Only One

So, earth day was April 22 and it got me thinking more than ever about the state of our planet's future. For quite some time now, I have been trying to be better about being environmentally conscious. But, I want to be better than just "trying to be better". I want to start living green in all areas of my life. I am especially concerned about the toxins that we encounter in our every day lives, like cleaning products, cosmetics, and the outgassing of our carpets, fabrics and building materials. I want to limit my children's exposure to these toxins as much as possible. Unlike when I was a child, where we just didn't know about the hazards of these everyday products, we now know that so many of them are not good for us. And, when we know better, we do better. That's my motto, anyway. So, I have been reading up on what's toxic and why and how I can come up with better alternatives. 


I am going back to the old fashioned way of cleaning.....using the good old stand by's like Vinegar, baking soda, borax, Hydrogen peroxide and such. The hardest part for me is trying to find a alternative to my facial cleansers. I have tried replacing them with some of the all natural brands out there and just haven't had the same results. But, I plan to do more research and keep testing different ones out until I find one I like. I recently read that baking soda mixed with water makes a great facial scrub. So, I plan to give that a try. And, can you imagine the money I would save compared to what I spend on my department store facial scrub? Baking soda is like what, less than a dollar a box? Wohoo, another unexpected benefit....saving lots of money by using the old fashioned staples.


Some additional things I plan to do:

• using up as much of my fabric that I already have, rather than buying new.
• checking my local thrift store for fabric or clothes that I can use as fabric, if I just have to buy some fabric.
• plant even more fruits and veggies this year
• be more consistent about buying from my farmers market when I do need to buy something.
• Eat a meatless meal one day a week (Michael Pollen said if every family would eat a meatless meal only one day a week it would make an enormous impact on our planet).
• buy local-handmade, second-hand gifts from my local thrift stores or use Etsy if I am buying from the internet.
• And, the big one...remember to use my own reusable bags instead of plastic!!!! Make a bunch of them and keep them in the car. I have a hard time remembering this one.
• Find an environmentally and non toxic flooring when replacing the upstairs flooring, like bamboo, cork, or linoleum. 
• Pay more attention to what I am throwing away and what I should be recycling. 

In case you interested in learning more about living a eco-conscious and toxic free life...here are some good sources:


Michael Pollen here love his brilliant way of explaining how we should be living.
Earth Day here official site of earth day.
Earth 911 here very informative comprehensive guide of resources to improve quality of life.
Eco beetle here great tips for eco living.
car free here a solution to the problem of urban automobiles.
E magazine here includes just about every issue under the sun regarding the environment.
recycling guide here very short guide that tells exactly what you need to know about what and where to recycle.
Treehugger here online magazine that in their own words is a "one-stop shop for green news, solutions, and product information"




Great swapping sites: 

• Thredup.com here swapping children's clothes and toys (I plan on trying this one out).
• Paperbackswap.com here swapping books (I absolutely love this and use it regularly).

and two books that have been great sources of information for me:

Green Living here

Naturally clean here

Hopefully you will find one of these sites or books beneficial. I know I have. I want to continue learning more and more about keeping the world safe and doing my part to keep the Bluegrass clean and healthy for my kids and their kids!

Onto other news....the winner of 'By the Bluegrass's 100 follower celebration give away' here is: 

Donnie from 'New Blessing Everyday' here

and 

Bea from Needle Field here

Please check out their lovely blogs!

Congrats ladies!!!! xoxo

linking up to these parties:
Anything Goes Party @ Type A Decorating
three or more tuesday @ the gypsy’s corner
amaze me monday @ dittle dattle
Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts
whatever you want wednesday at free pretty things for you