Making Small Changes

Having Archer and Lyla has continued to change me in ways I never dreamed possible.  They constantly make me consider every move I make.  After finding out TIME Magazine named 16-year-old Greta Thunberg as their person of the year, I realized I could be doing more to help combat climate change and reduce my carbon footprint.  Even though climate change is a global issue and it seems like I have little control over it, there are some small changes I can make that will ultimately impact Archer and Lyla's future.

I wanted to share some of these small changes I've been making to help inspire others and to also hopefully get some new ideas on other ways I can help.  Please give me new ideas!!  I am far from perfect, but change doesn't always have to be something monumental.  It can start small.   

Here are a few of my small changes:

I use a reusable water bottle.  I ditched using plastic water bottles long ago and have used some form of a reusable water bottle for years.  My current favorite is stainless steel and the perfect size.  I bring it everywhere and love that the lid stays on tight even when my kids chuck it across the room.  I have to have ice water and this keeps my water cold all day long!

I use reusable bags when shopping.  I always bring reusable bags when I go grocery shopping.  Recently, I even invested in some heavy-duty canvas ones that I hope to have for years to come.  I've also tried to make sure I bring along reusable bags when I go to other stores.  If I do forget to bring them in (does anyone have any ideas for remembering to bring bags inside the store??), I tell the cashier I don't need a bag and just carry the items to my car or stick them back in my cart.

I say "no, thank you" to plastic straws and lids.  Whenever I go out to eat, I decline a plastic straw.  If servers put one on the table for me, I always hand it back to them and say that I don't need it (as politely as possible).  I should probably take it a step further and mention I don't need the straw when I order my drink since some restaurants automatically stick a straw in the drink.  I did get some reusable silicone straws and keep them with me in the diaper bag.  Archer and Lyla aren't quite skilled enough yet to drink from a cup without a lid without the entire drink ending up in their laps, so these straws come in handy.  I actually like that they are softer than plastic and I don't have to worry about them accidentally poking a straw down their throat or in their eye.  (One of the reusable silicone straws is featured in the photo below.)

I bring my own cup to coffee shops. I don't actually drink coffee, but I sure do enjoy hot chocolate.  One of my guilty pleasures is going through the drive-thru of Caribou Coffee (which is a coffee shop attached to the HyVee gas station, classy right?) and getting a hot chocolate when I go out and about with Lyla and Archer.  Recently, I started bringing my own ceramic mug with me.  When I give my order, I just mention that I brought my own cup.  Then when I pull up to the window, I hand it over and they fill it up with delicious hot chocolate.  I even get a discount for bringing my own cup!  (The one I have is ceramic and has a silicone lid.  It was a gift, but I'm sure you can find one similar on Amazon.)

I stopped buying individually packaged food items.  Oh man, this was a hard one to give up.  Those little pouches of applesauce and yogurt were so convenient and mess-free for Archer and Lyla!  But I felt a horrible sense of guilt every time I threw one in the trash.  I also bought tons of pre-packaged snacks for Archer and Lyla.  Since then, I've purchased some reusable snack pouches and just keep those filled with snacks in the diaper bag. They actually seem to keep the snacks from getting as smushed so I don't have to hand over a package of Cheez-It dust to the kids when they want a snack.  I've tried these (which you can put in the dishwasher) and these (which you can put in the washing machine) and like them both.  I think it's nice to have a variety of different materials and sizes. 

I use waxed fabric instead of Saran wrap.  This was an easy swap to make because I hate using Saran wrap.  It just sticks to itself and makes me angry.  So when Adam brought home some waxed fabric from Trader Joe's, I was excited to give it a try.  Now when I have to cover a bowl of pizza dough so it can rise or cover up some leftovers, I use some waxed fabric.  I will say it's hard to get a completely air-tight seal, so if that's what I need, I just store it in a glass container with a lid.  I think there is thinner waxed fabric out there that can give you a completely air-tight seal, so I'll have to look into finding some different options.  (You can see the waxed fabric in the bottom left corner of the above photo.)    

I use a menstrual cup.  This might fall under the TMI category, but I'll share about it just in case anyone out there is interested.  A menstrual cup is a small, flexible cup that is worn inside your vagina (like a tampon) to collect your monthly flow.  It's pretty amazing because you can't feel it once it's in place and you can wear it for up to 12 hours at a time.  I will say there was a bit of a learning curve for me and it took awhile before I got the hang of it.  But I've been using it for a couple years now and haven't bought any pads or tampons!  So I'm saving money and preventing waste from going in the landfill.  The Put A Cup In It website is an excellent resource if you want more information or feel free to ask me any questions.

I recycle everything that can possibly be recycled.  Sometimes this makes me seem like a weirdo when I put "trash" in the diaper bag to take home to recycle or gather all the wrapping paper at Adam's family Christmas get-together to take home to recycle.  But it makes me feel better knowing I am keeping excess stuff out of landfills. 

I hit up thrift stores when possible.  Lately I've been looking at thrift stores before I buy something elsewhere.  For example, Lyla needed a few long-sleeve shirts and I decided to go to a secondhand children's clothing store.  I found just what I needed, spent less than I would at other stores, and gave old items a second life.  I also needed another pie dish this Thanksgiving.  So instead of getting a new one from Amazon like I was going to, I stopped by one of our local thrift stores and got one for a couple bucks! 

I use reusable cleaning cloths.  I used to use a ridiculous amount of paper towels and wipes when I cleaned my house.  I realized how wasteful this was, so I picked these reusable cloths at Target about a year ago.  I've used them ever since and have been very happy!  The green cloths are great for cleaning glass, and don't leave lint behind like paper towels did.  I dampen the blue ones to dust with and use the gray ones to scrub the counters.  I also cut up one of Adam's old white undershirts that got a hole in it and use the little squares to clean things like the toilets.  I also found some super soft cloths that I use to wipe the kids' faces with after they finish eating their meals. 

I use wool dryer balls instead of fabric softener.  I ran out of fabric softener a few years ago and did a few loads of laundry before I had a chance to make it to the store.  I realized I couldn't tell a difference, so I just never bought any more.  A few months back, I got some wool dryer balls with the promise of cutting down drying time.  And I definitely agree that I don't have to dry our clothes as long if I have the balls in the dryer.  I just found some random ones at TJ Maxx, but I see them everywhere now. 

I've stopped buying stuff just to be buying stuff.  In addition to trying to make changes to better our planet, I've also been on a bit of a minimalism kick.  While I'm a long ways away from considering myself a minimalist, I have adopted some minimalist qualities that have made my life simpler.  I've donated tons of random housewares and clothes and just stuff that wasn't serving me a purpose other than taking up space.  Since getting rid of so much stuff, I've also been more conscious of the things that I do buy and bring into my home.  I used to be a sucker for a good bargain, so now I have to ask myself if I truly need and want each item or if I'm just getting it because it's a good deal.  And I've done a much better job of saying "no" lately.  By not buying as much, (in my tiny way) I'm creating less of a demand for products to be manufactured.   

I am far from perfect and nowhere near living a zero-waste lifestyle.  But I am trying to do what I can and am looking for ways to improve.  My next goals are to shop thrift stores for my own clothes, look into using more eco-friendly personal care items (think wooden toothbrushes, plastic-free beauty products) and look for ways to reduce food packaging waste.  So give me all your ideas!!  And hopefully my small changes gave you a few ideas too.