Sunday, December 29, 2013

New Year 2014 Resolution Part 1

I have many resolutions for 2014. Among those are living "greener". Now the great thing about being "green" is that there's really not too much or too little that you could do. Something as simple as recycling every week helps protect our planet. The choice is yours. Doing your part, even though small, makes a difference. My resolution isn't just to be "green" in care of the earth, but also be "green" in care of my body and health, and that of my family.
I plan on bringing my family to the point where we eat only unprocessed, real food. This means cooking from scratch, perhaps some backyard gardening, and rebudgeting in order to afford eating and feeding my family real food.
I also plan to eliminate all cleaning supplies with harsh, toxic and dangerous chemicals. I have begun to look into companies such as Norwex (I have a friend who sells, so I know more about this particular one than I do others at this point) and other ones that lay claim to being clean and healthy. I am also going to be experimenting with simple homemade cleaning remedies to see what works.
Another facet of being "green" will be to avoid using non-recyclable and disposable products. I'm already almost exclusively cloth diapering and using cloth wipes. I'm using reusable baby/toddler food pouches, instead of purchasing them, and I'm slowly convincing my husband to use a reusable water bottle with a filter at work, home, and when out (gym, hiking, running errands, etc) to keep use from spending money on bottled water that would normally not go into recycling bins when out.
There are many more ways to be "greener" and save not only the planet but our bodies and health too. I have always had hippie/tree hugging tendencies,  along with feminist tendencies, as well as a love for technology, a mistrust of the pharmaceutical industry, a tendency to seek holistic or natural methods/cures for illness, and just an outright flare for the extreme, and balancing those in my life is difficult at times. I'm not a middle ground,  neutral girl. I either love radically and unconditionally, without logic, or I don't. I have common sense about a lot of things, but logic eludes me at times. There's a huge difference between the two.
Not being wasteful & disrespectful either with the planet or the body God gave us, just makes a whole lot of sense to me. I love fitness and living a healthy lifestyle because it makes sense to care for one's body. It's not about being a size zero to me, but about respecting and loving the body God gave me. I believe that gluttony and laziness are slapping God in the face. "Thanks, God for this body. Now watch me misuse and destroy it". Same goes for the earth. "Thank you for this beautiful planet with this perfect life-sustaining atmosphere, but I think I'll pollute the air, poison the waters, and use up all natural resources". This enrages me, but I digress...
Another way I plan on being "greener" is financially, but that's another post and falls under another resolution.
I think I might be biting off a lot with a new baby on the way, a toddler, a scarce/deployed husband, and being a WAHM...but I figure it's doable if I give myself the whole year to experiment and perfect. The year 2014 will be filled with triumphs & failures, mishaps & "wow! I can't believe that actually worked", crying fits of frustration & victory dances, giving up & starting over. I'm looking forward to all the adventures to be had by myself and my family as I take us into uncharted territory and new beginnings.  I'm sure I will have many headaches and moments that will test not only my patience, but also my resolve. But it will be fun...right?
Well, I'm ready. I think? Bring it on 2014...I got this!
Also, if anyone wants to join me (at whatever level of "green") I'd appreciate the support and accountability.  Also, you know what they say, "Misery loves company!" Errr I mean, "The more the merrier!" Just comment below that you'd like to join me and what your goals are! I'd love to hear them and you may have a goal/method I'd like to steal, I mean, add to my plan.
Thanks for reading what's floating around in my noggin!
Happy New Year!
Lydia

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