Is it too late to still be talking about the new year and “resolutions”? To say I am grateful that 2017 is over is a bit of an understatement (It was a bit of a shit show for the world, right??). I feel like, personally, though, it was a pretty decent year. With a lot of hard work, we helped Marcus start to manage his anxiety. Mr. G. and I had the best year as a couple yet. (More to come in a future post!) Marcus started school and transitioned happily; I got to take a deep breath, and I can say without a doubt that my bathroom was clean more days out of the year than ever before!
Depending on the year, I have either been someone who sets resolutions or someone who hates on resolutions. This year feels different for some reason. I don’t know if it is because this is the first time in my life I don’t feel like I “need” to change myself or if it because I am not 100% sure of what is to come – planning for a whole year hard, but I am taking 2018 on with more of a reflection on the past and some intentions, instead of full on resolutions. Small changes that will hopefully make a big impact, not just in myself or my own house, but for others, too.
I know I am going to probably get a few gasps of horror, but it took a long time for me to start something as simple as recycling. I didn’t grow up in a home that recycled every scrap of paper or plastic, or much at all for that matter! Big boxes went into the green bin, sometimes the milk jug, and… That was it. When I had Marcus, I knew right away that I wanted to cloth diaper. Not only from a cost perspective, but from an eco conscious stand point. I started buy less plastic over the last few years, completely eliminated it from our kitchenware two years ago and finally got a recycling bin of my own this year, switched over to cloth dishtowel and cloth napkins, and have reduced our meat consumption drastically.
I want to keep making small choices throughout the year to reduce my impact on the environment and to teach Marcus the importance of caring for our planet. I have A LOT to improve upon, so it will be a process. But I know every little step will make a difference. Here are a few of the things that have already helped me and a few more that I can’t wait to implement.
Reusable Ziplock Bags – The first thing I cut out this year from our house was ziplock baggies. I was the QUEEN of grabbing a little bag for any and every thing. Snacks. Marbles. Legos. Batteries. Leftovers. Freezer food. You name it, I would find a zip bag to shove it in. And the worst part is, I would always just toss the bag. In a bin on the corner, or into my own garbage can. So bad, I know. I decided to get a bunch of large mason jars, some cloth reusable pouches and a few new pieces of glass Tupperware.
Tote Bags – This was a huge “duh” moment for me. How many random tote bags did I have lying around from all over the place? They seem to be given out like candy nowadays, and they were starting to pile up on the hanger I put them on. I decided to pop them in my car, buy a few larger ones and use a collapsible crate for anything that didn’t fit. Guys! If you don’t have a garage/live in an apartment like we do, this little crate thing is a total game changer! When Mr. G. comes to get the groceries, they are all just in the box and he just takes it upstairs. No more cutting off the circulation to fingers or making a bunch of trips up and down the stairs. It’s SO good! (I saw them at Costco during the summer for a better price, but just grabbed one off Amazon.) I still forget sometimes to bring them into Target, but I have gotten really good about always remembering when I go to the grocery store. #workinprogress
Reusable Cleaning Cloths – I cloth diapered, people. Why was using cloth for my kitchen so mind boggling? I seriously couldn’t get around the idea of not having paper towels. But then I went through an entire giant package in a month and decided that enough was enough. Instead of buying another pack, I used the 20$ to buy a bunch of dishtowels and washcloths from Ikea and then splurged on some nice napkins from West Elm. So far, there has only been one time where I wished I had paper towels, and it still wasn’t that big of a deal. I have different colors for kitchen/home and bathroom, which makes it no big deal at all.
Glass Soap and Cleaner Dispensers – I got my first glass bottle through www.grove.co. They usually hand out some kind of free gift with sign up, and I grabbed the concentrate cleaner to go with it. This was in JUNE, and I still haven’t had to repurchase any cleaner. Between this, a vinegar/water bottle and a half a lemon once in a while, I am good to go. This stuff smells so good, and I think it does a decent job as a multipurpose cleaner!
How are you trying to better yourself this year? Anyone going a little more green? Share with me your favorite tips and products for making your home a little more eco friendly!
Lisa says
I love your honesty here Maddy and great ideas! it sounds like you are making huge strides towards living a greener life. I have to get me one of those crates, it would come in so handy for the heavier grocery items!