update on my sustainability endeavor

I am in the process of practicing living up to my ideals. I am having compassion for myself during this process because it's not an all or nothing sort of deal, but a journey towards living my truth. I made a promise to myself to eat organic, reduce my trash by two pounds a week, quit smoking, start composting and start a small garden. Some of my long term goals are to build my house out of straw bale, care for a garden, and keep a cow and some chickens. I've been learning about Rainbow Family and other groups that are pro simple living. I would love to start an intentional community someday. Anyway, small steps first, this is what I've been able to accomplish this past month.

I've done very well with eating organic. Free Range meat is very expensive so I've actually been eating less meat, replacing it with vegetable dishes like sweet potato (fried is my favorite), squash, and eggplant. I went to the Santa Monica coop today and became a member. The prices weren't too bad. This should support local, organic growers and cut down on resources it takes to travel the food to the market. It's a bit pricey for me but I think I can manage it. Less packaging and reusable shopping bags make it easy to cut down on waste.

I called the department of sanitation and asked them what I can put in the blue recycle bin. Turns out I should have asked them what not to put in. You can put styrofoam, plastic bags, cardboard and a bunch of other stuff I didn't know about. I still haven't figured out what to compost in though. However, my 8 rats take care of most of the dinner scraps.

I've started eating grapefruits every day as a health measure. It was hard to do at first but now my body craves them like crazy! I'm taking a bunch of supplements including calcium, vitamin e, probiotics, acetyl l carnitine and cod liver oil. I also am drinking a shot of raw, apple cider vinegar a day and tons of green tea and yerba mate - like a quart a day at least. I've also been making an herbal infusion with oat straw and rose, inspired by Susan Weed's Healing Wise. I drink that at night sometimes to relax. I have been feeling amazing! A lot more "regular" too.

I have a reusable water bottle and have always used a Britta so I don't keep using plastic bottles or buying bottled water and therefore contributing to the water apartheid.

I have been using natural products like jojoba oil, sea salt, lavender, vinegar and tea tree oil for my face for quite a number of years now. Works great and is simple and affordable and I know what's in it and that it wasn't injected into some poor rabbit's eye. I also splash some of the teas I make on my face too.

I have been doing my shopping on Craig's list. When my t.v. broke down I got one off of there for $25 and it works perfect. I also got a free patio table and chairs for my balcony off Craig's.

I am walking like crazy! I walk to my daughter's school to pick her up and also walk a mile to my school to avoid the $160 parking fee. I've lost 5 pounds this month, I assume from all the walking and change in diet. A nice reward for my efforts!

Well, so far so good. I look forward to continuing these new habits. I mean, I have no choice. Once I'm awake there's no going back to bed. I think I'll be quitting smoking soon. I've started to convince myself that I'm developing emphysema and that should help. In the meantime, since there isn't usually a proper place to dispose of my butts, I have cigarette butts in my purse and even my jean pockets. It's getting stinky.