One Small Change

Our One Small Change for March did not go quite as well as I hoped. The change was to switch to our reusable bags for shopping. I have had the bags for well over a year...maybe two years. However, I can't seem to remember to take them into the store with me. Or even have them in the car. I would say we used the bags about half of the time we went shopping. I will keep trying. My intentions are good, but my memory is not! As far as our previous changes, they are all going very well. We are no longer using paper towels or napkins (January change) and I always remember to use my reusable water bottles (February change). I think I have only drank from a plastic bottle 2 or 3 times since February, and that was because I was at a birthday party where that was the drink provided.

April snuck up on me. I realized this morning that I had not thought of a change for April because I didn't even realize it was April until I got to school and my Kindergarteners started in with their "April Fool's" pranks! I have now decided we will stop using plastic baggies for lunchboxes or food storage. We have kind-of already been doing this, but not consistently. I bought some cute fabric sandwich and snack bags when I was in search of cloth napkins and paperless towels. I use them daily, but still use plastic baggies quite often. Maybe I need to find more cute fabric baggies :) I would really love to learn to make them myself. I have my Grandmother's old sewing machine, but I have no idea how to use it. I need to look into sewing machine lessons...

One Small Change for March

It's that time again...the end of one month and the beginning of another. That means it is time to reflect on my One Small Change for February. February's change was to switch from plastic water bottles to reusable stainless steel. You can read about it here. This change has been successful, but not as easy as January's change, which was surprising to me. The hard part for me is having to wash my bottles every night. I was trying to get by with only buying 2 bottles. I had three, but one makes my water taste funny, so I'm down to two. I am not a fan of washing dishes. It ranks up there with putting away clean laundry and emptying the dishwasher...shudder. I get tired of scrubbing my water bottles every night, but I have done it! I have not drank out of a plastic water bottle except for when we went to my cousin's son's birthday party. They had bottled water for guests. I plan to continue with this change, but I will have to add a couple of more bottles to my collection. That way maybe I can just wash every other night!

So I have been thinking about a change for March, and I decided my change will be to use reusable bags for shopping. I do this already...sort of. I have a good collection of bags, but I always seem to leave them at home or even in the car! My plan is to use them everywhere I shop, not just the grocery store.



I bought 5 of the Earth Saver bags off of eBay a year or so ago. I looked there today, but the seller does not have anything listed right now. I get compliments on them from store clerks because they stand up when they are open. They are made of a burlap material and have a waterproof lining. They hold a lot! I also have a couple of bags I bought at Publix during Christmas. I feel weird taking Publix bags into other grocery stores. Should I worry about that? Is it bad manners? Comments??