Ugh. I continue to crawl back towards good health. I actually got outside yesterday (only 3rd time since I got home 11 days ago from Barbados) and was able to reach (and exceed) 10,000 steps for the first time since…uh, let’s see (checks journal)…FEBRUARY 22?! You know, getting ill every once in a while does have its advantage…you realize how amazing good health and full energy really is, and it reinforces how important it is to do the daily “maintenance” on your corporeal being to ensure more healthy days than not, going forward. Not that good health is ever guaranteed mind you (shit happens despite what WE want), but there is still plenty we CAN do to give us a fighting chance by making sure our bodies are fueled properly, rested adequately, and moved daily – all in the name of health. Good health is like a good relationship – it takes constant work and should not be taken for granted, especially as we age. Just some of the thoughts I’ve been having while being prostrated by this cold/flu thingy. Anywho…
I started drafting this post with the aim of publishing late January, but here we are. And not much has changed.
I’ve always leaned towards minimizing my environmental footprint. It’s just something that is important to me. Like working at keeping my personal good health, I want (in my own tiny way) to work towards the health of the planet. At the least: not damaging it by daily living anymore than I have to.
I have solar panels on my roof. I drive a plug-in hybrid car (my 3rd hybrid!) as minimally as possible. I support local business whenever I can and I walk to do errands most days. Recycling has been a passion project with me, from the beginning of it being offered in my community. I want to be buried au naturel in a biodegradable shroud in the ground, to nourish the vegetation growing above me. Etc.
Not exactly an eco-warrior but trying to do my bit…by bit.
Now that I’m retired though, I have the time and energy (OK – not right now for the energy, but soon!) to kick it up a notch. To come more into ALIGNMENT – my Word of the Year (WOTY) – with my values.
As I need to replace cleaning and personal care products, I am experimenting with more “natural”, less harmful and wasteful products. Actually, I have been using these types of options for years already: Before my 2003 hysterectomy I used a Diva cup. I use olive oil to cleanse my face at night (been doing this for 10+ years). I’ve been making my own body wash for the shower for at least 5 years. [Recipe: 1 part castile soap; 1 part liquid honey; 1 part olive oil. Mix together. That’s it!]
Last month I made my own bathroom (with tea tree essential oil) and kitchen (with orange essential oil) cleaning sprays with Sal Suds and I am so impressed. I just now realized that my commercial bathroom cleaner was leaving a film that attracted dirt to my sink. I would clean my sink and by next use it was dull and spotted again. Not so with my Sal Suds mixture. Shiny, shiny! Even days later. And my black glass stove top? Gleaming! At pennies per liter spray bottle, I’m saving money too. WIN! I plan on using Sal Suds for more things as I run out of my current products. Supposed to be good for laundry too. Speaking of…
As I ran out of fabric softener, I replaced it with wool dryer balls instead (thank you Jeanette and Red Maple Homestead!). And they are working just fine! I don’t put a lot of wash in the dryer – I prefer to hang up to dry, whenever possible – but for what I do, it comes out nice and soft.
I’m out of plastic and foil wrap, and I have a replacement (along with the beeswax wraps I got from Red Maple). Behold:
I also found this cute little cup for car travel, while browsing at Indigo. I have numerous metal containers but I find them a bit awkward while driving. This one has a straw, making it easier for me to sip water from it while on the move.
And if you read my last post, you know by now that I have a mania for packing minimally and light. So the collapsible aspect of this cup delighted me thoroughly.
And, to wrap up this post, I am rethinking how I purchase clothing. Being retired now, my wardrobe needs are changing along with everything else. “Business casual” is now my “dressy”…hah! During a walk to do errands, I made a stop at Sail, an outdoor gear store near me. Just to browse, ya know? Well…
Last year I had picked up this t-shirt that I had just fallen in love with, at Sail.
It was $35, which is pretty pricey for a t-shirt, IMHO. I am used to picking up plain t-shirts for $10 at Joe Fresh. But then I got to thinking. Does my Joe Fresh t-shirt really cost only $10? I doubt I could sew one for $10. Hmmmm. And I don’t take as good care of my $10 t-shirts as I do my Life Is Good one, let me tell you that! At $10, if one gets stained, out it goes (or gets relegated to the chore/paint drawer) and I buy a replacement. My $35 shirt though? I willingly invest hours applying Oxi-clean (made into a paste) to get that damn stain out.
Anywho, I found 2 more Life Is Good shirts while browsing on this trip, and it got me to thinking about my clothing choices, the real cost of things, and so on and so on, down the rabbit hole of consumerism. After some mulling, I did end up buying them. My thinking is that I would rather have less clothes that I value more, and to take care of them better. And Life Is Good seems like a good company to support.
Going forward in 2020 and my new, retired life, these are some of the ways I am coming more into alignment with, and expressing my values. I’m going to explore this further. I would like to break my paper towel addiction for one, and start using cloth alternatives instead.
After my recent illness though, I don’t see me eliminating tissues and replacing them with hankies. There are not enough hankies in the world to keep up with the snot factory I have been of late. 😉
Baby steps.
How about you? Are you making changes in your life in alignment with your values? Do tell.
Rock your crunchy-granola self on,
The WB
I like Dr. Bronner’s products and I like Life Is Good t-shirts. I think that aligning my values with my behavior is the ultimate goal behind all that I do, although I’ve never thought about that before. I know that years ago I ditched one blog for another so that I’d be more like who I was becoming instead of hanging onto who I was. Like you said, change for the better is taken in baby steps.
Thank you Ally 💕 It just feels better when everything aligns, doesn’t it?
I LOVE Life is Good. I actually have a favorite long-sleeve purple LIG t-shirt on today. It has a picture of the world and says “One Love.” I haven’t had the bandwidth to make as many changes, but this post is super inspiring and I will be looking into several of the things you mentioned.
Thank you Susan💕 I had never heard of Life is Good until I saw the shirts at Sail. Happy that they are a well-known and respected brand!
I shop at Goodwill and use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning. I try to use natural products also, but it’s hard because plastic is in and on everything. As for feeling ill, you need to gulp down some of my anti-virus juice, Deb. hahaha. Feel better soon.
Thanks GW💕 I also use good ol’ vinegar and baking soda for a lot of things. Forgot to mention that. Also that I compost so much stuff (including my snot rags and paper towels 😜). I saw your recipe for anti-virus juice and am willing to give it a go. It can’t be any worse than NeoCitran – which I have drank so much of, the thought of one more cup makes me gag.
This recipe I posted works so well it’s better than any cold medicine. Try it, it will kill the virus.
That’s some flu you have there Deb, do you think it was the coronavirus?
Leslie
Yes it is some flu, Leslie. Definitely not the coronavirus because of my faucet of a runny nose. Only high fever and cough with coronavirus. Meanwhile I should have bought stock in Kleenex. Thanks💕
Take care Deb…
I love Life is Good stuff! I have been transitioning to natural cleaning products. Cheaper and I know what’s in them!
Kate, you landed in Spam for some reason and needed to be rescued. Weird.
Anywho, I am so happy to have discovered Life Is Good, finally. And so pleased everyone else loves them too. And totally agree with your thoughts on the cleaning products. Thanks!
I must be a spammy kind of person! 🙂
Never!💕
I love how you live intentionally and with a forward look to help save the planet.
Thank you Jean💕 I’m just a lil’ old Pagan gal who’s trying to do her bit.
Sal’s Suds sounds interesting (thought that might be hard to say three times, real fast). I don’t like toxic chemicals, so I use a squirt of Dawn in spray bottle to do my cleaning. It works okay, but I think I might look into Sal’s Suds.
I’ve heard Dawn is very good. After all, they use it to wash oil spills offa those cute animals 😄
We use Dr. Bronners but I hadn’t heard of Sal Suds so I’ll check it out. I love Life is Good because of their beautiful designs and uplifting messages. I think you are right about the true cost of fast fashion. Better to purchase clothes that will not only last but their manufacturing methods supports providing a dignified, liveable wage. You are walking the talk, Deb! I hope you feel better soon. My cold from hell lasted about four weeks… I am finally feeling better.
Oh no, not you too Janis? 4 weeks, huh? I’ve got a ways to go then. So many people reading this post already know about Life Is Good. I feel out of the loop 😜Thanks💕
You’ve made lots of good steps towards a sustainable and green lifestyle.
I would highly recommend trying Nellie’s clothing and dishwasher soap. It’s a powder in a tin can (refills come in a bag) because as they say why ship around water in the soap.
We rarely use paper towel – depending on what we would use it for will depend on what we pick up to use instead.
We compost which is the best way to keep the garbage down. I’ve thought about hankies like my dad used but don’t think I want to go there!
We drive a truck and use it as a truck to haul stuff but our next other vehicle will be a hybrid of some sort. We “batch” drive errands.
I dislike clothing shopping and have, for many decades, bought most of my clothes second hand. Of course I never dress for work so jeans is like my dressy casual. I’ve taken to remaking my husband’s old shirts (he got laid off and doesn’t work that in that environment anymore plus he wore most of them to death!) in to dresses for my granddaughter. Think I am going to branch out and try a couple of shirts for myself.
Our biggest recycle ever was a 1918 Eaton’s Eager house that was slated for demolition.
Thank you Bernie💕 Great ideas. I do tend to “batch drive” as well, and with the most efficient routing- a habit from my working days…I will look up Nellie’s! I compost as well (forgot to mention it on ye olde blogge).
Hi Deb – well you certainly have lots of ideas here … I hadn’t come across Dr Bonner’s or ‘his’ Sal Suds … but I’ll definitely look into it. I do wear clothes til they wander off me (they’re not worn to death – poor clothes … just judiciously worn!) … and at the moment my word of the year is Waistline … so I’ll wait til that’s improved then I can mix and match a lot more. Thanks for the suggestions … and now get completely better … weather’s improving! Cheers Hilary
Thank you Hilary💕 I’m getting a little better every day but man, is this thing hanging on!🤧
Don’t send it here!!! It’ll go soon … just one feels so ‘frot’ … all the best – H
I’m trying very hard to keep this thing all to myself😷😄😉. Thank you Hilary!
I’m on the same page, Deb. I’ve long been a fan of reducing single use plastics, and managed to dump dryer sheets months ago when I purchased a couple of wool balls. Even my use of paper towels has diminished radically after I bought a stack of inexpensive microfibre towels from Canadian Tire a few years ago. I use them for everything from cleaning to my art projects.
In the past year, food waste has been a big target with me. Yes, we have composting, but not creating the garbage in the first place became important to me.
The one area I’ve been dragging my feet is with cleaning products … which is quite of odd now that I think about it. With my allergies and sinus sensitivities, you’d think I would have attacked those harsh cleaners a long time ago.
I’m inspired!
Btw – LOVE the drone shot of your building! Are you going to get it framed?
Yes! Recycling is one thing but not creating the waste in the first place is the better option! I have a pile of microfibre cloths I use for dusting and was thinking they could make a good switch for paper towelling. Me and my beloved Bounty need to break up, and I’m on my last roll so….Hadn’t thought of framing that shot. Hmmm…Thanks Joanne💕
I still have paper towels on hand. Sometimes they are just the perfect solution, but I’m happy to say my use of them has dropped dramatically.
Good thinking. Instead of a total breakup, I’ll just put Bounty in the friend zone😜. For now at least.
ALIGNMENT – a perfect 2020 word/goal. You seem pretty darn aligned to me. I’m with you – I HATE getting sick and do so rarely, so when it happens, I’m shocked and then so much more sensitive to those who have chronic illnesses. Feeling 100% to the best of our ability makes such a difference on how we view our world. Anyway, hope you feel better. I try to be aligned with walking and yoga and meditating – and writing. Writing aligns me magnificently. As far as being eco-conscious, I know I can do better. I’ve become allergic to many things as I’ve aged, and am using scent-free products as much as possible, which I think is also better for the environment. I can’t use fabric softeners any more; I like your idea of wool dryer balls. Gonna get some. LOVE the drone picture of your building. Looks – peaceful!
Feel better. xo
Thank you Pam💕 I am always shocked and miffed at my body’s immune system letting me down. The nerve! 😜 I have so much admiration for those dealing with chronic illnesses with grace and good cheer. I have my doubts about myself should I be in a similar situation. Being aligned is an ongoing process, for me and probably everyone else too. I know I can always do better too, and sometimes my values are at war with convenience and consciousness of costs. 🤷♀️ I’m human and quite flawed, so I hope I never come across as preachy. You will like the dryer balls, I predict!
You do not come off preachy at all. Instead, you speak (write) your thoughts of aligning and connect with those of us who wish to do the same.
I just ordered the dryer balls (from Nepal!) I chose these because my son recently returned from a business trip to Nepal and talked about the generous, kind, loving people there.
Love it. Thank you Pam💕
<3
Hi, Deb – So glad that you are beginning to feel better. I agree that a dose of bad health reminds us of the pricelessness of good health. I also agree with Joanne. This post is very inspiring. I too try to be environmentally conscious. We think before we buy, regularly eat plant-based, compost, recycle, reduce our use of plastics and drive our car as little as possible.I’m not quite there with cleaning products. You’ve given me great ideas here.
Thank you Donna💕 I learn from you and other bloggers so happy to return the favour!
I passed along to my young adult sons the very helpful info about Sal Suds and castille soap (because that is what mothers do).
I cringe when I recall using as a child the crochet trimmed hankerchiefs made by my grandmother a hundred years ago. It was my chore at home to press them into neat squares after laundering. I always had one in my Catholic school uniform pocket. Whenever I caught a cold it would be soaked with snot by lunch time. It’s gross now to think back on using the same germy hankie all day long. Ick.
The photo of your house and neighborhood is gawchuss (as they say in New York City). Looks like a lovely place to live with a lot of character.
Your extended illness sounds like a nightmare. Glad you’re almost recovered.
Thank you for the going green ideas. My contribution to the recycling/reusing cause is shopping for clothes on Ebay.
Thank you 💕 My home is lovely (IMHO) and I’ve poured my heart and soul into it. I am sad to leave it soon. But I need to be on to a new adventure and my memories will have to sustain me.
There’s a cumulative effect to learning and getting comfortable with all of these lifestyle changes and adjustments. It has felt like a natural progression that takes place all on its own, once we got used to questioning and re-evaluating some of our ingrained and very wasteful habits.
For me, since I started growing my own veggies, composting was the logical next step; then so was capturing rainwater to water the garden.
We avoid buying products that use too much wasteful packaging, I try to repair rather than replace things whenever possible, and we buy a lot more stuff in bulk where we can bring our own reusable containers.
We’ve dabbled a bit with homemade household cleaning products, so I’m guessing that and personal cleaning products will be the next steps for us. I have never heard of Sal Suds or Castille soap but now I’m curious.
Overall though, I’d say that dramatically cutting down on food waste has been the recent change I’m most proud of. It all just feels like a healthier more sustainable way to live.
Hope you’re feeling better soon 🙂
Thanks Norm💕 Agreed, it is cumulative and once you start thinking that way, it’s kinda amazing where it takes you. I used to compost in my backyard, but since I am at a different property and now the city picks up compostable waste weekly, I save my organic scraps for them. I only put out a tiny bit of actual garbage every other week now. And sometimes it is so little that I skip it and put out the garbage only once per month for pickup. I am feeling better! Was out hiking with Joanne today😁
At my daughter and son-in-law’s prompting and encouragement, I am trying to be a little more conscious of doing more for the environment. Strangely, our city is moving from weekly recycling pick up to bi-monthly pick up. They don’t recycle glass or much plastic.
I am interested in the reusable ziplock bags I have seen on Amazon. Gave metal straws to folks at Christmas. And I am saving my dental products to send away for recycling. Need to invest in some silicone lids. And love your tees.
We can all make a difference together. Good work!!
Thank you💕 Agreed, every little bit helps.
Hi Deb, Really cool drone photo. I recall reading about your wool dryer balls. I have heard about the silicone lids. I will be interested to hear how things go for you. We have similar collapsible cups we bought in New Zealand. They are in our camping gear. I just made a note to retrieve them and put them in my day pack. I had forgotten about them. Interesting post, Deb. I am always curious how other people live. Alignment sounds like a perfect word for you this year. I hope you are feeling better! Possibly the outdoor hike in the fresh air with Joanne helped?
Thank you Erica💕 I am feeling much better, and have been missing fresh air so much. Wednesday’s hike (and Joanne’s company) definitely helped!
It’s nice to learn about your eco-friendly lifestyle involving the use of Hybrid vehicles, bio degradable chemicals and solar panels. Also, your efforts towards helping the local community through your purchases struck a chord. The world needs more people like you Madam..!! Great to meet you.. 😊
by the way, what else is needed if one gets to see a reign of Ice from her/his window on a daily basis? 😍😍❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄
Thank you🙂 What is needed is to be in a climate that provides plenty of ice and to be admiring it from a nicely heated house, hopefully with a cup of hot tea or coffee in your hand. 😉☕️
Hehe.. 😉
Well, your idea of admiring the icy climate from the comfort of a heated house and hot coffee sounds (and actually is) enticing.. ☺️
I can however admire it even if I am outside in the cold, with ice softly touching my hands and face and the temperatures never rising above -10°C.. 😍❄️
I’m outside in all kinds of weather too. I love it, actually. Makes the hot tea all the more delicious when you get back inside.
You are right Madam.. ☺️
Hot tea generally is delicious (except when the Sun is roasting you at 50°C).. I like tea, hot or cold.. Coffee as well..