DIY Data

Good places to start before tackling a homespun, homemade project.
unconsumption.tumblr.com
scrapaction.org
dollarstorecrafts.com
destinationdiy.org (Julie Sabatier)

Walk This Way

I've got a beef with Walkscore, a website that rates neighborhoods on walkability. Alamitos Heights only got a 77, ranking 7th in Long Beach. With Rec Park, the Lagoon, and CSULB campus within a mile of us, we only rank 7th? Harumph!

Penseys Spices up the Southland

The online spice dealer Penzeys now has locations in Torrance (21301 Hawthorne) and Santa Monica (1347 Fourth Street). As in the website, the stores have information about the spices and recipes to use them in. The aroma of all those spices in one place is awesome.

Time to go GLOBAL

GLOBAL is the Long Beach Arts community's acronym for its comprehensive guide to arts events in Long Beach during National Arts and Humanities Month. The website breaks down the events by neighbor or category (like dance or family friendly). It also has a free category, which is my favorite. Information about Soundwalk, free museum days, plus lots of gallery shows and open mikes will keep you busy all month without spending a dime.

Say Hey for Ioway!

History, Los Angeles has a great blog wrapping up the history of Iowa picnics in a neat little picnic basket. I did not know that Pasadena started the tradition in 1900. I did know that Long Beach is the hands-down winner of Iowan pride and that the picnics continue. This year's chow-down took place at Recreation Park.
There's also a mention of the Tiki Festival and lots of cool historic photos.

Special events in special places

Mass Historia has an interesting take on historic houses and parks. It keeps a calendar of reenactments and other gatherings where historic costumes will be worn or activities like dancing or banqueting might take place, like the Queen Mary Art Deco Festival on September 3 for instance.

Links for Vagabonds

L.A. Times has some good websites for solo travellers to hitch up with partners and possibly save some money.

Connecting . . . Solo Travel Network

CouchSurfing

Nonprofit Earthwatch

GlobalFreeloaders

TravelersMeet

Singles Cruise

Pinching those pennies

Trying to save some money without giving up shopping altogether. Here's some sites that list discounts or coupons at stores and online: About: Couponing; Retail Me Not; and Fat Wallet. Also, Etsy has great deals for craft-y items.

Saving Money and Saving the Earth

The New American Dream is a portal for many interesting projects like cutting back on junk mail and giving alternative gifts that don't wind up prematurely in the trash bin. The group hopes to make it a little easier for Americans to consume responsibly to protect the environment and enhance their quality of life at the same time.

Pedal Movement Online

Pedal Movement has a new home online. It's got a blog and groups and forums and a terrific events calendar.
It's a great way to stay connected with this group that seems to be reborn and reformed every three months or so.

Up Close and Social

Melissa Balmer will share tips on getting attention for businesses or event through social media like Facebook and Twitter at a workshop on June 8 at Legends from 8:30 am to 10 am. It costs $50 which includes a local media list and information packet, and you need to sign up by June 7 at 6 pm.

Los Angeles Online

Here's some websites that focus on Los Angeles arts and entertainment.

Angelenic downtown Los Angeles

Art Scene covers galleries and museums

Going LA concerts, night life, book store events

Eye Spy LA has a free events column

California Scenario a public installation by Noguchi in Costa Mesa

Bergamot Station gallery and performance venue

Fingerprints The bosom of Long Beach's music scene

Chamber Music at LACMA on Sundays

Cafe Metropol European bistro with live music

L.A. Conservancy architectural tours and lectures

Goldstar list of discounted attractions

Stubdog half-price tickets

L.A. Stage Tix discounts on local theater

Theatermania information on plays in L.A. with some discounts

LA ist blog posts on all things Angeleno

Los Anjealous concerts large and small

Mobility Add-Ons

Here's some clever and affordable gadgets to make car travel a little easier for the flexibility-impaired from Dynamic Living or ActiveForever.

A cushion that swivels to help getting out of the passenger's seat, a wider than standard rearview mirror to reduce blind spots, and a strap attached to the car door frame for getting in and out

Stop the Junk

I've signed up for several online lists to stop junk mail and phone solicitors. Today I signed up for Yellow Pages Go Green to opt out of receiving paper phone books. We get two or three a year, so that should save some paper. I've already signed up for the Do Not Mail List, which has thinned out the junk mail to businesses and organizations that I've given money to in the past. I'm also listed on the Do Not Call Registry, and again I still have a few diehards from my alma mater and the NOW. Last but not least, I signed up for Stop Political Calls, but I think it may be time to renew my attempts at stopping the junk that bombards me and my family every day

Fair Trade

In these cash-strapped times, I thought I'd put up links to some active bartering websites. There's a local group, Long Beach Barter Buddies that doesn't look very active, and of course there's Craigslist. Barterquest looks like it trades everything including the kitchen sink while Swaptree focuses on books, music, dvds, and video games. They're like eBay without Paypal.

Good cooking, Good Causes--Outstanding!

I finally got around to checking out the Outstanding in a Field schedule. This group travels around the country, but mostly up and down the West coast, preparing organic meals outside on the farms where the food was produced. There are going to be several meals in Southern California in June, even one on Catalina Island, but alas, they're all sold out. Tickets start at $200. Now that's a meal to remember.

Another inspired cooking effort made possible by the Internet is Spread the Bread. This international organization, started by a mother and her three daughters in Wayland, Massachusetts, brings people together to make their favorite kinds of bread and share them with others, especially with those in need. Based on the belief that everyone is connected to bread somehow--through religion or memory or a family tradition, groups all over the country support each other in baking a million loaves of bread between September 11 and New Year's Eve to honor heroes by feeding the hungry.

Talk about Green Buildings

Sunset Magazine has a blurb about a website called Vertical Farm with an intriguing concept for the future. High rise buildings designed to grow crops. The idea is financially impossible right now, but as more and more people move to urban areas, bringing the crops to the city may make more sense in the future.

Remembering a Curmudgeon

Mark Twain, who mixed biting wit with heartfelf wisdom to create his unmistakable American voice, died in April 1910 and lots of events are planned to celebrate the centennial. Most of the activities are in the museums in Hartford and Hannibal, but a few projects are based in California, like the Mark Twain Project at UC Berkeley which is releasing online authoritative texts of Mark Twai's writings.

Good for you inside and out

My poor husband suffers from seriously dry skin. His fingers are chapped and cracked even in the balmy Southern California weather. So I checked out Philoxia's Lip to Toe body balm, with oodles of natural balm and beeswax. A quarter ounce costs $9.95 and then there's $6 shipping. The website's fun to browse through--lots of candles and candle accessories and puns galore.

Another wholesome, organic product on my radar is Salba whole food bars. They contain Omega 3 essential fatty acids, protein, calcium and other good things and come in three flavors: Cranberry Nut, Mixed Berry and Tropical Fruit. The website lists the Whole Foods Store in Long Beach as a source.

The Bragg Live Foods website is so vast that I've only begun to explore it, but at first glance, they've got apple cider vinegar drinks, salad dressings and nutritional seasonings. I think a lot of their products are sold at Whole Foods too. They also have 10 or so books about healthy living.

Reduction is good for our health

350.org has been receiving a lot of press lately. Founded by Bill McKibben, the group organizes events to draw attention to cutting carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. Last October, 5,200 actions took place in 181 countries. Scientists say 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide is the safe limit for humanity. Currently the global level is 387 ppm.