I'm posting this one in advance of Sunday and Monday, and then tomorrow, I'll post changes that will take effect on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, as I'll be traveling a bit this week.
Yesterday, I took one of my homemade drawstring bags to Bulk Barn for some black beans. I was a little nervous as to how the staff of Bulk Barn would react to someone using their own containers instead of the provided thin plastic bags, because in the years I've been shopping there, I've never seen anyone do what I was about to do. I shop Bulk Barn whenever I can, and it's a great way to save money on things like flour and nuts. Yesterday, I needed beans for the soup that is currently simmering on the stove. So I filled my little sack and approached the cash. The cashier looked in my bag to see what I wished to purchase, and then happily rang me in. She even liked my bag. And that was that. No drama or trauma. Just me and my beans and no plastic bag. Thrilling! Ok, so maybe I paid a smidgen more than I would have, due to fabric weighing more than plastic, but oh well. Normally I only buy dry goods at Bulk Barn, where my little sacks work great. If I ever buy something like peanut butter, I'll just have to remember to bring my own containers from home.
I switched to eco-friendly dishwasher detergent a while ago, and I'm very happy with the results it is giving me. Now I need eco-friendly dish soap that I can use when I hand wash dishes, which, frankly, almost never happens. I don't buy things that can't go in the dishwasher. But my stock pot just won't fit. So this is the one thing I must wash by hand. And yesterday I used up the last little bit of apple-scented, micro-bubble cleanser green goo that took me over a year to go through, and now I'm heading out to find some soap that better for the planet.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Day 37 and 38 - Switching to Natural Face Cleanser and No More Swiffer Products
I apologize for not posting yesterday. I was feeling overwhelmed by life, and I suffer from depression. Writing my blog was just one more thing that, by not doing, made me feel bad.
Switching to natural face cleaner was really no biggie. I was out of my usual stuff, and I replaced it with something natural. And this stuff is nice - smooth, gentle, and has a faint smell to it that reminds me of the stuff they use on my face at the salon when I have a facial. Speaking of that facial, I had it on Tuesday, and I was due. I have one every 12 weeks, so 4 times a year. I think the salon would like to see me more often, but frankly, I can't afford the cost or the time. Every time I have one, I am told that my pores are clogged and my skin is dry and if I would just start using their overpriced salon products, my skin would be so much happier. But this time, when I told them that I was only interested in natural products for my skin, they had nothing to sell me. Refreshing, and disturbing.
I care about my skin, really I do. I'm a redhead, so I stay out of the sun, use sunblock often and I try to muster the motivation to moisturize. But I ride a motorcycle, out in the wind. I fret over freckles. I drink copious amounts of water. Skin cancer runs in my family. It seems like taking care of my skin/hair body, is a full time job. Why is it that to do anything well, it is like a full time job? Does anyone else ever feel as overwhelmed as I do? Why is good enough never good enough?
Enough with the rant. Today, no more Swiffer products. It doesn't take any kind of smarts to see that all these disposable (not recyclable) cleaning pads and dusters are not eco-friendly. And really, you mop with that pad, wiping the dirt all over your floor, and your floor isn't much cleaner at the end. Dusting isn't a problem. I'll just use some cloths. My mother uses soft cotton cloths that were once burp cloths for babies. But mopping the floor is going to be a challenge. I have a combination of ceramic tile, marble tile and laminate flooring. I also have three cats and a boyfriend. And I'm a neat freak.
So, I'm in need of some how to clean my floors suggestions. And just as soon as I get done with this very last Swiffer pad, I'm putting the mop and the remaining cleaning solution up on Freecycle.
Switching to natural face cleaner was really no biggie. I was out of my usual stuff, and I replaced it with something natural. And this stuff is nice - smooth, gentle, and has a faint smell to it that reminds me of the stuff they use on my face at the salon when I have a facial. Speaking of that facial, I had it on Tuesday, and I was due. I have one every 12 weeks, so 4 times a year. I think the salon would like to see me more often, but frankly, I can't afford the cost or the time. Every time I have one, I am told that my pores are clogged and my skin is dry and if I would just start using their overpriced salon products, my skin would be so much happier. But this time, when I told them that I was only interested in natural products for my skin, they had nothing to sell me. Refreshing, and disturbing.
I care about my skin, really I do. I'm a redhead, so I stay out of the sun, use sunblock often and I try to muster the motivation to moisturize. But I ride a motorcycle, out in the wind. I fret over freckles. I drink copious amounts of water. Skin cancer runs in my family. It seems like taking care of my skin/hair body, is a full time job. Why is it that to do anything well, it is like a full time job? Does anyone else ever feel as overwhelmed as I do? Why is good enough never good enough?
Enough with the rant. Today, no more Swiffer products. It doesn't take any kind of smarts to see that all these disposable (not recyclable) cleaning pads and dusters are not eco-friendly. And really, you mop with that pad, wiping the dirt all over your floor, and your floor isn't much cleaner at the end. Dusting isn't a problem. I'll just use some cloths. My mother uses soft cotton cloths that were once burp cloths for babies. But mopping the floor is going to be a challenge. I have a combination of ceramic tile, marble tile and laminate flooring. I also have three cats and a boyfriend. And I'm a neat freak.
So, I'm in need of some how to clean my floors suggestions. And just as soon as I get done with this very last Swiffer pad, I'm putting the mop and the remaining cleaning solution up on Freecycle.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Day 36 Canning and Preserving
For the past week or so, I've been eating vegetables that were grown locally, and using those vegetables to make soup, which I am canning/jarring for winter. All of this stems from my good friends Ellen and Justin, who took up the 100 mile diet challenge roughly a month ago. You should know that Ellen is the best friend of my boyfriend, so this poor man has no end of eco-chatter and healthy cooking going on around him. He takes it in stride, and who knows? It might inspire him to eat healthier.
But I digress. Canning and preserving is SO EASY! Seriously, I went to Canadian Tire, bought my jars and labels, got out my canning books, and got to work. I now have over 5 litres of soup, 1 litre of raspberry jam and an equal amount of marinara sauce, and it's TASTY! I'm going to be eating so well this winter. What is better on a snowy night than some homemade soup, made with fresh, locally grown vegetables?
I'm psyched. But now comes the problem of where to put all these jars. You should know that I live in a 650 sq ft condo, 12 stories up, on the shore of Lake Ontario. I have no basement, no root cellar, limited space and a boyfriend with more patience than most men. Ellen got me thinking about how I could utilize the smidgen of extra space in the tiny laundry room to fit in a small freezer chest surrounded by shelves for my canned goods. Cripe. I love this condo, but it's TINY.
But I digress. Canning and preserving is SO EASY! Seriously, I went to Canadian Tire, bought my jars and labels, got out my canning books, and got to work. I now have over 5 litres of soup, 1 litre of raspberry jam and an equal amount of marinara sauce, and it's TASTY! I'm going to be eating so well this winter. What is better on a snowy night than some homemade soup, made with fresh, locally grown vegetables?
I'm psyched. But now comes the problem of where to put all these jars. You should know that I live in a 650 sq ft condo, 12 stories up, on the shore of Lake Ontario. I have no basement, no root cellar, limited space and a boyfriend with more patience than most men. Ellen got me thinking about how I could utilize the smidgen of extra space in the tiny laundry room to fit in a small freezer chest surrounded by shelves for my canned goods. Cripe. I love this condo, but it's TINY.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Day 35 Switch to electronic billing
This one makes perfect sense to me. Less paper, overall mail weighs less thus using less gas to transport, and it's one less thing that I have to file. Now, I only get two bills in the mail. One is my credit card bill, and the other is a paper statement of my motorcycle payment, which gets paid directly from my checking account. I really don't need either of these things in my life, and electronic statements would be just fine.
Not going to happen. My bank (CIBC) and Harley-Davidson Financial Services do not have paperless options. I called. I cajoled. I explained that they would save money (companies love saving money, right?) and to no avail.
*grumble*
Not going to happen. My bank (CIBC) and Harley-Davidson Financial Services do not have paperless options. I called. I cajoled. I explained that they would save money (companies love saving money, right?) and to no avail.
*grumble*
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Day 33 and 34 Composting and taking public transit when practical
Ah compost. My family members with yards and gardens have been doing it for years, spreading the lovely earth they make on their land to enrich and fertilize the soil. As my parents did not garden, and as I have spent the past 10 years living in dorms or apartment/condo style living, I never thought I would have the opportunity to do this oh-so-basic form of recycling. But no! It has been proven that those of us living in boxes in the sky can indeed break down our organic waste into something useful.
To be fair, this composting couldn't come at a better time. And to be honest, before now, I never produced much organic waste in the form of vegetable and fruit trimmings. But since adopting canning and preserving as a hobby/way of life last week, I've been producing an awful lot of vegetable and fruit bits. So much so, the bowl on my counter where I toss such things as I cook was overflowing.
"Tomorrow, we compost." I said to my boyfriend.
"Ok" he said, knowing that this wouldn't involve or effect him and his life could continue as it does.
Unlike Vanessa, I did not research compost bins beforehand. I just showed up at Home Depot at 8am yesterday morning and expected that all my wishes would be met by the cheerful folks in orange aprons. Turns out, Home Depot no longer sells composting units (back when Vanessa wrote her entry on composting, they did). My helpful, chatty and flirty sales guy had no idea why, since he believed that composting was a good idea. (I liked this guy right off the bat - he had a penguin embroidered on the pocket of his polo shit - score! When I mentioned it to him, he confessed to not liking penguins, for a variety of silly reasons - boo.)
I then suggested that he sell me the materials to build my own. Being that it was early in the morning and he wasn't busy, we sauntered over to the computer station and started googling compost bins. We hit upon this website right away, and things looked promising. After some deliberation and friendly banter, it was decided that I would make this model, and the supplies were cheap and easily attainable.
We had a lovely stroll to the paint department to obtain the buckets and lids, and he even escorted me to the self-checkout. I made the fatal mistake of asking how old he was.
"21, and how old are you?"
"28"
"Oh damn," he said, "That invalidates you."
"What!" I exclaimed, "Invalidates me for what?"
"I can't date you" he said. "You're too old."
This is the first time I've ever heard that one, and I can say it was none too pleasant. It still stings, when I think about it. *sigh*
Back home with my buckets, the website suggests you use a screwdriver and hammer to punch holes in the bucket. This was ok for the top and bottom, but when it came to the slippery curved sides, this method just wasn't cuting it.
"Why am I struggling here?" I said out loud. "I have a drill!"
The power drill made short work of that bucket, and in no time I was filling it with some soggy paper, my kitchen scraps, and some soil for good measure. I figure I'll turn it once a week, and really, I can't wait for some great compost. Now I just have to figure out what I am going to do with it.
I can also see that I am going to outgrow this bucket fairly quickly, so I'll have to get another one to handle the overflow. I'm not going to do the vericulture thing, as it creeps my boyfriend out. I'm learning to be green and compromising.
Before we leave the subject of composting, the website has a great table of things that are compostable. This will really help.
Today, I'm going for a haircut. I only get one once ever 3 months, as I WILL realize my dream of having long hair someday. My salon is in this trendy part of town known as Yorkville, where the parking is expensive. I could take the car and pay $18 to park it, I could take the motorcycle and pay $18 and wreck my hair with a helmet, or I could pay $5.50 to get there and back by transit. Saving money and the environment, one day at a time.
To be fair, this composting couldn't come at a better time. And to be honest, before now, I never produced much organic waste in the form of vegetable and fruit trimmings. But since adopting canning and preserving as a hobby/way of life last week, I've been producing an awful lot of vegetable and fruit bits. So much so, the bowl on my counter where I toss such things as I cook was overflowing.
"Tomorrow, we compost." I said to my boyfriend.
"Ok" he said, knowing that this wouldn't involve or effect him and his life could continue as it does.
Unlike Vanessa, I did not research compost bins beforehand. I just showed up at Home Depot at 8am yesterday morning and expected that all my wishes would be met by the cheerful folks in orange aprons. Turns out, Home Depot no longer sells composting units (back when Vanessa wrote her entry on composting, they did). My helpful, chatty and flirty sales guy had no idea why, since he believed that composting was a good idea. (I liked this guy right off the bat - he had a penguin embroidered on the pocket of his polo shit - score! When I mentioned it to him, he confessed to not liking penguins, for a variety of silly reasons - boo.)
I then suggested that he sell me the materials to build my own. Being that it was early in the morning and he wasn't busy, we sauntered over to the computer station and started googling compost bins. We hit upon this website right away, and things looked promising. After some deliberation and friendly banter, it was decided that I would make this model, and the supplies were cheap and easily attainable.
We had a lovely stroll to the paint department to obtain the buckets and lids, and he even escorted me to the self-checkout. I made the fatal mistake of asking how old he was.
"21, and how old are you?"
"28"
"Oh damn," he said, "That invalidates you."
"What!" I exclaimed, "Invalidates me for what?"
"I can't date you" he said. "You're too old."
This is the first time I've ever heard that one, and I can say it was none too pleasant. It still stings, when I think about it. *sigh*
Back home with my buckets, the website suggests you use a screwdriver and hammer to punch holes in the bucket. This was ok for the top and bottom, but when it came to the slippery curved sides, this method just wasn't cuting it.
"Why am I struggling here?" I said out loud. "I have a drill!"
The power drill made short work of that bucket, and in no time I was filling it with some soggy paper, my kitchen scraps, and some soil for good measure. I figure I'll turn it once a week, and really, I can't wait for some great compost. Now I just have to figure out what I am going to do with it.
I can also see that I am going to outgrow this bucket fairly quickly, so I'll have to get another one to handle the overflow. I'm not going to do the vericulture thing, as it creeps my boyfriend out. I'm learning to be green and compromising.
Before we leave the subject of composting, the website has a great table of things that are compostable. This will really help.
Today, I'm going for a haircut. I only get one once ever 3 months, as I WILL realize my dream of having long hair someday. My salon is in this trendy part of town known as Yorkville, where the parking is expensive. I could take the car and pay $18 to park it, I could take the motorcycle and pay $18 and wreck my hair with a helmet, or I could pay $5.50 to get there and back by transit. Saving money and the environment, one day at a time.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Day 31 and 32 - Planting an herb garden and adopting the Diva Cup
One was certainly easier than the other, both were incredibly messy, both will save me money, but only one produces tasty results.
The herb garden has been something I've dreamed of for years, and it is only this year that I have really had the time to tend a garden of any sort. Problem was, it is mid-August and no garden centres are stocking herb plants, or even seeds. I didn't know what to do, until I casually mentioned my dilemma to a kindly old lady over flats of organic raspberries (4 half pints for $5!) and she mentioned a garden centre that would be sure to have some plants, as well as seeds, and it was nearby to boot. Score!
Sure enough, I was soon the proud owner of a large window box, a heavy (and wet) sack of beautiful black soil, and 8 kind of herbs - peppermint, lavender, oregano, chives, basil, parsley, mint and rosemary, which came in it's own pot and looks like quite the hearty shrub. Digging in the dirt gives me such pleasure, and I am happy when I'm surrounded by green and growing things. This herb garden makes me smile every time I look at it.
My beef with buying grocery store herbs is that they are too expensive, and I often end up throwing most of them out, after using what my recipe called for. Sure, $2 for a giant bunch of cilantro is a good deal, but what am I going to do with it all? This way, I can just trot on over to my window box and snip what I need. Brilliant, I tell you.
The Diva Cup. *Sigh* I knew this day was coming. I was hoping for my usual early warning system of cramps to let me know when I should be making this purchase. Not so. Ever since I got off the pill in June, my body has had a mind of it's own (not to mention the less than flattering skin quality that I'm now living with). Last night, my monthly gift showed up with no warning and at full force. Lovely. I had one tampon left, and that was supposed to tide me until I could make it to the store. Nope. It was in quiet desperation I snatched the device from the check-out belt, even before my boyfriend had paid for it, and made a bee-line for the grocery store bathroom. Once inside, I hurriedly read the instructions once more (I was quite familiar already, having studied and agonized over this product online) and went to make the first attempt. Suddenly, a little boy knocked on the bathroom door and and "hello?" I froze and said nothing. The I hear "Mom, the bathroom door is locked and I really gotta go!" Oh shit. Meanwhile, this cup is NOT going in. I cram myself full of toilet paper, wash up and rush out of the bathroom, apologizing to the little boy and his mother and hoping he makes it in time.
Crisis averted, we went to visit my friend, who works as a dog trainer at a local pet store. She was in the middle of a puppy class, so we strolled the store, cooed over the kittens, and finally got a chance to talk to her.
"I bought the Diva Cup today," I said.
"And how do you feel about that?" This is her favorite question in the world. I hear it at least once a day when I'm with her. She should have been a shrink.
"Well, I didn't get it in on the first try, but I'm going to try again when I get home." I said.
"I hope it works better for you than that natural deodorant you've been using."
Fantastic.
Once home, the struggle continued. You'd think I was trying to kill something in the bathroom, for the mess it made, but I have to say, I was victorious, and aside from feeling slightly bloated, I'm ok. We'll see what happpens tonight when it comes time to take it out.
Mother Earth, I love you. Oh yes, I do.
The herb garden has been something I've dreamed of for years, and it is only this year that I have really had the time to tend a garden of any sort. Problem was, it is mid-August and no garden centres are stocking herb plants, or even seeds. I didn't know what to do, until I casually mentioned my dilemma to a kindly old lady over flats of organic raspberries (4 half pints for $5!) and she mentioned a garden centre that would be sure to have some plants, as well as seeds, and it was nearby to boot. Score!
Sure enough, I was soon the proud owner of a large window box, a heavy (and wet) sack of beautiful black soil, and 8 kind of herbs - peppermint, lavender, oregano, chives, basil, parsley, mint and rosemary, which came in it's own pot and looks like quite the hearty shrub. Digging in the dirt gives me such pleasure, and I am happy when I'm surrounded by green and growing things. This herb garden makes me smile every time I look at it.
My beef with buying grocery store herbs is that they are too expensive, and I often end up throwing most of them out, after using what my recipe called for. Sure, $2 for a giant bunch of cilantro is a good deal, but what am I going to do with it all? This way, I can just trot on over to my window box and snip what I need. Brilliant, I tell you.
The Diva Cup. *Sigh* I knew this day was coming. I was hoping for my usual early warning system of cramps to let me know when I should be making this purchase. Not so. Ever since I got off the pill in June, my body has had a mind of it's own (not to mention the less than flattering skin quality that I'm now living with). Last night, my monthly gift showed up with no warning and at full force. Lovely. I had one tampon left, and that was supposed to tide me until I could make it to the store. Nope. It was in quiet desperation I snatched the device from the check-out belt, even before my boyfriend had paid for it, and made a bee-line for the grocery store bathroom. Once inside, I hurriedly read the instructions once more (I was quite familiar already, having studied and agonized over this product online) and went to make the first attempt. Suddenly, a little boy knocked on the bathroom door and and "hello?" I froze and said nothing. The I hear "Mom, the bathroom door is locked and I really gotta go!" Oh shit. Meanwhile, this cup is NOT going in. I cram myself full of toilet paper, wash up and rush out of the bathroom, apologizing to the little boy and his mother and hoping he makes it in time.
Crisis averted, we went to visit my friend, who works as a dog trainer at a local pet store. She was in the middle of a puppy class, so we strolled the store, cooed over the kittens, and finally got a chance to talk to her.
"I bought the Diva Cup today," I said.
"And how do you feel about that?" This is her favorite question in the world. I hear it at least once a day when I'm with her. She should have been a shrink.
"Well, I didn't get it in on the first try, but I'm going to try again when I get home." I said.
"I hope it works better for you than that natural deodorant you've been using."
Fantastic.
Once home, the struggle continued. You'd think I was trying to kill something in the bathroom, for the mess it made, but I have to say, I was victorious, and aside from feeling slightly bloated, I'm ok. We'll see what happpens tonight when it comes time to take it out.
Mother Earth, I love you. Oh yes, I do.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Day 30 - Switching to Handkerchiefs
It's been one hell of a day, bookended by tears, and I've gone through A LOT of kleenex. I awoke to my cat committing an unspeakably horrific act from which I may be scarred for life, and just now got home from one of those chick-flick movies I swear never to watch because I cry at the slightest hint of storyline tragedy.
Only trouble is, I don't own any handkerchiefs. Oh sure, I have plenty of fabric, and I'm not at all opposed to making my own, but the thing is, I haven't made them yet.
One more thing on the ever-lovin' to do list. I just hope to keep the waterworks at bay until I get a few done. Hmm...I could make some with a nice rolled hem, or perhaps with lace....
In other news, two reliable sources have reported that my Dr. Mist natural deodorant is, indeed, failing me. I started using it on Wednesday, which, coincidentally, was the first real day of summer here in Toronto. I even shaved my armpits to give the proverbial new kid a sporting chance. I don't think Dr. Mist is pulling is roll-on weight, and worse, I may have a slight rash. Today, I am deodorant free, in attempt to heal my skin. Lucky for my fellow humans I have a good supply of perfume, but nothing beats that sticky, somewhat foul feeling emanating from my pits. I'll see what the pits look like tomorrow. I want to give Dr. Mist a generous opportunity before I have to start scouting for a replacement. I hate throwing out a product before it is gone, but I have doubts that the Freecycle folks will want something that's been rolling around in my armpits.
To wrap it up - I made it through a month! Wow!
Only trouble is, I don't own any handkerchiefs. Oh sure, I have plenty of fabric, and I'm not at all opposed to making my own, but the thing is, I haven't made them yet.
One more thing on the ever-lovin' to do list. I just hope to keep the waterworks at bay until I get a few done. Hmm...I could make some with a nice rolled hem, or perhaps with lace....
In other news, two reliable sources have reported that my Dr. Mist natural deodorant is, indeed, failing me. I started using it on Wednesday, which, coincidentally, was the first real day of summer here in Toronto. I even shaved my armpits to give the proverbial new kid a sporting chance. I don't think Dr. Mist is pulling is roll-on weight, and worse, I may have a slight rash. Today, I am deodorant free, in attempt to heal my skin. Lucky for my fellow humans I have a good supply of perfume, but nothing beats that sticky, somewhat foul feeling emanating from my pits. I'll see what the pits look like tomorrow. I want to give Dr. Mist a generous opportunity before I have to start scouting for a replacement. I hate throwing out a product before it is gone, but I have doubts that the Freecycle folks will want something that's been rolling around in my armpits.
To wrap it up - I made it through a month! Wow!
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