Its been a bit since my last post. Two things contribute to this: 1. I was on vacation. 2. I was fretting over content. I was inspired by my friend's
itty bitty impact blog. I wanted to write about being green! But, thats not a review OR something I made. So, I have made the executive decision that I will be starting a separate blog for my reviews. (More on that to come!) And this one can be things I make. And whatever else I want. Ok, moral dilemma solved! Moving on...
Back to itty bitty impact. Have you gone to it yet? Do it. Go click on the link above. You will leave inspired. I recently read
Cheri's list and thought, wow, I should make a list of what we're doing. Most of what we do to be green is easy. And, a lot of it is cheaper. (Have I mentioned I'm a cheapskate?) Here it goes:
• we carpool. everyday. (husband and I work together, so this is easier) Less gas=less money.
• we pack our lunches. almost every day. we use reuseable bags to bring our lunch in. We use recycled plastic containers to bring it in. (Think Noodles to-go containers!) I wash ziplog bags. I RARELY have to buy ziploc bags. Baby's lunch is packed in re-useable containers. Money saved=less ziploc bags, containers, etc.
• we made our own babyfood. not only is this better for baby since we knew exactly what was in her food, but we didn't buy excessive amounts of glass/plastic jars. We used ice cube trays to freeze small portions. This is exorbitantly cheaper than pre-made babyfoods. I can buy a whole POUND of sweet potatoes for the cost of just one jar of babyfood.
• we recently got rid of all our dandelions sans-pesticides/chemicals. this involved half a day with a trowel and digging them up by the roots, but it worked. and lawn is safe for puppy and baby. Cheaper because pesticides cost money.
• we use only reuseable grocery bags. this is 'cheaper' too, since most of them were free to begin with, and the stores we shop at give us a credit for re-using!
• I buy all of the dirty dozen organic only. Sometimes this isn't cheaper, but since baby was born, this has become more and more important to me. For the cheapskate's guide to organic, check out
this site. Be sure to also check out the clean foods.
• Now that baby is starting to drink milk, we're going to have our milk delivered. In re-useable glass bottles. No more plastic! AND they have cheese. and eggs. I can't wait.
• We use a programmable thermostat. I am always cold, but I'm too cheap to turn on the heat. We keep our house cool in the winter and warm in the summer. Ceiling fans that reverse for winter help.
• We cook mostly from scratch. This reduces waste from packaged foods, and we know exactly whats in our food. Also, again, its cheaper, for the most part.
• We recycle. Which, believe it or not, is not required here. In fact, we'd have to PAY to have it picked up separately. We drive our recycleables to the recycling center, where it is free to drop them off. I can't get over the fact that recycling isn't required here. But, I digress.
• We use metal water bottles. We bring them everywhere. No buying bottled water! Ever. Husband also travels with a re-useable coffee mug. No styrofoam or paper cups, and refills are usually cheaper in your own mug.
• We use only CFL bulbs. They last forever and when bought on sale, they're similarly priced.
And the ever-expanding list of things we need to start doing
• Stop buying cleaning products and make my own. think less chemicals, less bottles. I think I will start with Cheri's great recipe!
• Get rid of my swiffer and get a steam mop. more expensive at first, no cost after initial investment. and, clean floors with just water!! WATER.
• Cloth diapers. While the difference between landfill v. water usage is a debatable one, especially when living where water is scarce, I still just can't get past the landfill filling the diapers cause. Since baby is fulltime in daycare, I can't fully switch, but I could be doing something.
• Gardening. I used to have a veggie garden, but being gone for much of my summer has stopped that. Perhaps I can plant fall vegetables?
• Stop using those pesky plastic produce bags. I bring my own grocery bags, but can't figure out what to do for produce. I usually resort to putting my items loose in my cart, much to the chagrin of the check-out people.
• Compost. In the suburbs with a postage stamp sized yard, and a doggie that quite likes smelly things, this is challenging. But, not impossible.
I'm sure there's millions of things I could be doing, and probably a few that I am doing that I've failed to mention. But trust me, the things we're already doing are painless. And, often cheaper than the alternatives. I challenge you to pick up one new 'green' habit by the end of next month. In turn, I will pick up a new habit too.
What are you currently doing? What can I add to my list?
