Content and Busy
I have a lot going on right now. With looking for our sweet dream home, spending time with the children, running, swimming, building friendships, crafting, blogging, working …
Working?
I will be starting a little writing gig for The Savvy Source!!! I am so excited to have the opportunity to write for the site. I will be sure to share with you when my first post is up. I have also been frantically finishing up stray projects so I can settle into a routine and maybe start accepting new design jobs. I finished J’s site and I have two sites that are in tweaking stage now. It feels so good to have a side thing going and actually balancing it with the children’s needs.
I have a few books I looking forward to sharing with you guys in the coming weeks. I have been reading so much. I love that I am at that time, where there is time to do all this. The infant stage is so consuming (and wonderful). Now Ethan is content to play beside me as I work on projects, still ever present with them both yet my own person too. Becca is totally absorbed into her own thing. I am more of a nuissance when I am not occupied too!
It is such an amazing feeling. Being this content, happy … settled. I am waiting for the next thing to rock me, yet not really holding my breath for it anymore. I have arrived at my good place. I like it.
To add just one more thing to my ever growing list of challenges, I am going to attempt to Ditch the Disposables! A challenge from the uber talented Crunchy Domestic Goddess.
You can make the switch from:
Paper napkins to cloth napkins
Paper towels to cloth towels
Tissues to handkerchiefs
Paper, plastic or Styrofoam plates to your kitchen plates
Inexpensive plastic “Take & Toss” sippy cups to Sigg or Camelbak bottles or the Kleen Kanteen
Disposable water bottles to (again) reusable bottles like Sigg or Camelbak
Plastic sandwich bags or paper lunch bags to reusable containers/bags
Swiffers (or similar products) to a broom and dustpan or mop (or use reusable cloths like cloth diapers/terry inserts in your Swiffer)
Disposable dust rags to cloth rags
Disposable diapers to cloth diapers
Disposable wipes to cloth wipes (inexpensive plain washcloths work really well)
Disposable feminine products (tampons, pads) to reusables like DivaCup, MoonCup, Glad Rags, Luna Pads, Pretty Pads, or New Moon Pads, among others
Grocery store bags to reusable bags
We are already using cloth grocery bags, cloth diapers (at home), we reuse all our containers, so there are only a few things on her list that I am still un-green.
Disposable feminine products — I want to switch, but oddly I stocked up YEARS ago in preparation for the world to end or something along those lines, so I want to use what I have before switching. The Diva Cup is a Canadian company that I have only read rave reviews about.
So I am going to challenge myself to Paper towels to cloth towels … I still way guilty of using the quick and easy routine. So from this day forth I will try not to use paper towels, opting for cloth towels instead!
Are you up for the challenge? Are there any areas that you could make a little change? Check out the Crunchy Domestic Goddess for more details and tons of great Green tips and more.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Congrats on the writing gig! How exciting. I’ll be looking forward to it.
I do most of those on the list. I use the Diva cup, hmm, maybe 75% of the time. It’s not a 100% solution for me. But, I figure every time is something :-).
We use cloth napkins, cloth rags, mostly (95 %) cloth paper towels. I will say, I feel I am constantly washing napkins, rags, and towels. All. the. time. 3 loads a week maybe (I throw in regualr towels, sheets, socks, undies too, but god it gets old).
The only area (on that list
)I could really use work on is the sandwich bags. Guilty as charged.
Hollys last blog post..Six weeks into first grade
September 4th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
congrats on the writing gig! that’s wonderful!
and thanks for taking up my challenge. off to add you to the list.
Crunchy Domestic Goddess (Amy)s last blog post..No Internets = Major productivity?
September 4th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
All excellent ideas , although I can’t promise to abide by cloth hankies during the flu season!
Cheers
Maddys last blog post..Thursday 13 - The Crown Jewels revealed
September 4th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Yay for writing jobs!
I don’t think I could ever do the Diva Cup. The whole idea gives me the willies. Of course I don’t have that problem right now anyway…how green of me.
Heathers last blog post..His Last First Day of Preschool
September 4th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I have been curious about the Diva Cup, but I am not sure that I could actually handle it. However, there are some good “green” disposable products out there. I haven’t tried them out myself, but I hear they are much better for both the planet and the person.
Congrats on the new writing gig too!
Aimees last blog post..Thursday 13
September 4th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Great news about the writing! So good to find something that works with kids and is enjoyable too!
I like that list … i may have to think on it a bit to see where changes can be made.
Gails last blog post..Cake Shop Meltdown & Satisfying a Craving
September 4th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I wish I was up to the challenge. I’m not.
But you are so awesome with all of the things you are doing right now. I am so happy for you Chelle.
Kiss those babies for me.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I was right! Congratulations!
I try my best, but I love my sandwich bags! I wash out the larger ones that haven’t been used for meat though.
much more than a moms last blog post..Hey look guys…I have a blog!
September 4th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Congrats on your new writing gig! That’s exciting.
PS I just gave you an award at my blog!
Damselflys last blog post..This is not my beautiful blog
September 4th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Things are sounding great! Congrat’s on the job!!
I’m so glad you’re taking your time finding a house!
YAY GREEN! I have a dependency on paper towels, I admit it!! Although what I do is get the ‘choose a size’. I then only use half the amount. When cleaning bathrooms/kitchen I use the towel/teacloth that will be going into the wash.
I’m also working on many of the things on the list. I’m so glad that so many people are. I can’t get over the difference in eco-friendly ways here than in the belt! Well, the fact that there ARE eco-friendly ways!
Helens last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #6
September 5th, 2008 at 1:54 am
Glad things are happy there–and congratulations on the new assignment!
Michelle at Scribbits last blog post..Ten Simple Changes for a More Healthy Diet
September 5th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Sounds like you have it all figured out! I am trying to find a similar balance, which is really weird considering I have plenty of downtime these days. I have figured out that I just love to sleep too much, and that’s why my life still seems so harried.
Good for you on all the green achievements! I am proudly doing lots of them, too!
Devilish Southern Belles last blog post..That was quite a workout.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
i wish i could say that i’ll go totally green, but that just isn’t going to happen. at least not by others’ standards.
we already use a combo of cloth and compostable diapers (gdiapers are waiting until willow has a bit more solid poops, but the nature babycare diapers are as good as huggies–and leak just as much!–when i need them).
i’ve been wanting to switch to cloth napkins. but i have to get some more before i can make it from laundry to laundry with only cloth.
i’m a bit freaked out by the idea of green feminine products. i’m not confident in the cups. laundering pads would be fine, but i HATE pads. is there a green alternative to tampons other than cups?
here’s my dilemma . . . i live in the desert where water can be and often is a scarce commodity even though it is a renewable resource. so am i being green to use more water for laundry? or am i being green to use a combination of cloth and easily biodegradable items in order to mitigate our overall impact on our immediate environment?
but the list is intriguing. and i’ll take up the challenge as much as i can!
and congrats on the writing gig. can’t wait to see your first post.
September 6th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Congrats on your new writing gig!
Debs last blog post..Where did I put my brain?
September 7th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Congrats on the Writing! Neat!
Doesn’t it feel good when you get to read? I love my reading time…..
Monicas last blog post..Has Anyone Told You
September 7th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
We are not the greatest with the green living. We do not use paper products in general but I know we could be so much better.
Congrats on the writing. That sounds awesome and so much fun.
Rachels last blog post..We are home!!
September 8th, 2008 at 12:48 am
I’m pretty much there on the green stuff, except my kids have now outgrown their cloth diapers!
Congrats on the writing gig. I’m still marveling that you have kids who get absorbed in their own worlds and leave you to do your thing. I did not get those kids.
Jocelyns last blog post..
September 8th, 2008 at 4:04 am
Great to read a happy post Chelle and yes, what with juggling so many things at one time can be trying but glad that amidst all this, you are having fun!!
Good effort on reuse and recycle - great challenge but so fulfilling
September 9th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Congrats on the writing and on the time to read!
I have thought about the switch to non-disposable. We already do the grocery bags and that has gone really well. We rarely use paper plates and always use broom/mop/dust pan. We are so guilty of the napkins/paper towels and diapers, I think I am going to try one at a time. Start with napkins and so forth. Hopefully the boys will be out of diaper by the time I get to that. Baby steps!
Caras last blog post..Busy, busy, busy!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
It’s very liberating to supply one’s own grocery bags. back when we lived in Toronto, we did that all the time. But when we moved out to the country, we no longer had access to a diaper cleaning service, so we had to go with disposable diapers…which meant disposable bags to wrap and double wrap them in (or our noses, whichever were easier to wrap at the time).
Once our kids were no longer in diapers (Little Sister still wear’s pull-ups at night.) it was hard to get out of the disposable bag habit, but we almost have it beat now.
I used to write a humor column. Here is my imprisoned alter-ego’s take on how it all shook down:
http://www.thehappyguy.com/recycle-diapers.html
David Leonhardts last blog post..BrowseRank Strategies - Quality Content