Monthly Archives: December 2009

New Year Greenolutions

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This post is for the January Green Moms Carnival hosted by the ever so lovely Katy Farber of Non-Toxic Kids

Thank you for hosting !!

In recent past I have made certain green strides in my business, in my sustainability practices personally and professionally. However a recent home purchase and move has had me regress a bit in the way I am doing things greenly.

My New Year Greenolutions fall into these categories:

This Old Home
seasonal draperies, especially some that are more insulating in the winter
closing off rooms not in use
sump pump 101 and basement water concerns/leakage
reduce water usage ( less showers/full laundry loads)
reduce electricity usage – I am pretty good w/ this already
move washer and dryer to the basement ( i can’t stand the look or the sounds of it in my kitchen)
A Brand New Garden
I have no garden here – the potential is limitless and quite exciting
a good look at my budget will determine what I do here
can i grow seeds ? I’ve never done that before – how? where?
container gardening may be a good start to observe how things grow with the light i have
composting
collecting rain water
regrading – errr basement leakage
turning small lawn and parkway into edibles
Car Usage
I am doing at least one long distance commute a month now. ( although in january I have 3 – yikes!)
This means more gasoline spent – more mileage on my car. I have a compact car with great gas mileage
PLUS driving about town is more necessary here than where I used to live
I am mindful about driving in clusters or trips w/ multiple purposes.
Once I feel my hands can manage a bike I’d like to implement more biking – getting a bike again is a detail too
Plastics Mission
I’d like to continue to eliminate more plastic. I think the area that needs the most work is food stuff. Foods that come in plastic that I have yet to part with. Or found alternative sourcing for.
Meeting Like Minded People
I am exploring who I’d like to hang around with here and where I’d possibly like to volunteer my time. One idea is the local farmers market or surrounding CSA’s. I am investigating the artists community here as well. I am also not making any participation decisions quickly. After years and years of volunteering I’d like to make sure I use my time in a way that moves me forward personally but also has good business connections.
Share My Thoughts
I am ever so grateful to have a platform here to share my thoughts. Check back from time to time and see how I am doing and don’t forget to comment!  Let’s share the journey and have a great green year together!
A Word On Consumerism
I notice myself recently wanting. Wanting things. Mostly wanting things for my new home. It might be curtains, a chair here or a table there. Part of it is the appearance of my home and wanting to make an impression.  I adore naked windows, but my neighbors having access to me naked….well that doesn’t seem respectful – even if they do think I am a hippie!!  As hard as I tried to find used treatments – none appealed to the decor part of me. I  used what I had in some instances and then bought new and admit that the sheers I found please me.  I somehow feel guilty.  I haven’t figured this out for me just yet. Except to say that my home is where I work and so having it be lovely is very important to me. I find myself asking the do I want or do I need this item question ALOT.  I haven’t faced that pull to shop for sometime. This year for the holidays my budget was nill. In gifting I resourced my local thrift shops and found it exhilarating when I found something terrific and useful as a gift. The costs savings was absolutely amazing.  I’d like to get to know more of the second hand shops around here. Is shopping “used” still consumerism? 

The above image ( taken by me this summer  ) has a story.  My new yard was completely overgrown. There was potential for a little path next to the oak tree.  As I was wacking away at the weeds I discovered this path stone! If ever there was a sign confirming and affirming my decision to buy this home – this was it!!  I can not tell you how meaningful this is for me.

Can Money Buy Health?

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Ralph Waldo Emerson said  ” The First Wealth Is Health ”

This is from an insert that I have often tucked into my christmas greetings.
 
Written by Sarah Breathnach Ban from 1995′s Simple Abundance

“Money has to buy alot during this time of year, but can it buy gifts that count the most?  Can it buy love, a good marriage, vibrant independant children, creative expressiveness, inner peace and most of all can it buy health?”

Having brought back layers of my health this past year I really appreciate the strident, true and methodical steps one must take to find strength to get through yet another day

If I had to choose between the material things in life or the health achievements of recent years I’d choose my health in a heartbeat

“We can’t buy good health, no matter how much money we have. We can buy profound medical treatments but actual good health is not for sale.  Your health is a priceless gift and it’s only when we become sick do we get reminded how priceless it really is”

“If you have your health you have more wealth than all the riches in the world. A healthy mind, heart, reserves of stamina and an abundance of vreative energy to draw on, will have the world literally lying at your feet – with good health you have it all.”

“What is health? Is it the absence of sickness? Good health is vitality, vigor, high energy, emotional equilibrium, mental clarity and physical endurance. This is the health to pray for”

Sarah says, Take your vitamins.  She furthers says,  ”that if there is only one lesson I can inscribe into your consciousness… ask for good health and get real specific ”

Ask and get specific — ask yourself how committed are you to your health and well being? Daily are you proactive and immersed in building health? That might include activities like; like walking, drinking a ton of water, eating well, eating clean ( organic, without refined ingredients, less meat) taking your vitamins!  OR are you sedentary, a victim of the typical american diet and a victim of your health?  Lack of energy, being overweight and often getting sick would all fall into that category.


How can I be a support to you and be an advocate for YOUR well being?  I want to help!

What’s cool about prevention, nutritional supplementation and finding the right program for you and your health is that it works. Those who take supplements really do have better health!

 

energy meditation flickr credit

What I Learned From 2009,

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This post recaps 2009 for the WILF group writing project over at Robert Hruzek’s Middle Zone Musings. 

I haven’t been very active in this project lately. I apologize for that dear Robert. It’s absolutely nothing against you.  Life for me, especially this past year, got rather wiggy.

In deciding which posts to share for this years Blogapalooza,  I had to say the monthly musings for Green Moms Carnival really struck a cord. I started writing with this group of gals a little over a year ago. What brought us together was a desire to advocate all types of greenness and to unite our voices. Together we’ve had quite the year!

This sassy group of woman is as eclectic as it gets. From all parts of the country. Different ages, life experiences, new moms, empty nesters, some aren’t even moms!! However their call to influence and inspire has them all be a perfect fit for what we do. They are a spirited, passionate, funny as heck and a totally get it done crowd.  I am absolutely humbled by so many of them. In awe actually. I have learned SOOOO much from these ladies! 

Below is my recap:

January – The Virgin Tweeter That Could When I first started writing my blog,  I must confess. I had never ever been to a blog. I
had no idea what one was, what one looked like or how my concept fit
into the big picture of the blogosphere. I just knew they drove search
engine traffic somehow to my website and that I had something to say. How’s that for a bloggy business plan?

February – I Believe .  I believe in you dear reader. Readership for
a blogger is what fuels our writings and our messages.  Comments and
customers remind us that what we do brings value.  It’s meaning at a community level!

March – Spring Cleaning  My mother used mainstream cleaning products.  Oh the fumes of Mr.Clean, Pine Sol, and Bleach that permeated  the house.  That  toxic “clean” smell. 

April – Toxic Kids  As a teenager I was diagnosed with topical formaldehyde poisoning after using a sun screen that had been from the season before. The preservatives used in this sunscreen had “pickled” me!  I have had to avoid the sun ever since. These toxic preservatives are in many baby personal care products.

The Plastics Project  I personally got creeped out by plastics 25 years ago. Not because of the phtlalates in them or the outgassing or the fact that they sit in our landfills forever. I got creeped out by plastics because I couldn’t keep them clean.  Plastic containers seemed to take on the smell of whatever I put inside them.  Plastic bags seemed to degrade, or lose their value after time. I thought that was really gross.              

May – Moms Know Best  Moms have a gut instinct that rules the universe. When we are new to motherhood, we have to learn to trust this gut feeling. This
inner mama drive has us know when to hug, when to yell, when to scream
and when to say exactly the right thing at the right time. It’s pretty darn amazing.

Gardening This Mother Earth’s green thumb is more a
beautiful shade of brown. My outdoor gardens over the years have
usually been meager attempts at live vegetation. Truth is I am lazy. I
have in the past planted and then let nature do the rest. Meaning weed
overgrowth or sun scorching. I feel terrible that this has been a
reality for me but I thought I’d be truthful

June – Eco Confessions In the positive way to go green mama category, I am using packing boxes that I have had since 1985. I kid you not, I am packing in boxes that I have had for 24 years!!
 
July – Why Food Matters Please don’t call me a geek, but I believe in the
food guide pyramid.  I also believe in three square meals a day.  I
believe in vegetables and fruits.  I believe in whole grains, meat and
dairy.  I also believe in soy, seeds, legumes and eating raw. It’s
called variety and nature provides us with an abundance of it. I believe food is a gift of nature. I believe in clean food.  Simple food grown locally, without chemicals.  I believe in the seasons. Eating seasonally. I marvel at where food comes from. Seeds planted and nourished.  The sun, the sky, rain, winds and kumbaya. I know.  Kooky. Food. I believe in whole food goodness.

August – Back To School From a parent perspective, when I think of college,  I think of parties, germs – especially in those dorm showers, poor quality eating – can you say iceberg lettuce? Not to mention the likelihood of weight gain,stress and illness. With parents often miles away – what can we do?

September - Conserving Energy. Mine  The beauty of working from home is that my work day can look anyway
that I want it to.  I have been able to design business practices that
work simply and predictably. I think that that working smart
model conserves ones energies — namely MINE.

October – Green Standards And The Consumer  I’m all about going green. The greed of selling green is showing up everywhere. Very often it’s not green at all. The standards are confusing. Often there are no standards. Organic vegetables wrapped in plastic ?? Does that make any sense??

November – Saving Money With Green Means Female purchasing power totally rocks! As a matter of fact one statistic cited that 98% of purchases are made with the female influence.  I have heard quite a few folks say that they think our non-toxic biodegradable cleaning products are expensive. I often think to myself compared to what?  

December – Leaving Less Of A Footprint  Imagine yourself in the woods, surrounded by silence, sprinkled with light as it peeks through the trees.  The hush envelops you, and you are reminded of peace and harmony. Nature does that.  I have such an awe for the way nature speaks to us. It reminds us. It calms us. Nurtures us. Nature nurtures me.  I was taught to respect nature, to leave the campground as we found it as they say, or better. 

It’s Cold Outside And I Don’t Have A Thing To Wear

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I’ve never been able to look put together in the winter time.

I just don’t seem to ever have the right coat, boots, scarf, matching gloves or a hat that doesn’t look positively dweeby.

I recently bought a tailored red wool coat. It’s lovely. It attracts the multi-color hair of my dog like a magnet. Never thought about that when making my purchase decision. Its 80% wool makes me itch positively everywhere. That coat just isn’t going to work. It has to go back.

I also bought a zippy quilted black hooded jacket with nifty twisty clasps that I seemingly can’t get to twist. It too attracts hair of the dog faster than the speed of sound.

That coat also has to go back.

In the meantime I went into the bowels of my closet and found a circa 90’s coat – it’s actually a lovely micro-fiber, with a plush pile inside. It zips from the bottom to the top and has no give when you sit in the car. Can you say R-I-P every time you sit down? This zipper will not last much longer. Since the two coats have to go back I am wearing this ridiculous thing in the meantime. What choice do I have?

The thing with this coat is I have to shimmy it up over my hips in order to sit down in the car — to prevent further zipper ripping. When I am driving I have this spare tire of coat sitting around my waist – It feels positively ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is to see me get out of the car and wiggle accordingly to get the integrity back to my winter fashion nightmare.

Boots. I don’t get how one can wear high fashion boots with chunky 2 –3 inch look good heels, wedges or even date night spikes AND keep your feet warm, let alone navigate the sidewalks many of which are not shoveled, and walk with any grace or style.

Me? I wear clogs.  See?  It says it over there in my sidebar. I am totally afraid that I am going to fall.  I must really be 80. I like the idea of warmth and traction in a boot.   Practical boots don’t  “look” very good.

Most hats destroy my “do”. If the hat makes any fashion statement at all it usually doesn’t cover my ears. Earmuffs might seem like a good idea, but those make most of us looking like a puppy dog. Scarf wrapping is another approach, but then we get the static electricity thing going.

( sigh )

It’s 11 degrees out and I don’t have a thing to wear.


typical victorian wintergarb flickr image credit