First..on a 'quilty' note...this is for my new grandbaby, who is scheduled to arrive TOMORROW! 
I'll let you know all the details, but wanted to show the quilt I made for him/her this past weekend. I put Minkee on the back--ah, so soft! It's a bit hard to tell in the picture, but the middle pictures on the top and bottom rows, and the side panels on the middle row are made from chenille. Lots of fun colors and textures to stimulate a baby. :)
I'm joining in on Blog Action Day along with other Blogger's wanting to make a difference in our environment. I'm just one person, but I can make a difference in what "I" do. And the one thing that I had actively decided to do (starting this past summer) is to eliminate plastic bags and water bottles from my life. When San Francisco decided to ban plastic shopping bags, it made me start to think about not only the waste it creates, but the damage to the environment and animals. This quote is from Ecobags, "Starting with the simple step of bringing your own reusable bag to shop may seem trivial, but it creates a "mindset" that has a big impact on those who make that choice. Like anything, the more people who take this simple step, the more it seems like the natural and right thing to do." I went one step further and rather than buy MORE stuff, I decided to recycle all my canvas tote bags from the various quilt shows I've attended and a few others. I'm also making my own bags out of my old valances (I can't bear to part with anything! LOL I mean after all, it's still good fabric!) When I first started taking my 'bag full of bags'
to the grocery store, I got some strange looks! Remember, I live in the Midwest. :) The baggers (usually young teenagers) kind of rolled their eyes at me, it makes their job a little tougher. After all, they just can't throw 1 or 2 things in a bag. They actually have to plan a little bit what type of groceries to put in each bag as not to squish anything. Remember the old days when a 'good bagger' was worth waiting in line for? Anyway, they are used to me now and I was so excited when I was shopping the other day, there were 3 other people with their own bags! I know it's such a small thing, but it really is true, once you make a simple step to start making a difference, it's easy to take other small steps too. And water bottles! "using a premium reusable bottle like SIGG greatly helps reduce unnecessary environmental waste caused by plastic PET water bottles. Sadly, Americans add over 30 million plastic water bottles to our nation's landfills – everyday!
While not everyone is ready to purchase a hybrid vehicle, we believe every little bit helps. And thinking "reusable" instead of "disposable" is a great place to start. So, Rise Above Plastic – and consider the advantages of hydrating with a SIGG." although I have been using just the generic water bottles, these are so fun!
While not everyone is ready to purchase a hybrid vehicle, we believe every little bit helps. And thinking "reusable" instead of "disposable" is a great place to start. So, Rise Above Plastic – and consider the advantages of hydrating with a SIGG." although I have been using just the generic water bottles, these are so fun!
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4 comments:
Oh I love your post!!! I read in this month's Parenting Magazine "Easy Ways to Go Green and save $$"
Here are a few of my favorite tips that my family are doing!
Cut down on paper napkins and cloth ones. - on average, a person uses about 2,200 paper napkins a year. If everone used one less each day, landfills would have 1 billion pounds LESS per year!
It takes 1,000 regular batteries to equal the life span of one rechargable battery.
and this one was an eye opener for us!!! If 10% of all cell-phone users unplugged their chargers after charging their phones, we'd save enought energy to power 60,000 homes a year! We immediately began unplugging after each charge.
I like your idea of the grocery bags, I have seen them for sale at Kroger and they have Kroger on them - but have never seen anyone using them... maybe I will get brave and begin a new trend in my part of the country? ;) ~Bonnie in SE Texas
I've been using my own canvas grocery bags for awhile. Then when my mil made us a new slipcover, I saved all the industrial velcro from the original one and tossed most of the fabric. Well...about 10 minutes later I realized I should use the old slipcover and make grocery bags! I now have about 8-10 bags and rarely do I need plastic bags. I do still have to remember to take them in Wally-world, but I always use them in the grocery! DH also started us all using lexan bottles for water instead of plastic after he saw how many chemicals leach out of the plastic!
Good for you! We each need to do our part to make the world greener. Maybe more people will follow if they see such lovely "designer" shopping bags! :)
Good for you! For a number of years we have been trying to "go green". We have lapsed at times, but for the most part we have tried to reduce our impact on the environment. We mostly used cloth diapers for both children and have always used cloth napkins. A roll of paper towels will last us for months because we only use them for really gross things. We have had canvas grocery bags for a number of years and own a Honda Civic Hybrid. We have recently changed to CFL bulbs. I also have started using natural cleaning products. Easy and they really work. http://www.channel4.com/4homes/style/eco_cleaning-2.html
Great post! We use our own canvas grocery bags, most people in South Africa do because there is a charge levied for plastic bags. We are also using cloth diapers and biodegradable laundry liquid and CFL bulbs in the house, and my husband walks to work each day.
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