Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Go Green for Earth Day - and Beyond!
Back when I first started this blog I posted about how I was "becoming green". It's interesting to me to look back at this post and see how much I have changed even since then. I wrote about how I never really intended to "go green", but how it kind of snuck up on me because of small changes that I started making.
Now, being green is something that is increasingly more important to me. I am called to Love God and Love His people, and one important way to do that is to care about the creation that He has provided us with, and understand the effects that my actions have on this world and on the people that live in this world, and will live here in the future. Being "green" is something that I am trying to learn more and more about, and I am striving to make even more changes to "green" my and my family's lifestyle.
So, for Earth Day, I really want to encourage everyone to take a small step, to make a small change in your life, and see if it doesn't snowball into more and bigger changes that will have a positive impact on not only your life, but also on this world we live in.
Looking back, I really think that one of the first changes I made that started me down this path was making my own natural cleaners. The more I became aware of the chemicals I was using in my house to make it "clean", the more I wanted to get those chemicals out of my life and out of our house. That small change made me more aware of what I was putting into my house, the air, my body and encouraged me to think about that in all different areas of my life, not just cleaning my house.
So, here are my top 3 ideas for small changes that you can make, beginning today, that can jumpstart your journey toward helping to create a cleaner world. I know that these ideas are not necessarily unique, but they are all changes that I have made myself and ones that I think are a good starting point for moving you towards a greener lifestyle.
1. Start making your own cleaners, or buy all natural cleaners, and stop using and purchasing all those nasty chemical cleaners.
My wonderful dad gave me a great book for Christmas by Reader's Digest called Homemade. It has great recipes for natural homemade cleaners and I hope to share some of those with you in the next few weeks, especially as I make and try some of them for the first time in cleaning my new house!
2. Start using cloth in the kitchen instead of paper towels and napkins. In our kitchen we have different cloths for different "jobs". I use washcloths to wipe Kaelyn's hands, face, hair, clothing, bibs, etc. after she eats, bar mop towels for cleaning in place of paper towels, homemade knitted dishcloths instead of sponges for washing dishes and wiping down counters, dish towels for drying hands, dishes, etc., and of course cloth napkins. I bet after a while of using cloth in the kitchen you will start to look for other ways to reduce the amount of disposable things you use around the house in general.
3. Recycle! I've written before about how much I like recycling. I think it is really important to recycle. If you don't recycle at all - start! And if you do recycle, recycle more! There's nothing that gives you better awareness of the amount of junk that we throw away than when you really start pay attention to increasing your recycling and reducing your waste. When we get to our new house I want to do a garbage inventory to see how much stuff I am actually throwing away every day. I would love to get to the point where we are recycling more than we throw away!
I would love to hear about your experiences in taking small steps that have lead to a greener lifestyle for you or your family! Happy Earth Day!
Free Reynolds Wrap - Today Only!!
Hurry! While supplies last, and today only, Reynolds Wrap is giving away a free roll of their 100% Recycled Aluminum Foil when you submit their mail in rebate.
Click HERE for the rebate form.
I'm super excited to try this recycled aluminum foil. Foil is one of those things that is pretty much a necessity around the kitchen, but you don't feel so great about wadding it up and throwing it away when you're done. I guess I could be like my Grandpa Sutton and rinse it off and re-use it! He was green before there was such a thing!
Thanks to Never Pay Retail Again for posting this!
Click HERE for the rebate form.
I'm super excited to try this recycled aluminum foil. Foil is one of those things that is pretty much a necessity around the kitchen, but you don't feel so great about wadding it up and throwing it away when you're done. I guess I could be like my Grandpa Sutton and rinse it off and re-use it! He was green before there was such a thing!
Thanks to Never Pay Retail Again for posting this!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Great News!!
We made an offer on a house on Thursday and over the weekend, after a little bit of back and forth, our offer was accepted! We have a "new to us" house! Here's a picture from the listing.
It is actually an older house, built in 1939. It's in a great area with lots of cute older houses, close to parks and the zoo. We are very excited!
We will close probably sometime in May, no later than May 15th. We are hoping it will be as soon as possible so we can get in and get all settled before the new baby comes. I am just so excited that we know where we are going to be, and where we will be bringing this baby home to. I am ready to nest!
It is actually an older house, built in 1939. It's in a great area with lots of cute older houses, close to parks and the zoo. We are very excited!
We will close probably sometime in May, no later than May 15th. We are hoping it will be as soon as possible so we can get in and get all settled before the new baby comes. I am just so excited that we know where we are going to be, and where we will be bringing this baby home to. I am ready to nest!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
10 Easy Ways to Green Your Life
I just read a good post over at beingfrugal.net and wanted to pass it along - 10 Easy Ways to Green Your Life. This is just a start for some of these things, but a good place to start. I hope to post about some of these ideas in a little more detail in the near future.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Pledge and Win!!
Earthbound Farms Organic is offering a free reusable tote bag when you pledge to make small changes to save the planet. Just visit their website and click on Take the Pledge. Click on the suns around the kitchen to read about different ways to make small changes that add up to a big impact on our environment.
Friday, April 3, 2009
One Door Closes
We closed on our house this morning and are officially no longer homeowners.
Essentially we are homeless. It is a strange feeling. We knew it was coming, and had tried to prepare ourselves, but it's still strange. Even though we knew we had to sell our house, we are still sad about it. I was actually pretty emotional afterwards, but I'm blaming that mostly on the pregnancy hormones. :)
We are staying with Jer's parents until we figure out where we are going to live next. We are hoping to figure it out soon because I would like to be somewhat settled before the baby arrives in June.
So, as one door closes, hopefully another will open and welcome us home.
Essentially we are homeless. It is a strange feeling. We knew it was coming, and had tried to prepare ourselves, but it's still strange. Even though we knew we had to sell our house, we are still sad about it. I was actually pretty emotional afterwards, but I'm blaming that mostly on the pregnancy hormones. :)
We are staying with Jer's parents until we figure out where we are going to live next. We are hoping to figure it out soon because I would like to be somewhat settled before the baby arrives in June.
So, as one door closes, hopefully another will open and welcome us home.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Buying Pre-owned - Resources
Oh, and here are a few of the places that I look to find used items. You will probably have to do a little more looking around to find quality used items, and like I said, have some patience, but I personally like the challenge and love the accomplishment I feel when I find just what I am looking for.
Ebay (obviously)
Craigslist
Freecycle
Half.com - a great place to buy used books! I don't think I'll ever buy a book new again!
Amazon
Garage Sales - I am SO excited for garage sale season to start! I found some great stuff last year!
Thrift stores - Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc.
A great place for kids clothes is Once Upon a Child, if you have one in your area.
There are also lots of great online boards where you can buy and sell used items. Two that I frequent regularly are DiaperSwappers.com and DiaperPin.com. They both have FSOT (For Sale or Trade) boards where you can find all kinds of things, not just cloth diapers. :)
And, for those of you who live in my area, there is a women's consignment store in Granger called 2nd Time Around. I've actually never been there, but plan to go this summer after the baby is born.
I would love to hear your favorite places for finding great used items!! Please share!
Ebay (obviously)
Craigslist
Freecycle
Half.com - a great place to buy used books! I don't think I'll ever buy a book new again!
Amazon
Garage Sales - I am SO excited for garage sale season to start! I found some great stuff last year!
Thrift stores - Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc.
A great place for kids clothes is Once Upon a Child, if you have one in your area.
There are also lots of great online boards where you can buy and sell used items. Two that I frequent regularly are DiaperSwappers.com and DiaperPin.com. They both have FSOT (For Sale or Trade) boards where you can find all kinds of things, not just cloth diapers. :)
And, for those of you who live in my area, there is a women's consignment store in Granger called 2nd Time Around. I've actually never been there, but plan to go this summer after the baby is born.
I would love to hear your favorite places for finding great used items!! Please share!
Buying Pre-owned
One thing that Jer and I have talked about recently and committed to trying to do as much as we possibly can is buying things used or pre-owned. And we're not just talking about cars, we're talking about all kinds of different products that we buy: clothing & shoes, housewares, books, baby items, electronics, etc. If there is something that we want to purchase, we really want to try to find it used first, before we just go out and buy it new. This is something that we are just beginning and learning to do - we definitely are not "experts" by any means, but I wanted to share my thoughts about this with you.
Buying used will accomplish a couple of things for us:
1. It will save us money. Buying things used is much cheaper then purchasing something brand new, although we do have to be careful to make sure we are actually getting a good deal for the quality of the item we are buying used. But, I think in most cases we can buy gently used items that are in excellent shape if we are willing to look hard enough. Also, if we are patient in trying to find something used before just running out the store and buying it, we may decide that we don't really need it after all, and that ultimately saves the most money of all!
2. It reduces the impact that our stuff has on the Earth. When we buy something used we not only keep it from going to the landfill, we also prevent the use of resources that go into making that item brand new. Buying used also eliminates the pollution produced and energy used to manufacture the item and ship it from wherever it was made to here. Also, used items usually have little to no packaging, as opposed to new items which we can all agree are WAY over packaged. (Have you opened a new toy from a box lately?)
3. It will help to keep us from becoming too materialistic. If we are thinking about our purchases and whether or not we really need to buy something, we are not drawn in by the ad on TV or in the paper, or the fancy display (or sale, in my case) at the store. This also forces us to be less concerned about having the newest, latest, best, trendiest things. It helps us to remember that it's just "stuff" and we can't take it with us when we leave this Earth.
Here's a recent example from our life - Kaelyn was growing out of all her pj's. We decided that she needed some new pj's for the summer and that we would like to buy The Children's Place zippered sleepers that we love. I checked online and found a few on sale, but then went to Ebay and found a lot of 10 Children's Place sleepers in her size - the exact ones that I wanted and some gender neutral so we can use them for the next baby too. I bid on them and ended up winning. So, for less than half of the cost of buying them new, I got 10 used sleepers all at once (no shipping from multiple sellers) - and they are in great condition. I was quite proud of myself! Although because I didn't just run to the store and buy new ones we did have a few days of K having to sleep in VERY tight pj's. :)
So, the next time you are thinking about going out and making a new purchase, stop and think if you can find what you are looking for used. Your wallet and the planet will thank you! Now I'm off to search for some Crocs for K for the summer!!
Check out my list of resources for buying used!
Buying used will accomplish a couple of things for us:
1. It will save us money. Buying things used is much cheaper then purchasing something brand new, although we do have to be careful to make sure we are actually getting a good deal for the quality of the item we are buying used. But, I think in most cases we can buy gently used items that are in excellent shape if we are willing to look hard enough. Also, if we are patient in trying to find something used before just running out the store and buying it, we may decide that we don't really need it after all, and that ultimately saves the most money of all!
2. It reduces the impact that our stuff has on the Earth. When we buy something used we not only keep it from going to the landfill, we also prevent the use of resources that go into making that item brand new. Buying used also eliminates the pollution produced and energy used to manufacture the item and ship it from wherever it was made to here. Also, used items usually have little to no packaging, as opposed to new items which we can all agree are WAY over packaged. (Have you opened a new toy from a box lately?)
3. It will help to keep us from becoming too materialistic. If we are thinking about our purchases and whether or not we really need to buy something, we are not drawn in by the ad on TV or in the paper, or the fancy display (or sale, in my case) at the store. This also forces us to be less concerned about having the newest, latest, best, trendiest things. It helps us to remember that it's just "stuff" and we can't take it with us when we leave this Earth.
Here's a recent example from our life - Kaelyn was growing out of all her pj's. We decided that she needed some new pj's for the summer and that we would like to buy The Children's Place zippered sleepers that we love. I checked online and found a few on sale, but then went to Ebay and found a lot of 10 Children's Place sleepers in her size - the exact ones that I wanted and some gender neutral so we can use them for the next baby too. I bid on them and ended up winning. So, for less than half of the cost of buying them new, I got 10 used sleepers all at once (no shipping from multiple sellers) - and they are in great condition. I was quite proud of myself! Although because I didn't just run to the store and buy new ones we did have a few days of K having to sleep in VERY tight pj's. :)
So, the next time you are thinking about going out and making a new purchase, stop and think if you can find what you are looking for used. Your wallet and the planet will thank you! Now I'm off to search for some Crocs for K for the summer!!
Check out my list of resources for buying used!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
"Frugally Green"
I figured it was fitting to share my new direction for my blog with you on April 1st, for the new month, the spring time and also to celebrate Earth Day coming up on April 22nd.
I've done a few posts recently about how I am learning to be more frugal and the ways that I have been trying to save money. While I think being frugal is a good thing, I have also become increasingly more environmentally aware, thinking about how my actions and our family's actions affect the environment and our earth. And I have been thinking about these two ideas together lately, being frugal and being green. I truly believe that we are to be good stewards of the resources that God has entrusted us with. And I have come to understand that that includes both our monetary resources, as well as His creation and the natural resources that He has provided for us.
I love following the frugal blogs that I do and hearing about great deals and how others meet their needs on such low budgets and seeing the way that they are able to stretch a dollar so much further than I have ever been able to - it is inspiring to me. But, at the same time, sometimes I think to myself, when I see stockpiles of disposable razors that were bought for "free", or bottles and bottles of shampoo or lotion, or boxes and boxes of individually wrapped granola bars, "How much is too much?" What price is the earth paying for all of the packaging and material that is going to the dump just so that one never has to pay for a razor? And at what point, when one gets home from the grocery store or the drugstore and takes a picture of their great finds, does one start to "live for" and revolve their life around all of that stuff? I don't want my life to look like that.
Also, I have been frustrated lately with the cost associated with "going green". It seems that many things that are more green may save money in the long run, but require a larger, or at least some sort of, initial investment - re-usable grocery bags, CFL lightbulbs, kitchen cloth like napkins, towels and rags, etc. When you are on a tight budget, you don't always have room for that initial extra cost, even if it could save you more money in the long term. Or sometimes products that are pushed as green products - like organic clothing or bedding, or items made from "sustainable" sources, require that you purchase something new and dispose of your old un-green item - which kind of seems to defeat the purpose to me.
I started looking for blogs that were about being frugal and being green, environmentally aware and responsible, and didn't really find much. Most are either all about the deals and saving money at any "cost", and others are just about different ways to go green and save the earth, but don't have much to do with being frugal.
So, I decided that I am going to embark on a journey to learn to be "frugally green" and I plan to record and share my journey here. I hope that you will follow along with me - hopefully I can encourage and inspire you along the way. I would love to hear any thoughts/ideas you all have about being frugal and being green as I begin my journey.
I've done a few posts recently about how I am learning to be more frugal and the ways that I have been trying to save money. While I think being frugal is a good thing, I have also become increasingly more environmentally aware, thinking about how my actions and our family's actions affect the environment and our earth. And I have been thinking about these two ideas together lately, being frugal and being green. I truly believe that we are to be good stewards of the resources that God has entrusted us with. And I have come to understand that that includes both our monetary resources, as well as His creation and the natural resources that He has provided for us.
I love following the frugal blogs that I do and hearing about great deals and how others meet their needs on such low budgets and seeing the way that they are able to stretch a dollar so much further than I have ever been able to - it is inspiring to me. But, at the same time, sometimes I think to myself, when I see stockpiles of disposable razors that were bought for "free", or bottles and bottles of shampoo or lotion, or boxes and boxes of individually wrapped granola bars, "How much is too much?" What price is the earth paying for all of the packaging and material that is going to the dump just so that one never has to pay for a razor? And at what point, when one gets home from the grocery store or the drugstore and takes a picture of their great finds, does one start to "live for" and revolve their life around all of that stuff? I don't want my life to look like that.
Also, I have been frustrated lately with the cost associated with "going green". It seems that many things that are more green may save money in the long run, but require a larger, or at least some sort of, initial investment - re-usable grocery bags, CFL lightbulbs, kitchen cloth like napkins, towels and rags, etc. When you are on a tight budget, you don't always have room for that initial extra cost, even if it could save you more money in the long term. Or sometimes products that are pushed as green products - like organic clothing or bedding, or items made from "sustainable" sources, require that you purchase something new and dispose of your old un-green item - which kind of seems to defeat the purpose to me.
I started looking for blogs that were about being frugal and being green, environmentally aware and responsible, and didn't really find much. Most are either all about the deals and saving money at any "cost", and others are just about different ways to go green and save the earth, but don't have much to do with being frugal.
So, I decided that I am going to embark on a journey to learn to be "frugally green" and I plan to record and share my journey here. I hope that you will follow along with me - hopefully I can encourage and inspire you along the way. I would love to hear any thoughts/ideas you all have about being frugal and being green as I begin my journey.
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