New Horizons for Boredom

Over at Unclutterer, Erin Doland says she saves money by buying small bottles of shampoo because when she buys big bottles she gets bored with them and switches to another before finishing the bottle:

Although it usually isn’t the best bargain, I’ve found that buying smaller bottles of these items works best for me. Yes, a gallon jug of shampoo at Costco is the most cost effective option, but after six months of using the exact same shampoo I get bored, buy alternatives, and then have three bottles of shampoo in my shower.

I used to think that I get bored easily, but it never occurred to me to get bored of a shampoo. I suppose this also means you can get bored of soaps, toothpastes and deodorants. Mindboggling.

When I find my showers are getting boring, I put a new set of song lyrics in my plastic songsheet holder.

Do other people out there get bored of shampoos? If so, does the problem extend to conditioner and other bathing products?

Would a new song help?

More Products for Men Only

Remember my re-branded deodorant, toothpaste and dental floss? Because I am always thinking, it occurred to me that there are some products with gender neutral marketing that can be challenging for men who are not secure in their sexuality.

The first that come to my mind are skin cream and hair conditioner. Some people think that real men should just endure dry, leathery, itchy skin and hair like straw.

I'm all for stoicism, but bad skin and hair can interfere with cherchering les femmes.

Here is my solution. Rename the compounds and sell them in manly motor oil containers.

Let me know if you can think of other products I should add to the Big Dog line.

Uses for Plastic Containers: Car Console

Here is a an organizer built by CLKL that makes use of plastic yogourt containers. It also uses duct tape and grommets, which you have to love. She has an excellent set of instructions on her blog.

If you have to have a mini-van, I'd say you have to have one of these. The only thing I wonder: What about binder clips? Could they have made CLKL's console better or would it be overkill?

Uses for Plastic Containers - PET sea creatures

close up jelly fish, Volvic water bottle, 2005 by Miwa Koizumi

Zoom, one of Ottawa's most generous bloggers sent me an email today that said:

I saw this and immediately thought of you and Megan and the quest for alternative uses for plastic containers: http://miwa.metm.org/PET_project/index.html It's extraordinarily astroidean, don't you agree?

I do agree! And I bet Megan will be totally into it when she sees that soldering irons and heat guns are involved!

Uses for Plastic Containers - Spider Removal

I've been feeling bad about not providing more clever uses for plastic containers,^{Note 1} and so I am happy to report that Megan's gallant beau, Eric, came up with a use I would not have thought of: Spider Removal.^{Note 2}

The photo shown here is the used container and lid after it had been used and placed in the recycling. In deference to Megan's phobia, you will have to imagine for yourself the spider it held.

Note 1: One idea I had for containers was using them to make space helmets for your puppets. But it turns out that my puppets all have heads that are too big for a 10cm diameter container.

Note 2: If it was summer time, I'd have thought of using a plastic container for removing bees, hornets or wasps, but for spiders I've always used my hands. Except for the time my cat in Africa was sparring with a tarantula. I used a biology text dropped from knee height to "take out" that spider.

Uses for Plastic Containers - Guest Slipper Holder

Zoom is a genius.^* Not only did she solve the problem of what to put in my art-protecting-plastic-container, she solved my problem of where to keep the guest slippers.

I didn't even realize I had the guest slipper problem until she brought it up, but I do. The guest slippers wind up in out of the way places or under dirty boots because I never wear them. Then someone comes by who doesn't have my amazing tolerance for cold floors and I'm scrambling around to find a pair.

But no more. Now they'll be right there in their special spot. Guests won't even have to ask for them because they'll be right there in plain view.

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^* Zoom is also a gifted artist. Check out her My Precious Moments.

Uses for Plastic Containers - Protecting Art

The Art:

A gorgeous painting by Michelle April looks perfect in the entry way next to the cupboard.

The Problem:

The cupboard door could swing open and damage the painting!

The Solution:

An empty date tub tacked to the baseboard makes a nice bouncy door stopper.

The Challenge:

What cool thing can be put in the container?

Uses for Plastic Containers - the Request

Megan writes:

I think the next series you should do is what to do with plastic tubs. You know, the ones you get when you buy hummous or salad from contemporary cuisine. They're not recyclable,¹ and I haven't been able to bring myself to throw them out, but I also can't think of what else to do with them. More of a hallenge then binder clips, but I think you might be up for it. What do you think?

I think this is an excellent idea and a challenge that I hope others will participate in. In a followup email, Megan gives what I consider the level 1 answer:

I can't think of a single damn thing for the tubs except to put leftovers in. I have a lot. Of tubs. Not leftovers. Maybe that's the solution. More leftovers. I might be on to something here.

Leftovers is my main solution to the plastic tub challenge. But there are other answers out there.

____________________ ¹ Actually, in Ottawa, plastic food containers can go in the Blue box, but re-using is much better than recycling.