I'm on a journey to find health and happiness through a more holistic and green lifestyle.

I find the world to be abrasive. =) That is to say, I feel the need to armor myself, physically and emotionally, in order to face life. Don't we all? Maybe. For whatever reason, it has become a priority in my life to rid my immediate environment of irritating things. And I'm sensitive! So there is much work to be done. But. I have thought for a long time that the things I come in contact with every day, and the stuff used to clean and maintain these things, need to be gentle and non-toxic. I have had eczema my entire life. For a long time I just dealt with it, and accepted that sometimes it's bad, and sometimes it's not, and that it will fluctuate a lot. Gradually over time I have come to find that certain things, fabrics, cleansers, materials, are more irritating to my skin than others. Stress can exacerbate it. In more recent times, I have realized that every aspect of my life improves when I improve conditions for my skin. Hah! What a concept! Thus my (long time) interest in going green, and my more recent desire to live a more holistic lifestyle. (I think I've felt a desire for a long time to live in a harmonious way with myself, my surroundings, and nature, but didn't have a name for it.) Anyhow, this blog is a journal of my trials and errors, and basic crooked path to find a balanced and peaceful existence for myself and my family. Thanks for your interest! I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Paper napkins

Sometimes I go to fast food restaurants. I know, I know. But I do. Sometimes. And every time, I receive a stack of napkins. It doesn't seem to matter how much food I order. I receive an obviously quickly grabbed stack of paper napkins-way more than I need. It's such an obvious waste of paper. What's worse is I have seen, and on more than one occasion, a person grab a handful of napkins to wipe his or her mouth! Or use what he/she needs, but toss the entire bunch away. Agh! I collect them. (My own, not others!) I have them in the glove compartment of my car, my husband's car, and in the house. I use them when we're driving and the kids are snacking. I use them for those in my life who have trouble adjusting to cloth, even while visiting my home. I use them when we run out of cloth napkins. (We've been without a functioning washing machine for a while now.) I remember a former co-worker of mine once talking to me and others about an article she read. It discussed how people use far more paper toweling to dry hands than is needed. She went on and on about it, about how she is being more conscientious about it as a result. At lunch time this same woman grabbed napkin after napkin after napkin to wipe her mouth and hands! (No, I didn't point this out to her, but chuckled and rolled my eyes internally) People are people after all! But geez. And it's not just fast food places of course. It's everywhere. I guess the answer is to appeal to the restaurants themselves, or in some way have a dispenser so people can take what they need (prob not very helpful, but maybe) or something. It just seems like such an easy way to reduce waste. Thoughts?
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 3, 2010 at 1:04 PM

    This is funny that you posted about this, Dais, because we just received a bunch of napkins from our fast food dinner last night. As I grabbed the stack to throw in the trash (NO KIDDING--I really was going to throw them away), I heard a little voice of conviction saying, "Selfish." That was it, just the word "selfish" (this happens to me often when I choose to do what's easy, rather than what is best in regards to recycling). That's all it took--I put them back on the counter and decided to use them today...and I am!

    BTW--good job on the blogroll and the button!

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  2. DaisJanuary 3, 2010 at 1:13 PM

    Yay you! =) I think most people don't even think about it. I'm sure I threw away my share of clean paper napkins in my life time! There are so many things we, as a species, take for granted, especially in countries like the U.S. where it is easy to be wasteful. My mother always said, "Waste not, want not." I try to live by that. So much so that I have great difficulty getting rid of things. I'm always saving stuff that "someone" might want. Ugh! There's a balance somewhere!!

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  3. DaisJanuary 3, 2010 at 2:18 PM

    My friend just shared with me that in Taiwan, they use single ply paper napkins that are about 1/4 the size that we use in the U.S. Go Taiwan!!

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  4. Katie BreenJanuary 5, 2010 at 1:37 PM

    I've been making small efforts toward saving paper. After washing my hands in a public restroom, I now only take 1 paper towel. My hands might not get perfectly dry, but they're not dripping and they'll air dry the rest of the way. I also take home extra napkins from fast food joints. My car is littered with them and I put them out in my napkin holder at home!
    I've enjoyed reading your blog daisy and kudos to you for making an effort!!! I like to think every little bit helps!!!

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