Becky Is Bad :(

I had a very bad "be friendly to the environment day". I completely forgot my reusable bags today when I went grocery shopping. i was horrified with how many bags they gave me when I checked out. It is amazing how well they pack your groceries when you bring in your own bags vs. using the plastic ones. Plus, I definitely bought a ton of processed foods. I REALLY wants the cookies and chips I've been avoiding for awhile. On the flip side, I am making my own spaghetti sauce tomorrow instead of buying the canned kind and I bought more fresh vegetables to eat this week.

Tina Thinking Green

Thinking Green...I have knoticed over the last couple of days that I am thinking green. I think green when I am at the grocery store and I am finding myself being very critical of not only what I am buying but also what the store is selling and its options. I think green when I am at the dorm; I find myself automatically using green alternatives without thinking about using the non-green products. I think that as I get more use to the green products and living comparatively greener I don't need to think as much about it. Being green becomes second nature. Not for everything, because I have not gone compeletely green but for the aspects of my life that I have gone green I don't need to think about as much anymore.

Tina

Accomplishments…. Since my last post I have been consistently better about going green. I have been using my green products and it has been rubbing off on my roommates. I have noticed that my roommates are implementing green habits such as bringing a thermos for coffee and using reusable bottles for other drinks. I like to think that I may be responsible for these changes. In addition, it seems like my roommates are using the green products I implemented in the kitchen, such as cloths rather than paper towels and my Seventh Generation dish soap. Seeing the small changes I have taken in my life rub off on my roommates is exciting and reassuring. It makes me feel like I am a difference.

Jimenez Food Control

So I'm kind of proud of my family this week. when I did the grocery shopping this past week I was really conscious of not being things that we didn't really need. Trust me..I wanted those 100 calorie snacks that I love and some chips but I just kept thinking we have some still left at home. I also put away some fruit that we did necessarily need because we had other fruit at home too. So we have cleaned out our fridge this week and had less waste. I'm excited because we typically throw out fruits and veggies and leftover children's soup before I go grocery shopping and we actually ate all those items and I had my daughter bring the leftover soup and spaghetti' os to school this week. so we had less waste and saves some money on groceries!

The Jimenez Family Goes Shopping

So this weekend I really wanted to go to Whole Foods to do my grocery shopping. I love that store and think the selection is amazing, but my wallet told me otherwise. I went to my usual grocery store, Market Basket, and thought there is no way I will find organic options. Surprisingly, I found a lot of options. It wasn't a huge selection but if I looked carefully enough I could find some alternatives that were organic. I was mindful to buy all of my cleaning products by 7th generation and method and also I bought my paper towels that were earth friendly. The only disappointment with the paper towels is that you don't get a lot for the money you pay. But it made me for conscious of how many pieces of paper towel I use in a day, thanks to children. so now I've started using towels or facecloths whenever I can.

I also this weekend, have been more careful about recycling. I've been more conscious of cleaning containers out and saving them for recycling. I can't believe how much recycling we have for trash day tomorrow!

Challenges for Tina...

Over the last couple of days I have had a couple of set backs. On a couple of occasions I forgot to bring my reusable cups to get coffee. I think that this is just a small set back but I don't want to dismiss it altogether. I think that people often ignore a fault, which makes them bound to repeat it. I feel that I need to acknowledge it, move forward, and try not to let it happen again. I think that it is important to acknowledge the accident so that I will keep it in mind for the future. I have realized I drink coffee a lot more than I had thought. I need to try and make it before I leave or remember to bring my usable cup before I leave the dorm.

On a positive note I am really enjoying my Lush soap and shampoo... :)

Rebecca Jimenez Makes Her Own Baby Food

So...when my first child was born I made everything for my baby. I would spend the time to boil vegetables and put them in the food processor and then freeze everything. Then it got to hectic with my second child and I haven't done it :( She is now 10 months old and should be at the point that she should be able to pick up pieces of food and "gum" them down but she does not like anything really except for baby food and Dominican food...rice and beans, very random. So the other night I thought there is not enough baby food options for stage 3 for her age and so I took the time to peel the carrots, boil them, and put it through the food processor. I thought she would go for it but my husband says she was not happy about her dinner option.

I'm gonna keep trying to give it to her because it is healthy for her and it is less packaging materials. but if all else fails I'm going to stop by Whole Foods and buy some organic baby food. I have started buying a large bottle of applesauce and large cans of mixed fruit and have been putting them in small containers that we have at home instead of buying individual applesauce containers. I don't think the baby will mind this change but my three year old does like certain things in individual containers. Hopefully I'll get her thinking green. :)