Posh Plush

Going "green" last year has solicited a lot of junk mail with various salesmen trying to promote their latest and greatest greenwashed project. Samples of trash bags that are made of "recycled" material at the bargain price of $4 a piece. Expensive energy converters that would take 10 years to pay for themselves ... but they save energy! I do admit, some samples have been pleasent surprises ... such as the soaps, lotions and shampoos. What girl doesn't like to receive bath and body stuff?

However, you'll never believe was was in my pile of junk mail today. Toilet paper. Yes, I said Toilet Paper. TP. Three little squares folded up nicely in a little plasic sample pouch. Seriously folks!?!? Do we Innkeepers really need to receive toilet paper samples in the mail? Is there some marketing guru out there that thinks this is an excellent idea? Are there really connoisseurs of plushness?

When I was in high school, the best use of tp was to decorate the outside of our dance teacher's house with it at 2:00 in the morning as a way to celebrate winning a competition. As I got older, it became a way to embarrass future brides at their shower by wrapping them up in tissue bridal gowns under the guise of a "contest."

Today's junk mail let curiosity get the best of me and so I Googled unusual uses for toilet paper. Surprisingly, I found a million different crafts for the actual toilet paper roll. Puppets, totem poles, cardboard candles, bowling pins, pretend binoculars, new years poppers, etc. I guess if you have children at home, crafts are the best way to reduce/reuse/recycle.

But what made me laugh the most was discovering some surveys on whether it is a better method to "crumple" or "fold." You can see it for yourself at MentalFloss.com.

Ha! What will they come up with next?!

--Rachelle
Tremain Street Cottages