Things I love Thursdays.....(Good Documentaries...oh and My Husband)

No Impact Man...a Documentary and a book (by the same name) about a man (but really a family) that decides to voluntarily participate in an experiment of his own making that seeks to have him live for a year making little to no impact on the environment.
 

Of course, I believe that the goal of having little to no impact on the environment is GREAT!  Tops!  That was the initial draw for me to both the movie and the book (and the blog).  But what got me is the No Impact Family.

Colin Beaven (No Impact Man) allows the viewer/reader to watch his family go through this process.  It's amazing and touching and heart-warming and very real.  From watching the family stomp their laundry clean in the bathtub (their little girl is adorable), to traveling through NYC in their bike "SUV"...not to mention the "Pot in the Pot" meltdown from his wife (and really, not that I have or had even heard of a "pot in a pot" before this movie, but I've been in the moment of conflict with my husband and realizing that as much as we love each other...our priorities, in that moment, are light-years away from each other).  Yay for the Earth!  Yay for Life! and Yay for Families!


After watching No Impact Man, I kept thinking about something that my husband often says (regarding personal motivation), "You've got to decide what you are willing to do".  My husband has said this in regards to work out ethic, raising children, house cleaning, etc.  In the film, Beavan makes similar comments. 

So, what are you willing to do to have a better world for yourself?  For the next generation? Parents, what are you willing  to do to make a healthy world for your children?

Most of the parents I know would take a bullet for their children.  In fact, I've even heard most of the parents I know say something to that effect.  Hell, I've said it and genuinely mean.it

Here's the GOOD NEWS....

Parents I'm not asking you to take bullet or harm yourself in anyway for your children.  I'm just asking you to think about simple ways to make the Environment a better place for your children.  Reduce the amount of waste that your household generates.  Reuse/Recycle as MUCH as you can.  And pay attention to the food you put in your body and the products you put on your body.  It's not about being "green" or a "tree hugger" or a "conservationist" or any other label...It's about being a good parent!

Don't shrug off responsibility and insure that our current Environmental Crisis becomes the Crisis of generations to come. 

So....  What are you willing to do?

And to CALLOUSLY steal from Kristy at One Dress Protest....

If not now, and if not us, then when and who?

 Read the article HERE you will not be disappointed

Wednesday Weigh-In...

Alright, I know that this already looks like a Ad-Happy blog.  I don't want it to become that...but here's the deal:

I like products that WORK.  And not only work...but work consistently...and if they don't work, I like companies that fix the problem without the run around.  I did research when purchasing my current scale...which happens to be the one pictured.  It's awesome (but more to that later).

The overwhelming majority of the reviews are TOPS.  I have read NONE that are "this product is crap".  And in the ones that mention problems with the scale...by and large, say that EatSmart (the company) have not only apologized, but sent replacement scales.  And let me tell you, they are FEW (think, less than a hand full) of reviews that cite problems.

I love this scale...lightyears better than my old scale (which I freecycled...and the receiver emailed me later saying that she has had no problems with my old scale...and that she loves it.  Yay for her, but does that mean that the old scale just had something personal against me? Ah well...).

Anyway, every Wednesday I will be posting my weight (egads!).  My goal is the 130s by 30, here's hoping that's wise (it is...calm down, I've done my research!).

Starting Weight: 167
Current Weight: 158

That almost 10 pounds.  Yay for progress!

Things I love Thursdays.....

An important part of caring for the Planet is the 3R's.  We've all heard the Jack Johnson song.  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  It's great...It's catchy and it's true!  

But we've still got to function in a world that is inundated with Consumerism.  So much so that it has permeated EVERYTHING that we do.  

And a big, HUGE part of Consumerism is Convenience.  We LOVE easy.  And we are willing to pay for it, not just with money but with our health and the health of our Planet.

Hey, I'm a fan of easy too.  

So, Let's start with something simple and seemingly harmless.  The plastic produce bag.  It has only ONE use...to keep our veggies and fruit together while we make our way to the checkout line and then in the car ride home.  And as soon as we get home, it gets tossed into the garbage.  Even if you re-use it as a garbage pail liner, it still heads to the landfill where it will remain long after your great-grandkids are playing Bridge in the Nursing Home.  

Maybe you Recycle the produce bag at anyone of the many stores that now offer plastic bag recycling.  That's a pretty admirable option; however, it doesn't do anything to reduce the amount of new plastic being made and in the long run it someday that plastic will end up in a landfill where it will remain for a very, very long time.

Try a little (EASY) change.  

Flip and Tumble Reusable Produce bags are AWESOME!  They are washable, and easy to store in your purse or reusable shopping bags for your grocery trips.  They are made of mesh so the cashier can easily see what you are purchasing and still read the produce codes.  They are great!  I have a set and my 3 year old likes to match the color of the fruit or vegetable to the brightly colored tag that's on the bag (a different one on each bag).  At 10.80 for 5, that's just a little over 2 bucks a bag...which isn't bad.

Granted, Flip and Tumble bags are not  your only option.  There are several wonderful Eco-Mindful stores on Etsy.com, where you can purchase handmade produce/bulk reusable bags.  Johnson Family Zoo is a great little Etsy Store with REALLY adorable reusable bags.  There are others sites out there too.  Explore, Compare and Choose something that works for your Family and the Environment.

However, you can also ditch the produce bag completely.  I think this is a valid option, as well.  I mean, what are we really protecting our fruits and vegetables from?  Dust?  We are going to was them off anyway when we get home.  Dirt?  Um...that's what they grew in.  Harmful chemicals?  Um...that's what's in the plastic produce bag.  Ditching the bag is a great option.

However, if you enjoy the convenience of not having to wrangle stray oranges as they roll around in your cart opt for a REUSABLE option and REFUSE the disposables.

Ego Maniac vs Eco Momiac

ego·ma·nia  ē-gō-ˈmā-nē-ə, -nyə : noun

1.  the quality or state of being extremely egocentric (Merriam-Webster)

2.  showing marked self-importance with an inability to comprehend the affect one's actions might have on the world at large

or......Me, from birth until recently, actually.

Yep...this was me.  I think there's this conventional wisdom that some day when we are old we will look back on our youth and marvel about how wonderful it was.  Maybe I'm not old enough yet....but in my youth, I was a jerk.  An Unapologetic Jerk, at that.  My priorities were very near-sighted and really didn't extend beyond showing up for work, paying rent and having a good time.

I did not worry about my health, the people around me or the Planet that we all have to live on.  Smoking, drinking, ridiculous shoes, lots of makeup, little sleep, lots (and lots) of coffee...and this was my status quo.

I would like to say that it all changed when I fell in love with the man that I'm married to, but it didn't.  Granted, he encouraged me to snap out of my REALLY unhealthy practices and even motivated me to go to the gym every once and awhile.  But mostly, I was still stuck on myself and in my old ways.

                                               But then...something happened.....

(that's a baby bump)

And suddenly it wasn't about me anymore.  I began thinking about the type of food I was putting into my body and the types of cosmetics I was putting on it.  I began thinking about the world I wanted my child to grow up in.  Everything in my life became something that needed to be examined and evaluated.

When that second pink line appeared on the pregnancy test the Ego Maniac in me died and in her place was a budding Eco Momiac.  

Now, I am a mother of two.  I'm not perfect.  I'm not an expert.  I don't think that it's all about me, because that's the point.  It's not all about me.

The things that I truly care about and strive to consistently safeguard and promote for myself, my family and others are the things that I'm now maniacal about: Your Health, Your Family and Your Planet.  

With that, Welcome to Eco Momiac..