After a fabulous New Year celebration with old friends, new friends, much food and feasting, much elderflower champagne and possibly some unconfirmed reports of dancing on tables I once again found myself in sleeping in a tent on a soft airbed, but it didn’t really matter. The New Year was upon us and if it is half as good as last year, it is going to be a fabulous ride. So as the sun rose high in the sky, clearing the foggy haze in my head, I found clarity in what I must do this year. I need to go on a bit of a mission to improve our lives for the good of the whole world! How grand does that sound?
I am going to green up our lives. I had a bit of a revelation when I saw we were using the recycle shopping bags for everything but shopping and our house was awash with plastic bags. When did we stop using them? Had our ideals slipped or did we just get lazy? So I am going to whip us into shape and then once a month I shall do a bit of a roundup of how we are going. I do have quite a bit on my plate and so I don’t imagine we will forgo the modern conveniences or going off grid, but instead I’m going to introduce things that help and enhance our lifestyle not hinder it.
On a daily basis there is much that can be done to improve our existence and make the world a better place and after a lot of intensive researching, I have found we are already doing a good job – so I have discounted these for various reasons. We eat mostly whole foods and cook from scratch. We are pretty much, but not strictly, avoiding processed foods using the philosophy “if your grandmother wouldn’t recognise it as food then don’t eat it.” This can be hard to come home from a hectic day with nothing in the cupboard to instantly zap, or anything to zap it with for that matter. Fresh is best and knowing where most of our food comes from is a real blessing. Having said that we aren’t completely obsessive about this – we will eat some “naughty’ food, but it is a treat and far from being included as part of our regular diet. We are looking for quality of life, not a life of hassle.
I am a bit of a skin flint and so we just don’t buy bottled water, the stuff in the tap is perfectly fine. Using public transport is out, and walking to work is a given, and not really a reduction in non-sustainable activities as home is our work place and it only takes a few dozen steps to get there.
Within the circle of life there are many options however it is too late to have a green wedding as that is a distant but memorable memory and it was perfectly lovely at the time. Having less children is another suggestion for a sustainable life, however it is not something I need to weigh up as a way to save the planet as I am not willing to put myself through the nappy years again. And speaking of nappies, I did do my fair share of cloth nappies, and just as they were no longer needed in our household the cool faux disposable looking cloth nappies became affordable. This caused mixed emotions as I looked on enviously at the ease my friends with younger children embraced green nappies, yet full of relief that those days were in the past and fancy nappies in bright colours weren’t enough to return me to the endless cycle of poop removal.
With the turnover of yet another year I shall refuse to consider a green funeral. Not because it isn’t a great idea, and you never know when you need it, but I am at a stage in life where it seems to be picking up speed and I want to live now and make each day count for something and embracing that would seem a little too much like fast forwarding. I know it isn’t all that responsible if I want to be truly sustainable, but it seems one step too far. I have a will – written when I thought I would live forever and so that will have to do.
And of course all the gardening stuff generally suggested is covered. I grow my food, I compost, we recycle, the kids know where their food comes from. It is fresh and you can’t get much smaller air miles.
I am looking forward to this adventure. It will highlight what we are doing well, but will hopefully bring a new element to our idyllic if not somewhat chaotic lifestyle. Of course my resolutions will also include the standard “stop procrastinating” and “make every day count for something.” These are brought forward from last year as it is so easy to have the days slip away from you if you don’t keep a tight eye on them.
Come again soon – the garden is growing great guns with scant attention in the holiday madness.
Sarah the Gardener : o )
Happy New Year Sarah. Wow your garden looks lush – so green 🙂
I wish you luck with your endeavours to become a greener family – I have absolute faith in your ability to succeed with this goal 🙂
Happy New Year Elaine. I think is is so green, because all the pre Christmas weather was so terrible. But the sun seems to have finally come out so we should expect things to start drying out.
Thanks for your support with greening up our family. It is so easy to get stuck doing what you have always done without giving it a second thought. It will be an interesting year.
Cheers Sarah : o )
I am completely with you on this new journey Ms Sarah. Kudos for wanting to minimise your footprint and on sharing your attempts. You are already doing a great job but like anything, we can always do better and it will be exciting to see how you go about it in your most creative and enthusiastic way 🙂
Hi Fran. It will be interesting to see where this takes us. I don’t imagine we will make dramatic change, like the story I recently read about some folks going plastic free and ended up having to make their own toothpaste. I think it will be more of a carefully considered change. I want to see what can be absorbed easily into our busy household that will enhance our lifestyle and not turn us into sustainable slaves. it should be fun.
Watch this space…
I did hang my holiday washing outside instead of lobbing it in the drier – but I am only three loads in… I see another maybe three or four loads to go. Holidays are such a great time to relax and not do housework… until you get home and do it all in one go!
Cheers Sarah : o )
I am sure your boys will (most selflessly) give up having showers and baths and washing themselves for the cause 😉
Green is certainly my fav colour. Great post Miss and gorgeous green pics too! Im loving my garden madness, and my pumpkins are finally showing signs of life. Looking forward to your garden updates Sarah!
Hi Julie. It was much better this year to keep coming back to the garden to do a bit of maintenance, although it did make for a bit of a hectic holiday – but fun none the less!
After such a miserable start I think we can finally say summer has arrived and we will have a wonderful and productive season. Enjoy your garden in this lovely weather.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Great post! When I lived alone I was overwhelmed with the plastic bags. Reusable bags saved my sanity!
Hi Virginia. I think it is so easy to get swept away with non sustainable living as it is so easy and convenient. It takes a concerted effort to do things differently, but I’m hoping it should become easier and be a habit and become the way we do things. It will be great for the kids too.
Cheers Sarah : o )
And it’s good for the sanity. Less stuff to get caught up in. 🙂
Interesting review of where you are green… Sounds like you are on the tweaks level for change rather than mega overhaul lol.
Hi Helen. I was half expecting us to have to implement major change, but I think on the whole it won’t be a great inconvenience. I think the biggest challenge will be remembering to be green.
It should be an interesting year.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Green is my favorite color too. I love the picture of your little gherkin; I can’t wait to make more refrigerator pickles! They are a quick and tasty way to enjoy cucumbers.
Hi Sarah
I don’t think it would be quite the same without gherkins. The kids love them, so I try to pickle enough to last all year. This new lot is perfect timing as we are down to our last jar from last year.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Good for you- we just ate the refrigerator pickles and I didn’t can any. I regret that now!
Delightful post, Sarah. I’m just now catching up. If everyone chose one or two things, it could really have an impact. My husband has a 45 minute commute each way, but has been doing so in a hybrid for many years. He hopes to trade up to all electric this year as we pass on the Prius to our soon to be driving teenager. Living in Silicon Valley where everything is so spread out has its challenges. If we can economize on fuel (or not use it at all) that would be great.
My hat is off to you. I look forward to future posts.
Hi Alys. There are basic green things that you somehow instinctively know you need to be doing, but then life gets in the way and you can easily find yourself drifting away from your ideals. This month so far has been really good as we are trying to set ourselves up to make the rest of the year easier. Although it is a bit of hard work. We probably need your fabulous organisational skills to sort us out. We are in such a muddle. Such a shame you are so far away!
Cheers Sarah : o )