* G R E E N update *

I'm reporting on my recently implemented going green changes...

1. Reducing Junk Mail... I collected all of my mail for one week in this pile

to show you how much I currently receive. Here are the steps I took to reduce my junk mail.

Step One: Collect all mail in one spot all week to see exactly what you recieve and from whom. (You may have to do this multiple weeks just to make sure you recieve those once monthly mailers as well.)

Step Two: Locate phone numbers or websites in periodicals or magazines. Call or email the companies to request your name be taken off their delivery list. I did this with the Scotts Valley Times, Press Banner & Business Week.

Step Three: Find out which of your bills offer e-billing or paperless statements and sign up for these, again online or by phone. I was already receiving quite a few bills online, but I went thru the rest of the accounts to sign up for "e-bills", "eco bills" or "online biling". There are a few though which I cannot opt out of.

Step Four: Log on to the Do Not Mail website and fill out their "opt out" form. This will stop other unwanted mailings. You know the kind that dont have a phone number or website to contact.

This process only took me 25 minutes, once I had saved my mail for the entire week, 25 minutes total to call, email or log on to end my paper billing or mailings. Not bad! I should see results within the next month. I will continue to save my mail up week by week to visibly see how much I am reducing.

2. Reusable Bags: I have faithfully brought my reusable bags with me everywhere, and even remembered to bring them into the stores with me. Thanks to Erin, I am also washing these regularly to avoid nasty germs like E. coli. Now what to do about the small plastic bags for my veggies (you know the ones that are sometimes wet from the veggie misters)??? I don't bag most of the produce I buy but sometimes you almost need to. And what about the handy plastic bag for meat products, I definitely do not want meat juices to touch my other foods. I'll let you know what solution I find.

As I continue to work on the above steps I will also concentrate on:

* Reducing household electricity usage

* Reducing waste.

going G R E E N

I recently forced my husband to watch the documentary "No Impact Man". It chronicles a year in the life of writer, Colin Beavan, his wife and their daughter as they attempt to have zero impact on the environment. What's great about the documentary is the wife is reluctant to go 'no impact', though she is willing to do so in support of her husband and his "project". For her, it was difficult to give up electricity, toilet paper, cosmetics, and shopping. I thought it was refreshing to see her struggle with the desire for the things which are typically so easily accesible, yet she willingly gives them up for the sake of her husband's project. The other part that made the movie palletable was that they went no impact in stages. I won't ruin the movie completely, but they did not go no impact "COLD TURKEY". I think it was this part (the stages) that has encouraged me to make changes in my own life. So here is my plan... I"m going to share my minor attempts at going green on this blog. Mostly for accountability but also because there are some truly minor changes that can make a big difference for our environment now and for future generations.

Step One: Reduce junk mail.

Step Two: Use only re-useable bags for shopping.

I'll let you know how it goes!

One Year Ago

One year ago... we were on our honeymoon.

We went to these places... Hearst Castle, Justing Vineyards & the Santa Barbara Mission.

We saw... Elephant Seals near Cambria, rode bikes in Santa Barbara

and went to every beach we could.

One year ago I became a step-mom to this lovely boy.

One year ago, seems like a few months ago.

My how time flies!