Manifesting and Making Do

Eva wearing her purple organic cotton photo taken at 9 months (2010).

Julien in Eva's hand me down, he will be 9 months old in February.

Eva, today, 3-years old.

2013 New Year's Resolution

Unplug from the media
Track every dollar
Slow down

February is the month of making do,  raining in the spending, living on less.  An exercise to prioritize needs and wants.  I  call it a money fast.  Fasting  detoxifies the body, similarly the money fast helps  eliminate the unnecessary. I welcome a simpler life, with less details to attend to, and more time to enjoy the present moment. 

My day starts with brewing a cup of coffee, while warming up milk for bottles, making my lunch for work, and breakfast for a picky eating three year old.  This multi-tasking whirlwind continues until all little feet are tucked into bed at night, way too late.

My strategy is to fund only priority expenses.  I will track all expenditures and refrain from buying.  I dread becoming conscious of my shopping addicted secret self, who lurks about on the Internet buying stuff.

Moments go by.....9 month old baby girl......now is 3........9 month old baby boy....soon will be 3.

Waste Stream Wednesday - What I Learned

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am stopping my household weekly waste stream analysis. A weeks waste analysis, preformed once or twice a year,  is good method  to become aware of a households waste stream. For example, I used up to three rice milk cartons a week.  I now make my own almond milk, which generates no cartons, great for my budget and super yummy, oh and I use the crushed almond meal for baked goods! 



What I  Learned

Choose products least damaging to the earth. For example I choose paper and glass over plastic.   Little decisions here and there add up in a lifetime.

Bring your own bags grocery shopping. Refuse single use plastic bags.

Letter writing  success?
Yesterday at Costco, to my delight I discovered that  my favorite wine is no longer wrapped in plastic.  I happily purchased the wine, voting with my dollar.  A few months ago, I wrote a letter to Costco and Folie a Deux, criticizing the additional plastic wrapping on the Menage a Trois bottled wine.

Eat organic vegetables, compost the scraps, and use the compost on raised beds to grow more veggies.

Filter tap water and carry a stainless steel water bottle.

Feel good about waste reduction activities,  actions are commitments to earth and its people.

My Goal

Attempt to make my own beauty products, including toothpaste and deodorant, using herbs oils and other easy to come by ingredients. The process of crafting skin products is enjoyable. Homemade is a lost art these days.

Make my own reusable cloth produce bags.  Maybe this winter when the rains come.

What I Could Not Implement

Toilet paper has received complaints in this family. The unbleached recycled one-ply, non absorbent, scratchy and down right unpleasant TP, has prompted me to purchase cheap, non-eco groovy, soft TP.

The food budget currently is more of a priority than avoiding plastic wrapping. Bulk items will be forgone if a better priced item is wrapped in plastic.  For example I am omitting grains and replacing them with nuts, Costco has cheap nuts, cheaper than bulk at the health food store.

No shopping week

This week I will not shop. I will not put any expenditures on the credit card. I will use what produce I have and cook out of the pantry. I am not sure how well I will succeed, what trail and tribulations I will encounter but I will focus on not spending a dime. Yeah, I love having goals.