these are the currency of my endurance
and ultimately of my life.
It's a workable economy.
BARBARA KINGSOLVER, Small Wonder
This has been a year of Big changes...and we've got even bigger changes approaching our little household in the near future. (First Home, mortgage, moving, finishing up Grad school, summer ministries...) But the subtle shifts are just as significant and carry just as much heft.
Earth Day is tomorrow. And while I'm not completely on the bandwagon, the tune is pretty catchy sometimes. I believe that some Green trends simply make good wholesome sense to this Mid-Western girl. I'm not going to put solar panels on our new home or start taking cold showers only once a week, but when environmentally sensitive meets practicality and economic sense... I'll play along.
So here are some of the small changes we've made in our home over the past year:
I've been changing my household cleaning products to Non-toxic. I don't have to sell a kidney on the black market to afford them and I don't feel like I'm breathing in death every time I clean the toilet. Some products earn bonus points for being pink and smelling like grapefruit :) I had used some greener cleaners in the past but I had a conversation with a sleep-study technician (I was literally a captive audience) where he told me his diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis was linked to exposure to chemicals...house-hold chemicals. SOLD...thank you Method products.
Another change has been to our laundry...more concentrated detergent with no perfumes or dyes. For the same cost, how bad can that be? And like my momma taught me, I ALWAYS wash on the cold setting. We now do laundry only once a week, so each Monday we fill our washing machine to the brim.
Finding these adorable linen bags at the dollar store prompted our change from paper to fabric grocery bags. No way was I going to pay upwards to $5 for tote bags. These are washable, lightweight, sturdy and the perfect size.
For other big-box stores that offer plastic bags, I got this. They get stored and re-used...to hold wet swimsuits, dirty clothes when traveling, and as our bathroom trash bags.
I'm planning on making more small changes as this year unfolds...to utilize our farmer's market once it opens, to use more breeze than A/C, be better at unplugging things when not in use, and use our town's recycling program. What small changes will be the currency of your endurance this year?
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