I’ve been on the “green” bandwagon for a long time, and I do a lot of good things to that end, but I’ve been realizing lately that I need to practice what I preach a little more. So today, I’m going to be totally honest about what I’m doing, and what I want to do to really live the life I believe in.
I believe that everyone should do what they can to live a more sustainable life, but that what you can do looks different for every person.
For example, when we were in the market for a new car for me about five years ago, I desperately wanted a hybrid. But they were all out of my price range unless we bought a used one that was more than five years old. So, we made the best decision we could make at the time: we bought the smallest, most fuel efficient car we could afford, and it’s been a good investment.
My sister, as another example, told me she would like to buy more organic foods for her family, but because of where she lives, that’s just not an option most of the time. So she buys what she can and can’t worry about the rest.
If you can recycle, you should recycle. If it constitutes some sort of undue burden on you, then that’s your call and no one else should judge you for it. That’s the sort of “green” lifestyle change I espouse.
But there are things I can be doing that I’m not doing now, and I want to do more.
Things I do now: Gotta give myself a little atta-girl first. :)
- recycle (almost) everything
- compost
- buy and use only eco-friendly cleaning products (or make my own)
- buy and use 90% eco-friendly personal products, like shampoo (I am seriously stinky as a pregnant lady, and haven’t found a natural deodorant that works for me!)
- have a high-efficiency furnace with a programmable thermostat—and we keep the temperature pretty darn low!
- use fewer paper products—we’ve switched almost entirely to real towels, real napkins, and hankies and we’re committed to trying cloth diapering and reusable wipes when the baby arrives
- use a push-mower for our (enormous) yard instead of gas-powered
- cook and eat at home most nights a week and take our lunches to work
- switching to glass instead of plastic in the kitchen (a work in progress)
- buying many of our groceries organic
Things I would like to do more of: Each of these could be (and might be) its own blog post, but for now, I’ll make a list.
- commit to eating more sustainably: For me, this means joining a CSA this year and finding sources for local eggs, milk and meat.
- commit to a flexitarian lifestyle: We’ve already started this journey and we eat two to four totally vegetarian dinners per week, and I’m mostly vegetarian the rest of the day as well. But I’d like to make this a more important factor in my meal planning.
- buy fewer packaged foods: While I do buy a lot of my groceries organic, I’m still relying on a lot of packaged foods, like chips, crackers, cereal, canned beans and tomatoes and lots of sauces and condiments. It’s going to be a slow transition (especially with a new baby!) but I really would like to continue to cut down on the amount of packaged foods I buy.
- pay attention to what I’m giving my baby: It’s SO easy just to buy whatever is cute, or on sale, or whatever when it comes to baby stuff. And it’s a lot harder to find natural or eco-friendly products (not to mention more expensive!). But my husband and I have made a commitment to trying to pick out things that are best for baby and the environment, and I really want to stick with that.
Those are the biggies this year. Next year, when things are a little more settled with Baby, I’d like to have another go at gardening. Last year, we did OK, but we did learn a lot. We have a huge yard for a suburban home, and I’d really like to put it to better use.
We’d also like to look into things like solar energy and maybe putting in a fireplace or stove down the line. At some point, we also want to replace all the carpet upstairs and do so with something eco-friendly. I’d love to try having chickens, and Brandon thinks a lot about bees, but again, those are long-term goals.
The point is, we’re adapting in place; we’re taking this 1970s suburban home and doing what we can with it. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever be the sort to long for a little house on the prairie (or in the big woods), but I do dream of making this house, or the next house we’re in, a bastion of sustainability and a comfort to me, knowing that I’ll always be able to take care of my family.
