Less is more

My newest distraction is living with less. I have been purging my belongings in stages and I hope to ultimately have less and be happier in the process. My first purge was easy, I took a few boxes and filled them with items I no longer had any attachment to and off the boxes went to the second hand shop. My second purge was a little trickier, I placed a large box in my office and filled it with belongings that I thought I might be able to live without. I left the box in the office for a month and anything I pulled out of the box within that month I kept and at the end of 30 days, whatever was left in the box went to the second hand shop. I have continued this second phase for many months and it has been easy for me to de clutter. I am preparing to launch phase 3 which includes removing anything that is not serving a purpose. I will create a seperate post just for this difficult phase so stay tuned.

Green Post Procrastinator

If you follow my blog you will notice I post once in a blue moon which is a total fail for a blog. I don't do it to have a following, I do it to keep myself from forgetting things I want to remember. If one person finds it useful or entertaining then it's a win-win.

I need to update from my last Green post and a lot has happened since then.  I am definitely a procrastinator with posting but I am not one with my green initiative. I previously decided to use the remainder of any plastic items I had in the house like Bath & Bodyworks lotion etc, what I discovered is I still have these items. I stopped using them and have not used them since. They are still sitting there with the same amount of stuff in them so I have decided to clean out and recycle the bottles so I can be rid of it. To update on the other items in my last post;

• All purpose cleaner: Recipe in previous post - works just fine

• Mascara: Fail - I tried an organic brand and my lashes started falling out. I only have a few to spare so I returned it. The store was very accommodating in returning the small fortune I paid for it.

• Face Cream: I have not ordered the honey girl cream as I am still trying to use the last of my Nivea so stand by for this update

• Lip Gloss: I made my own. After many fails to add color (beet powder, beet juice, carrot juice...) I was saved by a friend who gave me Alkanet Root. I used the following recipe however, I traded the cocoa butter for organic shea butter http://frugallysustainable.com/2012/02/how-to-make-naturally-tinted-lip-balm/

Now for the new discoveries I am using or about to use;

• Compostable Trash Bags: These work great! No tears or leaks. They are not big enough for my kitchen wastebasket so I put a small box in the bottom to accommodate. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013XRVNJS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00 

• Dishwasher Detergent: I have been using Ecover tabs. Sometimes the dishes are clean and sometimes theres still some food on the silverware. This might be a machine problem and not the soap. I will continue to use these as I think they work well enough for me. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080L99GC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

• Food Wrap: I have just ordered Bees Wrap for my food storage. Stay tuned for this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017MA0O9W?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00 

• Dryer Sheets: I have been using Mrs. Meyers dryer sheets. The scent is strong and they do not relieve the static. I have just ordered wool dryer balls and I am excited to try these. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0114Z2MM8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

Mean Green and Crazy Clean

I have had an easy time with the elimination of plastics. If I cannot find the alternative to something I am looking for, I simply go without. I am now moving on to the second stage of my earth friendly adventure and I will begin to eliminate toxins and chemicals from the house. I find it a little overwhelming to make the change as I still have plastic in the house however, I pondered the importance of tossing the plastic items or using what I had left and then tossing. I decided to use then toss. It is taking quite a bit of time to use all of the bath and bodyworks items along with all of my Clinique items but, it will be a great feeling when I have tossed my final plastic bottle into the recycle bin. 

For the chemicals, I will begin with my cleaning products and my beauty line. I have added a few examples and alternatives below;

Goodbye Comet, hello all-purpose cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water. Add a few drops of lemon essential oil to sass it up a bit. 

For beauty products, I will be using the following;

Mascara - For this one, I will try 2 home-made options Link HERE and HERE 

Face Cream - Honey Girl Organics: Link HERE. I will also be making my own face cream with the following recipe: Link HERE

Lip Gloss - LadyBugJane: Link HERE. I also make my own chap stick using the following recipe: Link HERE  

I will report back on all of these items and let you know what works and what doesn't. I will also add another list of chemical items to eliminate. 

Why Green

I am a slacker and it's no secret.

I thought I would take a minute to revisit the reason I started this "no-plastic" escapade. I am not an environmental activist, I drive a Hummer for gods sake but, I do care about things that are destroying this planet, I know, including my gas guzzling rig. Anyways....where was I....below are 3 steps to take (for anyone and everyone) because we all play a part in wrecking this planet.

• First, watch Plastic Paradise on Netflix: http://plasticparadisemovie.com/

• Then, follow Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii on their facebook. https://www.facebook.com/sustainablecoastlineshawaii?_rdr

• And then, make your short list of how you are going to make a better effort to eliminate your waste. 

Easy Peasy.

Let me know how it goes.....

Clean Green Camping

This is a little off track from my household focus....I had quite the adventure over memorial weekend and I'm not just talking about spending 3 days in the mountains. The plastic use while camping is insane! I was smart enough to try to pre-plan for the trip and I came up with some solutions to my usual camping waste;

Water -  Say goodbye to water bottles and disposable water jugs. Thanks to Dustin, we have 2 giant water jugs that are reusable. Link HERE 

Coffee - No more instant coffee pouches with single creamers, bring your favorite coffee (hopefully in a paper bag) and creamer (cloverleaf in a glass jar) and a coffee press! Link HERE

Utensils - Don't grab the box of plastic utensils, plan ahead and pick up silverware at your local second hand shop or ROSS.

Cups - I purchased reusable camping cups instead of the solo cups. they provided better use for oatmeal, coffee and even cocktails. (I decided to forego any straw use even though I have reusable ones.) Link HERE

Garbage/ recyclables- Don't use a plastic garbage bags, use separate buckets with lids to dispose of your beer cans and trash. Put the lid on when full and off you go. Home Depot has cheap buckets. Link HERE

Snacks - Forego the ziplocs! Use the containers your snacks came in or divide them into reusable Tupperware or glass jars. Also, fruit is a great snack with no container involved.

It definitely takes some thought and planning before you head out into the woods. Camp smart and camp clean.

Turning Green

Yay for green right?!

As I continue my greeness, I find it easier to adapt as the days go by. I am hoping to make it a habit where I don't give it another thought. I am struggling with getting my family on board but, slowly I will win or force them over to a non-plastic life. I have noticed and knew this would happen, my focus has gone from anti plastic to anti chemical. My assumption is these go hand in hand so my posts are now mixed with no-plastic no-chemical solutions to life. I have a few updates for everyone;

Kitchen:  Below are links to recipes for yogurt and sourcream. I am not a baker or cook but even I am going to give this a shot. I only use yogurt in my smoothies so it doesn't have to be perfect. I will be making these this weekend and will let you know how it goes. If you have better recipes, please send my way, or if you make your own, I will buy from you! (seriously, ask Heather, if you make it-I will buy)

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-sour-cream/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-sour-cream/

Bathroom: I have started using the sugar scrub on my face and I am hooked. On top of it actually working, I feel good about using a truly natural product. How about that summer sweat?! While I love the deodorant I currently make and use, I wanted to make something more similar to the store-bought deodorant that I could pour into my empty store bought containers. Currently I make mine in a jar and apply with a makeup brush. I made my first sturdier batch last night and this morning it looked great but it would not rise when I turned the bottom of my deodorant container....BOO! I will figure that out and let you all know.

My current recipe:

• 6 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1/4 cup of baking soda
• 1/4 cup of arrowroot or cornstarch 
• your favorite essential oil

Sturdier Recipe:

• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp grated beeswax
• 5 drops tea tree oil*
• 5 drops of some other essential oil (optional. I like citrus and lavender)

Laundry Room: I have been told that the Boise CoOp has soap nuts and so I will be purchasing those today. Arent you all excited to hear how it goes?! The suspense is killing me. 

Green Adventures

So I am well into my plastic removal routine. I am now very aware of the items around me that are plastic related. Also, in relation to the plastic removal from my life, I have noticed an overlap of chemical free items now on my radar. Personally, I do believe that the chemicals are more detrimental to my personal well being and I am trying to incorporate that into my "Going Green...errrr". I have some updates from my previous post along with additional thoughts and findings.

Kitchen:In regards to condiments, I have found ketchup and mustard in cans at Cash-N-Carry along with glass bottles. It does come in bulk but I can survive that. I have yet to find an alternative package for sourcream and yogurt. SAD FOR ME. But, for the bulk spices, I am now aware that you can bring your spice container with you and have customer service weigh it before you fill it with spices. This now eliminates my worry of overpaying due to weight and removes the plastic bag use. WIN FOR ME - YAY!

Bathroom: Heather has successfully created a shampoo bar so I am excited to put that to the test but,  am still in the process of finding a Conditioner alternative.  I have been experimenting with different dilutes of coconut oil and shae butter - Still in experimental phase. I have made my own toothpaste using cocnut oil, baking soda and peppermint oil. I waited until my current tube of toothpaste was empty, then cut the end off and am using it for my new mixture. I use a little chip clip from pampered Chef to keep the end closed. The recipe link is HERE. I have acquired a body scrub (again from Heather) that contains sugar, lemon, and lavender. It works great but I have not tried it on my face. There are many places you can find "homemade" toiletries but, beware, they might say all natural and contain chemicals and ingredients that are not sustainably gathered. I will also be starting to replace my makeup and wont that be fun! I will start with Lady Bug Jane products that are not in plastic and go from there.

Dining Out: I am a sucker for dining out and I have been observing the different uses of plastic in restaurants. I obviously want to support establishments that make an effort to be environmentally friendly but, I also need to know what I can do to lessen the impact. My initial findings were to not use straws and to avoid takeout containers. Some of my recent visits have found the following;
Sockeye Brewery - reusable containers side sauces and paper to-gos
Yard House - Glass sauce dishes
Highlands Hollow - paper togo boxes

I was sent a great starter link in regards to alternatives for many household items, the link is HERE and I will update you all with my opinions of the items I use. I will be starting with the soap nuts and coffee grounds as an exfoliate. Heather has made a coffee ground soap and will be making another version shortly, I will let you know how it goes.