Wednesday, July 8

A year in review

It has been 1 year since my family and I made the conscience decision to “Go Green”.

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step”

I could not have said it better myself!

Our green journey has definitely been one of single steps but when I look back over the past year I am absolutely amazed at how far down the green road those small steps have taken us.

Traded SUV in for smaller car (~37mpg, ~6000miles per oil change), Replaced broken washer & dryer with front loading energy star ones, Changed to phosphate-free laundry detergent, Use vinegar instead of bleach, dryer sheets, & fabric softener, hang dry most clothes (as compared to some), Compost dryer lint, Painted daughter’s room with low VOC paint, Bought organic sheets and comforter for her bed, Clean with eco-friendly, natural cleaners, Use biodegradable wipers, Switched to CA baby, Tom’s toothpaste, & Burt’s Bees lotion for the kids, Let the yellow mellow, Baking soda/vinegar combo instead of Drano,Clean with Twist cloth instead of sponges, Reuse bath water to water plants, Replaced regular TP with recycled brand (except in master bathroom), Open winds and use ceiling fans more than AC, Gather hair for composting, Replaced our Dove soap with Slab soap, Use natural face cleaner, Purchased (and use) reusable bags including produce bags, Buy organic, local grown, natural food (as much as possible), Switched from disposable napkins to cloth napkins, Recycled unbleached paper towels, Pack reusable lunches, Reusable water bottles, Compost, Grew an organic garden, Used worm-poop as fertilizer, Vinegar for clover killer,Recycle #5 plastics with Preserve, Upcycle breakfast bar wrappers with TerraCycle, Collected used tennis shoes for Nike’s Reuse-a-shoe program, Started this blog, Share my journey with everyone who will listen, Use phosphate free detergent in the dishwasher and vinegar instead of Jet Dry, Started shopping at a natural food store, Switched to Method hand soap, Read & Learn about Going Green, Solar lights outside CFL inside, Shop at consignment stores and thrift stores, Cancelled catalogs, Reusbale coffee mugs, On-line bill paying.

Wow! What a list.

I might have missed a thing or two but I think that you can see just how quickly those small steps have added up. And this was just in 1 year. Imagine what we can do in 5 years!

I hope my reflection has helped to inspire you to take a step toward a greener, healthier lifestyle.

One small step for you, one GIANT leap for Mother Earth.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice Lena and congratulations to you and your family! Very impressive list (with some new ideas for my family as well!). Every little thing makes a difference and sounds like you have made quite a difference and thank you for sharing with us what you have found out along the way!

Over Coffee - the green edition said...

Thanks green girl! I am glad that I have given you some ideas.
It is amazing to me how easy this has been, so far. I have a feeling next year’s list might be a bit shorter cuz I think the next steps might be a little more difficult.

Lisa said...

Congrats!!! That is a great list and the best part is that you want it to keep growing! Hope others see this and are inspired!

Over Coffee - the green edition said...

Thanks Lisa! It is amazing how easy all those changes really were. Any suggestions for next year?

marina villatoro said...

wow, you've come such a long way!!! a year seems long, but it goes fast and sometimes you really can't come up with such a great list:)

good for you!

Over Coffee - the green edition said...

Thank you Marina! It feels good to reflect on the changes we have made. It will be interesting to see what next year's list looks like ;-) (I am hoping for a trip to an organic/all natural spa to be on that list)