Going/getting green

Ooooh look, a GREEN post on St. Patrick's Day! Just a coincidence, I swear.

So many people are working on going green, living more simply, etc. That's great. There are some things that I'd love to do that aren't super practical right now, just due to where we're currently living. I thought I'd post about what I do and what I'd like to do in the future...

What I do now:

1. Most food scraps are sent through the garbage disposal.

Believe it or not, this IS a green thing. Better for the food waste to be sent to the sewage treatment plant than to just sit in a plastic trash bag.

2. Recycle newspapers/fliers, magazines, bottles, cans, and some plastics.

My town is weird about which plastics are OK, which sucks, but I do what I can. I even put the magazines in our complex's laundry room in case someone else would like to read them.

3. Reuse plastic bags from the grocery store.

I know you're probably thinking, "Get the reusable bags!!!!" And I would, except DH does the shopping...and he's a guy, so he'd probably forget the "green" bags at home, in the car, or leave them IN the grocery cart at the store...lol. The plastic bags are great for cleaning out the litter box or for wrapping meat/chicken up to freeze (over the store wrappings, people!). I also use them to line the little trash cans in our bedroom and bathroom.

4. Take my lunch/snacks to work and school in plastic containers.

Sure, they can be bulky and I often look like I'm bringing in enough food for a week, but I don't use any foil, plastic wrap, baggies, etc. I'm always on the look out for new containers that I can rescue from the garbage--deli containers, takeout containers, etc. DH thinks I'm nuts, but I don't care.

5. Make rags out of old clothes.

Old t-shirts are SUPER soft and make great rags for cleaning. Then you just toss 'em in the washing machine. It's harder to get DH to make this transition, but hey, if he cleans, great!

6. Hang up some clothes to dry (no dryer).

This wasn't really meant to be green, this was more or less me trying to save my clothing. I'm always the unfortunate victim of shrunken clothing, so to save money (for new clothes) and my sanity, I started hanging up my clothes to dry years ago. But it also helps cut back on power and laundry money!

I'm sure I have more things that I do, and I just can't think of them right now.


Here's what I'd LOVE to do:

1. Use a clothesline!!!!

I grew up with one, I used one at my last apartment, but this complex that DH and I live at now doesn't allow them. Boo. I miss that fresh-air-on-your-clothes-and-sheets smell.

2. Make my own laundry detergent!

I've seen many people (including Michelle Duggar, who I secretly envy) do it. It's not hard, but we do have to transport our laundry to a common laundry room--I'm envisioning the detergent going everywhere! Storage is also an issue in our place. Where to store those gallons of product?

3. Have a garden.

Last year, DH and I had tomatoes (I think I posted the issues we had with them on here) but I'd love to get more things in the ground. As I posted a few weeks ago, I'll probably be planting things at my parents' house this year.

4. Use less paper towels and napkins.

I'd love for us to use cloth napkins at dinner (not to be snooty fancy) but it's hard when you don't have a washer/dryer IN your place and have to really plan out when you're going to do your laundry. Using cloth napkins wouldn't be too bad if we could just do a load of laundry every few days, right after dinner or whatever.

5. Start a compost pile!!!

Kinda hard to do while living in an apartment, lol. I haaaaaaate throwing away food scraps. And it would go hand in hand with the garden.

So those are my green accomplishments and goals. What are yours?

Happy New Year? (just looked at my pay stub)

My net pay for 2008 was just slightly over $22K. I still have one paycheck to go, so mayyyybe that'll bump me to $23K?

I feel so disgusted by that number. So...I don't know...defeated? Like all of my hard work and dedication is really just a joke? Where does $37K turn into $22K?

We do pay a lot for health insurance, and then there are the taxes that come out...and a small contribution to my (NON-MATCHED) 401k. But wow, combine that with the checks that DH gets from his settlement...that's 2 people, living in a fairly high COLA, on about $42K.

No wonder I feel like crap...and people think I'm being silly, or overreacting about money. Or I get "money's tight for everyone." That might be true, but most people can cut back...or they chose to buy a house, go on vacation, spend on credit cards.

We're doing the "right" thing...and not getting ahead.

I really hope 2009 is a better year for this household. We need it. Most people fear odd years (some superstition, I guess), but for me and DH, odd years have been good ones.

2003--we met
2004--DH's mom dies suddenly, DH almost dies in his accident
2005--DH is all better, I change jobs and am SUPREMELY happy
2006--we get engaged (OK, that's a good thing, lol), I take a new job and am miserable.
2007--we get married!!! go to Hawaii!!! I get promoted.
2008--DH gets laid off...


Here are my wishes for 2009:

1) DH to find a job. Something that isn't back-breaking or spirit-crushing. But something. Because he's getting scared that he's not going to find anything. It's been 10 months now, lots of interviews over the summer, but none in awhile. LOTS of applications put out.

2) Me to get healthier. I know, everyone makes some kind of resolution like this, but I really need to. Not a joke.

3) Me to find some happiness and peace in my current situation instead of trying to get out. If that means taking a class, so be it. If it means I give up TV once a week to go out to a group/club meeting, so be it.


That's all. Very simple wishes, but who knows how hard they'll be to achieve?

Happy New Year, everyone.

You are what you eat.

DH and I talked about my weight stuff and my food...he pointed out that I do have a tendency to snack, especially at night. The "indulgences" at work do not help, either.

I have started writing down everything that goes into my mouth, just to have a record so that when the scale goes up, I don't think "what happened???" The proof will be right there.

For now, I'm planning on being "good" for breakfast, lunch and snacks, and then for dinner I can have what I want. "Good" means low carb, high protein, lots of veggies and dairy...the way I'm "supposed" to eat. If that doesn't help me lose anything, then I'll re-evaluate the dinner options. Of course, I'll be stepping it up more at the gym, too.

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In other news, DH is feeling a bit better. He realized he has cabin fever and just needs to get out of the house more. He went to his dad's yesterday for a few hours and they worked on their fishing gear and attempted to go fishing. Too many OTHER fishermen made their favorite spot pretty crowded, so they gave up, but DH said it was still good to just get out. Now that the weather is getting REALLY nice, I think there will be more opportunities. Yay!

Tonight, we're actually going out and SOCIALIZING. No joke. My friend from high school, K and her husband, invited us over to play games. DH finds her husband boring, but he's actually willing to go, lol.

I picked up another plant book at the library yesterday. I really need to buckle down and read them/take notes this weekend.

I think work might get even more busy for me. A coworker got brought into the office of Mr. Owner with Bossman and HR. She's in quasi-big trouble, but part of me feels that she did some of it to herself. She opened her mouth, now she has to deal with the consequences of speaking out. I think they might be taking some of her work and giving it to me/my department. I need an assistant.

But on a cooler note, I get to go to a beach-side resort two states away for a trade show next month! Very exciting!

Things I'd like to do in the next 6 months...

Or before I've been married a year... ;-) Yeah, I can't believe it either.

1. Lose 10 pounds (or more!)

2. Get my anxiety back in check

3. Go to NYC for the day or more

4. Learn to drive DH's new boat (it's really big!)

5. Finish "serenity" (the needlepoint project I've been working on for YEARS)

6. Plant and harvest vegetables from my garden

7. Attend a Stitch & Bitch meet up (I joined my local group, now I just have to get the courage to GO)

8. Use the library often (I finally joined after all these years)

9. Visit K and my aunt N in Boston

10. Find a volunteer gig

Because this is supposed to help me stay focused...

I need to focus on some good things to do and achieve.

Quasi-goals for myself over the next few months weeks:

1. Keep trying for the gym 3x week

2. Work on my needlepoint so I can get this project finished (I really want to start something ELSE!)

3. Go to RI and meet up with B and her kiddos sometime in April

4. CHILL OUT and not freak about the house being a mess or whatever

5. Research and start my container garden since I'd like to have it planted by Memorial Day (my grandpa told me a few weeks ago that my grandma had that as her "rule")

Some more about me, if you don't already know.

Like I said in my little sidebar bio located to your right, I am a newly married twenty something. WHOO HOO, give me a cookie!!!!

I also should tell you I am pretty sarcastic and like to joke around, with a nice dash of self-deprecating humor thrown into the mix.

I am female.

I live in a New England state that has a coastline (and before any of you smarties say that all of New England is on the coast, you're wrong. Vermont is land-locked.). I've always lived here, except for the 4 years I went to college in another New England state...and the roughly 6 months I spent in yet another New England state, living in "the big city" trying my hand being a professional academic and clothes-whore. Both which left me pretty strapped for cash! haha

I have a job. While I would love to be a SAHKM (stay at home kitty mom) that' s just not in the cards right now. Maybe not ever. I do enjoy my job, most days, and I'm finally finding that there are jobs out there that are enjoyable enough and pay enough. All of my post-college jobs have involved books, and that's all I'll say about my current position.

I am trying to "find myself." Yeah, clever, right? I'm finally getting over the wedding high and the post-wedding blues and thinking, "okay, what next?" Most newlyweds either buy a house or have a baby. Neither of those are options for DH and I right now. For several reasons of which I assure you, dear reader, will make for many blog entries down the road.

This has been my life since college. Live in big city. Move back to hometown. Work at famous university for 2.5 mind-numbing years. Meet DH somewhere during that time (almost 1 year into that job). DH gets into pretty bad accident. All life is put on hold while he recuperates, almost to 100%, thank God. I try grad school again for some time, decide it's really not for me. Quit mind-numbing job to take a very low-paying job at a small company, but it's the perfect job for me and my interests. Stay there almost 1.5 years. DH and I get engaged, suddenly realize I need to grow up and make MONEY! I look for a new job, find current (better paying) position. A year into that job, DH and I get hitched (Sept 07). Go to HAWAII on our honeymoon. Consider never coming back except we like our cars and we have 3 cats who miss us. Ooops. Then the holidays come. Now here we are in weird March.

As you see, I've always been on this constant roller-coaster of life. Now I'm at this stand-still. What do I do with myself? I am content in my job (for at least another year or so). No house yet. No babies yet.

During this time that I've been out of college, I haven't really branched out and made any new social networks. I was quasi-lazy and I depended on my friends who stayed in the hometown or close by...but over the past few years, it's obvious that we have all changed. It's sad, but it's reality. Some were just natural grow-aparts, some were fights, some were...I don't know. My friends from college live far away now and have their own lives. I miss them, but again, it's reality. There's no ill-will or anything...it's just time and distance and SOs and kids and jobs and life.

I need some friends, some things to do. I love DH very much, but some times you just need some girlfriends. It is HARD to meet people when you are out of school. I've only made one real friend post-college. My friend C. I am lazy at times and I don't like to do the dirty work and get shy and anxious and all of that. If I want friends and want to be social, I have to bite the bullet and get out there.

I also need to improve myself. Since college, I've gained about 70 lbs total. Gross. I am in danger of becoming a statistic. NO THANK YOU. I am smarter than that. I recently joined a gym and have been going at least 3x a week. Tomorrow is my 3rd weigh-in. Lets see if I lose any weight. I am also trying to change my eating habits. This is hard, esp. when DH is a FOODIE and an excellent cook. I was always a pretty good eater, but got lazy after some time...and I met DH and was like "oooh he likes me! I can get FAT now!" j/k

So that's the inside--diet, exercise, and a therapy session now and then to work on my anxiety--which both fuels me and hinders me.

Outside--I need to work on the social aspect, as I mentioned up-entry. I also need to work on my hobbies and interests. I used to read all.of.the.time. but not so much anymore. I have begun reading at the gym. I also am really crafty--needlework, beading, sewing. I dabble in a lot of things. I started working on this needlepoint wall hanging thing that I had started a few years ago and let fall to the wayside. It's nice to see my progress. Then there are things I want to learn how to do, like more about gardening. We rent a condo with a small deck on the back, so I can grow plants in pots. I would love to have some fresh tomatoes this summer!

The outside is more about personal enrichment, I think.

Okay, that's enough for now. It's 4pm and DH and I have dinner reservations for a belated birthday dinner at 6. Time to shower and get pretty.

Editing to add: One more thing. DH recently got laid off from his hell-hole of a job, so that will definitely be discussed here often, since it impacts both of us. But we're trying to look at the bright side of things.