A couple of days ago I received a comment that was critical of a couple of my “slip ups” .
When I created this blog and essentially opened up some aspects of my life for public viewing I was cognisant of the potential for negativity or non-constructive comments. After all, everyone has their view from sitting on a different part of the spectrum in terms of their own green credentials and what they deem is environmental behaviour to be proud of.
For me, starting this blog at a staggering 2.5 planet earths required to sustain my lifestyle, I was upfront about my complete novice status and that the experiment would be a stumbling, bumbling one. I hoped that along the way I would learn alot, change some behaviours and emerge with a significantly lighter environmental footprint. By documenting my trials, mishaps and successes I hoped that I both sustain my enthusiasm to complete the challenge but also inspire others like me to think a little more about their day to day lives.
I liken each little thing I do as a drop that slowly becomes a puddle! Some of my little drops in the last 6mths …
- Bought a 2nd hand sandpit off Ebay for my baby’s first Santa present
- Rummaged through piles of clothing at the giant Carriageworks clothing swap event – result 3 “new” dresses and 3 pairs of shoes
- Now shower with the lights out – after all I know my body pretty well and an easy way to save electricity
- Tracked down a cobbler prepared to remake a pair of boots – after the first 3 claimed the boots were a lost cause
- Joined 1millionwomen in an effort to find a way to measure more effectively my progress
- Attended the inspiring Greenup event in December
- Made hessian covers for milk crates from coffee sacks bought from the treasure trove of Reverse Garbage
- Gave away an exercise ball, baby bjorn and microwave via the secret world of freecycle
- Converted to reusable coffee cups and ensured I religiously carried them around
- Endured dry, then greasy, then frizzy, then greasy hair in order to wean my hair off chemical laden shampoos and instead utilise organic shampoos
- Hosted a sustainable Christmas
- Got a sewing machine repaired (given to me by neighbours who thought it didn’t work anymore) and used it for the first time since 8th grade
- Frequented charity stores and picked up a 5th birthday present along with some clothing
- Covered dining room chairs giving them a new lease of life – probably would have bought new in the past
- Bought organic groceries as much as possible even though it adds to the overall cost of the weekly shop and increases the time spent shopping – counterintuitive when you have kids in tow
- Frequented Farmers Markets and patiently waited weeks for the ducks to decide to lay their eggs
- Grew my own carrots, coriander, shallots, beetroot, rosemary, basil, spearmint and potatoes – albiet not entirely successfully
- Was conscious about saving water and electricity in the home and implemented procedures to do so
- Educated my 5 year old on the importance of reusing and recycling via example and fun activities like Electricity Free Night
- Wrote over 80 posts documenting my journey
- AND researched/investigated a whole lot of sustainable products and ways to be more environmentally friendly
Yes, my record hasn’t been entirely clean but I am proud of how far I have come both in behaviour and mindset.
Two days ago, I posted on Facebook my 2011 resolution - … more belly laughs, less sobbing, more savouring, less negativity, more dark chocolate, less fat and more cherishing. 2010 has been tumultuous, emotionally fraught year with wonderful highs and painful lows and along the road some wake up moments about seizing the day and also being less selfish (which I think don’t have to be mutually exclusive). This year, for once, I’d like to reach the end of the year feeling proud of myself so I’d like to add one more thing to my resolution list and it is the most important … in 2011 I want to be proud of myself. I’m a perpetual goal setter who so often never gets around to completing my goals and it would be nice to actually feel the sense of satisfaction from accomplishing something and hopefully along the way emerge a better person.
I stumbled across a blog recently written by a remarkable 41 year old man who has been recently been given the news that his cancer will be terminal with the high liklihood is that he won’t be around for next Christmas. The blog is beautifully written and reinforces how each day we have is precious. No putting off until tomorrow …
My little blog reflects one of my many goals, the desire to live a little lighter on the world via challenging myself to not buy anything new for 365days and living more sustainably. I’m half way through and the end of year sales are proving to be a massive temptation. I unfortunately did give in and bought a top and skirt from a local shop – it was too hard to resist – my daughter was playing with the shop owners daughter (they are in the same year at school) and I was too weak. But I’ll try and not let this be a set back and get back on the wagon.
What are your goals for 2011? Please share as I find by writing things down it makes us more accountable.
As with any undertaking involving behavioural change there is an initial flurry of excitement and enthusiasm which then over time often wanes if results are not seen or able to be measured – as a case in point take any exercise program!
I am definitely at that stage now with my environmental challenge. Compounded with the rocky road my life has been recently, I’ve found it really hard to keep forging ahead.
To try and kickstart my enthusiasm I have just joined the campaign 1 Million Women which was created by an Australian women to inspire 1 million Australian women to take practical action on climate change by cutting 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse pollutant causing global warming. In joining the campaign, an online registration process, I have a measurable goal to cut 1 tonne of CO2 within one year of joining the campaign. Given my last measure of enviornmental footprint had me requiring 2.5 planet Earths to sustain my needs I’m sure that I have alot of easy CO2 fat to trim!
Get on board yourself and let me know your progress.
Someone asked me the other day on how my challenge is going, particularly with regards to the daunting objective of not buying new clothes for 365 days.
Well with spring in the air and the new season’s fashions provocatively beckoning from shop windows I must say the willpower has been severely tested! I’m sure that anyone else who is also trying to minimise new clothes purchasing is also in the same boat so I thought I’d do a post today on how I’ve so far managed to restrain myself.
- Wardrobe audit – I went through my wardrobe to find Spring/Summer clothing that with just a nip & tuck could be reborn into a favourite piece of clothing. For $50 all up, the local seamstress has reinvented three dresses and made them wearable for the season.
- Avoiding magazines - Fashion spreads in magazines are a siren call to purchase and by not curbing my desire to buy magazines (see post re my previous magazine addiction) I am avoiding temptation
- Allowed myself an indulgence – Searched through the local op-shop and found, for $10, one breezy summer top
- Gave myself a compelling reason not to spend – Created a “holiday” account and have been putting all savings and money that may have gone on clothes into the account – New York here we come!
- Blogged about my challenge – by making people aware of my challenges I am ensuring that I am being held accountable for my actions. It is a great motivator when you want to ensure that you don’t disappoint people who are supporting your efforts
- Reminded myself of the environmental consequences of buying new clothes – On average worldwide, every new T-shirt made takes about 1.5 kilograms of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to produce. Not to forget the water usage, carbon pollution by transporting clothing, landfill and the ethical considerations of where & how a product is made
- Attended a clothing swap – see post
So far so good! I just wish I knew how to sew (or had a sewing machine) then I could actually make my own clothes using the piles of vintage fabrics my mother has stored away!
Today I have to buy a new school hat for my daughter as, with Summer approaching, the school is cracking down on its “No Hat No Play” policy. Given that I’m not supposed to buy anything new this year I’m am a little annoyed that I’ve been forced into this position by my daughter who is completely irresponsible with her belongings (as any 5 year old is!). When I think back over the year, it is quite staggering how many things she has lost (and sometimes found again and then relost) that I’ve had to replace.
Extremely frustrating but understandable considering the nature of children. I’m not going to excuse the behaviour though as this is a perfect opportunity to look at how I parent her and how to ensure she learns some lessons from her actions. Here are the following tactics I am going to be trying to teach her responsibility along with sustainable behaviour
- Actions have consequences. From now on if she loses any more items and I have to buy a replacement item, she will have to fund the purchase somehow. We live on a main street with lots of pedestrian traffic so she could do a toy sale, lemonade stand, cupcakes or anything else that we can come up with. Or alternatively she loses four treats (we have treat Friday) which would equal the equivalent of the cost of one hat.
- Demonstrate the big picture. Talk about how the hat doesn’t just arrive in the uniform shop. ie. Cotton is grown, harvested, converted into thread, made into garment potentially in a 3rd world sweatshop, shipped across the world and then sold in the uniform stop).
- Lead by example. Practice the ethos of reuse, reduce, recycle. Whenever something is broken, explain why I am fixing the broken item or why I have to buy new and what I am sacrificing to do so. And take care of my possessions.
- When she is responsible or adopts sustainable behaviour, commend her and detail the positive outcomes of her actions.
Hopefully these work and we get to the end of the year with no more replacement purchases!
Wow. I’ve made the one month mark in my stumbling, bumbling experiment into living sustainably. Time to take stock and check if I have
- a gleaming “green” halo,
- have just managed to stay off Al Gore’s “shame list” for one more month
- OR am still wallowing in “green” cluelessness.
The best way to ascertain this is to look at what I have (and haven’t achieved) this month. So here goes …
- Reduced my usage of the gas heater. It’s the middle of winter so I’m quite chuffed with myself that I have rugged up more (wearing a beanie indoors!), closed some doors to contain the heat and dramatically reduced my usage. 8/10 for me! However, unfortunately with the World Cup Soccer on at unmentionable hours my husband has been falling asleep on the couch & leaving the heater on all night. One morning at 7am I went into the lounge room to find him fast asleep in a balmy 26 degrees. So collectively the household score plummets to a pathetic 2/10
- Actually washed the dishes in the sink without the tap running! 10/10
- Still using disposable nappies 0/10. Maybe next month …
- Have been quite good at turning off the lights however as I write this post look around and 3 unnecessary lights are on. Whoops. 5/10
- Bought organic wine. All wine bought at bottle shops (bar one that was a preservative free wine not officially organic) has been organic. And ordered organic wine at restaurants where available (one restaurant out of two). A healthy 8/10 – and my hangovers have gone!
- Bought organic meat in all instances bar sausages for my daughter’s 5th birthday. A tremendous 9/10. And have been actively seeking out other organic produce.
- No magazines bought!! If you’ve read my post on this you’ll understand the sacrifice so a resounding 10/10!
- Cut down my TV viewing to only 3 hours per week. I’m only in week two of this challenge but so far so good.
- Not buying any new clothes. VERY CLOSE CALL today! Went to Westfield Bondi Junction and the lingerie was on sale (1/2 price!). And it was so pretty. And I just tried on two bras. But then my elder daughter started crawling under the door on an escape mission and the spell was broken. I very quickly redressed and left the premises! I have actually bought my husband two pairs of work pants but that was a pretty critical work need and I’m hoping won’t be counted. So 10/10!
- Not buying anything new at all. My daughter’s 5th birthday was a little curve ball for this. And yes I did buy her some new presents but I did buy a baby doll cot from Salvos so one thing was 2nd hand (as an aside was a little strange that a Valium tablet was sitting in it!). And I did get my boots repaired – after recommendations from two repairers to just throw them out! A solid 6/10.
So all up, I think I’ve managed to stay off Al Gore’s list but not quite halo territory yet!
Any suggestions for this month for me to implement? Go on – challenge me!
All quiet ….
Well actually not remotely quiet given that I am in day two of school holidays! But from a blog point of view I anticipate I will be fairly quiet as I seem to have to schedule entertainment every second of the day for my soon to be 5 year old.
I remember in my school holidays being able to occupy myself for hours on end but maybe that will come with age. Apparently our house is boring, her toys are boring and we should be buying lots of new things. A direct assault on my attempt to not buy new things for a year. The biggest threat however facing me is her 5th birthday this Sunday for which she is excitedly anticipating lots of presents! It’s very hard not to indulge her on this as we have decided not to have a party this year for her (just a small BBQ with a couple of friends she’s grown up with) so I think I’ll be caving in and buying some new toys.
However I did manage to find a worn but usable wooden baby doll cot for $35 from the local Salvos (easily $100+ new) so somewhat reducing my guilt on breaking the experiment.
I’m trying to think of an “experience” present but haven’t had a flash of inspiration yet.
If anyone has any ideas let me know!
