The Posh Blog

I was recently working with a client sorting through her old medications.  Many of her prescriptions were expired and would need to be disposed of, and I recalled that there have been many reports  on the news stating that traces of prescription drugs have been found in the public drinking water supply.  There have also been reports regarding the rise of the abuse of prescription drugs among teens. 

With that news on my mind, I wondered “what is the safest way to dispose of expired prescription drugs”?  Coincidentally, I know someone who is in the medical waste disposal industry.  He told me the best way to dispose of expired prescription drugs is by removing the drugs from the original containers and placing them in a different container with old coffee grounds, kitty litter, or something that would discourage a person from finding and taking the drugs.  He also sent me a link to a Press Release from the Office of National Drug Control Policy regarding what to do with expired prescription drugs.  The Press Release also states that you should only flush prescription drugs down the toilet if the package specifically instructs that this is safe to do. 

 So as you are clearing out your medicine cabinet, keep in mind how you are disposing of your old medications.  You can still dispose of old or unused prescription drugs in a way that is safer for the environment and to your community.   Enjoy the good life,Angela  Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

  It’s summer and that means it’s time to hit the water and the great outdoors.  But before you grab your trusty bottle of sunscreen there’s something you should check first.   

Just how old is your sunscreen?  If you are like my family we go through a couple of bottles of sunscreen a season.  This may not be the case in your household.  Many people have several bottles of sunscreen floating around the house and they have no idea how old they are and if they are still any good.   

When you find a bottle of sunscreen the first thing you should do is check the bottle to see if there is an expiration date.  The expiration date is typically located on the back or the bottom of the bottle.  If there are numbers but no date there is still hope.  Just today I found a link to an article in US Pharmacist that contains a table that describes the shelf life for several different brands of sunscreen.  The table also includes how to interpret what those mysterious numbers on the sunscreen bottles mean.   

What I found most interesting was that there is not an easy answer that states all sunscreen is good for a certain amount of time.  According to the table each sunscreen manufacturer determines their own shelf life.  It does seem that many of the sunscreens are good for three years.   

If you are just purchasing sunscreen one tip would be to use a Sharpie marker to write your own “use by” date.  That way you can determine how long you want to use the sunscreen.   

Enjoy the good life this summer! 

Angela Ploetz

If you’re clearing out your pantry as part of your New Year’s Resolution to get organized, keep this in mind.  Spices do have a shelf life.  Typically, ground spices are only good for about 2-3 years and spice blends will typically last about 1-2 years.  Visit the McCormick’s web-site to learn more about how long spices last. 

Here’s one that will really get you…if you have a McCormick’s tin in your cupboard with ANY spice in it (EXCEPT for black pepper) like the one pictured above, it is at least 15 years old.  WOW!!!  SOOOO you know what that means; it’s time to toss out those old spices because they really aren’t going to pack much of a punch in any recipe.  Next time you need that celery seed, or what ever obscure spice you’ve been saving just in case, then you can buy a nice fresh bottle and savor the flavor!   

M’m’, good food full of flavor…now that’s the good life. 

Enjoy,

Angela