I picked up Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine (seen here) at my local library for some light reading, but hoping I'd get some tips on how to pair down our budget. Levine documents a year long project that she and her partner, Paul, undertake. The goal is to not buy anything that isn't necessary, which leads to a long (year long) discussion about what in life is necessary, as well as how you're supposed to entertain yourself if you're not allowed to spend any money.
I was really interested to see what one couple would deem "necessary" and what they would do without for a year and was expecting a lot more emphasis on this. There was a lot of discussion about what entertainment was necessary and what wasn't, but not all that much on individual products. Or, even, what level of processing everything should be bought at. It was touched on a little as far as food goes, but laundry detergent? Soap? Shampoo? Is it still necessary to get the fancy stuff, or do you have to get the cheapest stuff out there? If you can make it yourself, what then? I really expected more discussion about this, as well as a more detailed account of how much money was saved. Although it's clear the project was not undertaken with the intent to save money (but rather because the author was sick of consumerism), it would be great to see that side effect.
I also picked this title to read because, well, since trying to spend less money and by implementing some environmentally friendly practices I've felt...left out. Left out of consumerism, since I'm not out in the stores as much and I'm not buying the same items as everyone else. I was hoping that someone who decided to do minimal shopping for a whole year would be able to relate, or at least express that they had felt the same way, too. Judith did, but not in as much detail as I would have appreciated.
The novel was a political commentary, in my opinion, rather than a commentary on life without shopping. Although many would argue that the two are intrinsically linked, and I agree that they are, it didn't make for an interesting read on my end. On someone else's end? Of course. But it just didn't answer the questions I would have asked if I were a friend.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Zoya Nail Polish
I'm in love. That's all I have to say about Zoya Nail Polish. I'm freaking in love. I ordered 3 bottles from them and finally got them today with all the hope in the world. I like to paint my nails, but I normally only do my toes since my fingernails always chip and look gross after less than a day. Beyond being hopeful that I would be able to make it through a work shift without the urge to hide my hands, I was REALLY wanting Zoya to work out because they're vegan friendly - formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, and camphor free. What's not to love! I'm not vegan, but I do try to limit the toxins that come into my home and I'm really making an effort this year to put my money where my mouth is and only buy products that are environmentally friendly. And just in case you were wondering...
Formaldehyde is a preservative. Like they pump it into dead people. If they pump it into live people, they get dead people. Not good. I could go on, but I think most people are familiar with this particular toxin. If not, go visit a funeral home. They will explain how nasty it is.
Toluene is (per the EPA's website) used to produce benzene and as a solvent in paints, coatings, synthetic fragrances, adhesives, inks, and cleaning agents, which is where you'll find it in your home. The major use of toluene is as a mixture added to gasoline to improve octane ratings. Toluene attacks the Central Nervous System, causing all sorts of problems, from spontaneous abortions to cancer to delayed development. It's just nasty stuff.
Dibutyl phthalate is used to make plastics plastic and according to OSHA, it's not something you want to encounter, as you can read here. But I don't want anything on my nails that you're supposed to flush immediately if it comes in contact with your skin or firefighters HAVE to wear full gear when dealing with.
Camphor is a natural ingredient, but it can be toxic for children under the age of 6 (and is in Vick's Vapo Rub! So be careful with that stuff.)
Granted, I haven't had a chance to research everything in their polishes, and I can't pronounce some things, but I AM grateful that these four items did not wiggle their way into my polish. And...
It held up after 8 hours of ripping open dvd boxes, ripping out pins, and digging around in a cash register. Complete and total WIN.
Formaldehyde is a preservative. Like they pump it into dead people. If they pump it into live people, they get dead people. Not good. I could go on, but I think most people are familiar with this particular toxin. If not, go visit a funeral home. They will explain how nasty it is.
Toluene is (per the EPA's website) used to produce benzene and as a solvent in paints, coatings, synthetic fragrances, adhesives, inks, and cleaning agents, which is where you'll find it in your home. The major use of toluene is as a mixture added to gasoline to improve octane ratings. Toluene attacks the Central Nervous System, causing all sorts of problems, from spontaneous abortions to cancer to delayed development. It's just nasty stuff.
Dibutyl phthalate is used to make plastics plastic and according to OSHA, it's not something you want to encounter, as you can read here. But I don't want anything on my nails that you're supposed to flush immediately if it comes in contact with your skin or firefighters HAVE to wear full gear when dealing with.
Camphor is a natural ingredient, but it can be toxic for children under the age of 6 (and is in Vick's Vapo Rub! So be careful with that stuff.)
Granted, I haven't had a chance to research everything in their polishes, and I can't pronounce some things, but I AM grateful that these four items did not wiggle their way into my polish. And...
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| Crappy Cell Pic, I know. |
It held up after 8 hours of ripping open dvd boxes, ripping out pins, and digging around in a cash register. Complete and total WIN.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Day 21 - Grocery Run!
Okay, so I've been doing the coupon thing for a few months now, and the forum that I lurk on does a breakdown like the one below. I find it really helpful to see everything and look at the numbers, so in case anyone ever reads this (Bueller? Bueller?) and is interested, here you go! Oh, and we shop 2 weeks at a time so it looks like a lot and adds up to a lot, but we save on gas and impulse buys that way!
IMPULSE BUYS - Things we didn't intend on getting, but got thrown in the cart anyway.
- Rug for the kitchen - $5.96
- Hot sauce - $1.36
- Queso cheese - $2.68
- Emery Cat - $3.00
TOTAL: 13.00
Seth's uniform stuff - he needs certain items for his trip to police academy in the spring, so he picked some things up. This comes out of his allowance, though, but I feel like listing it because it's on the ticket.
- Fleece Pants - $10.00
- Shorts x 2 - $15.00
- Pants - $6.00
- Sweatshirt - $6.00
-T-shirt x 2 - $9.00
-Beanie? He must have thrown that in - $2.00
TOTAL - $42.00
Groceries
-Cherrios x2 $2.50 each - $1/2 coupon = $4
- Eggs - $1.68
- Milk - $2.28
- French's Mustard - $1.28 - $1/1 coupon = $0.28
-Rotel x4 - $3.52 - B3G1F = $2.64
- GV Tomato Paste x2 = $.80
- GV Black Olives - $1.38
- Salad - $2.78
- Bananas $1.13
- Kikomans Soy Sauce - $1.42 - $1/1 = $.42
- Turkey Smoked Sausage - $1.94
- Fiber One Cottage Cheese - $2.50 - $1/1 = $1.50
- Whole Chicken - $6.62
- Ground beef 1lb - $2.08
- Bacon - $2.98
- Welch's Light Grape Juice - $3.00 - $1/1 = $2.00
- Welch's Other type o' juice I can't remember - $2.50 - $1/1 = $1.50
- Green Olives - $1.46
-Mushrooms - $1.88
- String Cheese - $2.98
- GV FF Re-fried Beans - $.72
- Bob Evans Sausage Roll x2 = 6.56 - $.55/2 = $6.01
- GV Half & Half - $1.63
- Water Chestnuts - $.72
TOTAL = $51.41
Home Goods
- Airwick Freshmatic Refill x2 = $9.96 - B1G1F = $4.98
- Febreze Air and Fabric Refresher x2 = $9.94 - B1G1F and $1/1 = $3.97
- Castor Oil - $2.76
TOTAL = $11.71
Pet Food
- Whiskas Trays x 5 = $2.50 - B1G1F AND B2G1F = $1.50
- Ceasar Food Trays x 3 = $2.40 - B2G1F = $1.40
- Purina One Dog Food 34 lbs = $26.30 after price match for Petco
- Meow Mix Indoor Cat 14.2 lbs = $9.77 after price match for Petco
TOTAL = $38.97
Our grand total after tax was $173.75 which for us is a lot, but we buy dog food maybe once every 3 months or so by buying in bulk, and it cuts the cost down a lot that way. So I guess if you take out the impulse buys, Seth's uniform stuff, and the pet food we only would have spent $71.13 before tax, which isn't terrible for two weeks.
Of course, we still spent the money. Which sucks, but eh, what can you do? The kids need to eat and I don't want to feed them the cheapest stuff there is. And Seth needs clothes for academy. And we only impulse bought $13 worth of stuff, which isn't terrible. It's all still a work in progress.
Speaking of which, I did get some castor oil in my haul (but couldn't find jojoba!) so we shall see about the oil cleansing method...
IMPULSE BUYS - Things we didn't intend on getting, but got thrown in the cart anyway.
- Rug for the kitchen - $5.96
- Hot sauce - $1.36
- Queso cheese - $2.68
- Emery Cat - $3.00
TOTAL: 13.00
Seth's uniform stuff - he needs certain items for his trip to police academy in the spring, so he picked some things up. This comes out of his allowance, though, but I feel like listing it because it's on the ticket.
- Fleece Pants - $10.00
- Shorts x 2 - $15.00
- Pants - $6.00
- Sweatshirt - $6.00
-T-shirt x 2 - $9.00
-Beanie? He must have thrown that in - $2.00
TOTAL - $42.00
Groceries
-Cherrios x2 $2.50 each - $1/2 coupon = $4
- Eggs - $1.68
- Milk - $2.28
- French's Mustard - $1.28 - $1/1 coupon = $0.28
-Rotel x4 - $3.52 - B3G1F = $2.64
- GV Tomato Paste x2 = $.80
- GV Black Olives - $1.38
- Salad - $2.78
- Bananas $1.13
- Kikomans Soy Sauce - $1.42 - $1/1 = $.42
- Turkey Smoked Sausage - $1.94
- Fiber One Cottage Cheese - $2.50 - $1/1 = $1.50
- Whole Chicken - $6.62
- Ground beef 1lb - $2.08
- Bacon - $2.98
- Welch's Light Grape Juice - $3.00 - $1/1 = $2.00
- Welch's Other type o' juice I can't remember - $2.50 - $1/1 = $1.50
- Green Olives - $1.46
-Mushrooms - $1.88
- String Cheese - $2.98
- GV FF Re-fried Beans - $.72
- Bob Evans Sausage Roll x2 = 6.56 - $.55/2 = $6.01
- GV Half & Half - $1.63
- Water Chestnuts - $.72
TOTAL = $51.41
Home Goods
- Airwick Freshmatic Refill x2 = $9.96 - B1G1F = $4.98
- Febreze Air and Fabric Refresher x2 = $9.94 - B1G1F and $1/1 = $3.97
- Castor Oil - $2.76
TOTAL = $11.71
Pet Food
- Whiskas Trays x 5 = $2.50 - B1G1F AND B2G1F = $1.50
- Ceasar Food Trays x 3 = $2.40 - B2G1F = $1.40
- Purina One Dog Food 34 lbs = $26.30 after price match for Petco
- Meow Mix Indoor Cat 14.2 lbs = $9.77 after price match for Petco
TOTAL = $38.97
Our grand total after tax was $173.75 which for us is a lot, but we buy dog food maybe once every 3 months or so by buying in bulk, and it cuts the cost down a lot that way. So I guess if you take out the impulse buys, Seth's uniform stuff, and the pet food we only would have spent $71.13 before tax, which isn't terrible for two weeks.
Of course, we still spent the money. Which sucks, but eh, what can you do? The kids need to eat and I don't want to feed them the cheapest stuff there is. And Seth needs clothes for academy. And we only impulse bought $13 worth of stuff, which isn't terrible. It's all still a work in progress.
Speaking of which, I did get some castor oil in my haul (but couldn't find jojoba!) so we shall see about the oil cleansing method...
Day 20
Once again, I'm full of fail, but a lot has been going on around here! I started my new job and I'm having a ton of fun! I feel really kind of wrong admitting that I went to college and still enjoy working at a non-office, non-professional job. Obviously I still want to find a full time job, but in the mean time I'm really enjoying myself! And there's nothing wrong with that!
Tomorrow night I have a hot date, and I'm excited to show some kindness there. We're also doing our bi-weekly grocery trip and I'm hoping for some good deals, and hopefully I can get myself to post about my shopping trips. I think it helps to skim over everything a few times after to see what I could have done better, so a write up would be perfect. I also get to go to the health foods store to get some things and to "roll around in the granola" as I keep telling Seth. I need some extra oils for my face cleansing regime, and I'm really looking forward to poking around for a while.
Speaking of the OCM, it's been going really well! My skin isn't getting as oily and the blackheads are clearing up! I do have some blemishes on my cheeks that are new, but that's to be expected as everything's coming to the surface. My skin is a lot softer, too. Seth is pretty freaked out that it's working, and so am I! But I'm not going to whine if it works. I will be getting some better oils in order to cleanse properly and that should help. I'm planning a write up just on the oil cleansing method later with some before and after pictures, but I wanted to give it some time.
No poo is going really really well. I'm still on a 2 day cycle, but I've decided to just not worry about it anymore. If my hair wants to be washed every 2 days, then it wants to be washed every 2 days. But I'm still amazed at the results and really happy!
Tomorrow night I have a hot date, and I'm excited to show some kindness there. We're also doing our bi-weekly grocery trip and I'm hoping for some good deals, and hopefully I can get myself to post about my shopping trips. I think it helps to skim over everything a few times after to see what I could have done better, so a write up would be perfect. I also get to go to the health foods store to get some things and to "roll around in the granola" as I keep telling Seth. I need some extra oils for my face cleansing regime, and I'm really looking forward to poking around for a while.
Speaking of the OCM, it's been going really well! My skin isn't getting as oily and the blackheads are clearing up! I do have some blemishes on my cheeks that are new, but that's to be expected as everything's coming to the surface. My skin is a lot softer, too. Seth is pretty freaked out that it's working, and so am I! But I'm not going to whine if it works. I will be getting some better oils in order to cleanse properly and that should help. I'm planning a write up just on the oil cleansing method later with some before and after pictures, but I wanted to give it some time.
No poo is going really really well. I'm still on a 2 day cycle, but I've decided to just not worry about it anymore. If my hair wants to be washed every 2 days, then it wants to be washed every 2 days. But I'm still amazed at the results and really happy!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Day 14
So I've been kind of sucking about keeping up with this blog. I really need to make this more of a priority! But I haven't been pushing my kindness resolution aside!
As far as the budget goes, I'm really excited to start a new job tomorrow! It'll be great for our budget, but more importantly it'll be great for my sanity! I'm going a bit crazy sitting around the house. I mean, I can only clean so much in one day, ya know? So I'll finally get out of the house and have a chance to make some money, talk to some new people, and get a bit more established in this town. All great things!
I've also been volunteered to cook breakfast every other Sunday morning for my husband's coworkers. I know I'm weird, but I'm really excited about it! I love to cook and entertain, but I also really am excited to have some other people to talk to! And an appointment to keep. This is also a great way to stick to my resolution and give the guys something to look forward to on their long weekend shifts. So I've been plotting what to serve all week and I'm hoping I can impress them.
I've been keeping to air drying our laundry and recycling pretty well lately, and I even figured out how to declog drains without Draino (which, if you've never read the ingredients in that crap, go do it. I dare you. It's scary). Now I just need to use up the cleaning supplies that we have left and start transitioning over to environmentally friendly options.
My hair's been doing really well. Now the off day looks pretty much just as good as the wash day, but I still can't seem to stretch it out to every third day. Oh well, every other day for a while is still fine with me.
As far as the budget goes, I'm really excited to start a new job tomorrow! It'll be great for our budget, but more importantly it'll be great for my sanity! I'm going a bit crazy sitting around the house. I mean, I can only clean so much in one day, ya know? So I'll finally get out of the house and have a chance to make some money, talk to some new people, and get a bit more established in this town. All great things!
I've also been volunteered to cook breakfast every other Sunday morning for my husband's coworkers. I know I'm weird, but I'm really excited about it! I love to cook and entertain, but I also really am excited to have some other people to talk to! And an appointment to keep. This is also a great way to stick to my resolution and give the guys something to look forward to on their long weekend shifts. So I've been plotting what to serve all week and I'm hoping I can impress them.
I've been keeping to air drying our laundry and recycling pretty well lately, and I even figured out how to declog drains without Draino (which, if you've never read the ingredients in that crap, go do it. I dare you. It's scary). Now I just need to use up the cleaning supplies that we have left and start transitioning over to environmentally friendly options.
My hair's been doing really well. Now the off day looks pretty much just as good as the wash day, but I still can't seem to stretch it out to every third day. Oh well, every other day for a while is still fine with me.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Day 8
Wow - how did I miss so many days?!!? Well, I was really, really sick. And still technically am, but I'm starting to feel well enough to get around. I even did some cleaning today after grocery shopping! Unfortunately, I wasn't well enough to start my new job today, and the doctor told me not to do much until Monday, but the house has been calling out to me "Clllleeeeeaaaaaannnnn mmmmeeeeeeeeee!" And we have to skip out on the annual Christmas get together with Seth's family, so that sucks a lot, too. I was really looking forward to everything we had going on this weekend, but on the other hand I'm glad we've gotten a chance to rest and for me to get better.
Because I've been sick, I haven't had a lot of opportunities to stick to my resolutions, but I've been trying! Seth's been doing a wonderful job of taking care of me and I've been trying to show my appreciation, although it seems the needier I become the more negative I am. I'm glad that I can move around some now, since I can just do whatever I need to do instead of having to whine for it. This is really great when it comes to cleaning, but especially feeding myself. I didn't want to eat anything for a few days, but now all of a sudden my appetite is back and making up for lost time! It's getting intense down there.
We managed to make it to the grocery store tonight and, even though it took us twice as long as normal because I had to keep stopping, we got it done! I didn't really get a great haul, since our grocery store is really pricey and just changed their coupon policy so they won't stack them any more. So we now will have to commute like 40 minutes to the nearest town to get better prices on food or completely revamp how we eat. I'm not pleased, but it is what it is. Luckily, we only shop every other week so I have two weeks to come up with a new plan or if the new plan is to just go there from now on, since we don't shop that often.
I did get to play the wonderful "Confessions" game in the middle of the grocery store, though. I went to the health foods section on our way over to the produce (always our last stop so nothing gets smushed) and threw a pack of ground meat substitute into the cart. Seth started freaking out, and that's when I had to admit I had intentions of working us over to eating less meat all along and had really started grinding up vegetables and sticking them in foods that wouldn't show them. I'm sure everyone who worked tonight thought that exchange was hilarious ("YOU PUT LIMA BEANS IN MY WHAT?!?!?!?!"). So I have been making an effort to be kind to my family there, as well as our budget (hey, meat's expensive!). And once I came clean, Seth freaked out, then admitted that he'd try anything once and let it go.
I did also bring in the recycling bins, clean them out, and start filling them back up again! It feels great to cut back on our waste, and we stopped recycling when we moved here three months ago. It feels really, really great to get back into that habit again.
As far as no poo goes, I'm doing okay. The past few days were great, actually, but I decided to stretch it out to every third day instead of every other day and today was a bit greasy and stringy. I threw my hair back in a braid and called it a day, but it wasn't pleasant. I can't wait to hop in the shower and "wash" it tonight. But other than today, no complaints! And I read a few articles today where people have not only given up shampoo but using soap on their bodies (besides after using the bathroom and before food prep) as well. I don't know if I'm that hardcore or not. But it's interesting enough to consider!
Because I've been sick, I haven't had a lot of opportunities to stick to my resolutions, but I've been trying! Seth's been doing a wonderful job of taking care of me and I've been trying to show my appreciation, although it seems the needier I become the more negative I am. I'm glad that I can move around some now, since I can just do whatever I need to do instead of having to whine for it. This is really great when it comes to cleaning, but especially feeding myself. I didn't want to eat anything for a few days, but now all of a sudden my appetite is back and making up for lost time! It's getting intense down there.
We managed to make it to the grocery store tonight and, even though it took us twice as long as normal because I had to keep stopping, we got it done! I didn't really get a great haul, since our grocery store is really pricey and just changed their coupon policy so they won't stack them any more. So we now will have to commute like 40 minutes to the nearest town to get better prices on food or completely revamp how we eat. I'm not pleased, but it is what it is. Luckily, we only shop every other week so I have two weeks to come up with a new plan or if the new plan is to just go there from now on, since we don't shop that often.
I did get to play the wonderful "Confessions" game in the middle of the grocery store, though. I went to the health foods section on our way over to the produce (always our last stop so nothing gets smushed) and threw a pack of ground meat substitute into the cart. Seth started freaking out, and that's when I had to admit I had intentions of working us over to eating less meat all along and had really started grinding up vegetables and sticking them in foods that wouldn't show them. I'm sure everyone who worked tonight thought that exchange was hilarious ("YOU PUT LIMA BEANS IN MY WHAT?!?!?!?!"). So I have been making an effort to be kind to my family there, as well as our budget (hey, meat's expensive!). And once I came clean, Seth freaked out, then admitted that he'd try anything once and let it go.
I did also bring in the recycling bins, clean them out, and start filling them back up again! It feels great to cut back on our waste, and we stopped recycling when we moved here three months ago. It feels really, really great to get back into that habit again.
As far as no poo goes, I'm doing okay. The past few days were great, actually, but I decided to stretch it out to every third day instead of every other day and today was a bit greasy and stringy. I threw my hair back in a braid and called it a day, but it wasn't pleasant. I can't wait to hop in the shower and "wash" it tonight. But other than today, no complaints! And I read a few articles today where people have not only given up shampoo but using soap on their bodies (besides after using the bathroom and before food prep) as well. I don't know if I'm that hardcore or not. But it's interesting enough to consider!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Day 3
No offshoot posts today D: I couldn't fall asleep last night and wound up waking up at 6:30 this evening. I have got to work on getting back to day shift, or at least second shift! But tomorrow I'm meeting up with some friends to get some girl talk in and hopefully that'll help me get back on a normal schedule.
As far as being sick goes, I'm feeling a lot better! I was determined to stick it out and call the doctor in the morning (okay, find a doctor in the morning, since we just moved here and I don't think there are any general practice doctors here. Yeah, that small of a town). But then a friend suggested I look into some homeopathic cures. I did a lot of Googling and came up with taking a vitamin C tablet and a garlic pill every two hours with lots of water and I can honestly say I feel incredibly better. I'm betting it's the water more than anything, but I don't really care because I feel better and it cost less than our copay. So that counts as being kind to myself!
And I spent my evening playing with my dog, snuggling with my cat, and loving on my man, so kindness all around there.
As far as the environment goes, I really pushed myself to cut down on my water usage while washing dishes. We don't have a dishwasher, so I've been really trying to figure out the best way to do dishes by hand. All of my searching has yielded different results, too. So I used the stream method (don't fill the sink with water, just run a stream) but I would only turn the water on to rinse something after I soaped it up. I also hung my laundry out to dry instead of throwing it in the dryer. I'm trying to make this more of a priority.
No Poo Day 3 is doing well. My hair was kind of heavy feeling today, but looked good. I washed with baking soda and vinegar tonight and it feels a lot better, almost lighter. So we'll see what we end up with in the morning haha. I think part of it is that I'm sick and my skin always gets super oily when I'm sick, so maybe when I get over it I'll be able to go longer in between without "washing" my hair. It's also still "detoxing" so I'll give it a week and then try to wash only every third day. But I do love the smell of lavendar from the essential oil I add on wash day...OH! And I have a No Poo convert. One of my WoW friends is going to try it as well. I was telling her that I was nervous about the detox period and sent her an article about all the nasty crap in shampoo and she thought the stuff was gross, too! So we're experimenting together. Seth is still really supportive and is more than willing to give my hair a good once over and tell me whether or not he thinks it looks good. And that's it for today! Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get another post up in addition to a daily update!
And I didn't do anything worth taking a picture of today, so you get a random one I found on the computer I'm using. This is my in-law's older dog. Doesn't he look happy?
As far as being sick goes, I'm feeling a lot better! I was determined to stick it out and call the doctor in the morning (okay, find a doctor in the morning, since we just moved here and I don't think there are any general practice doctors here. Yeah, that small of a town). But then a friend suggested I look into some homeopathic cures. I did a lot of Googling and came up with taking a vitamin C tablet and a garlic pill every two hours with lots of water and I can honestly say I feel incredibly better. I'm betting it's the water more than anything, but I don't really care because I feel better and it cost less than our copay. So that counts as being kind to myself!
And I spent my evening playing with my dog, snuggling with my cat, and loving on my man, so kindness all around there.
As far as the environment goes, I really pushed myself to cut down on my water usage while washing dishes. We don't have a dishwasher, so I've been really trying to figure out the best way to do dishes by hand. All of my searching has yielded different results, too. So I used the stream method (don't fill the sink with water, just run a stream) but I would only turn the water on to rinse something after I soaped it up. I also hung my laundry out to dry instead of throwing it in the dryer. I'm trying to make this more of a priority.
No Poo Day 3 is doing well. My hair was kind of heavy feeling today, but looked good. I washed with baking soda and vinegar tonight and it feels a lot better, almost lighter. So we'll see what we end up with in the morning haha. I think part of it is that I'm sick and my skin always gets super oily when I'm sick, so maybe when I get over it I'll be able to go longer in between without "washing" my hair. It's also still "detoxing" so I'll give it a week and then try to wash only every third day. But I do love the smell of lavendar from the essential oil I add on wash day...OH! And I have a No Poo convert. One of my WoW friends is going to try it as well. I was telling her that I was nervous about the detox period and sent her an article about all the nasty crap in shampoo and she thought the stuff was gross, too! So we're experimenting together. Seth is still really supportive and is more than willing to give my hair a good once over and tell me whether or not he thinks it looks good. And that's it for today! Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get another post up in addition to a daily update!
And I didn't do anything worth taking a picture of today, so you get a random one I found on the computer I'm using. This is my in-law's older dog. Doesn't he look happy?
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| He doesn't use shampoo, either. |
Monday, January 3, 2011
Tree Talk
Okay, so my head doesn't want me to lay down and relax and, really, I haven't even put that movie I was talking about in yet, but at least I'm in bed. This is why we should disable our wireless haha. While I was showering, my mind got to wandering about some things that my husband and I have planned for the upcoming year. We are currently renting a little house and the owners are pretty lenient on what we can and can't do and because they've been so nice and so helpful we made a secret promise to leave the property in better shape than we got it. So we have been talking a lot about landscaping. There is only one tree-bush-thingy in the yard, and it's one of those that was planted to cover up where telephone pole wires come down. I haven't seen it in the spring yet, but so far it ain't pretty. So after we do some more research, and after we get direct permission from our landlords, we will be doing some landscaping!
The current plan is one tree in the back yard (maybe 2), potentially another in the front, and maybe some low shrubs. Our little house just looks sad to me, and I think some greenery will really help liven it up. Trees also add to property values, reduce heating and cooling costs, are good for the air, and prevent soil erosion. I honestly had no clue where to start researching, and Google quickly pointed me to a wonderful resource. The Arbor Day Foundation not only has lots of information about what trees grow best in different areas, as well as maintenance and benefits, but they also sell trees directly! The best part? If you become a member for $10, they will send you 10 free trees that are between 6 and 12 inches tall! (Note: the free trees are of the site's choosing, although you get to pick from a list based on your climate type) AND you can purchase additional trees and shrubs for a discount. Honestly, for the $10, since trees can be very pricy, I'd be willing to snag my 10, plant what I will use, and then donate the rest to either the city, a park, a school, our church, or even family and friends. All while supporting a wonderful charity. And, I know that once we buy our own house we will be planting more trees, and can use this site as a resource. Seriously, even if we lived in the middle of a forest, my husband would ask to plant more trees. He has a nature obsession. The first thing he says about anywhere we go is either "Ah, they have trees!" or "I don't like it here - no trees."
If you care to donate, but don't have anywhere to store 10 6-12 inch tall trees before donating them somewhere, or don't have anyone to donate to, then you can opt to have the foundation plant 10 trees in a forest in need in your honor. Either way, you're still helping out the planet.
We haven't decided where exactly the tree will go, since we don't know where pipes are underground, so we also don't know what type since the location will determine height and width. But I'm very excited! In addition to the greenery, I'm also planning on adding some flowers along the one side of the house, so hopefully our house will brighten up! Although this does all mean I need to start working on that composter...but that's not until February! If I can wait that long...
The current plan is one tree in the back yard (maybe 2), potentially another in the front, and maybe some low shrubs. Our little house just looks sad to me, and I think some greenery will really help liven it up. Trees also add to property values, reduce heating and cooling costs, are good for the air, and prevent soil erosion. I honestly had no clue where to start researching, and Google quickly pointed me to a wonderful resource. The Arbor Day Foundation not only has lots of information about what trees grow best in different areas, as well as maintenance and benefits, but they also sell trees directly! The best part? If you become a member for $10, they will send you 10 free trees that are between 6 and 12 inches tall! (Note: the free trees are of the site's choosing, although you get to pick from a list based on your climate type) AND you can purchase additional trees and shrubs for a discount. Honestly, for the $10, since trees can be very pricy, I'd be willing to snag my 10, plant what I will use, and then donate the rest to either the city, a park, a school, our church, or even family and friends. All while supporting a wonderful charity. And, I know that once we buy our own house we will be planting more trees, and can use this site as a resource. Seriously, even if we lived in the middle of a forest, my husband would ask to plant more trees. He has a nature obsession. The first thing he says about anywhere we go is either "Ah, they have trees!" or "I don't like it here - no trees."
If you care to donate, but don't have anywhere to store 10 6-12 inch tall trees before donating them somewhere, or don't have anyone to donate to, then you can opt to have the foundation plant 10 trees in a forest in need in your honor. Either way, you're still helping out the planet.
We haven't decided where exactly the tree will go, since we don't know where pipes are underground, so we also don't know what type since the location will determine height and width. But I'm very excited! In addition to the greenery, I'm also planning on adding some flowers along the one side of the house, so hopefully our house will brighten up! Although this does all mean I need to start working on that composter...but that's not until February! If I can wait that long...
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| I love willows. Although I don't think one would fit on our property. One day... |
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Day 2
Well, today was kind of a bust day, since I woke up at 5 PM. Now, my husband works third shift and because this week I'm in between graduation and work starting I've been on third with him. But 5 PM is unheard of even for me. But I've been sick for the past few days, and I guess it decided to really slam me today. However, I did get *some* things done. Like the dishes. And clipping coupons. Because I'm crazy and do that, too. And the house is still pretty clean. So, no harm no foul. I think.
As far as my kindness mission, today was a rough one because I've been laid up sick and Seth is working. My only kind thing for the environment was to hang a load of laundry instead of putting it in the dryer. Which counts for the budget, because it also saves $.50 every time you don't use your dryer. Small, I know, but it does add up, and it doesn't wear on the fabric as badly, so your clothes will stay nicer longer.
The family kindness threw itself at me today. My husband's a police officer. A new one, too. So there are a lot of "initiation rights" he hasn't experienced yet. Today was his first body removal. So he's dealing with a lot. Before he left he told me he'd let me know when he wanted dinner so I'd be able to cook in a timely manner (I'm a crock pot nut, so it's rare that I actually have to time myself on my cooking). I was on the phone with my mom when he barged in, saying that his sergeant demanded that he come home and change because he reeked of death. He changed, I threw his uniform in the wash, and we started Febrezeing him. After doing the fastest scrub down ever without actually taking a shower he was smelling relatively normal again and I sent him on his way with the bottle of Febreze for his car. I immediately went about defunking the house. Even though my nose is clogged up, the smell was pretty hard to miss.
Later, when he came home for dinner I made sure to let him sit and talk if he wanted and added some extra cuddle time into the end of dinner (he gets a half hour if the town doesn't burn down so usually we eat, clean up, and sit on the couch and snuggle and talk). He left in a lot better shape than he came home in, but tomorrow I'm planning on spending a lot of time with him just relaxing tomorrow.
And I let the cat play with the printer. She loves that thing.
Oh, and that laundry soap I made yesterday? It took the dead body smell right out of his uniform. And everything smells great, now! So I'm a convert.
And my hair actually looks okay today. A bit funky, but that's because I let it air dry. The texture is actually nice and soft. Still worried, though.
As for being kind to myself, well, I'm about to hop in the shower, make some peanut butter popcorn (recipe here), and curl up in bed with the popcorn, Theraflu, lots of water, orange juice, and cough drops, and a movie. Hopefully I'll pass out. And if not, then I guess I'll move on to reading. But I need the rest, apparently, so I'm going to be kind to myself and get it!
As far as my kindness mission, today was a rough one because I've been laid up sick and Seth is working. My only kind thing for the environment was to hang a load of laundry instead of putting it in the dryer. Which counts for the budget, because it also saves $.50 every time you don't use your dryer. Small, I know, but it does add up, and it doesn't wear on the fabric as badly, so your clothes will stay nicer longer.
The family kindness threw itself at me today. My husband's a police officer. A new one, too. So there are a lot of "initiation rights" he hasn't experienced yet. Today was his first body removal. So he's dealing with a lot. Before he left he told me he'd let me know when he wanted dinner so I'd be able to cook in a timely manner (I'm a crock pot nut, so it's rare that I actually have to time myself on my cooking). I was on the phone with my mom when he barged in, saying that his sergeant demanded that he come home and change because he reeked of death. He changed, I threw his uniform in the wash, and we started Febrezeing him. After doing the fastest scrub down ever without actually taking a shower he was smelling relatively normal again and I sent him on his way with the bottle of Febreze for his car. I immediately went about defunking the house. Even though my nose is clogged up, the smell was pretty hard to miss.
Later, when he came home for dinner I made sure to let him sit and talk if he wanted and added some extra cuddle time into the end of dinner (he gets a half hour if the town doesn't burn down so usually we eat, clean up, and sit on the couch and snuggle and talk). He left in a lot better shape than he came home in, but tomorrow I'm planning on spending a lot of time with him just relaxing tomorrow.
And I let the cat play with the printer. She loves that thing.
Oh, and that laundry soap I made yesterday? It took the dead body smell right out of his uniform. And everything smells great, now! So I'm a convert.
And my hair actually looks okay today. A bit funky, but that's because I let it air dry. The texture is actually nice and soft. Still worried, though.
As for being kind to myself, well, I'm about to hop in the shower, make some peanut butter popcorn (recipe here), and curl up in bed with the popcorn, Theraflu, lots of water, orange juice, and cough drops, and a movie. Hopefully I'll pass out. And if not, then I guess I'll move on to reading. But I need the rest, apparently, so I'm going to be kind to myself and get it!
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| I'm not the only one who needs sleep, apparently. |
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Day 1
Okay, maybe today wasn't the best start. For one, my husband was working and decided to go out to eat for dinner so I couldn't make him dinner, one of my favorite ways to show him that I love him (hey, I love it when I can come home from wherever and have dinner on the table, so why wouldn't he?). But instead I focused my kindness on my pets.
For Christmas/Winter, I had a centerpiece out that had pine cones in it. Well, last night to help usher in the new year I tore down the tree and all of our Christmas specific decorations. So the pine cones stayed out, and since Karma (our cat) couldn't systematically rip off ornaments anymore, she turned her focus onto the 'cones. Karma will hop onto the coffee table, pick one up in her mouth, and jog off to the kitchen where she begins to bat it around and do kitteh Parkour around the house. Eventually, Chester will decide that she's having way too much fun without him, jog into the kitchen, and start barking at her. Eventually she gives him the pine cone, he picks it up, trots to wherever I am, lays down, and starts munching. Of course I then take the pine cone away from him because I don't think that's good for him to eat, but that's also right around the time it starts all over again. I kid you not this happened 10 times today. Right around the 2nd time it occurred to me to just take the pine cones away, but the kids were enjoying themselves so much I decided to let them play a little longer. Did it drive me crazy? Yes. But they had a lot of fun and I'm glad they were playing "together."
I also posted about how I had made homemade laundry detergent and it needs to cure for a day, then I'll get to test it out. I still have most of a regular bottle left, but I wanted to make some up so that I won't have to worry about running out and getting caught with a full basket of laundry and no soap! So I'm very excited about that, as it is kind to our budget as well as the environment.
As far as being kind to myself, I've decided to do something...that I'm still kind of on the fence about. I've decided to try not using shampoo. I say this is being kind to myself because shampoo is actually horrible for your hair, and the more you use it the more you need to use it. If you've never heard about this before, try a quick Google search. You will get tons of results. It's actually really popular, if anything because it actually improves your hair's health and look, but also because it's better for the environment (decreases plastic use, fewer detergents going into the environment). So with great reluctance, but a lot of curiosity I put my two shampoo bottles (yeah, I alternated, so sue me!) back into the linen closet. And then I bought a big box of baking soda, because I'm going to need it... So we're going to give it a shot. I hear the first week is the worst. And hopefully if I use baking soda every day this week it'll slow down the nasty. We'll try it. Can you tell I'm nervous?
For Christmas/Winter, I had a centerpiece out that had pine cones in it. Well, last night to help usher in the new year I tore down the tree and all of our Christmas specific decorations. So the pine cones stayed out, and since Karma (our cat) couldn't systematically rip off ornaments anymore, she turned her focus onto the 'cones. Karma will hop onto the coffee table, pick one up in her mouth, and jog off to the kitchen where she begins to bat it around and do kitteh Parkour around the house. Eventually, Chester will decide that she's having way too much fun without him, jog into the kitchen, and start barking at her. Eventually she gives him the pine cone, he picks it up, trots to wherever I am, lays down, and starts munching. Of course I then take the pine cone away from him because I don't think that's good for him to eat, but that's also right around the time it starts all over again. I kid you not this happened 10 times today. Right around the 2nd time it occurred to me to just take the pine cones away, but the kids were enjoying themselves so much I decided to let them play a little longer. Did it drive me crazy? Yes. But they had a lot of fun and I'm glad they were playing "together."
I also posted about how I had made homemade laundry detergent and it needs to cure for a day, then I'll get to test it out. I still have most of a regular bottle left, but I wanted to make some up so that I won't have to worry about running out and getting caught with a full basket of laundry and no soap! So I'm very excited about that, as it is kind to our budget as well as the environment.
As far as being kind to myself, I've decided to do something...that I'm still kind of on the fence about. I've decided to try not using shampoo. I say this is being kind to myself because shampoo is actually horrible for your hair, and the more you use it the more you need to use it. If you've never heard about this before, try a quick Google search. You will get tons of results. It's actually really popular, if anything because it actually improves your hair's health and look, but also because it's better for the environment (decreases plastic use, fewer detergents going into the environment). So with great reluctance, but a lot of curiosity I put my two shampoo bottles (yeah, I alternated, so sue me!) back into the linen closet. And then I bought a big box of baking soda, because I'm going to need it... So we're going to give it a shot. I hear the first week is the worst. And hopefully if I use baking soda every day this week it'll slow down the nasty. We'll try it. Can you tell I'm nervous?
Homemade Laundry Detergent!
One of my goals this year is to be kinder to my budget. I spend a lot of time trying to reduce our household costs as much as possible with sales, coupons, buying in bulk (usually leads to a smaller price and less gas), ect. The last time I bought laundry detergent was months ago. I was at the beginning of my coupon/sale training and had a deal to get a 54 load bottle for $2, and since we have an HE machine I use a whole lot less than the standard per load, so I got a lot of use out of those two bottles for $4. However, I know I can do better!
So when I opened up the last bottle, I started researching for the next buy (I always like to have a back up at hand, as it prevents running out and paying full price for something just because you need it NOW! And the less you go to the store, the fewer impulse buys you make.) I also wanted to switch to something that was better for my HE machine and better for the environment, either through eliminating phosphates and nitrates or in having minimal packaging and reducing trips to the store to get more. I found that the cheapest solution is to make detergent myself. I knew that this could be done, but I didn't realize how much you really saved by making it yourself. The recipe I found makes 10 gallons of detergent, which is enough for 640 loads from a HE machine. If you do 6 loads of laundry a week, that amount will last you 2 years. We will get to the exact cost break down later, but if anything, the money saved from not having to price compare, shop for, and lug home detergent for two years is more than enough to convince me! So on to the detergent.
I got the recipe from the Duggar Family (yes, the ones on TLC with 12 bajillion kids. I actually like them and love that they live in a way that's true to them. And that they live debt free. With 20 people. It's pretty amazing).
You will need:
- 1 Bar Fels-Naptha soap (found in the laundry aisle)
- 1/2 C Borax, also in the laundry aisle
- 1 C Washing Soda. This one is tough, and can be bought on the internet here. It is Sodium Carbonate (Baking Soda is Sodium Bicarbonate). I substituted an oxygen based cleaner (like Oxyclean) because it contains mostly Sodium Carbonate.
- Water. Lots of water!
You will also need a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and something to stir it all with if you don't already. Directions as from the site are as follows:
Grate or break up bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
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| Mmmm Soap Soup |
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
Now, the cost break down. I didn't buy anything while on sale, but obviously prices vary by region and store.
Fels-Naptha - $.99
Oxywash - $1.96 for 30 oz, so $.52 per cup
Borax - $2.13 a box, $.11 per half cup
So for one batch that lasts 640 loads, minus the cost of water, you pay $1.62. Even if we round it up to $2 for water and the cost of the bucket I had to pay extrapolated into how long I'll keep it (which is practically forever) and a penny or two for essential oils, that is still $.003 per load. A third of a penny. You can't beat that price!
Pre-Game
I feel the need to explain the intent of this blog. Every year on December 31st I start thinking about the past year and the year ahead. It's a great time to do some evaluating, and a great time marker for those of us who like those kinds of things. My mind immediately went to the fact that, as always, I could stand to lose a few pounds, or maybe being more organized would work out better, ooh or maybe I should try to only eat organic! I realized that every year I make the same resolutions, and have the same results - I've given up by my birthday at the end of February. I realized that the resolutions I were making required too much change to my daily routines and obligations and that's why I could never keep up.
So I resolved to do something that requires no deviation and I can do anywhere, anytime, for free. I resolved to be more kind, specifically to myself, my family, my budget and my planet. On the worst of days I'll only be able to satisfy one of these categories, but it's my goal to hit up all four on a daily basis, no matter how small I decided to start a blog to help me keep track of my "progress" and to help keep me accountable. I also have been meaning to start a blog for quite a while now, anyway. So without further ado, let the kind acts begin!
So I resolved to do something that requires no deviation and I can do anywhere, anytime, for free. I resolved to be more kind, specifically to myself, my family, my budget and my planet. On the worst of days I'll only be able to satisfy one of these categories, but it's my goal to hit up all four on a daily basis, no matter how small I decided to start a blog to help me keep track of my "progress" and to help keep me accountable. I also have been meaning to start a blog for quite a while now, anyway. So without further ado, let the kind acts begin!
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