Reflection Week 1-7

I can't believe the semester is already half over! It's crazy how fast time goes by, especially being a senior and being busy constantly. I have learned so much in this course so far. In the beginning, I wasn't so sure how I felt about this course, but I really have become so much more knowledgeable when it comes to being environmentally friendly and all that it encompasses.

Blogging:
I really knew nothing about blogging until this class. Although blogging is not my favorite thing to do, I have learned all about blogger and how it works. It was confusing at first, especially when it came to being able to log in under the right account and the settings, but after some time and tweaking, it was all figured out! I learned about how to create a favicon, how to correctly link items, how to create posts in general, how to write an about me page, etc. The list goes on and on!

Videos:
Over the last few weeks, we have watched some documentaries that really opened my eyes to some very serious issues. We watched Tapped, which was my favorite film so far. It really helped me understand the severity of plastic water bottles and what they are doing to our environment and our health and well being. The Future of Food was another documentary that we watched that helped me realize how our food is being produced and what goes into it. This class has really helped me understand how our world today is so obsessed with money and the convenience of food instead of the nutrition and the health benefits behind it. It really made me see that paying a little more to get something that is organic and locally grown is worth the cost.

Overall:
I can't believe all that I've learned so far in this class and we have so much time left still! I think the biggest changes I've made involve using better water bottles and eating more organic food. I've always been interested in nutrition, but watching the videos related to food will really change the way you think even more. I'm excited to do my junking project that's coming up soon! It should be a great project. This has been a very enlightening and fun class so far and I'm excited to see what's next!

Eye Opener: Junk on the Brain

Part 1: antiques/antiquing- of or belonging to the past, dating from a period long ago, junk/junking- any old or discarded material, anything that is regarded as worthless, meaningless, or contemptible, flea market-  a market, often outdoors, consisting of a number of individual stalls selling old or used articles, curios and antiques, cut-rate merchandise, etc., thrift shop- a retail store that sells secondhand goods at reduced prices. The previous definiations were all found at dictionary.com. Upcycling- the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value (wikipedia), resale shop- a charity shop, thrift shop, thrift store, hospice shop, etc. (wikipedia). I had to dig a little bit more to find the last two definitions. 

Part 2: I think the terms above have to do with environmental health in the way that they are all about reusing and making do with what you have. Oftentimes people just throw away things that could be put to good use by someone else. It's very true that "someones trash is someone elses treasure."  

Local Resources
Antiques: Father Time Antiques
395 S Lake Ave # 1, Duluth, MN 55802-2311 (218) 625-2379 () ‎(no website available)

Junk: Jadco Special Haulers Inc
4011 Rehbein Road, Duluth, MN 55803-9274 (218) 724-5538 () ‎(no website available)

Flea market: Studebaker Drivers Club Swap Meet Flea Market & Classic Car Show. Lake Superior College, 2101 Trinity Rd, 2 mi S of Miller Hill Mall. Annually 2nd Sunday in August. Call for dates and update information. 8am-4pm. Antiques to junk, plus on display is some 200 automobiles. Admission is $2/person and $2 parking. 218.722.8533 or 218.722.4855
E-Mail: stude.one@usfamily.net http://www.collectors.org/FM/US_mn.asp 

Thrift shop: Duluth Goodwill Industries Vocational Enterprises, Inc.700 Garfield Avenue Duluth, MN  55802 Retail store hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
218-722-3050 http://www.goodwillduluth.org/shop-locations.htm

Upcycling: I could not find anything that dealt with upcycling in Duluth. I had never heard of this term before and had a hard time finding a definition for it as well. 

Resale shop: Plato's Closet 5115 Burning Tree Rd # 315C Duluth, MN 55811-1876

(218) 733-9455

http://www.platoscloset.com/

I don't really use any of these resources. I used to go to Plato's Closet when I was younger though. I think the main reason I don't is because I honestly don't like to spend the time going through so much stuff! My mom likes antique stores and I've gone with her before, but I don't have the patience really to spend time going through so many things. The same goes for Plato's Closet. It's a great store but they have SO many clothes!

Part 3: I really liked this part of the assignment. It's really neat to see what people do with old things that most would have no use for. I found this old sewing machine this woman took apart and used the pieces to make jewelry. Super cool! Next, I found these wine glasses that were constructed out of glass jars and candlesticks for a wedding. The wedding is being held in a barn with a vintage theme, so it works out great. I also found a headboard that was created out of an old door. It looks awesome and is very vintage looking. These are all great ideas and none that I would have ever thought of. I think looking at all these projects makes me feel a little envious that I didn't think up any of them! It really is amazing what new items people can come up with just by using the materials they have on hand.