Refills

One of the things I love about Japan, that I'll probably forget about after returning home, is that they sell refills for everything.  Shampoo, lotion, dish washing soap, hand soap, etc.  Rather than having to buy a whole new hard plastic container for everything, you can just buy one of these soft plastic refills to add to your container.  In Japan, this kind of soft plastic can go in the non-burnable trash, but something made of hard plastic, like a shampoo bottle, has to be sent in the "dangerous" trash.  Such a great way to cut down on the hard plastic trash that is difficult, if not impossible, to recycle.  This, along with only turning on your hot water heater when you are about to use hot water, are such easy solutions.  I'll admit, I still have trouble only heating one room for a few hours a day, but I wish I could bring some of these practices home.

Our shampoo refill

About that practice hat...I got to talking to Drew while working on it and had a few mishaps.  First I started knitting the wrong side, then I dropped a stitch that I never figured out how to pick up.  So I went ahead and finished it off early, making an incredibly tiny yarmulke.  I'm currently working on another practice hat.