Recycling your plastic gardening pots

Loblaws is now taking back all of your plastic gardening pots for recycling into new pots. How cool is that? Less plastic in our landfills is a good thing!

Change # 22 - No more Saran Wrap

Recently we ran out of Saran Wrap and I never bothered to replenish our stock. I've been using tupperware, bowls with plates for lids and tea towels instead. So far, so good. I recently went to a BBQ and instead of covering my salad bowl with Saran Wrap I used a clean tea towel and some elastics. It worked wonders. I've been trying to bring my lunch to work to save money for an upcoming trip to NY (Woo HOO!). Instead of wrapping things in baggies and saran wrap I've been using tupperware and clean tea towels (I have these tea towels that are too big to be a dish cloth and too small to be a regular tea towel so I use them as cloth napkins). Easy schmeezie.

The only person who might miss seeing me using Saran Wrap is Derek. Ha ha.

Change #21 - Computer stays off when not in use

For people who try and do their part for the environment we certainly have a few habits that I'm a little ashamed of. One of them involves our beast of a computer. It's not quite a commodore 64 but this thing is old. It's slow too, but it usually works just fine and we only use it to surf the internet so it seems wasteful to buy a new one. Until a few months ago we used to keep it 'on' all the time.... and I do mean 'on'. Even the monitor would stay on. Isn't that pretty crazy? It would stay on even when we were away for the weekend (I know what you're thinking). It would stay on all night while we were sleeping (I know, I know it's ok to be judging us, I don't blame you).

A few months ago I started turning the monitor off while we weren't using it. A few weeks after that I organized the gazillion of wires that are connected to the computer so that I could easily reach the powerbar. I have been trying to not only keep the computer off when we aren't using it, but I've been powering off all of the computer appliances (computer, scanner etc) with the flick of the powerbar switch. I'd like to say that I've been doing this everyday... but sadly no.

So change #21 is that I'll be keeping the computer and all of its accessories off when we aren't using it. The fact that this change comes after I've switched us over to Bullfrog Power (BP) and that I'll be paying the difference should BP cost us more is only a mere coincidence I promise you...

Change #20 - Schleppin' my own coffee mug

I'm not a coffee drinker. As it turns out though, my 'working woman' alter ego does like a cup of java in the morning. I can't quite figure out why since she drinks decaf. So if it isn't for the jolt, why have I enjoyed a cup of coffee every morning since starting work? I can't say for sure, but there is something about having a steaming cup of coffee in your hand which makes sitting at a computer at 8:00 a.m. so much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, every coffee that I've had so far since starting work has been in either a styrofoam (eek) or paper (ouch) cup. Tomorrow morning, and every morning from now on, I'll be having my morning cup'o'joe in my trusty stainless steel camping mug. This should make my mornings even brighter.... and sadly my purse a lot heavier... what I won't do for the love of my planet... I dare you to ask me about my 'pooh spoon'...

Change #19 - Klean Kanteen

I'm back at work this week. Today was my first day back and so far, so good. It feels like everything and nothing has changed. Ian did great. No crying. None. I guess when your loving Aunt is taking care of you, there's nothing to be afraid of.

Change #19 is that I'll be taking the Klean Kanteen that I recently bought to work (and every other place) so no more water bottles. We haven't been buying them for the house for a long time, but every now and then, I would be out and needing water and would have to buy a bottle. Now that I've got my trusty (plastic free) kanteen, there's no more need to buy water bottles.

My seeds have sprung! The cucumbers and tomatoes are doing well. The more fragile herbs like the chives and the dill aren't doing so great but I haven't given up hope.

Finally Bullfrog Powered!

I just made the switch to Bullfrog Power... the six month experiment begins. How much more will 'Green Electricity' cost us vs. the 'regular' kind? I guess we'll soon find out... I'm really hoping not too much more...