A Thrifty Idea and a Few Suggestions Worth Repeating

Last week I made a delicious Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta recipe from Recipe Tin Eats. 

I snapped a photo of a serving of Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta - before it was consumed by my family recently.

This recipe reminded me of a helpful way to save a penny - and the planet.  

The ingredients for this recipe included three tablespoons of tomato paste. As is so often the case, this was a smaller amount than what was in the can. While I was saving the remainder for another use, I realized it has been quite some time since I shared my tip on this blog for how to avoid wasting the excess. 

I used to publish a weekly series called "Seven Tips to Make the Most of a Moment." My suggestion for how to save leftover tomato paste for future use was included in one of those posts, and published exactly one-year ago today! That same post also included a solution for removing pet nose-prints from your windows, a movie and book suggestion, and more. 

Because many of my current readers may have missed that post, I'm sharing the link for it here today. Just click on this title and you will be able to view the previously published post:
Seven Ways to Make the Most of a Moment -Week 10 (Originally published 5/27/14)

Life is full of coincidences! 

The main character in the movie I reviewed in this post last year was Matthew McConaughey. Coincidentally, just before I wrote this article for today, my husband and I watched Interstellar - another of McConaughey movies!

The plot of Interstellar seemed improbably - at least right now! None-the-less, this movie was well filmed, kept me on the edge of my seat, played with my emotions, and had a "stellar" cast. Today, it has me thinking a lot about our place in the galaxy!

For the riveting video preview of Interstellar, click the Amazon link below, and then on the video icon you will see in the left margin. Just watching this preview makes me want to see the movie again!
     

I don't really want to live anywhere else!

Saving left-over tomato paste seems like a small thing to do. It is not just a way to save a few pennies though, but an environmental friendly thing to do as well. Image how many less cans would be produced and discarded if we all did little things like this! This movie makes me think we better start taking better care of planet Earth. 

What is your favorite thing I mentioned today - or in the linked post from a year ago?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

Note: In the spirit of full disclosure, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of them, it would not affect the price you pay but I may receive some small compensation. All opinions expressed, however, are entirely honest and my own.

Seven Ways to Make the Most of a Moment - Week 5

I can't believe this is my fifth week of writing this post!  The moments are really flying by!

Life is made up of many moments.  
Getting the very most out of your life starts with how you use each one. 

Here are this week’s suggestions:
(In honor of Earth Day, there is an environmental theme to these.)

1.  Today is Earth Day!  I was reminded of this in a post by Elle, on her blog All Around The Circle.  She provided some interesting information about Earth Day, and even a link to an Earth Day button to purchase.  I like the message on the button: "EARTH DAY, EVERY DAY."  Start an Earth friendly habit today (such as turning out the lights when you are the last to leave a room), and be mindful of that habit every day.  I think I will take Elle's challenge, and try to come up with an upcycled, repurposed, or recycled craft ... it might even be the subject of a future blog post!

Deer enjoying one of the trees we planted.

2.  Plant a tree.  These few moments of labor (or even hiring someone else to plant it for you) will have long-term results!  I can't believe how big the trees we planted around our house just over a decade ago have gotten.  They add beauty, a home for birds and wildlife, and shade.  Check with your local nursery about best times to plant and the most optimal trees to grow in your area.

3.Do some reading about the environment:  One book that comes immediately to mind:

• An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore.  Whether you are in agreement or a skeptic of climate change, before you form an opinion, this is a book to read.

4. Here are two movies I enjoyed, which would be perfect for an Earth Day movie night:

•  March of the Penguins  -  I can't decide if the scenery or the penguins are the biggest  star of this National Geographic movie.
•  Erin Brockovich  - This movie was based on true environmental legal issues, and had me on the edge of my seat.

5.  Use a refillable water bottle.  It only takes a minute to fill up, and every time you do so there is one less piece of plastic waste on Earth.

6.  Use public transportation, or carpool when you can.

7. Get out and see the world!  The more beautiful places I visit, the more I realize just how precious our one and only Earth is!  Everywhere I go, if I pay attention to  my surroundings, I am reminded that EVERY DAY should be Earth day.

Our Earth is such a beautiful place!!

How do you celebrate Earth Day?