Moving the blog

Hello Dear Family and Friends!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am going to be shifting our personal blog over to The Feel Good Foodie (and Family) site.

As much as I love this little blog, I would much rather share my thoughts, recipes, and photos on a site/blog that I'm paying for already. More bang for my buck that way :).

So, If you want to stay in touch with all our shenanigans, do one of the following:

-subscribe to The Feel Good Foodie (to receive email updates)

-"like" The Feel Good Foodie on Facebook (to receive updates in your newsfeed)

-bookmark The Feel Good Foodie, so you can check it periodically, without getting annoying emails from yours truly.

OR do all of those things!

If you have issues commenting on The Feel Good Foodie site, be sure to let me know!

Love Ya!

Abbie

**To retain a bit of anonymity on the site, please refer to Josie as "JBird" when you comment. Thanks**

Going Green in 2012

Tis the season to reflect back on the year. Since becoming pregnant with Josie, I've been on a personal journey of "green-ness". It started with cloth diapers, breastfeeding, and homemade baby food, but has evolved into a far grander transformation.

Here are some of the biggest "Go Green" changes that I (and we as a family) made in 2012:

Thrifting: 

In the beginning of 2012, we made a commitment to buy nearly everything used. Remarkably, we stayed true to this goal! I think we only bought a handful of things brand new (like, maybe 5 things). We've become expert "thrifters". It's actually a lot of fun. We've easily saved thousands of dollars this year; just by buying used! We buy all of our clothes at Goodwill or St. Vinnie's. All "big ticket" items have been purchased through Craigslist (TV, Couches, etc). When it comes to home repair, we've been having amazing luck at the ReStore (by Habitat for Humanity).

(Failed Attempt at) Gardening: 

My container gardens failed miserably. However, it was not for lack of trying. We just didn't have enough (or any) pollinators at our old apartment. Luckily, we did enjoy some fresh herbs early on in the season. 2013 will definitely be a better year for our gardens. 

Moon Cup: 

I absolutely LOVE my Moon Cup. I highly recommend it to any lady. Total life changer! Want more info? Check it out here. (warning: it's a reusable "Feminine Hygiene Product"...so if that grosses you out, just skip that link) :)

Homemade Laundry Soap:

I LOVE our laundry soap recipe! Since switching to an all-natural, local soap from LuSa, our clothes (and diapers) have come out even cleaner than before! Plus, ZERO chemicals!

Homemade Deodorant:

I will never go back to conventional deodorant. This recipe is amazing. Even Tim uses it!

Homemade Toothpaste/Mouthwash: 

After several months of making our own toothpaste; I just bought a tube of conventional toothpaste from the store (I have been way too busy to keep making toothpaste once a week). I'm still waiting on my dentist appointment to see if it helped my teeth remineralized at all (I had to reschedule our appointments for January). The mouthwash is still working great (baking soda, water, peppermint essential oil...boom). 

Homemade Face Cleanser/Toner:

I wasn't a fan of the oil-based cleanser BUT the Apple Cider Vinegar toner has totally healed my face! Now, I use a Burt's Bee's Facial Towelette and ACV toner every night (followed up with Young Living's Frankincense Essential Oil). So far, it's working great (and still, ZERO chemicals)

Coconut Oil:

This stuff is a game changer. We use it for EVERYTHING! Sauteeing, Baking, First Aid, Lotion...it's amazing.

Essential Oils:

This is still a VERY recent change (since my Young Living Essential Oils just arrived on Monday), but they are already being used on a daily basis for health and first aid!

Did Away with (nearly) all Plastic Toys!:

This was possibly one of the most liberating "green" move for us this year. It's amazing how beautiful a playroom can be when you remove the "junk" and focus on all-natural toys. Plus, I no longer feel totally overwhelmed with toys! 

Switched to all Cast Iron and Stainless Steel cookware:

So long Teflon! All of our cookware is officially cast iron OR stainless steel!!

Single Car Family:

Still going strong with only 1 car! I can't imagine it any other way!

My 2013 Green Goals:

-Do away with paper towels

-Switch to reusable 'Swiffer' sweeper pads

-Invest in reusable produce bags

-Swap our our plastic electric tea kettle for a stainless steel one. 

-Do away with all plastics in the kitchen

-Slowly switch to all wooden utensils (including forks and spoons).

-Compost

-2nd attempt at gardening

-Invest in a Silpat (reusable silicone baking sheets to replace parchment paper)

-"Unplug" from devices more often (or at the very least, "unplug" from Facebook more often)

-Start diffusing essential oils on a daily basis.

2012 has been a truly amazing year for our family. I cannot wait to see what 2013 brings!