We Have to Stop Settling, RECYCLE! & Today's School Lunches

Good afternoon!

It's another gorgeous day, and I wanted to take advantage of it.  I went to bed early last night, planning on waking up quite a bit before the kids.  I saved the lunch making for this morning, took my shower, got dressed, made the kids their organic steel cut oats (organic oats, cinnamon, flax, black chias, & organic maple syrup), & got them off to school.

Speaking of school, here is what my kiddos took for lunch today...

Sandwiches (organic cucumber, organic lettuce, homemade organic hummus, and cheese,  for my kindergartner & organic lettuce and tomato for my 1st grader, both on organic multi seed bread), organic carrot sticks w/ dressing to dip in (my homemade dressing for my 1st grader & organic caesar for my kindergartner), & 1/2 an organic apple.

 

This morning was going to be all about de-cluttering the house...ridding it of recyclables.  It seems to me that there has to be a method to this zero waste thing.  It's got to be a process...baby steps.  So, I have resolved to do the following things...

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot

- No more plastic shopping bags, bringing my own & reusing those that I already have.  Any  plastic bags that I have in the house will be reused or recycled. 

- Refuse anything that I truly don't need...flyers, pens, magnets, etc.  Especially the sort of things you grab at shows and fairs.

- Buy everything in bulk that I can, taking no new containers, reusing the small brown bulk bags that I have or reusing glass jars from home, & eventually sewing my own.

- Stop hanging on to things...It's time to use them, then recycle the containers, and limit containers in the future.

- Compost (rot)

- Recycle everything that we can't refuse, reduce, or let rot.

So, we de-cluttered some, and it was shocking to think that we used to throw all of that in the trash...yikes!  We don't live in an area with curb side recycling, so it's all up to us! 

We have mixed commodity recycling, or single stream, meaning that all of the recyclables are combined at the drop sites.

This is only 1/2 of what I recycled today.

I kept the large cardboard boxes & plastic containers to collect our recyclables at home in.  

While recycling is wonderful, my goal is to do it as only a last resort, hoping to reduce as much as possible.

And look at the beauty we found along the way...

Yes, those are dandelions, and we found them to be beautiful.

And, we definitely weren't the first ones there.  :)

Food for Thought

When we settle we make excuses, and when we make excuses we settle.

Nothing ever changes.

When I know better, I can do better.  

We have to stop settling...when it comes to food, and everything else.

So, I did my research and I stopped making excuses.  I stopped making excuses for my weak ankles & injured leg...I started dancing, and then running.  I stopped making excuses for my family's eating habits...we stopped eating processed foods, and chemical laden junk.  My family's health was my responsibility.  When did we begin needing others (Drs, FDA, etc) to tell us how to manage the simplest things in our lives?  I took my life, and the management of it, back.  I've never felt better, stronger, or more empowered.  

There were times, especially in the beginning, where I messed up...I didn't notice an ingredient, or was thinking the way "they" (USDA, FDA, CDC, etc) wanted me to.  I have also had frustrating moments, especially when considering places to eat.  If something went awry, I just set a firm resolve to fix it, and I didn't hold it against myself.  But all in all, I was able to recognize the progress I had been making.  Every day it was easier to make better choices, and those better choices became "best" choices.  I was proud of all of my changes, even the smallest, because lots of little changes equal big change. 

Keep that in mind, and don't get down on yourself or discouraged.  Keep your head up, because only then can you see the way through to the other side.

:)

We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are. ~ Adelle Davis