Ok, ok...so I have been busy this week so there has been little time for me to sit down and 'blog' about my green living attempts. Excuses, excuses, but in reality when you are a full time mom you can always use the 'busy' excuse and no one will ever question you. I have a new challenge. A simple one this time. Don't worry, I didn't forget about my last challenge...on the contrary, I just ordered the 'eco-conversion kit' from Melaleuca and it should arrive next week giving me lots to talk about then. But, until then, I thought I would put out another challenge. Something that I already do. Well, ok, I am supposed to be already doing, but to be totally honest I actually suck at doing it, so it is one of those 'resolutions' that I am constantly trying to achieve. I thought that by putting it out there as a challenge it would motivate me to get better at it. Drum roll please...use reusable bags when shopping. I thought that I would quote from Al Gore's book "An Inconvenient Truth" to give some background on the whole plastic bag thing:

"Americans go through 100 billion grocery bags every year. One estimate suggests that Americans use more than 12 million barrels of oil each year just to produce plastic grocery bags that end up in landfills after only one use and then take centuries to decompose. Paper bags are a problem too: To ensure that they are strong enough to hold a full load, most are produced from virgin paper, which requires cutting down trees that absorb carbon dioxide. It is estimated that about 15 million trees are cut down annually to produce the 10 million paper bags we go through each year in the United States."

So, enough statistic babble...you probably get the point. Not a bad idea to use reusable bags. So, for myself, I have been keeping them in my front closet with the intention of taking them with me whenever I go get groceries(or shop period). Well, in the commotion of trying to get myself and two kids out the door without a temper tantrum, those bags are almost always forgotten. For Christmas, at one of those crazy gift exchange things, Bob got the book "It's Easy Being Green" by Crissy Trask. In it she suggests...and here comes the big compact fluorescent in my head coming to full brightness...keeping a set in your car. Brilliant! So, now I'm going to go out and buy like 8 of them(I only currently have 3) for both vehicles. I am also committing to not using them as 'garbage bags'. I'm cutting back on my plastic consumption. I know that they can be recycled, but recycling is not always the answer.

And, in the spirit of this conversation on plastic bags, I am going on the hunt for a beautiful shoulder bag that I can carry with me now that I no longer need a diaper bag. Al Gore suggests the website www.reusablebags.com and I've checked it out and I think I actually might place an order with them. Of particular interest to me were the reusable produce bags. And, I like the heavy duty grocery bags that are kind of square as they will carry my groceries better. There were also these really cool shoulder bags made from recycled rice bags which I thought might pass as cool enough for me. We'll see. I'm off to the grocery store...well, as soon as my coffee kicks in!

Today was my daughter's second birthday. Birthdays mean alot to you when you are a kid(ok, not when you are two, but still) and, then as you get older, they are celebrated with less ferver. I have to say that I like my kids' birthdays. For me, it is a day to reflect back on how far we've come from that day that will remain etched in my consciousness for eternity. Two years...wow. How come I still haven't reached my prepregnancy weight? Will I ever reach it? That is a topic for another day.
We had a party for her. A small celebration with only family present(some cousins, aunties and uncles). She is shy. Although, she is beginning to break out of that shell and we reached about the limits of what she can take. This year, it has me thinking about a couple of things. First, the garbage that is produced from a day like that...even with recycling as much as you can--and composting. There is, inevitably, garbage to deal with. Second, the amount of stuff one small child receives in the form of gifts--even from a small crowd. Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to sound unappreciative. Believe me, I like to get gifts for the kids I care for and to see their faces light up with excitement as they open them. But, birthdays have gotten out of hand. My kids need no more toys, no more stuff...they have more stuff than they could ever rattle off in a day. They have so much stuff there is stuff they forget they have--and they are little still! I had a nice conversation with my cousin and cousin in law about donating money to charities and giving small gifts in the form of books or puzzles, etc to the birthday child. And, I think this is an awesome idea. I'm all for it. In fact, I did it earlier this week for a friends little girl. On her birthday inviation, it read "no gifts please your friendship is present enough". So, I donated the money I would have spent on her gift to the United Nations World Food Foundation. It bought food for a family in an underprivaleged nation for three months and provided encouragement to send their daughter to school instead of to work. I like this idea. So, sorry to say that many of you will be getting e-cards from charities telling of the small donation I have made in your name for your birthday. Do not be offended. It is meant to spread the joy that my friends bring to my life.
On another note, I am volunteering for a "Green Film Festival in Celebration of Earth Day" here in Okotoks. One of my 'tasks' is to organize the kids event. That, and the fact that a couple of people have asked me if their children should see "An Inconvenient Truth"(the answer is probably no...most adults I know have a difficult enough time digesting the material within), have got me thinking about how we can get children involved in the climate crisis. Another volunteer suggested "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss which I read today and think it is the best book(there is also a film) on the environment for kids that I have come across. Someone else suggested "Miss Rumphius" which is one of my favorite books of all time so I am all over suggesting that one. And, Bob thinks that talking to kids about the issues of urban sprawl brought up in "Over The Hedge" is another cool way of addressing the issue. I am looking for your suggestions here, so I'll share what I think we here at Pughville already do. I have found that I talk to Jack about "precycling"...a concept I haven't really talked about here on my blog, but talk to Jack about whenever we go grocery shopping and he wants cheese strings or individual yogurts. We don't get them-except for a special treat-because there is too much stuff to throw out(in the recycle bin or the garbage bin). We have also taken Jack to the local landfill(on more than one occassion) and talked about how large it is and how recycling/composting helps to reduce the space needed for that(I always relate it to playgrounds...as in if we need space for this how will we find the space for more playgrounds?). Jack has toured a hydro dam in BC, taken every free kids coloring book on electricity, recycling, etc that we have come across, and come into the Okotoks recycling facility with us. We talk about our solar panels and what they are for and why they are special. We also point out other panels here in Okotoks and have taken him to see the windmills in Pincher Creek. And, if anyone wants to come to our house and show the panels to their kids--I am open to it. Just let me know. We can read "The Lorax", go outside to see the panels, and then they can watch "Over the Hedge" while we have a coffee and chat about "Greys Anatomy"(I love that show). Mostly, I think it is important to take them outside and show them how amazing it is to be outside and enjoy our environment. What do you think?

So, I am working on my second challenge. This one will be slightly different than the first because it is a challenge for myself, as well as, anyone else who is interested...so it may take me a while to finish it. You know--I have to do all the proper research or Bob will not be happy. It's finally time for us to 'green' our cleaning supplies. To some this might seem like an easy step. Just switch to the baking soda and vinegar recipes you can find on the web. Well, anyone who knows me knows that there is no way I am taking the time to make my own cleaning supplies. Most of the time I think it is a miracle that I can even find the time to clean at all so I don't want to add to the problem. And, I have always thought that if one is going to encourage others to embrace a new way of doing things then that way better be as palatable as possible. Me measuring out baking soda into my toilet is not my idea of a good time. Talking over my options with my neighbours who have already made the switch--an apple martini in one hand and some nice cheese on a pretty cracker in the other is more my style. You think I'm joking, but I'm not.

For me, this change has been somewhat elusive on my green journey. I honestly think it has something to do with being a child of 70's advertising. You know that whole "Mr. Clean will clean your house" song plays over and over again in my head while I clean my bathroom. I think that it is the advertising that they do through scent that has most influenced me. I mean you walk into a house cleaned with Pine-Sol and you know it. The scent is undeniable. And, I like that scent(or the scent of any cleanser, really). It says to me--this house is clean. After you spend a couple of hours cleaning, it's nice to have some sort of evidence that you did it. Well, I'm giving that up. Most natural cleansers I have found in the past have no hint of a scent(except maybe vinegar). I know they are bad. Don't get me wrong. Just google up some lists of nasties that can be found in cleaning agents and your heart will sink. Bleach! Bleach! I need bleach to clean my kids whites. Have you ever seen what chocolate milk can do to a white dress shirt? I'm putting this all aside people. Giving it up. If you need to see a list of nasties...I've posted one on my website.

So, first things first, I'm tackling the bathroom. When I think of 'natural cleaning supplies', I think of ineffective and expensive. So, I asked my neighbours(whose house always seems freakishly clean) and they suggested that I try 'Nature Clean' available here in Calgary at Planet Organic and Community Foods. One thing that I found interesting in my reading was the idea that labels should give a timeline for how quickly they biodegrade. So, on their website they note that the majority of their products are 99% biodegradable within 28 days using the European standard of testing(which I automatically assume to be better than the American, but I really have no idea). I found them to be quite affordable at under $4.50 for a large spray bottle(23 fl.oz) and under $7 for the tub and tile scrub. The company states on their website that their packaging is made from recycled milk and water jugs; and their display materials made out of recycled cardboard. So, they seem green, but do they clean?

Well, they do. And, I am actually totally impressed as they clean really well. The glass cleaner did not leave streaks(I've heard that this is a problem with alot of natural cleaners and anyone who has tried vinegar and water mixtures knows that it's true of that as well), but it did smell like vinegar. And, that is one thing they are totally missing--scent. Ah...I am leaving it behind and trying to change my own crazy perception of what clean is. So, after cleaning my first bathroom, I quickly lit a lovely scented candle, put it up high where little fingers couldn't reach it, and moved on to the next. I'm a convert. I'm also interested to hear what products other people use as I'm willing to try others.

Next, I will look at clean laundry supplies by Melaleuca. I've already been impressed by their stain remover(absolutely necessary with small children), but I don't like that I have to order and wait for it as, truthfully, I'm not that organized and usually have to buy stuff on the fly. I'll wait...

So, being married to an engineer has its perks and drawbacks. Perk--whenever we have an important purchase to make, research is done, spreadsheets are drawn up and months later a decision is made. Perk--we live in an area of the world where there is a particularly high demand for engineers so he is able to secure a job that affords us a high quality of life where I can stay at home with our kids(and our computer!). Drawback--he can actually understand scientific ramblings to which most of us have little interest of even attempting to decipher. It is this ability that often leaves me feeling iritated when attending a 'thriller' type movie with him. I can't tell you how many times when I am on the edge of my seat Bob leans over and whispers things like, "That is totally impossible" or "There is no fire in space". I am completely unable to get him to put this knowledge aside and simply enjoy a movie. Perhaps, if he could, I would suggest less 'chick flicks'. Perhaps, too, he would have less sleepless nights as it is this ability that has him up late at night worrying.
I can't tell you how many mornings when we wake up I ask Bob how he has slept and he replies, "Awful". When pressed, he will admit that he is worried...worried about the state of the planet and our children's place in it. To be sure, in the past, I have easily brushed these concerns aside. Too busy attending to the needs of my family to worry myself with these boring scientific facts that keep him up at night. Also, I had convinced myself that the need for deep concern had yet to arrive--the negative effects of global warming were many years away. We could deal with them then. And, then, I made the mistake of asking him to educate me. Now, I too, have had sleepless nights worrying about what we have already done to our one and only home, but I also have a more positive outlook and firmly believe that it is not too late. We have the technical know how to fix this thing now all we need is the political will...but, how does one achieve that? In a world that is so fast paced, so busy with day to day living, it is hard to find time to worry about the little things not to mention something as gigantic as this? Well, I have been thinking a lot about it and I have decided that it is going to have to be us consumers who make the changes. If we wait for politicians to do it, we will definitely have reached the point of no return before anything is actually accomplished. I also have come to the understanding that so much of what is wrong with our society...no our culture...is linked together. Just like they say on all the talk shows when talking about your weight or other concern, we are going to have to change our thinking while we change our lives in order to achieve our goals.
I really don't want to get all political on this site as politics...like I said earlier...really play no part in all of this. Or, really, it is way to big a part for me to even begin with, so for now, I won't. What I do want to do is put out there small things we CAN do(above recycling--because I already assume that we all do this and if you don't...I can help so give me a shout). So, the first thing I am going to put out there is an easy one. Change your lightbulbs. Go on...you can do it...run out to Home Depot or Costco or the corner hardware store and buy yourselves some Phillips Marathon bulbs(Compact Fluorescents) and replace the yucky old fashioned, low tech ones that you currently have. Even Oprah has encouraged us all to do it. You know, I read somewhere that if they changed all the lightbulbs in public buildings in California there would be no need for rolling black outs. We like the Phillips ones as they cast the best color...like I said one of the perks of living with an engineer is before he makes a purchase he does all the research...well, some of the bulbs out there are shit. The color sucks. These ones are our favorites. And, now you can even buy specialty type bulbs for your potlights, your chandeliers, etc...buy them...quick! And, then check back because I will have another challenge soon!

I've decided to keep a blog about our attempts at furthering to green our home. So, a blog seems so futuristic to me...so difficult to comprehend...Am I that old? I thought that I was hip, but now I am doubting that totally. Anyways, this first entry is meant to be an introduction to those of you who are not familiar with us here at Pughville. We are your regular, everyday family of four living in Southern Alberta. I am a stay at home mom with two beautiful kids(as you can see) and a husband who works in oil and gas as an r&d engineer.

I know, I know...you are asking yourself-how can someone who's main source of income comes from oil and gas even try to consider themselves as 'green'...well, to be sure we are fully aware of the strange dichotomy we live, but I think it is the fact that we are so closely tied to that industry that makes us search for ways to balance our effects. So, to that end, we purchased a house in North America's first solar heated community. I want to state that we have been concerned for many years...always recycled, always composted, conserved water, had compact fluorescents, a fuel efficient vehicle...but making the move to this community has made us so much more aware of the many ways there are to help the environment. It's great having neighbours who push you to do more. And, after a friend of mine had a life changing experience watching "An Inconvenient Truth", I subsequently decided that I needed to try and give other people that sense of community. So...the blog was born. I want this blog to be an attempt at documenting our journey into furthering our motto of "You must be the change you want to see in the world"(a quote by Mahatma Ghandi). I hope to encourage more of you to join our journey.