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, December 27, 2009

Green Plan for 2010

Ok, so I wanted to mention this in my last post, but it went in a different direction. So.. I got this groovy new "green" book for Christmas. (Thank you, sister dear!) It's called easy green LIVING by Renee Loux. What I like about it is it has numbered lists. I like lists. The first is a list of 25 easy ways to go green. Many of these are sort of standard "go green" steps, and I've done many of them already. But I've decided to use it as a sort of a guide for myself in the new year. I plan to implement two steps from the list each month. For the steps I've taken already, I will reassess my progress and stick-to-it-iveness in that area, and adjust as needed. Below is the basic list. I will post each month as I move on to the next two suggestions. I'd love to have anyone join me in my efforts, and if you do, I'd love to hear how it all goes! (you can comment here for all to see or message me privately) So here's the list. I'll go more into each as I focus on them.

1. Clean kindly
2. Be wise with laundry
3. Choose natural personal care products and cosmetics
4. Go for recycled, naturally bleached toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues
5. Use unbleached coffee filters for a dioxin-free cup o' joe
6. Install a water filter
7. Get a low-flow toilet, or make your existing toilet low flow
8. Don't be drip-fix leaky faucets and toilets
9. Kick off your shoes
10. Bring in houseplants
11. Plant a tree every year
12. Opt out of getting junk mail
13. Go veggie 1 day a week
14. Energy-efficient lightbulbs save energy, money, and emissions
15. Turn the thermostat down 2*F
16. Set your water heater at 120*F (49c)
17. Smarten your fridge and freezer
18. Use power strips and unplug appliances
19. Choose green residual energy service options
20. Buy local
21. Go organic
22. Take a cloth bag or basket to the store
23. Inflate your car's tires to their proper pressure to save gas and money
24. Get a travel mug
25. Recycle your cell phone

1 comment:

  1. By the way, if anyone is interested in more information on any of the suggestions in the list, let me know. I'm happy to share what I know and what the book suggests. No need to wait til I focus on it! =)

    ReplyDelete