Quest for a Deeper Shade of Green, June/July Goals Review

It's been way too long since my last monthly green goals update... long enough so that this one post will cover June/July. And don't even bring up the fact that it's already half way through August! My goals for the last two months were as follow:


1. Add carrots and strawberries to the list of pesticide-and-chemical-free produce I already purchase (apples, spinach, and potatoes). Done! Apples, spinach, potatoes, carrots, and strawberries are all things I only buy organic now, in accordance with my personalized version of the Dirty Dozen.

2. Keep the garden alive! Investigate and utilize organic/frugal pesticides as needed. Hmm I get partial credit on this one... Our peppers and tomatoes have survived and even flourished, but my squash and zucchini suffered an untimely demise. Yes, it was all my fault. I may or may not try planting them again in the future using the correct 'technique' because their deathes were pretty dang discouraging.

3. Using Condo Blues' tutorial, make cloth napkins and start using them regularly. FAIL. I haven't gotten around to doing this at all. *embarrassed*

4. Use alternative transportation at least three times a week, and aim for four when possible. Yeah, that ain't happenin'. It's hot out yo! And in a week or so I'll be moving further away from my job and off of the shuttle route altogether, so I may have to rethink this goal once the weather is cooler.

5. Help my dad find the easiest way to recycle a broken laptop. This one kind of solved itself in the form of my cousin offering to take it away and tinker with it. I can't promise that he recycled whatever was left over post-tinkering, but my responsibility unfortunately ends here.

6. Consistently use canvas bags at the grocery store, CVS, etc. Leave canvas bags in the bf's car as well, for convenience. I can qualify as "consistent" on this one. And I re-use plastic bags enough with my pets to justify the times I do forget, so I figure it's all good.

7. Find a new use for something that would otherwise be thrown away. Ok, this one is a little silly, but it still totally counts. I had some mineral powder foundation that was too pale for me (believe it or not, cuz I'm pretty pale...) and I was all set to toss it out when I had a makeup-related brainstorm. Pale... sheer... the stuff was perfect to sub as a highlighter eyeshadow base, a substance I was much in need of since the mineral makeup I've switched to rubs off a little too easily (plus, I use Garnier's UV protection daily eye cream, which doesn't give the makeup much to stick to in the first place). So now I swipe a little of it on before my other eye shadow or eye liner, and it works marvelously.... an excellent and thrifty repurposing of something previously destined for the trashcan. *bows*

New Green Goals for August/September:

1. I've been buying mostly chemical-and-pesticide-free for a while now, mostly because a good deal of my produce is coming from a local farmers' market that is predominately organic, so I think I'm ready to go ahead and make the full switch to the whole 12 of my own personalized Dirty Dozen list.

Sarah Eliza's Personalized Dirty Dozen (to only buy organic)

Peaches
Apples
Bell peppers
Celery
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Grapes
Carrots
Spinach
Potatoes

2. Continue to tend and harvest peppers and tomatoes, and begin to do research on container gardening for the fall.

3. Using Condo Blues' tutorial, make cloth napkins and start using them regularly.

4. I will be moving to an apartment with no dishwasher soon, so disposable plates, etc, will suddenly be more of a temptation. I will avoid such items at all costs. Unless, you know, I have a dinner party or something. Is that fair? Or totally cheating? I can't decide...

5. Mix up a new batch of homemade laundry detergent & post with photos and tips. Any of my Atl-area buddies want to come over for a laundry-detergent-making-tutorial?

6. Continue using canvas bags consistently, and limit plastic bag use as much as possible. Continue recycling everything that can be possibly be recycled.

7. Find a new use for something that would otherwise be thrown away.

Those are my green goals through September!! Encouragement and input always appreciated... and I'd love to hear about any repurposings you've recently come up with, to give me new ideas for #7. Green is gorgeous friends... save the world with me, one day at a time! ;P