easy (& sometimes outrageous!) being green.

Happy Earth Day!!!

Remember way back in 2008, when I put into practice a bunch of new green activities?
Yeah, I...

1. stopped using plastic water bottles... and now use a KleenKanteen.
2. switched to natural bath products.
3. donate instead of just loading up the landfill, while decluttering.
4. shop organic.
5. stopped using dryer sheets.
6. became vegetarian. (I am now NOT vegetarian anymore. Defeated by bacon.)
7. made better choices in beauty products... because cosmetics are food!

... and finally, the one that got the most "What the hell are you doing, Nenette?!"...

8. I dumped the shampoo and conditioner all together for the earth- and body-friendly baking soda and apple cider vinegar!

It worked really well. See?

Sadly, I had to stop doing it when winter rolled around. My hair just became straw-like in the Winnipeg dry winter.

But I've decided to do it again this summer!
You want to do it with me? You know you do.


"So, Nenette, is that ALL you do to be green?" Of course not, silly!

Here's the rest of my green list...

1. Use a programmable thermostat to automatically turn down the heat at night.
2. Compost.
3. Made all my bills electronically.
4. Don't smoke.
5. Use wind-up flashlights and radios.
6. Enforce a shoes-off-at-the-door policy.
7. Use cold water for laundry.
8. Use a natural laundry detergent.
9. Use towels at least 5 times before changing them.
10. Recycle everything that can be recycled.
11. Use reusable bags instead of plastic grocery bags.
12. Use CFLs wherever possible.
13. Growing indoor plants.
14. Buy organic and/or locally-grown foods whenever I can.
15. Use Norwex cleaning cloths and water for everyday cleaning (diluted dishwashing liquid for heavier dirt).
16. Properly dispose of my used batteries at a local hazard waste depot.
17. "If it's yellow, let it mellow..."
18. Pick up litter when I spot it.
19. Continue to reuse our ugly fake Christmas Tree and reuse our favourite ornaments, instead of buying new Christmas decorations.
20. Have occasional "inside days" when we don't go out and spend money.
21. Participate in Earth Hour every year.
22. Own one vehicle for family use.
23. Live centrally where every convenience is in walking distance.
24. have a lawn-less front yard.
25. Use 100% recycled paper products (toilet paper, paper towel, etc.).

So, what's on YOUR green list?

7 comments:

  1. I'm going to have to balance you out and be as environmentally unfriendly as I can!

    Of course, I use Aveda moisturizing cream and the shampoo, which is supposed to be environmental, but then their bottles can't be recycled normally, which just seems ass-backwards to me.

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  2. Whew!!! What a long list.
    I'm not sure about the whole natural shampoo thing :)

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  3. I stopped shampooing every day. It was really hard at first but now I am much happier and so is my hair.

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  4. I gave up my beloved facial cloths for a bottle of cleanser. Now I just use a wascloth. Sigh.

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  5. Cloth diapers! Although it's not entirely clear that it's better to spare the landfill and drain the aquifer here in SoCal. At least all the work of washing them functions as penance for bringing resource-sucking babies onto the planet.

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  6. I have two kids in cloth diapers also, love them!

    We do lots of little things, in addition to some of the items on your list. We shop in bulk, avoid small packaging, and my kids take their lunch snacks in reusable containers. When we do use freezer bags, etc. I wash them and use them again. We use reusable shopping bags. We compost. I do our laundry in cold water (except the diapers) with half soap. I use mostly natural cleaning products, like baking soda and vinegar. We don't use disposable anything, except Kleenex. Lots of small choices on a daily basis can really add up. We're a family of 6 (like I said, 2 in diapers) plus I do home daycare and we rarely have one full bag of garbage to put out to the curb.

    And of course breastfeeding, the ultimate renewable resource! :)

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  7. Well done to you for living such a "green" lifestyle.

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