The Green Update

It's been a while so thought I should write about how my greening and goals are going.

1) Saturdays: The laundry line is going well and I love it! I actually look forward every Saturday to hanging my laundry on the line. It smells fresh and it gets me outside. The vinegar and baking soda cleaning continues well also and is still as fun as the first time!

2) Driving: Still doing minimal driving-one or two trips a day. It's still rare when I drive across town to the neighboring town. Have done some longer weekend trips though. Continue to get my car serviced on a regular basis which helps keep it in check with emissions, mpg, and tire pressure. Also don't wash or vacuum it until it gets serviced. The bike is fixed-but unfortunately haven't used it too much, should substitute biking for the little driving that I do.

3) Utilities: Continue to unplug all electronics when not in use. Still working on water usage. Cutting down on water when washing dishes is easy, the showers-I think I need a timer. Also have cut down on how much I am actually using electronics-TV watching is at a minimum these days.

4) Food: zucchini bombed, our tomatoes and the green beans are growing, peas are done, the peppers might just be coming up so we'll have to see if they can produce in time. Continue with left overs and we have eaten some food locally. Hoping tomorrow to pick organic blueberries from down the coast. Summer has been great for increased produce. Need to solve my bottled water problem but that might require buying something...

5) Shopping: Except for a few items for the classroom and the occasional eating/drinking out, I still haven't bought much. Lately have had to explain to others my values that I don't shop at Wal-Mart or eat fast food. No new clothes, shoes, fun items, etc that I can think of since the Goodwill dress Mom bought last month. Somehow I don't miss new stuff or bought experiences though. And I greatly prefer the extra money that goes toward paying off my debts. The cell phone seems to be working now so I'm going to make it go until it actually dies, regardless of any promotional discounts!

6) Giving/Spiritual: Have knitted an additional scarf and am 1/2 done with another. Have increased tithing to my home churches and charity. Attempted to give blood, but they lost pressure on my blood flow and had to throw away the bag. Will try again in Sept after I relocate. Putting the volunteer opportunity on hold as the one I was pursuing didn't work out for the summer and I will be relocated within the next few months. Had the kids make children's quilts, so need to mail those off to the correct locations once finished piecing together. Need to crack down on my Bible reading if I'm going to make it by my birthday but I still think it's possible. Am glad with how much I have read thus far-this is the first time I've stuck with it!

7) Natural products: Still on target with body and facial soap, shampoo/conditioner, laundry detergent, and now cleaning products. Still using recyclable toothbrushes and razors. The Diva Cup wasn't the best in the world so switched back to regular feminine care, ie not so earth or body friendly. Need to switch to natural cosmetics and back to natural toothpaste once these are depleted. Have quit painting my toe nails to reduce exposure to chemicals.

However I have begun to realize that I need to do more, so I am going to begin to think of more ways that I can individually shrink my footprint and/or positively impact the lives of others.