Kermit has a point

I'm in a list making mood today, so I thought I'd do my blog as a list. The list is the 10 things I do that are green.

1. Reusable bags for shopping for over a year (the clerks always give a little glare when I arrive)


2. Recycle paper, bottles, glass and plastic (all in one bin thanks to Waste Management)


3. Shop at consignment stores (fashionable, cheap AND recycling)


4. Put food waste in yard waste bin (husband isn't as vigilant so I've been know to forage through the garbage for things like coffee grounds and vegetable clippings...yuck!)


5. Ride the bus /bike when possible (this is more of a goal than a practice at the moment)


6. Only go grocery shopping once a week (sometimes we are 'cupboards bare' but I hold out as long as I can)


7. Reduced number of "one off" trips in the car (eg to run errands, back and forth to school etc). Carpool to events as much as possible


8. Recycle clothes, toys and 'things' at Goodwill


9. Organic foods (when and where we can afford it)


10. Other normal stuff, turn off lights, reduce heat

Here are things that I struggle with. I take a shower daily (except when I'm being a sloth on the weekend). I have been "blessed" with man hairs on my legs so I shave every single inch of my legs daily for aesthetics AND because it 'bloody hurts' when I don't. So not only do I shower daily (which some may say is a good thing), but they are long due to the shaving thing. I guess if we win the lottery I could invest in the laser hair removal process...that just sounds PAINFUL.

I also have been known to fall asleep TOO OFTEN in front of the TV and so the TV is on all night long (naughty, naughty). I also don't turn off my computer as much as I'd like. I think that we could reduce the heat more in the home but sometimes I am cold to the core; maybe due to the floor to ceiling windows and wood floors and bad insulation OR maybe the weather stinks here.

A new 'guilt' thing that is creeping in on me but unrealistic is that when we go to 'fast food' joints I see so much food waste, paper, plastic etc going right into the trash and it seems so wrong. It would be so great if they could separate out waste so we could do our part. I've actually been known to carry my own garbage out of these establishments to appropriately dispose of them at home.

You see, I am a rule follower to a fault (I actually can confidently attribute this to my parents in a good and bad way). So, when I see that the rules are being broken (albeit self imposed or environmentally imposed) I get that lovely feeling of GUILT. Some may ask if I'm Catholic or Jewish...no and no.

Here is one last thing on the topic of Green. Last year I started having these overwhelming feelings of angst over the crazy conspicuous consumption we Americans participate in. It came to me when I was in Las Vegas with my family. We had taken the kids to the M&M store there which is a 'destination' of sorts. This place was a 4 story establishment with M&M memorabilia "crap" EVERYWHERE...pens, cups, shoelaces, key chains, clothing, pillows...you name it they had it. The store was FULL to overflowing and it made my head spin to think that this abundance of CRAP even existed. Why does one NEED this stuff? Why can't we just eat the M&Ms and be happy? This made me think that this is just one little (really big) store in Las Vegas selling this CRAP, how many other stores exist "out there" and how many other product lines have this much superfluous junk for sale. I was overwhelmed to almost feeling sick about it. I still feel this way and that is one reason why I do not participate in the whole 'shopping experience' . I always say that I am not a normal girl. I've never enjoyed shopping and I cannot see it happening anytime soon. I feel as though if I don't buy the stuff (and hopefully others don't either) then perhaps they'll stop making it...but that would take a miracle wouldn't it?