Sustainable Tips and a Little Bragging

I know that I've been MIA for about a week, and I'm sure that all (seven) of my readers (two of which are my mother and mother-in-law) are sitting at the edge of their computer chairs/couch/bed to find out where I've been. Worry no more, I am back!

Today is Ryan's and my first wedding anniversary. We decided to go all out for this anniversary, after all, you only get your first anniversary once, and we don't know if Ryan will even be in the country for the next one. So I've spent the last week prepping for the occasion. Anyone who knows Ryan knows that he LOVES Mustangs, and I was supposed to buy him a model Bullitt that he had found on the internet. Of course by the time I got around to ordering it, it was out of stock. So I decided to go with the traditional wedding gift, paper and clocks. I made him a model Bullitt out of paper and painted it myself. Anyone who knows me knows that I am NOT crafty, so this endeavor created quite a headache for me! I also framed one of our wedding pictures, and bought him a USMC wall clock.

Ryan went above and beyond! He planned an entire weekend in Dallas at the wonderful Palomar Hotel and the most delicious dinner at Stephan Pyles restaurant. It was amazing! We went shopping yesterday and checked out the Dallas World Aquarium today, which was completely awesome. But what really blew me away was my gift:

When we first got engaged, we were both poor college students and he didn't have a lot of money to spend on a ring. Not that my ring was cheap, but he has said ever since that he wanted to get me a bigger, better one. So that's what he got me for our anniversary! I wasn't expecting it so soon; I thought a few years down the road I would get an upgrade so this was completely unexpected! At any rate, I don't mean to brag a bit, but I seriously am so lucky to have my husband. I have gone through a lot this year and I couldn't have done it without his unconditional love and support.

Now for the actual purpose of this blog. Aside from advocating farmers markets and the random rant about the guy who left his car running, I haven't spent much time talking about how to protect the environment. I promise, I'm making up for that today. Here are a few tips to be a little friendlier to our planet. These tips don't inconvenience you, they don't cost you more money, and you don't have to change your life just to follow them. It is VERY easy to follow these tips.

• Buy reusable shopping bags. Plastic bags never decompose, so try to limit your usage of them! For years, I used the old "Oh I'll buy them but I would never remember to take them with me, so I just won't get them" excuse. Shame on me! It's very easy to get into the habit of remembering to bring them with you once you own them. No excuses! They are cheap, and if you buy one every 2 weeks or so, you can build up quite the arsenal.
• For your other shopping bags, ask for paper, every time. Paper is easily recycled. In fact, I use my paper bags to hold all of my recyclables.
• Recycle!! Growing up in the California suburbs, I took recycling for granted. It was so easy to just throw all my recyclables in a bin and have them picked up. Little did I know, that is not the way the rest of the country operates! But recycling centers are everywhere, and it doesn't take a whole lot of effort just to separate your recyclables and drive to the recycling center once a week. You can even make it a routine, and finish it off by rewarding yourself with your favorite treat.
• I never thought I would have to say this, but clearly, it needs to be said. Don't leave your car running while you run in to get a sandwich. Seriously.
• While on the subject of cars, refrain from using drive-thrus whenever possible. Especially when there is a long line.
• Keep your tires properly inflated to optimize gas mileage.
• If you have the time, bike to the grocery store/movie store. I know weather, distance, and time constraints can prevent you from doing this, but if it's within reason, there's no reason not to! You can even get a trailer to put behind your bike for your groceries. It can even be a fun family activity. Last weekend I saw a whole family walking to the grocery store together in the Oklahoma heat.
• Use natural light during the day. It will save you money and it's better for the environment.
• Shut off lights when you're not using them. Get in the habit of shutting the light off when you leave the room.
• Buy flourescent lights. They last longer and use less electricity.
• Unplug stuff you aren't using. If you are leaving town for a few days, even unplug your TV, microwave, stereo, etc.
• If you are running your A/C or heat, make sure all windows and doors are closed. Shut vents in rooms you don't frequent or are not being used.
• Only do full loads of dishes/laundry
• Skip the dry cycle/dryer and air dry your dishes or clothes.
• When rinsing or washing dishes by hand, don't turn the water on all the way. You can get the water you need at a low trickle instead of blasting it at full capacity.
• Take shorter showers. No one, and I mean NO ONE, needs longer than a 15 minute shower. I may seem rude with this one, but seriously. Stop being so high-maintenance.
• Use the microwave/toaster oven to reheat things. It uses less electricity than the stove and oven
• Instead of driving to the gym to use the treadmill (and more electricity), run outside if weather permits.
• Use recycled or biodegradable products. As more people are becoming concerned for the environment, recycled or biodegradable products are generally advertised by their labels.
• Don't buy individually wrapped candies... it's not like you need the sugar anyway!
• Buy domestic products. This includes water, coffee, alcohol, clothing, leather, cars (that are actually assembled in the US!), toys, and I'm sure there are more.
• This may seem silly, but limit your toilet paper consumption! Two or three squares per use should cover it.
• Replace disposable with reusable. Diapers, razors, batteries, ink cartridges, plates and silverware...

Alright, that is quite enough for one day. I want to thank my husband for sharing the last year of our lives, and all our years ahead, being married to me. =)

Photos courtesy of our wonderful photographer, Beth Armsheimer