Finally...My Green Resolutions

OK....did anyone notice that Sara Snow commented (nicely) on my blog?! This is a bit like having Anna Wintour visit your fashion blog and say something nice (not sure if she actually ever does but if she did....). Don't get me wrong...I am not under any illusions...I had mentioned her on my blog and that is how she must have stumbled upon me. Anyway, Sara Snow is the Poster Child for Organics...she grew up in a totally organic family (her Dad started several organic businesses), she has written her own book about living green (Sara Snow's Fresh Living), has her own TV show about being green (Get Fresh with Sara Snow on Discovery and Living Green with Sara Snow on CNN), is a guest writer at Treehugger and also happens to be totally gorgeous (and nice!)...

Her visit prompted me to visit her blog and articles again...and that is when I found my much needed inspiration for 2009. I have to say I have been struggling with my eco resolutions for 2009...my other resolutions remain the same as they have every year...be more patient, get organised, exercise more, drink less, cook gourmet meals and read a book a week. But seriously...I did need a bit of inspiration...something more than turn off your computer at night and use recycled bags...here are Sara's suggestions :

1. Start eating more Organic. I definitely started doing more of this in 2008 but I have been a bit haphazard...the more I read though the more I realise how important this is for our environment and our health...forget about which has more vitamins or antioxidants....you should ask which one has more chemical residues on it (even after washing)...check out the Environmental Working Group for a list of the worst offenders (I don't want to think about how many toxic strawberries I have fed my kids). I am back to ordering my weekly delivery from Lettuce Deliver and am armed with a list of local markets to try out...

2. Start using Recycled Products....OK you all know I am a bit of a recycle freak, but Sara makes the point that we should be also buying product made from recycled materials...so far the toilet paper and envelopes in our house are made from recycled product but from today I am going to start a bit of quest to see what else I can find...

3. Join a Yoga Class...while this obviously does not have a direct impact on the environment, there is something about this more gentle exercise that seems to be in harmony with nature...maybe it is the quiet or lack of equipment....plus all the gorgeous green girls do it. So, tomorrow at 9:30 Iyengar class here I come.

Anyway...I feel much better now that I have a clear vision for the year (and for the next few posts)...let me know if you have any other green resolutions for 2009! xxx

A Green Beginning: 2008 Reflections

Thanks to my green blogging friend Lisa from Retro Housewife Goes Green for inspiring me to write a reflection on my first (half) year of being green...

My first post, 'A Green Beginning' was in September 2008.

"I thought I was environmentally conscious. I don't drive a 4WD. I try to buy organic. Our recycle bins are full every week. Then I calculated my Eco Footprint which measures the total impact we have on the Earth. If everyone lived like me we would need 6 earths! This was worse than in the 1980s when I found out those low fat bran muffins had as many kilojoules as an entire chocolate cake. Much worse."

2008 was the beginning of a greener life for me ( and hence, my family)...I started composting (which for those of you who know me was not at the top of my list of household improvements)...I became an expert at recycling (corks, batteries, jars, Christmas cards and even visited a recycling center)... I slowed down and greenified my shopping (the best part was rediscovering vintage and finding the most glam, satin cocktail dress with Colette Dinnigan-like beading)... I made our kitchen, laundry room and bathrooms green...I discovered that vinegar is quite miraculous, I fell in love with Murchison-Hume Cleaning products, I found that green products clean my clothes beautifully and that cold water works just as well for whites, I became passionate about natural beauty products like Korres (best pink lipstick ever), Lavera (best fake tan ever), Burt's Bees (so many best things) and thought I has won the lottery when I discovered Natural Instinct Sunscreen...I felt so much better knowing there were just a few less chemicals that my kids were exposed to...I turned off lights when I left the room and turned off computers and the microwave at the power point when I went to bed...I tried to buy green Christmas presents (like those cute Animalz)...I ate less meat and dairy and tried to buy more organic and local food...I learned how to take a shower in 3 minutes (and love my shower-loving husband just that much more for doing the same)...I greenified the kids lunch boxes and stopped using plastic wrap, plastic bags and aluminium...I carried my SIGG bottle and Envirosaks with me everywhere (almost)...I planted a herb garden and I started my blog ...

Some transformation, huh? Problem is as with any diet (food or carbon) it is hard not to cheat...So, I need to confess some of my eco sins otherwise this post would be just greenwashing (which is sort of like what air brushing is to Magazine cover photos...there must be a celebrity/model out there with cellulite???) ...I still love baths - the hotter the better - and we have a large bathtub which I hate to think how much water it takes to fill...shopping has slowed but it is so hard to resist sometimes (especially the Scanlan and Theodore sale)....we are thinking about removing a tree in our backyard to help with the light and view...I only managed to be a total vegetarian for about three months (though still am eating a lot less meat products)...our house does not have gas so everything runs on electricity....we just came back from a month long trip to the US which involved numerous flights for five people (have not yet calculated the greenhouse gas effect of that nor the cost of offsetting it)...I have not become involved in any form of Climate Change activism...I still burn my scented candles (I love my Grapefruit one)...and, my herb garden pretty much died while we were away...bummer...

So...if you were to compare me to the Cover Girls for Green (Sara Snow, Tanya Ha, Sophie Uliano, Sloan Barnett) I would probably not make the cut (too much green cellulite)...but, I think I have done pretty well for a start and certainly hope my lifestyle does not require 6 earths anymore...and that is the point....it is just the beginning....who knows what green beginnings 2009 will bring? Stay tuned. xxx

Photo credit: Another Tanakawho beautiful photo at Flickr. Truly amazing photos. All rights reserved.