I've got a 100% on some aspects. I haven't bought anything from a retail store/non-locally owned businesses. I don't know if I've ever gone this long in my life without walking into a Target. I think the girls at Express are wondering what happened to me. Oh, and I can't tell you how nice it is to be letting my memories of HyVee slip into oblivion (talk to Steven about how much I wicked-hate HyVee). I have saved probably... hundreds of dollars by not buying new clothes. Yes, seriously. I've only bought four sweaters in the last couple of months, and they were from Salvation Army - and they're cute, too! And I was really getting cold. Ahhh guilt free warmth.
Steven and I basically only shop for food at Wheatsfield Co-op here in Ames. It's amazing. It features locally owned food, and even tells you how far from Ames the produce and products come from, which I love. I even occasionally get to eat some locally raised and farmed and walked-abouted and happy beef from very close to Ames. Happy cows live here, too. Just depends on what farm they are from. I feel good about the eggs and milk I'm consuming - I know the farms they are from and the ways they are being "harvested." I think those cows and chickens are proud of the work they do. All the ingredients we buy are organic or locally produced. I just... can't tell you how guilt free I feel about eating. Now, the flip side of this coin is that, in October, our grocery bills almost TRIPLED what they normally are. However, we did have to buy a lot of start-up things, like tons of organic flour for making bread and noodles, what seems like gallons of high quality olive oil, cans and cans of organic tomato sauces, and a very expensive bag of organic (and, unbeknownst to us at the time) vegetarian dog food. Hey Mikey, she likes it! BUT, flipping that same coin over again, this month we've evened out to what should probably be normal, and we're only spending about 50-75 more than before. Not bad, hmm?
I'm going to miss fresh produce this winter.
The shaving is going okay. Steven hates it when I lift my arms, but I'm getting used to the pits and the legs being a little wild. I still shave on occasion, but it's getting easier to stretch the time between shaves out longer. I shaved yesterday, out of courtesy of my co-workers who I will be sharing a hotel room with this weekend. Don't expect it again during debriefing, girls.
I'm very very very much in love with the idea of getting dreads in the future. I'd do it now, but it needs to be about twice as long as it currently is (past my shoulders). I'd rather do it like that than add extensions. Might need to take a trip out to Portland, as I guess the queen of dreading works and lives there and does fantastic coils in record time. Maybe a weekend trip this summer?
Been doing my best to walk/ride my bike to work. I drive less than once/week, and only if I am going to need my car for something else that day where I won't have time to walk home and get it. I like this a lot, but it hasn't even snowed yet... I'm going to need lots of cheerleading soon.
Now... confessions: I've eaten out more than twice/month. BUT I have stuck to the only-locally-owned restaurants, so I guess I get an E for effort. The reason I have a harder time with this rule is because if there is nothing pre-made for me to grab for lunch, I go to work thinking, "Just don't eat for lunch," and by 10:32 AM I'm complaining to my lovely co-worker Ashley that I'm STARVING and WHY DIDN'T SHE THINK TO BRING SOME SOUP FOR ME and GIVE ME ONE OF THOSE M&MS and WANT TO GO TO GREAT PLAINS!?? And usually by the time I get to that last part she's all, "YES OKAY SOUNDS GOOD SHUT UP ALREADY." No, she's way nicer than that. So I end up eating out for lunches more than I meant to. I'm still a work in progress guys, come on.
So, that's my update. I'm also excited to start spending more of my time volunteering and helping my community. P.S. Please come to "The Vagina Monologues" at the M-Shop on campus this February - all proceeds go to support ACCESS Women's Shelter here in town. And I'm in it. And Christelle is going to be in it too, so if not for me, do it for her. She's super cute.
I have stopped washing my face daily. About once every other day. It helps I don't wear make-up that often. My face seems healthier; I think I used to dry poor face out.
P.S. Still loving on 7th Gen products to get me guilt-free through the day-to-day necessities like dishwashing, laundry, and toilet paper.
Goals next up:
- Organic(?)/natural deodorant?
- Organic/natural soaps
- a straight razor for when I do shave
- I really can't wait to have a huge yard sale this spring. I'm going to get rid of, like, everything. If anyone wants some barely used shampoos/perfumes/lotions for like, $1 each, let me know. I have Redken, Paris Hilton, Bath & Body Works, Garnier Fructis... lots o' stuff... just want to get it out of here. I used to be a chronic beauty product buyer.
- Doing away with paper products completely? I think this would be the hardest to convince Steven of.
- The Diva Cup? I'm thinking yes. (stop gagging, wimps - I'm doing this for my kids and yours, and I bet you anything your kids will ask why you didn't try harder. Oops, sorry... Judgment Fail).
