Going Green.....errrrr?

In my constantly random adventure I call life, I have decided to try to become a little on the greener side. I recycle/reuse and refrain from littering however, those actions are simple and seem trivial in the bigger picture that is our Earth. This new drive began when I decided to watch a documentary on Netflix called Plastic Paradise. I pondered for a few minutes after the documentary and decided I needed to put extra effort into what I feel is my responsibility to preserve the world in which I dwell. I began by making a list of the plastics I use in each room of the house and I have spent weeks finding and testing out non-plastic alternatives. This is an ongoing effort and experiment so some of my findings are still in motion. My first focus is of course plastic and my goal is to eliminate 95% of my current plastic waste, I will focus on chemical make up and other toxic things later.

Kitchen 

• Milk: I now purchase Cloverleaf Creamery milk and creamer which comes in glass bottles. It is local and I can return the bottles for reuse. 
• Condiments: I have found glass containers for ranch, jelly, PB, horseradish and mayo. I purchase cubes of butter instead of the plastic buckets/containers. I have yet to purchase sour-cream, yogurt, ketchup or mustard in glass jars (stay tuned)  
• Storage/Ziplocs: I have reusable plastic tupperware but prefer to use glass and I save my pickle jars for use as tupperware and MollyMarys. When it comes to ziplocs, I have made an effort to use the tupperware in lieu and while tupperware is ideal, I have used butcher paper to wrap sandwiches for my daughter's lunch to avoid the ziplocbags. 
• Spices: WinCo has every spice I need in bulk. I reuse the spice bottles I already have and save the plastic bulk bag to use on my next spice trip to the store. You can also buy spaghetti, candy, snacks, cereal and even dog treats in bulk. The key here is to reuse the plastic bulk bags or find an alternative that doesn't add too much weight to the bulk product. 
• Water bottles: I have purchased a water cooler from Home Depot and pick up the reusable 5 gallon water bottles. Yes, tap water works too but the cooler actually encourages/reminds the family to fill their Nalgene bottles before we leave the house. 
• Solo Cups: I am notorious for having solo drink cups and solo side cups for jello shots and such. I have purchased many cute "patio" cups that are dishwasher safe. As far as the jello shots, my friends will no longer enjoy the single serve option and will have to suffer through using a serving spoon or two. 
• Straws: I have purchased hard plastic reusable straws for the kitchen and while they are not dishwasher safe, they are a great alternative to the disposable ones. 
• Soda: while I do not consume a lot of soda, I do find it necessary for my kalimoxos so I pay a little more to buy the cans instead of the liter bottles. 

Bathroom

• Deodorant: I have made my own deodorant and I love it! I make it in a glass jelly jar with coconut oil, baking soda, and an antibacterial essential oil (OnGuard - Doterra) 
• Face Cream: I have found Nivea face cream in a glass jar. Clinique also offers glass for some of their creams if you don't mind spending $30 for 2ozs. 
• Makeup Remover: Coconut oil is a great eye makeup remover but I do not use it as a face cream as it breaks out my chin for some reason. 
• Shampoo and Conditioner: This category has been difficult for me. Remember that my first focus is removal of plastics in the house....I searched the web and called every store in town looking for shampoo and conditioner in a glass bottle, no luck. I tried to make my own shampoo with baking soda and ginger and lemon essential oils - it smelled amazing but my hair hated it. I tried to use coconut oil as conditioner - my hair hated it. I tried using apple cider vinegar as a detangle rinse - my hair loved it, but I could not stand the smell (the smell dissipates when you dry your hair but I just can't do it frequently due to the smell. I even infused spices into it....uck) I finally solved part of my problem and have found that shampoo bars work great and they can be found at a few stores in town or easily ordered online. There are different types of shampoo bars so you need to find one that works for you, for instance, my hair does not like any citrus shampoo bar but loves the almond and shaebutter ones. As far as conditioner, I am still trying to iron that solution out - stay tuned. 
• Bathroom Cleaner: I will be making my own but in the mean time, I use comet as opposed to the plastic spray cleaners. 

This is as far as I have got. I have learned it all takes effort and I feel good about the decisions I am trying to make and pass on to my daughters. I will begin to track other alternatives and I will also write about greener options when you dine out. Also, I will list local restaurants that offer cardboard to-go boxes and use metal/hard plastic sauce dishes etc.....