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Sunday, December 12, 2010

Green is Not Just for The Grinch




   Okay so not completely related to the title but in our house we have been trying to make some changes in an effort to "Go Green".  There seems to be two fronts being pushed in the world of GREEN. First the avoidance of unnecessary pesticides and chemicals not only in food but what we are using to clean and maintain our homes, which with the increase in illnesses and disorders makes sense. Not that I completely buy into the mind set that chemicals are the only reason for the increase. I believe awareness and better diagnostic tools have increased the amount of diagnosis made. My interest comes from the mind set of  "If you put bad stuff in, you'll get bad results" so if you can avoid some things, why not?
    My first change was cleaning products. I had seen Seventh Generation products for awhile and was unsure of them but upon reading more about them in other blogs and my Good Housekeeping magazine I decided to give them a try when I had a two dollar off two coupon which made them the same price as my usual cleaning products. They clean just as well and while there is a thyme-y smell I figure it is better than a bleach-y, chemical smell.
We have also been trying to eat more fresh and organic foods when possible instead of processed or pre-packaged. We figure it is better if we make it and know what is in it.

The Second front is reducing waste. I am all for reducing the amount of trash we send to the landfills.
 Jim and I have been using these coffee cups. We got them with a gift card we received for the wedding from Bed Bath and Beyond. I love them! They are just like the coffee cups you get at Starbucks but reusable and at around $6 you won't be heartbroken when your husband misplaces it (better those than your nice coffee mugs).

I also have a few (3) canvas bags that I use instead of  grocery bags.  They are nothing cute, just some bags Jim got from competitions, but they do make cute ones with sayings and even pretty ones like these.

Have you gone Green in any way big or small? What are your favorite Green products?

2 comments:

  1. We've been recycling for over a year now. We had always saved pop cans for a former neighbor, but now we also have the little green tub to put everything else in. Bean was in my room the other night and noticed two things in my trash that could be recycled. She took them out and said "These can be recycled."

    We've been using green cleaning products for a while as well. I think they are made by Clorox. I like them because they smell good. We even use the dish soap. We also have a Britta pitcher so no more water bottles.

    I have been meaning to make some grocery bags out of old t-shirts. It's really super easy. I just haven't taken the time to do that yet. But we save all the plastic ones we get and reuse them. They are good for putting dirty diapers in and for cleaning up after a sick dog. We used to use them on dog walks, but Archie isn't really leash trained :(

    Going green isn't so bad. It just takes time to make new habits. Good luck with your green efforts!

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  2. Save cans, papers & grocery bags...use those for small waste cans & as dog pooper scooper bags. I am all about NO CHEMICALS a la natural!
    have a britta but still like my water bottle...will work on that one as we go through case water week easy.

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