I think its important to do the things that help recycling efforts, environmental changes, and just make the world sustainable for everyone, not just my daughter. Some of the shit that is going on now; water shortages, rising temperatures, wild swings in weather, make me more than a bit nervous for what’s to come. So, i’ve been making small moves, what I can to produce less trash and use less plastics. Ross likes to give me shit about it, calling all the things I buy “hippie” whatever. Hippie detergent. Hippie toilet bowl cleaner. All of it. I don’t care. It may cost a bit more but I feel like its worth it to make sure my daughter isn’t melting from all the holes in the ozone layer, or swimming in the ocean from the new coastline right outside my house in Columbus Ohio once the ice caps melt completely.

I’ve made changes around the house that have an impact, not a big one but every little bit counts. Right?

1. We’ve stopped using disposable straws and instead use metal or bamboo straws.
2. We stopped buying water bottles and moved to metal canteens. I have given Corkcicle a lot of money. I don’t care though, I love them.
   • We have WAAAAY too many Star Wars canteens. There’s no excuse, except that I just love to buy them.
3. I started composting. I haven’t quite figured it out and gotten the mixture quite right, but I’m working on it.
4. I’ve stopped using shampoo and conditioner in bottles and instead moved to bars from Kitsch. I like them so far and I don’t see any real difference in the state of my hair. The same goes for body wash. I’ve gone back to bar soap.
   • I really wish there were more things in bar soap options, like my face wash. I would love for Panoxyl to have a bar soap. I might try the Neutrogena facial soap. I have acne issues, so I need the salicytic acid in the acne control washes and those are hard to come by in bars. There’s a clinique bar that may work. Has anyone used this? What are your thoughts?
5. I stopped using dryer sheets and instead have wool dryer balls from Friendsheep. They are adorable and really work well. I have the penguins and piglets. I’m not going to lie to you. I kinda want the ladybugs and the bees. Plus, my cats LOVE the little wool balls they have.
6. I’ve moved away from disposable cotton facial pads and now use reusable cotton pads for my toner and to remove oil from my face.
7. I’ve stopped using ziploc bags for lunch items and we now have reusabel sandwich/snack bags. I’m definitely going to need more before the school year starts up again.
8. I’ve moved to Blueland products for several things
   • Laundry Detergent
   • Foaming Hand soap
   • Toilet bowl cleaner
   • Compostable dish scrub pad

There’s so much more I could do. I would love to get solar panels but I don’t think that’s in my near future. That requires a large investment up front and I’m not sitting on a stack of money. I would also love to be able to take public transportation but I don’t live in a place that has good public transportation. Columbus could really use a train. That would be amazing. I intend my next car to be electric, hybrid at the very least.

What are some things you’re doing to make your life/household more sustainable?