Ways that I've Gradually Been Going Greenish

I'm not trying to be oh-so-PC or cool or trendy. Funny how "going green" seems to be a trendy thing these day? I think that's great if people are really trying to decrease there various outlets of consumption and make a smaller environmental impact.

So i was thinking about the things i've done over the past few months to decrease my own "carbon footprint" and want to post a list here so i can remember. For the most part, I think these are very simple changes. I didn't do them all at once. And some took awhile to become a habit.

1. Bring my own reusable grocery bags when food shopping. I need to bump this up a notch and remember to bring my own bags when i'm going shopping for anything (not just food) to decrease the plastic bag pileup in our house (and in the landfills!). My favorite grocery bags are the canvas ones from Trader Joe's (super cheap and so heavy-duty!).
2. I also bring my own produce bags that i purchased on Etsy. If i had a clue about sewing, these would be easy to make on my own (but alas...). They fit more than it looks like they would and they are light-as-a-feather (so i'm not paying any more than i would with a plastic bag).
3. Make my own cleaning supplies. It ended up NOT just being a phase or a fad for me! Yay!
4. I've started recycling again--everything from paperboard and plastic, to aluminum foil and junk mail. And my old computers and electronics are going to the local "e"-dump soon.
5. I try to use more towels and cloths for cleanups instead of paper towels. I especially love the microfiber ones from Sam's (even better than the ones from Solutions, in my humble opinion).
6. I've always been a heat miser and now i find myself being a light miser, too. If we're not using the light it gets turned off.
7. We unplug what we can that's not being used--i.e. cell phone chargers, the surge protector that has all the entertainment center electronics plugged in, computers and their screens; etc.
8. Use more rechargeable batteries. I assume this is a good thing to do for our high-drain electronics (for the most part, our cameras and some of the boys' toys).
9. Similar to the non-toxic cleaners, i now only use fragrance-free/dye-free laundry detergent. Got rid of the liquid Downy and now use a Method fabric softener (one of their only products i like and think works well). I'm phasing out the antibacterial handsoaps and am using Dr. Bronner's castile soaps (they're a main ingredient in my cleaners). I like to have that instant-foaming action that a lot of antibacterial handsoap pumps come with so i've reused one of those (filled with the castile soap and water) and purchased a couple of these from Pampered Chef. I'm thinking about using the same thing for my body wash.
10. I've gotten rid of a lot of my plastic cups (for the supposed health risk they pose) and replaced them with just a couple stainless steel ones for each kid. It was so nice to get rid of the vast collection of sippies we had (and we gave the good ones to Goodwill). And i no longer buy bottled water (except for food storage) and instead carry a SIGG stainless steel bottle around with me, too (and Doug has one too).
11. I buy organic when it's available and affordable and makes sense to buy. I started buying organics a few years ago focusing on the "Dirty Dozen" list. It was easier to do this than just make a huge change to all organics. And honestly, i don't think everything has to be organic (i.e. a lot of tropical fruits are OK, blueberries are OK; etc., in their conventional form). I try to buy local, too (would i rather have organic celery from Chili (do they grow celery?) or conventional from Northern Colorado? I'd go with the local). I like to get things that are natural, simply to stay away from hydrogenated oils and high-fructose corn syrups. I'm lucky to be able to have a local dairy that delivers milk to my door. It's not organic but it's free of antibiotics and added hormones (and how fun is it to have milk delivered?!). And starting tomorrow i'm trying out the local Door to Door Organics who will bring me a box of organic fruits and veggies every other week. I'll see if we like it and if it makes financial sense. This is NOT to toot my little horn and say we eat oh-so-well and organic and nothing artificial. HA! We are far from that. But i'm trying to make better choices. Doug's working on losing some weight. And I want to pass some good habits on to our kids, and this is one way we try to do so.
12. With our landscaping, we've put in drought-tolerant plants and installed drip lines to minimize our water usage. This has never been a consideration for me until we moved to CO (since there's rarely a lack of moisture in the DC area). We even cut out at least 2/3 of our sod in the front that was landscaped by our builder and will replace it with more drought-tolerant plants in the Spring and Summer. This also cuts down on the amount of mowing we do which i guess is enviro-friendly (and certainly makes Doug happy). If we were really hardcore i'd look into a reel mower. Hmmmm...

Things in our lives that are not-so-green? I still need to replace a lot of our light bulbs with CFL's. I've been waiting for them to burn out one-by-one and can't decide if that's the way to go or to just replace them all now? Our toys are not remotely green. Lots of plastic. Quite a few battery-powered toys. But i'm happy with how much my kids play with these toys and plan on keeping many of them for our future generation (that's a LONG way off though, so we'll see i suppose!). Our house is not what i consider green. We live a bit rural and therefore have to do a lot of driving. While we do have EnergyStar appliances, decent windows and low-flow toilets, it's big and we still have a lot of drafts that need investigating. In my daydreams i see us moving closer in to a smaller house with solar panels, bamboo floors and wind power, but who knows. I won't give up my long hot showers anytime soon either. And my children are still in disposable diapers. Yes--that's plural. No pooping in the potty. Maybe if i reason with him and tell him it will help the planet?? So, anyway. That's what I can think of right now.

My next daydream that I'd like to tackle is that of helping my hospital system start a recycling program. As far as i know we don't recycle (except MAYBE corrugated cardboard) and it's making me crazy everyday that i spike 30 new IV bags, first removing all the different bags and tubing from their plastic covers, that i'm just throwing it all into a garbage bag when there's clearly a little recycling triangle on those bags. And that's just my little unit in my little hospital. So i've been doing some research but need to start by talking to our VP to see what, if anything, the hospital already does, and then show them what can change and of course show them how they'd save money recycling. Hmm. We'll see if that one flies.

I've noticed too with all of this environmental awareness, that my home feels better to me. The natural cleaners are a very nice thing. I have a few new plants here and there that make me happy (starting with an English ivy by my gas stove that's supposed to absorb some of those fumes!). Things just feel brighter. And while I still consume/buy too much, i'm starting to think more about those purchases, which if and when i decrease them, means i not only help the environment, but my wallet, too. Bonus. And maybe if i could get my butt out of this chair and off the computer, we'd decrease our children's TV watching, too! HA! A good one, I know!