March Madness

 

Me and birthday girl 2 years ago.

I can't believe tomorrow is March, and I still don't know what small change I'm going to make!

My first-born will be an 8 year-old in a week, which brings me to a tiny change that I hope will count for something. The invitations to her party noted *no gifts please, but handmade cards will be appreciated*. I did this for a couple of reasons, and the main one is that she does not need anymore STUFF! I cleaned their bedroom yesterday (my two daughters share a room) because it has been a disaster for a while, and I could take it no more. I think it is almost impossible to keep a room clean when toy boxes are overflowing, and there is not a place in the room for every thing. The last thing I need, or she needs is another game, figure, stuffed animal, book, or plastic piece of junk made in China.  The other reason is that I want her to understand that the whole point of a birthday party is to celebrate her life, and to share it with her friends. It is not about getting something, whether it's a toy or money. Time is one of the most precious of commodities, and spending time having fun with friends is the gift. Time will be spent rollerskating with her best friends. And guess what? She is totally okay with it! Of course, there will still be cake. :)
So this tiny change will save the gas of people driving to stores to purchase a product that was made in China, the wrapping and such that goes with it, and it will also save the guess work and frustration of the parents in figuring out what the heck do you get an 8 year-old girl that you don't really know that would probably end up being something that she doesn't like or even need anyway. I think this is a nice tradition, but I wonder if it's sustainable.

So as far as the rest of March, I guess the one thing that I could improve on is driving less and reducing consumption overall. Sometimes I like to get out of the house so I'll say I need something, just to go to Target. I'll start combining my trips to the store and only go that one time, and not back again because I sometimes a rationalize a need for an item that I don't really need. Guess it's time to practice what I preach to my daughters. And to think all I had to do was blog to figure out my next change! It's almost Spring, which means back to composting!

Peace

Lovely Change

My veggie bags have been great, and I realized that so far I have avoided the use of approximately 18 plastic veggie bags from the grocery store! One thing though, I have to take the vegetables out of the bags and put them in the crisper drawer. They seem to make my broccoli go limp pretty quickly if I leave them in the bag. I am still contemplating next month's change, and would love some ideas.

I'm still vegan, or strict vegetarian as I prefer to call myself, and I have to share some of the best vegan products that I have found. Liz Lovely out of Vermont is "Baking a Difference", and I am in cookie bliss after having some of the Lovely Oh's. They are vegan creme sandwich cookies coated in dark chocolate, and they are to die for! And I don't even have a sweet tooth!  Another favorite of mine is the Colossal Chocolate Chip Cookie by The Alternative Baking Company. Be careful though, these cookies are more than one serving and it's easy to over indulge....they aren't cheap either. For someone who doesn't eat a lot of sweets, like myself, they are totally worth it.  Valentine's Day was my excuse for today's cookie purchase.

Aside from the lovely fruits and vegetables that I purchase at the grocery store (can't wait for the Farmer's Market in June), one of my favorite places to shop is Ocean State Job Lot. They carry a large array of Bob's Red Mill products at a discount, and some other natural food products.  I love my local health food store, Harvest Moon, but it is small and expensive. I want to support my local family owned stores, and so I go there pretty frequently. What ends up happening? I go there for a couple of things that I can't find anywhere else, except maybe online, and I walk out of there with $60. worth of items that I didn't mean to purchase (like today's cookies)! Oh well. The owner, Linda, is super nice and very informative, and if I'm lucky she'll have her cute dog at the store. I'm so in love with Golden Retrievers when I see them in person, but that's another post for another day. Have a Happy Valentine's Day, and look here to read up on some history surrounding the ridiculous holiday. Please don't waste your dollars on a card for your loved ones, just give chocolate, and if it's for me make sure it's dark and vegan. :)