Progress...

I am feeling much better about things. I can't help it. I think I am simply a fundamentally optimistic person. I have a general faith that "things will always work themselves out." I have lots of good news to report.

I have visited the farmer's market twice and I have already decided that I need to find ANOTHER farmer's market. The one I visited was so busy and crowded that it was impossible to walk, I had to shuffle along with the kids clinging to my legs. Too stressful. There are a couple of other choices, so I will check them out in the coming weeks.

Last week, dh checked our power and water meters, and our usage is DEFINITELY down. I am sooooo pleased. I know that most of electricity use is down because it's the summer and it always go down in the summer, but I think it's down substantially. I won't know for sure until I get my utility bill. The reduction in water use is fantastic, however, because we have more people living with us than we used to. For the last month, I have had two adult roommates in the house, so I wouldn't have been surprised if the water use went UP, since they take showers and do laundry, too. Hooray for me!

This past week, I also did a major cleaning with ONLY baking soda and vinegar. I have tried it before, but I was never satisfied with the results. I would use baking soda to scrub the tub and the sinks, and vinegar for the mirrors. It only sort of worked. This time, I used baking soda and a wet cloth to scrub, and then I sprinkled vinegar on top, which caused it to fizz and foam. I scrubbed more while it was foaming, and it turned out magnificently. The tub was GLEAMING. I was thrilled. Now I know that I can get by without cleaners. I will still keep some Comet and Windex around, but I will only need to use them occasionally. Another hooray!

Have I mentioned that I stopped using shampoo awhile ago? I am trying to reduce our plastic consumption. Sometimes that means choosing a different product, or a different brand, and sometimes it means eliminating a product entirely. I decided that I could eliminate shampoo and conditioner. I read online that washing hair is actually optional, that your hair will be icky for awhile, but would balance itself out after a few weeks if you just stopped washing it. I'm not ready to face several weeks of icky hair yet, so I tried baking soda on my hair. Guess what? It WORKS! You just scrub it into your scalp, and it works. I have found it is much nicer if I mix the baking soda up with some honey to make a paste and scrub that in. I have heard that rinsing with apple cider vinegar is nice, too, but I haven't tried that yet. I'll let you know.

If you're squeamish, skip this paragraph. I bought myself a "keeper" and got to try it out this month. If you don't already know, a "keeper" is a reusable rubber cup that you use to catch your menstrual flow in lieu of tampons, pads, etc. Putting it in the first time was EASY. Taking it OUT the first few times was kind of tricky. I ended up calling a girlfriend (who has had her keeper for years) at 8am the first day to have her talk me through it on the phone. Phew! I think I have the knack now, and I will no longer be purchasing mentrual products. YAY!!!

Today, my dear, sweet husband brought me home a bicycle repair kit. I have a very old bicycle that I haven't ridden much since my kids were born, although I used to do a lot of bicycle commuting. The bike desperately needed a tune-up, but the repair shop quoted $100 to $150 to do it. I've spent the last two weeks dithering about whether to spend the money or not. Today, with the tiny little prodding that dh's gift offered me, I spent the whole afternoon cleaning my chain and my gears and generally tinkering, and my bike is good to go! Hallelujah! The whole family went for a bike ride together for the first time EVER. It was such a thrill.

I work on Tuesday night, and I am planning to ride my bike. It is approximately 8km, which isn't too far. I used to commute 10-12km to work in my life before kids. However, I need to plan for a lot of extra time, because I am in nowhere near as good condition as I used to be.

The more I think about it, it feels like a lot of the changes I am making are just going back to my "roots." I used to be a VERY environmentally-conscious student. I lived on-campus with some very green people, who deserve all the credit for teaching me everything I know. Eating less meat, creating less garbage, getting around on transit, bike, or foot, and not acquiring "stuff" were just part of the whole student lifestyle. Mind you, in some ways it's easier to be green when you have NO MONEY to buy anything, lol.

Wow. I just re-read my post, and I have actually had a lot of successes in the past month: reduced electricty, reduced water, 2 visits to the farmer's market, eliminated shampoo & conditioner, switched to natural cleaning supplies, and repaired my bike.