Day 2 and three...

Three days in and I've already taken a day off- that's it, start the year off right. Maybe not. Anyway, yesterday was Sunday, which is usually my cleaning day, if I feel like not living in my own filth. I'm usually a dish soap and water person. I literally use plain water to "clean" everything. I use dish soap and windex to give things that extra-fancy shine. And if my moms coming to visit I put that blue powder in the toilet that makes the urine turn green as it hits the toilet water. I decided that any kind of powder that shade of blue and that can turn my urine that shade of green cannot be too good for the environment- the same goes for Windex, but I can't say for sure what it would do to urine. My art training tells me something similar to the powder.

I decided I'd try something more "natural" and, at the very least, better smelling. So, I invested in 2 lemons and $1.39 bottle of vinegar. I put the vinegar in my toilet and down both of my sinks- the stains were gone and there was a delightful pickle smell hanging the air. Perhaps the pickle smell isn't appealing to all, but just squeeze half a lemon in a bucket of hot water and watch your counters and floor to cover that up! In all, I was able to give my apartment a nice shine, a quick disinfecting, and nostalgic picnic smell. Use vinegar and water to get rid of mold and to wash away water stains and disinfect in the bathroom. Use the lemon and water to watch floors and give faucet a nice shine. Always test a small spot first (on whatever you're washing). Lemon can bleach things, so feel free to throw a little in the washer with our whites and skip that burning, chemical bleach.

Give this cleaning scheme a try!

Mission: A Green Me in 365

As the dust of 2010 falls away, I have to face the strewn, desolate path of waste I've left behind me. For a girl of just over 5 feet and just over 100 pounds, I make a lot of waste! Everything from driving to work, making macaroni, or even opening the mail creates waste that I wasn't responsible for before. The more I think about it, the more dizzy I get thinking about the mission I've set in front of myself. See, I'm completely neurotic. A mission like this will force me to look at EVERYTHING that I normally do. For anyone like me, analysis of what seems natural to oneself is an exercise in saint-like patience and Michael Phelps-style determination. Both things I'm not known for.

Why choose 2011? The Green Movement has been growing for over 20 years- why now? Well, I'm frickin' poor. If I can do this now, I can do it later. If I can do it on my budget, then maybe I can give others ideas that will help them live a greener life without making that life unsustainable. What's the point of dieting for a weekend? You'll just gain it back. What's the point in being green for a week? You'll just revert back to your over-packaged ways. Believe me, I have experience in reverting. I don't expect anyone to read this blog- I'm all about the "labor of love" idea.

Idea 1: Make a schedule that allows time for you to use alternative modes of transportation to do usual things. For instance, instead of driving to the gym on the weekends, I walk there in the morning because I have the time. I also count this toward my overall workout, which is good for the ol' ego. I actually got a chance to talk to one of my best friends on the phone and my family!

Give yourself time- going green could also be a way to slow down and relax.

Let's say your gym isn't right by your house. Schedule your weekend errands so you only have to make one trip. You'll save gas and emission by not heading home after each stop. Do your grocery shopping on Saturday and head to the laundromat and the gym right after or before. Who would have thought set schedules were good for the environment?