2010 - April Plan- RESULTS

Purge Plan: Kitchen Purge #2 - Glass purge

During the month of April, I purged NOTHING from our glass stash. On May 5th, I have pulled a bunch of spice bottles (glass and plastic) out of the cabinet, combined some, and simply got rid of some that we've had for a bunch of years.

Green Plan: (From Easy Green Living by Renee Loux)

>Get a low-flow toilet, or make your existing toilet low flow:

Already had.

>Don't be a drip - fix leaky faucets and toilets:

Hm. I have one to fix. I'll call today.

Holistic Moms Green Plan: Breast feed. Whelp, I don't need a month to work on this. I have been nursing for 5 1/2 years, and we're still going strong. =)

I haven't done well in the area of PURGE in April. Perhaps I can renew my efforts for May. Hmmmm...

2010 - March Plan - Results

March Plan Results!


Purge Plan - March: Linens (anything cloth!)


3 baby blankets given to a friend for her kitty, who is preggo. =)
A few random things chucked...
Hubby has given me a few of his shirts to use as fabric to make other things

One bag of clothing to be donated to a local community center. It took the month ending for me to get moving with this. 


Green Plan: 


*Use unbleached coffee filters for a dioxin-free cup o' joe


I have used a plastic reusable coffee filter for years. My plan is to sew some reusable filters out of unbleached muslin to eliminate the plastic. But here it is April, and I haven't even bought the material yet. Sighs...it's a process.


*Install a water filter


We have one on the fridge that broke a long while back. We have a pitcher water filter, but the water was tasting bad with the last filter, so we've been drinking tap water..... I put another pitcher filter in, and that's what we're using for now.


Holistic Moms Network Resolution #3: Get a New Bag  

"Want to help save sea turtles and reduce dependence on oil at the same time?  Then commit yourself to using nothing but reusable bags - not just at the supermarket, but at the mall, the convience store, the farmer's market, and everywhere you go and shop!"

I've been using cloth bags for a long time, but I often, almost always in fact, forget to bring them. HMN suggests having cloth bags everywhere...in your car, your purse, etc. I think this is a good idea and will work in that direction.

I did actually put more bags in my car, but I'm not sure it has helped my brain to remember to bring them in the store more often, but I continue to try, and I often will refuse plastic bags even if I've forgotten my cloth bags, so ....

Overall this month was not as productive, purge-wise, as I had expected and hoped, but life just gets in the way sometimes. As always, I can continue to purge linens in April even though my main focus will be else where. I am getting rid of things, and ultimately, that is the goal. So, progress, progress, progress!

2010 - February Plan

February Plan and (eventually) Results:

Purge plan for February:

Kitchen purge #1 Get rid of all cooking items that aren't currently being used (pots/pans/small appliances).

Rusty tins, cleansers we haven't used in years, assorted other stuff - BYE-BYE.


Plastic soda can holder, knives, ceramic bowls, heading to DD's school after the winter break. Whoo-hoo!


Rusty nut cracker in the garbage. Coffee travel mug up for donation along with some plastic food storage containers that we don't use. A neighbor just claimed these two items plus a glass that we don't use.

Random things found in the kitchen cabinets...

More random unused stuff. 

All of our coated pots and pans and lids are being donated to DD's school. We are replacing this bunch of purge stuff with a new set: 6 pots and pans and 4 lids. Total reduction: 13 pieces out, 10 in = 3 gonegonegone. =) And we're upgrading...no more coated pots and pans. We're now going with a safer stainless steel set. 














Green plan for Feb:

3. Choose natural personal care products and cosmetics


We use Burt's Bees hand salve and lip stuff. I am hoping to find an alternative to Aquaphor that my skin will accept. I use natural shampoos for myself and the kids most of the time. Our soap bars are transitioning from Dove Sensitive skin to Dr. Bronner's castile soap bars. I am hoping to find a way to keep my skin outbreaks under control without using steroid creams. I currently use a very small amount of steroid cream nightly. I haven't used cosmetics of any kind for years.


I bought California Baby's Calendula Cream yesterday - an attempt to replace Aquaphor for our hands. For me, it failed after one use. I could feel my hands drying out after using it. That happens with every lotion whose first ingredient is water. Hopefully I can use it for something, because 2oz of the stuff cost over $12.00. Sheesh. Oh, and the packaging is very disappointing, too. Plastic bottle and cap, with a plastic "disc" over the top when you open it, sealed by more plastic around the top of the jar. The jar is recyclable (#5) but the rest is trash that won't decompose. Yuk.


I have purchased a bunch of essential oils, and am gradually finding ways of using them, blended, in our home. I have been using oils for diaper rash (if successful this would eliminate Desitin and similar ointments from our house.) I am hoping the oil blends can replace a number of personal care products in our home. I've been using Sweet Almond Oil (organic) on the kids after the bath instead of Aquaphor much of the time, with good results. DS has some eczema rashy spots, which I am paying special attention to, but they seems to be pretty manageable. They're not going away, but they're not too bad either....

4. Go for recycled, naturally bleached toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues


Progess:


I do not use paper towels, and we nearly always out of tissues. My kids use cloth wipes for their noses. I don't like them much when I'm sick, but I try to compromise. 

I purchased toilet paper this month that was made from recycled paper. It's more expensive, and we'll likely go through it more quickly than the 1000-sheet roles, but I will try to be more conservative...Actually it seems to have a lot of sheets like the others we've gotten. It seems to be lasting as long...Duh, there it is right on the package. 1000 sheets. Yeeks. :P

Holistic Moms Network Green Plan:

This month's resolution is an effort to simplify and to focus on what matters: eat whole foods.  Eat foods in their whole, natural state.  Look for foods that are the same as they come out of the ground or in their most natural, simple form.  Organic - great!  Local - fabulous!  But whole is our primary resolution.

Progress: 

I have already signed up for CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for this year's growing season. We have joined the same farm in the past. It is organic, and wonderful. Each week we pick up a share of the farm's produce, which varies from week to week, depending on what is ready to harvest at that time. The food tastes amazing (picked fresh as opposed to picked early and shipped), it's organic which I love, and it encourages us to eat veggies we may not otherwise try. I love it.

I am trying to be more cognizant of serving raw fruits and veggies as well as cooked with most meals. This is a tough area for me. But the kids LOVE fruit and veggies too, so I just have to HAVE them.

Exercise:


Walk in the 'hood: 5
Wii fitness workouts - 15 minutes most nights
Swimming with the kids: 3

From Jan plan: I gave away a bunch of kids' books to friends. The remaining books will be donated or tossed (some are in poor shape.) 


4 books given to Children's Museum (brought 1 home)

I've decided to move the cookbooks, and since I was going through them anyway, I decided it was a great time to PURGE. A bunch more stuff thrown out, recycled and donated!

2010 - January Plan - Results!

Results for January:

PURGE PLAN RESULTS:

Reading Material Purge:

Magazines purged: 39

I am liking the idea that I have been able to pass some of these magazines on to others to enjoy before they are recycled. I sorta wish people were more into sharing periodical subscriptions...

Newspaper purge: At least one each day

Book purge: 1 book sold on Amazon.com. 12 more listed. In the meantime they will live in the garage! 17 books thrown away (many were old text books.) 4 donated to the library. 2 offered back to MIL, who leant them to us years ago! 1 offered to HMN folks - to be donated to library in 1 week...(1/12-19) 12 to be donated to library or DD's school - will sit in the car meanwhile. Gone from car - donated. One bag of kid's books given to a friend, two more to be given/donated. One in the car, one on its way to the car.

Easy Green Living book-RESULTS:

Clean Kindly:

+Rejected soap nuts liquid for the dishwasher. Replaced it with 7th Generation power which has been great.

+Soap nuts liquid for kitchen clean-up is good. Really like to use castile soap for general household cleaning.

+Bought myself a bar of castile soap scented with Eucolyptus oil. Very nice! Suds a lot (which is not important to me, just a comment) and smells very nice! Aromatherapy while you shower. Unusual for me as I buy unscented stuff due to my skin issues, but this is all-natural, I'll see how my skins deals. So far so good!

+At my daughter's insistence we bought some "all natural" hand soap yesterday. Grapefruit and pomegranate scent. I have been sneezing ever since. I have run into this before with orange scented natural cleaners and have removed them from my life. Must be all citrus scented stuff. Weird. DD loves to pick hand soaps, and doesn't like to be limited to my castile soap concoctions, even when I put it in the foaming hand soap dispenser.... perhaps if I try using scented oils in it?...... She might enjoy making it with me...

Be Wise With Laundry:

+Soap nuts liquid in the laundry has been excellent. I started using Biokleen oxygen bleach this month, with good results.

Holistic Moms Network Green Resolutions: RESULTS:

#1 Ditch the plastic. Replace plastic water bottles with alternatives that are reusable, recyclable, safe

I have already gotten two stainless steel water bottles (Christmas present, thank you dear hubby!) I ordered two stainless steel water bottles for the children. I have thrown away a bin filled with all of our plastic bottles, sippy cups and plastic cups. (See photo in Plastic Purge Phase 1) .....The kids' bottles have arrived, and they started using them right away. They are the perfect size, and they have sport-bottle tops that are safe. My plan is to wash and fill them with fresh water every morning. So far it's worked great. The kids are drinking more water, which is good.

Exercise - RESULTS:

snow shoe/sledding adventure, kid-style: 1
neighborhood walk: 2
yoga: about 9 times
Joined the Y mid-Jan. swim with the kids: 4
hike w/family: 1
Wii sports: A few minutes most days beginning mid-Jan.

Beautify House-RESULTS:

Adding once again. Beautify house. I am officially really embarrassed to have people see our house. And now that DD is having play dates all over the place, I need to get my act together. Progress so far? NONE. Perhaps this will kick in in Feb.

I am very pleased with myself for having done all of this. I hope I can keep the momentum up for Feb! The results are good motivators.

2010 - January Plan

JANUARY PLAN


Green Plan (from easy green LIVING by Renee Loux):


1. Clean kindly: 


*Use plant-based, biodegradable soaps and detergents
*Use all-purpose and surface cleaners that contain plant-based solvents, and use ammonia-free glass cleaners
*Lose cleaners that contain chlorine
*If the ingredients are not fully disclosed on a product label (or you can't pronounce them,) choose a product you can trust


2. Be wise with laundry


*Wash full loads to get the most out of water and energy use
*Rinse laundry with cold water. 85-90% of the energy used to wash clothes goes to heat the water
*Use plant-based, biodegradable detergents that don't have chemical fragrances or dyes
*Opt out of using chlorine bleach. Choose oxygen bleach instead-it's color safe, fabric friendly, and eco-brilliant
*Line dry when you can. It saves energy and money and extends the life of your clothes


Purge Plan:


1. Get rid of all reading material that is not currently loved


I would love to have company in my efforts! If you decide to make any of this part of your plan for this or any month, let me know how it's going! We could support and encourage each other. =) I will post my progress throughout the month.