crochet. That comes together in the form of plastic yarn, or plarn. His work is tidy and patterned while mine is free formed and a lot less perfect. I'm pretty sure Grandma is smiling down on both. 

Plarn is easy enough to make as shown in this video. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Plarn is quite forgiving, even if the strips are not all the same thickness it works fine.
• If you don't mind a mottled look you can mix various colors and even thicknesses of bags.
• Stick to a simple stitch, because the plarn is thicker it's harder to keep up with fancy stiches.
• Once you tell people you need bags they are more than happy to save them for you, you can even get them directly from Target or your grocery store if you want a uniform look.
• Plarn lends itself to projects that require water proofing such as a soap dish, scrubbie, dog mat for the car, coaster, beach bag, picnic blanket, outdoor rug, and Grandma Rose's ever classic bathmat and kitchen sink rug!

If you are the least bit crafty I challenge you to take up crochet with plarn - get some projects going and then teach someone else how. If we all do our little bit, it makes a difference. 

The Why

Great Pacific Garbage Patch - The Trash Gyre

My decision to reduce single use plastic and paper has been a journey of heart and mind, and the decision was made based on both fact and emotion. The facts are irrefutable, but also difficult to comprehend because of the massive scale. For example:

• 14 million tons of plastic is generated a year in the US
• Half of it, 7 million tons, is made into single use containers and packaging
• 89% of single use plastic waste is not recycled

EPA data

What really cinched it for me was the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, pictured above. If you haven't heard, there's a floating island of trash in the Pacific that's larger than the state of Texas. I live in Texas. I've driven from Beaumont to El Paso and this sucker is huge. For that reason, the thought of kayaking around a tangled web of plastic the size of this state made me want to cry. And then, it made me want to do something about it, or at least opt out of being part of the problem. 

And that's the heart part. It's sad to see trash lining our roads and trails, and the effect it has on people's morale in unkept inner city neighborhoods. And the paper - just the thought of trees being cut to make paper, then sheets of paper being used once, thrown away and carted off to a big hole in the ground....that waste is painful. And then there's this short video, again a clincher to make sure that I really really get it. 

"Do we have the courage to face the realities of our time? And allow ourselves to feel deeply enough that it transforms us, and our future?" Simultaneously beautiful and haunting, I challenge you to watch it and not be moved. Midway: A Message from the Gyre. 

Plastic Mesh - Reuse

My first posts come off as kind of boring now that I look at them, so I thought I'd share this quick little project to reuse and upcycle plastic mesh from various produce purchases. These were from citrus and potato sacks, plus some strips of plastic bag (the white) and mesh from a packaged turkey (the green). There are several ways you could put these little bits of engineered plastic to good use, such as a gift/bow decoration, or other crafty project, but I decided to make a scrubbie for my kitchen. I lay about 10 of them flat, put a zip tie in the middle and tightened it up as much as I could. Then it was a matter or fluffing and shaping with scissors - kind of like pom poms, remember those? I've used this little scrubbie for over a year now and it works great. I'm still saving mesh and have enough for the replacement when that's needed. What do you think?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

My first exposure to conservation and reduction of single use consumables came through recycling. I remember being thrilled that our neighborhood was being included in a recycling program. I'm still a big recycler, but have come to the conclusion that reducing is most important, followed by reusing, and then recycling, as shown in the handy graphic above, which I got from this wiki that explains the framework in more detail. Here's my take on the basic three: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. 

RECYCLE- limitations

• Can be complicated keeping track of which items can be recycled. For example, did you know that tissue paper and aluminum foil are not recycled?
• May be inconvenient if you have to take it somewhere yourself (as I do) or if you have to sort it first.

Recycle - benefits

• Gets rid of it, just like throwing it away but without the guilt
• Saves energy and conserves resources, for example recycling an aluminum can saves a whopping 95% of the energy resources required to make that same can from virgin resources.

REUSE - benefits 

• It's like getting free stuff! If I buy a glass jar of pasta sauce and then use that glass jar many times in my lunch box, it's like getting a free lunch container with my pasta sauce. 
• Creative - loads of crafty fun in figuring out how to upcycle - check out this pinterest board full of ideas from making plastic yarn (plarn), to making a sandwich box from a gallon milk jug, to creating lanterns from tin cans. 

Reuse - limitations  

• Takes some effort and creativity. Ain't nobody got time for that! (Actually, I do, that's fun for me).
• I can only use so many strawberry clam shells for organizing my craft supplies. 
• When it comes to plastic there's more of it than can be reused, or that's difficult to get another use out of (for example the plastic that's in any kind of electronic you purchase, you just have to hack it out of there and are left with a pile of bits).

REDUCE - benefits

• This is the sweet spot because if you don't have it in the first place, then you don't have to throw it away, recycle it or figure out a way to reuse it. Bingo! 
• Freeing! You spend less, stress less, clean less when you have less - Becoming Minimalist has recently become one of my favorite sites for refreshing ideas on how to do this. A good place to start is with this post on the benefits of having less. 

Reduce - limitations

• You can't always avoid it. Things are overpackaged - especially toys and electronics!!!! But, even unavoidable purchases such as food and toiletries come with too much packaging. Ones that plague me are berries, honey and milk. 
• Things are made to break - there's even a term for it, planned obsolescence. The documentary Zeitgeist explains this vicious cycle. It's often more expensive to repair than purchase a new one, especially in the area of electronics. 

I refuse to be discouraged though - I'm focusing on the benefits and trying to make it as easy as possible to reduce first, then reuse and finally recycle!

2014 Committment

Happy New Year! Apparently I've become a resolution maker - having recovered from my opinion that resolutions are just promises waiting to be broken. I came around last year when I was inspired by a theme. 2013 was my year to "Use it UP". I wrote some about it on my blog. I used up a whole lot of stuff that I already had, I made things from scratch, I repurposed things. It felt good. 

This year, I pledge to "Do Better". One way I want to do better in is to further reduce my use of single use (yikes, that's a lot of uses) stuff. I already do a pretty decent job of it, but I'm going to step out of my comfort zone some and share the why's and how's with as many people out there as possible. And this blog is part of that. I'm a little leery about becoming "that person" who is always going on about her favorite cause. But, I also believe that we all need to do what we can - so, if I can get more people to do what they can...it gets better all around. So, stay tuned, hold me to my commitment, watch me try, to Do Better.