Thinking about stuff...

I've been mulling over stuff in my head a lot these days. It seems like a lot of the moms I know, including myself, are trying to come up with small ways that we can make adjustments that will positively affect the "footprint" we have on this world. Anyone with kids - especially with more than one - knows that our lives are hectic. Time and sanity are both precious commodities that are not lightly parted with. But there are things we can do that don't really cost us much - simply a readjustment of the way we structure our lives. Sarri has been a big inspiration to me, as has my sister in law in CA, and lots of other mama blogs - in finding little ways to make change. Trust me, I am the first to say that I like my quick and easy things. And quite frankly, you won't find me switching to cloth diapers or using deodorant made from a crystal, or a rock, or whatever. But, little changes seem to add up, in my opinion.

As I started considering it more, I realized that I'm sort of the COO - Chief Operations Officer - for this little corporation we call the Butler Household. It's my JOB to make decisions about what we buy, eat, and produce in this house. If I expect the big corporations and politicians (ahem, Governor Palin, please raise your hand?) around the world to be held responsible for the choices they make (or don't make) then it only seems reasonable that my choices be held up for examination also. So.

Here are some of the little things we've done at our house.

We recycle, most of the time. If the bin isn't full. (note to self - buy bigger recycle bin.)

I switched all of our laundry products to environmentally friendly, petroleum free. We use the seventh generation line - it smells great and our clothes are just as clean as with conventional detergent. I also can't live without the Biokleen Bac-out stain remover. It's actually an enzyme based cleaner, so it EATS UP any organic (read food or human waste) particles. It's also fabulous for those times when you get a teeny bit distracted and forget to put the clothes in the washer into the dryer for, oh, maybe two days. Know how they get that smell that won't come out? Guess what - Bac-out gets it out. Here's the crazy thing - we started using these products because of skin issues - I was trying to eliminate anything that could be causing Aidan's exczema. Turns out, all that junk that's not good for skin isn't really good for anything.

We also switched all of our water bottles to stainless steel - no more flats of bottled water for us. Not only has this saved us TONS of money in half-consumed bottles of water, but it's eliminated any worries about BPA's and other unpronounceable acronyms leeching into our water. It's water. It should be clean. Chloe also got new bottles from Green to Grow that are BPA and phthalates free. Not to mention that they're super cute to boot.

Another change that was easy (and cute as well) was starting to bring our own bags to the grocery store/farmers market. I have a few kinds, including my favorite one that says "I EAT LOCAL VEGETABLES" in big letters. But the most useful ones are the Envirosax set that I bought. They wrap up into a tiny little tote that fits in my diaper bag no problem, are super cute, and I use them for EVERYTHING. Wet clothes from the pool? No problem. Here's a sack. Dirty shoes from the park? No problem. Here's a sack. I could go on, but you get the point.

The last thing is a recent switch - and it may not seem like that big of a deal, but again, little things add up. We switched Chloe to the non-chlorine, seventh generation diapers. Yes, they are disposable, and yes, if I were really hardcore I'd switch to cloth or at least the new flushable ones. I'm not. So get over it. I do what I can. As my sister in law Tina told me, regular diapers biodegrade in 500 years. Yes, 500. These will biodegrade in 100 years. So, like I said. It's a start. Plus, I don't have to look at those stupid cartoon characters anymore.

Again, I am in no position to pat myself on the back. I drive a giant SUV that sucks gas like you wouldn't believe. And I'm not giving it up anytime soon. But instead of feeling guilty or not good enough, I've decided to try the little things. And one step usually leads to antoher. The problem, though, is that this puts you on a whole new path. All of a sudden, you see how much more we can do. How many opportunities for change there really are. Read this list of just 10 ideas on "The Story of Stuff" website. If you haven't seen this video, it will totally change your perspective. And trust me, I love my stuff! But it can be overwhelming, once your brain starts going. So stop, breathe, have a cookie. Or better yet, a latte. You just do what you can. A little bit at a time. And while we're on the subject of lattes...

My next set of thoughts has really led me to food - how we eat and what we eat, and where it comes from. More on that tomorrow - and more about what my family wants to do better this year. Thanks for listening. Er, I mean reading.