One More Way To Go Green

I recently started to try to focus myself and this blog and write more about not just my struggles with healthy eating, but my attempts to be a little more green in my life.  I had forgotten about my desire to start hanging up my clothes after washing them versus just throwing them in the washer.  I had started hanging up my laundry in the basement while the weather was still cold, but recently got away from that when my laundry got a little out of control.  I was reading Facebook today and noticed that one of the pages that I follow, I also follow their blog http://greenlifestyleconsulting.com/, posted something about the weather here in MA getting nice enough to start line drying outside again.  I remembered that last year, I had wanted my husband to put up a clothesline in our backyard.  Unfortunately, we never got around to doing it since we had so many other projects.

This year, my goal is to get that clothesline put up and line drive all of my clothes!  The ironic thing about this is that if you had asked my just a couple of years ago, I would never have said that I wanted a clothesline.  I would have talked about how happy I am to have a dryer after growing up without one.  As a kid and a teenager and even until my early thirties, I remember hating the thought of line drying.  A dryer was so much more convenient.  Now, I am starting to think about what kind of impact I am having on the environment and what some of my practices are doing to me and my family, never mind the cost savings.  I am even thinking about switching to washing my clothes in cold water.  I guess I just always assumed that my clothes got cleaner using hot water, but at what cost?  I am also going to start using vinegar in my risnse cycle as fabric softener, especially since I am going to line dry more often!

I know that I want to continue to also use environmentally safe cleaners.  I am trying to remember to use vinegar and baking soda not bleach.  There is a new mop on the market that I want to get.  It has a refillable sprayer and a reusable cloth pad.  I am thinking that this will be something useful to clean up after the kids eat and throw food on the floor.  I think it may also just be a nice quick easy way to do daily clean ups on the floor and also use my own cleaning solution.

I am very excited that the weather here in MA is starting to warm up.  I am so looking forward to getting out with the kids.  I want to start exercising and getting some fresh air for me and the kids.  I also can't wait to start our garden, one more way we are trying to be more green.  I have started saving scraps for the composter.  I want to start a few plants with the kids so that they can watch things grow.  I can't wait for the flowers to start coming up again and  I can't wait to walk out myu back door and get food for my meals.

What are you dong to be more green?
Amy

Going Vegetarian

I am considering going vegetarian.  Maybe I'm crazy, but I really need to start eating better.  First of all I eat way too much junk food.  I realize that becoming a vegetarian is not the answer, but I think I eat way too much meat especially red meat.  I am not a major animal rights person with regards to being a vegetarian, but eating less eat would be a great way to start doing better with regards to animal rights.  I really need to start eating more veggies.  Becoming vegetarian or at least a semi-vegetarian would definitely help with that.  The other thing is that I don't deal well with too much fat in my diet.  Don't get me wrong, I love fatty food, it just makes me sooooooo sick!  Red meat is so high in fat and calories, plus if you believe the blood type diet, I should be eating more vegetarian anyway.  Plus, I really should look at the Body Ecology diet since that is a really healthy way to eat.  I really should at least do the food combining.  That may make things better for me health wise.  I think becoming a vegetarian will help with my belief that we need to start thinking about our impact on our planet.  I think the best way for me to do this is to start by cutting red meat out of my diet.  Then I can cut out poultry and fish.  I don't think that i am against eggs and dairy, but I definitely think that I want to cut down on those too.  Maybe I'll look into a vegetarian book.  I should never have gotten rid of my Moosewood cookbook.

My goal is to be the healthiest I can be, for me, my wonderful husband and my 3 beautiful kids!

Wish me luck!
Amy