Monday August 19th, 2019...Morning Thoughts

My Klean Kanteen water bottle. "More Ocean Less Plastic. The 5 Gyres Institute".

Things I’m thinking this morning in no special order....

I purchased this cute little frame 🖼️ in Ohio at Goodwill when I was out there visiting my husband's family. It is gold with small carved flowers. When I got home I realized that one of the pieces of art that I was looking for a frame for fit this perfectly and so I unstapled the back and placed the art in it. Then I used painters masking tape to hold the back to the frame. I did not want to staple the back to the art because that might have ruined it. I hung it up in my bedroom, but it fell apart off the wall yesterday. I am really glad it didn't break because it has a glass front. The back piece unfortunately only has a small sawtooth picture hanger on the back, but it didn't want to hold the weight of the whole frame. I think I need to find something that is more secure and maybe attached to the frame itself instead of the back. What do you use that works well and is secure for hanging your frames?

Yesterday I was very proud of myself. I finally remembered to use my reusable bottle at Dutch Bros for my Iced Apple Juice Chai I usually get. I wasn't sure they would fill it because it isn't one of their cups with a Dutch Bros logo on it, but they did. Unfortunately the drink I get is a 32 ounce usually and my reusable cup is a 27 ounce...so I was missing a little bit, but at least I am helping save the environment...maybe...you see, I watched them mix the drink and they used a plastic cup to do so, ugh! I might have to forgo going to Dutch Bros altogether. I could get the Oregon Chai and Apple juice at the store and mix it at home myself. I would miss the fun people working at Dutch Bros though and my husband loves going there. He probably won't ever stop getting his drink (a peppermint sprinkle freeze with whip) from Dutch Bros in a plastic cup with a plastic straw 🥤...unless Dutch Bros decides to change for the better. I wish corporations would be more environmentally conscience.

I also got some groceries yesterday at Winco and didn't use any bags 🛍️ because I had forgot the reusable ones out of the back of my car again. I was loading my groceries into my cart and the cashier asked me why I wasn't using any bags. I said I wanted to be eco-friendly, but forgot my reusable totes and I was just going to load the groceries into a foldable, collapsible crate I have in the trunk anyway. We, however; forgot a few groceries and so we came back and this time I was prepared. I brought the totes into the store with me. I am becoming more consciously aware of all the plastic and Styrofoam packaging around me. I had to buy toilet tissue 🧻 and the affordable stuff is all wrapped in plastic...wish it wasn't. I really don't know why it has to be.

Happy Monday beautiful people! I hope your Monday is wonderful!

Sunday August 18th, 2019...Morning Thoughts

Zari and her favorite zebra things.

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Things I’m thinking this morning in no special order....

My daughter, Zari, absolutely loves zebras 🦓 and zebra print stuff because Zebra starts with Z just like her name. We currently have a wall going up to her and Teela's room that has a huge zebra art piece. She was looking for zebra things while we were at the Farmers Market yesterday and I found a perfect little art piece that she fell in love with. We have yet to find the perfect wall for it, but I think that I might paint a wall in their room and place it above their rolling clothes rack.

I had a spider 🕷️ come down on its web from the ceiling while I was sitting at my desk and I felt a bit like Miss Muffet while she was eating her curds and whey. I freaked a little. I, however; have this cool little spider/bug catching device that I got a while back from blogging. It has a long handle on one side and a cup with a magnifying glass 🔎 on the other. The handle has a lever that you slide and when you do you slide the cup closed or open depending upon the way you slide it. I have become a lot braver since I got this. I got that out, scooped up the spider, and escorted it outside.

I was going through some of my old photos and wishing that I had long hair again. I used to have hair that went down to my tush, but I cut it 💇 short back in 2014 and it hasn't grown very much since.

I feel like such a hypocrite! I just got a FinalStraw a few days ago in the mail. It is a neat foldable, collapsible, reusable straw complete with drying rack, cleaning squeegee, and case. I used it yesterday for my Dutch Bros drink, but I still felt bad because my cup and lid was plastic 🥤. I keep forgetting to bring my reusable cup. I also have an abundance of reusable grocery bags/totes that I have yet to use. People (and that includes me) these days are just not wired to do this naturally, but I would like it to become habit for me. I really want to change, but change is hard and sometimes I don't know where to start. Then there is the rest of my family that still uses all kinds of plastic stuff...and they say they care, but don't seem to want to change. Baby steps 👣 though and maybe, just maybe, I will inspire them to do the same for themselves.

Zero Waste or Waste Free Living: My Challenge to You

Unfortunately humans contribute too much waste to landfills every day. If it is out of site it is out of mind. But really this shouldn't be how we think. Just take a look at your trash can and how much waste you throw away daily in your household and at your work place. It shouldn't be a lot, but I am fairly certain that if you haven't adopted a waste free or zero waste way of living you still have a fair amount of trash per day. Society has thrown us into the idea that if it is convenient it must be better. This is usually not the case. We need to remember the first R in the old adage Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Rarely do we think about reducing our waste because it is so easy to just throw the rubbish away. I am going to be doing different posts throughout the year of how I am trying to change my family's lifestyle to a more sustainable one and tips and tricks to help you do the same. I also have questions in this post for those of you that have already made these changes for the better.

I have been trying to find solutions to my family's huge amount of trash that we throw away every day. We recycle/reuse/repurpose what we can but I still find that we throw away an excessive amount of waste and I find that the majority of it is plastics and other things that cannot be recycled and packaging materials that are evil, i.m.o...like Styrofoam.

As a review blogger I get packages from all over the world. Some are packaged better than others. It is hard when you get packages with things packed in plastic, zip ties, Styrofoam, bubble wrap, and packing peanuts that are not biodegradable. I love seeing things wrapped in brown paper, cardboard, compostable containers, twine, reusable twist ties, fabric, yarn, and biodegradable packing peanuts, etc. I wonder if asking the people sending the items to send them more eco-friendly would help? Have you ever done this?

Going out to eat can not just be hard on the wallet (and sometimes stomach), but on the environment as well. Fast food and take out produces the worst amount of waste when it comes to restaurants. Plastic containers, lids and straws are a prevalent take away from these, as is Styrofoam. To eliminate this waste we need to bring our own containers with us to pack the food and drink into or make our food and beverages at home. I know many who bring a reusable cup with them for their coffee they get on the road. I wonder if it can be done for other things as well...like when you bring home leftovers from a restaurant or get take-out? Have you ever tried this?

Some of the lovelies in my pantry. A start to a waste-free life.

I know we have a choice for paper or plastic sacks or bags while checking out at the grocery. Choosing paper is a better choice than plastic and you can even bring your own reusable bags from home to use. Places around the country are also banning plastic bags from being used in grocery stores or offer a recycling option. But have you ever thought about the packaging on food and drink that you are bringing home? I know I used to not give it much thought, but now that I am also giving more thought to eating healthier with a nod to organic, non GMO, and raw foods I find myself being even more aware of other things I am bringing into my home too. There are ways to get around the packaging at the grocery store.

• Refuse: Say no to products packaged in plastic or Styrofoam.
• Make your own at home. We are already growing an organic garden and orchard and have chickens who lay eggs. We are also planning on doing aquaponics: growing fish and a garden that in turn give each other nutrients to live and grow. Our neighbor also hunts and fishes and shares some of this with us. We are also going to be slowly transitioning to making our own cleaning supplies, personal care products, etc. too so we don't have to deal with that packaging as well.
• Buy local. Buy from local farms, farmer's markets and co-ops.
• Bring reusable bags and containers to the store with you for filling with the below items.
• Buy from the bulk section (the section of the store with bins filled with dry goods).
• Go to the Deli, Seafood, Dairy, and Bakery Counter more for your meats, cheeses, and baked goods and have them package them in paper or other recyclable material. 
• Purchase unpackaged produce. Fresh fruits and vegetables are wonderful and healthy. Buy organic to make sure you don't get toxic stuff with your food and watch the packaging.

There is even a packaging-free, zero-waste grocery store, called in.gredients in Austin, Texas. It is revolutionary and the first of its kind in the US. Hopefully we can get more grocery stores like this one to spring up all across the States.

The folks at these blogs are helping my family and I along our journey to live better and make the better choice of living waste/trash free. They know the ins and outs of living waste free and they want to helps us all to become waste free with them.

• Zero Waste Home
• My Zero Waste
• Trash Free Living
• My Plastic-Free Life
• Zero-Waste Chef
• Trash is for Tossers

I am going to challenge myself  and my family to get towards my goal of a waste free life and I am challenging you to do the same! What are you doing or are going to do to move towards this challenge? Have you thought about this topic much?