I’ve been thinking lately about the packaging that we use. Something like 25% of all garbage is made from packaging. I was eating organic Barbaras cereal today and wondered why they need to package a plastic bag full of cereal inside a paperboard box (paperboard that our late-blooming town won’t recycle). Why not sell cereal in just a plastic bag? Taking that line of reasoning further, maybe I should just start making my own cereal again. I can buy everything in bulk and use these reusable bags to bring it all home.

I’m wanting to cut out my ziploc use too. I’m thinking of ways, and suggestions to eliminate this plastic consumption. What’s your favorite reusable container? I’m also thinking I need to get my hands on some oil cloth so I can make these for sandwiches. Surely my meager sewing skills can handle this. (Don’t you think that Amy Butler fabric on the outside would be so cute?!) And I spent the last of my google money (thank you dear readers for clicking my ads!!!) on this lunch container.

There is just so much to think about! But I’m going to keep taking small steps, think of ways to save money and make a smaller footprint and realize that not everything has to be instant, super convenient and easy. Sometimes it’s the harder things that are more worthwhile. I still can’t help but get a little happy with I dump my laundry soap into the wash and think that I made it all myself!

Edit: Here are some great stainless steel containers too!

• Tonight I start a toe up, two-at-a-time sock class. I think I’m going to whip up a pair of socks with the class – I love knitting socks on 7’s – so fast!

• Speaking of knitting, there is so much I’ve finished that I haven’t taken pictures of! Here is the Frontier blues cardi from the current issue of Knitscene. I used Jo Sharp Desert Aran Cotton. It’s nice. And it’s not in my size! See what I get for knitting for Tangle?

• It was slow today at the store so I caught some of Martha. She was recovering a foot stool and gave me the idea to iron interfacing onto the back of my AB fabric for the dining room chairs. I’m wondering if it’s worth it to unstaple the 3 out of 4 chairs that I’ve already covered so the fabric will be more sturdy? Maybe I should just take home more fabric and save the interfacing idea for the next time I cover them? Lord knows with Honor, that will be soon despite the scotch guard (which I felt very environmentally guilty about using, btw).

• After our freakish snowfall on May 1st (I’ve never!), I finally think it’s safe to plant tomatoes. I’m also going to plant a bunch of impatiens in the front yard, which will be a first for my lazy self. Jim is installing a new sprinkler for me so I don’t have to water!

• All I want to do is be in the back yard, tidy up the house, bake yummy low-cal things, make my own everything soap related, run, and enjoy the outdoors. Here’s to more of all of that!

how can I recycle this? – a great blog with tons of ideas for recycling those less-than-usual items.

Also, recycled fencing bags – LOVE them!

And I think I want to start using shampoo bar soap rather than chemicals out of a bottle. Something like this, extra points if I figure out how to make it. (Oh, and I’m going to try.)

But on a more serious note about environmentalism and sustainability, I think I’ve stumbled into something that is just on the verge of giving me an ah-ha! moment. Something that speaks to all parts of who I am and something that is written by someone who, although not a believer, acts and thinks like the Christ that so many of us claim to follow. There are so many parts of what Colin Beavan writes that stuck out to me, but this paragraph says so much:

The point of asking such questions on a personal level–or I should say one of the points–is not to come up with an answer so much as to shake my confidence in the false answers–like that my life is for getting more. Maybe since, as they say, you can’t take it with you, my life is about giving more–which naturally leads to a sustainable lifestyle.

Rather than butcher his words, I will let you read them yourself.

I’m just thinking about how much of my life is inwardly focused, how much of my energy is put into wanting something more, rather than being content with what I have, and how much of our culture is geared to having bigger and better and more and more. Can that really be the point of life? I don’t believe that it is, but are my actions following my beliefs? Dear reader, are your actions following your beliefs?

I have much to think about.

Today is no pants day.

That is all.

Eden: Mom, why aren’t you like your mom? When Grammy drives us she doesn’t say rude things and bad words.

ooops!

So today I decided to take home this bag that my mom made me. I’ve had it up on display at Tangle since we got the Amy Butler fabric.

I’m very happy to be carrying it and Jim is also happy as he hated my last purse with a very fierce passion. (I thought it was cute, but whatever.)

• Today is Jim’s 33rd birthday. Happy birthday Jim. I love you. I have a small list of things that I cannot stop being grateful for and you and our marriage is the first on the list.

• After over a week of being sick, I’m running at about 90% today. It’s good to feel somewhat normal again.

• Eden only has 15 school days left before summer break. I’m feeling really sad that she won’t be with her kindergarten teacher any more. I’m also amazed at how far she has come this year. She’s reading really well and is good at math too. I can’t believe that kindergarten is almost over…

• I do not think that Tucky Puppy’s little surgery did anything to mellow him out. If anything, he’s become more obstinate. I think I need to read the dog whisperer book.

• I finished these on Saturday. I don’t even remember when I started them but I think it’s been around a year ago.

The yarn is a discontinued color of Regia Crazy Color 6ply. I knit them toe up, two at a time, magic loop on size 2 addi turbos.

Monday
out to dinner for Jim’s birthday

Tuesday
Kosher beef hotdogs with coleslaw

Wednesday
Chicken taco salad

Thursday
Portobello guacamole Burgers

Friday
Pasta Salad

Saturday
Veggie Pizza

Sunday
Homemade Tamales

A few weeks ago, we had a ridiculously windy day and our canopy over our back patio was destroyed. The wind snapped the metal and shredded the canvas cover. I’m so sad! We’ve spent SO many hours on the patio enjoying the shade and cover of the canopy.

Today we’re starting to rebuild the back yard. The poor yard has seen better days for sure. We just sort of let the dog have his run of it last year and now we have to work harder to restore it to it’s comfy, pretty self. We’re going to expand the patio out into the yard a bit and the decide whether we want to buy another canopy or build a more wind friendly arbor. I’m going to plant lots of flowers and my small vegetable garden again. I’ll probably do my usual salsa garden with peppers and tomatoes. And I’m definitely planting mint this year. mmmm, mojitos!

We also have to clean up the wood chip edging, it probably needs more of the weed barrier and a new layer of wood chips. At any rate we have lots of work to do, but I think it will be worth it.

So I mentioned a few weeks ago that I have two knitting patterns that are being published in the new book, Pure Knits. Today I got to spend the money I earned from those patterns. This is what I bought myself:

It’s simple and it’s red and I really like it. And I’m happy that I started simple so I can expand on the design as time goes by.