Okay.. first... last year I was a bad blogger :( I feel so bad that all my pictures and the amazing things we did around here never made up on the Internet. I know I had a good reason but it still really annoys me personally!
A few months ago I was diagnosed with scoliosis in my neck, so the constant headache and migraines had a source and my not wanting to go near a computer screen unless absolutely necessary had a founded reason. I can say I am having great results with treatment from a wonderful Chiropractor. I'll try a post sometime about it.. but I think it's time to get to the heart of this post... where we are in 2012.
Yesterday after spending the day at my parents I realized just how far my family has come since I started this change.
We no longer do things because it's acceptable or the norm but think about everything we do.
Let me explain.. This is a list of the changes we've made and the steps getting there
Canned soda's thrown in garbage - Thrown in can/can - Homemade Soda using a soda stream, buying syrup in bulk or making our own syrup
Throwing EVERYTHING IN THE GARBAGE! - composting anything possible and buying things in compostable packaging if the same price as those in non.
Paper Plates, napkins,plastic silverware, and plastic cups all disposable - No more paper plates, napkins, plastic silverware, plastic cups.
Paper towels - took a ton of old clothes that don't fit and were well used and cut them up into rags, bought a 5 gallon bucket to throw them in after used... great for all spills :) (still have 1 roll on hand for dog mess's just in case it's way to gross)
Toilet paper and Kleenex - It's a hard one I have made a bunch of what I call "Girl wipes" out of old flannel sheets, we have ones specific for blowing noses (rags work to) and others for going number 1.. number 2 is still tp... can't get on the band wagon for using them for that... We have a small lidded trashcan with removable liner we us for them after they have been used.. they wash great and feel even better! Pads are also flannel..
Things we've added:
Aquaponics systems - growing food and herbs inside all year. ( I have 5 green peppers on the plants right now and lots of basil)
Dehydrating - We had a smaller one that we were using to make jerky and dry herbs. My parents gave us an industrial sized one that will do up to 15 lbs of food at 1 time :) I have dried apples into apple chips, and lemons (they look like stained glass) basically anything that is going out I can dehydrate to save :) I bought 4 lbs of garlic and am getting ready to dry it for homemade garlic salt (need a way to get Iodine back in our diet since we never use plain salt.. by making our own we can use table salt and cut out the MSG and other things that are added) Also, we were giving some ground deer meat to make jerky out of :)
Canning - We canned a lot this year... if our Garden actually has a good year we will need to triple the amount of jars :) I love homemade Salsa and pickles :)
Buying in Bulk - This is our latest project. Sam's Club is our new Best Friend :) Don't know how to store 25 lbs of flour... do what I did.. go to the dog food isle at Meijer :) The Dog food containers are all now food safe, Free of bad things, seal better then Tupperware and need I mention the big one is on wheels? Yippee I wheel my flour around my kitchen and love it!!
Bread and Noodle Making - I make all of our own Bread and Pizza Dough... for those that say theirs not enough time... have you really tried it? 10 minutes to make the dough.. let it rise an hour and boom cook for 20 minutes and there you go.. do it in between commercials or cut out a TV show I dare you :) Corey has helped me make homemade noodles and ravioli.
TV - We have Bunny ears only and only use them for Football and bad weather to see whats going on.. You'll be amazed how much the mom I wants go out the window cause they can't see all the junk and advertising they don't know what they are missing :) We also use Netflix
No junk allowed - I'm a mean mom.. there is now a no junk allowed policy in place.. basically no junkie toys.. they break, mom gets stabbed in the foot and spends 3 hours using peroxide to clean the carpet :(
No Carpet - Only 2 more rooms to go on this change.... it's so much cheaper to use a broom and doesn't cost near as much to replace! I can add the exercise we get and in emergency's we do have a shop vac.
No Junk in rooms - Every on of the kids had choices about what they really want.. then we paired everything down, rooms stay clean mom's feet stay safe.
Homemade Christmas - We made (mainly I made Home made presents.. this will stay around. I learned how to knit and worked on Christmas presents.. this year we may add Dehydrated items and make little gift baskets :)
Family Christmas - The Big present for the kids/ our family was a punching bag, exercise and a way for my ADD/ADHD'ers to get out some aggression... and can I say it helps mom too :)
Those seem to be our big changes the ones I can see, and measure.. but there are so many more.
There is so much I want to accomplish this year, from more garden space, more canning, more dehydrating...
