Doing our part

I am lucky, I have time each morning to read the blogs I like and to look up anything that interests me.

It has been through reading blogs and looking at YouTube videos that I have learned so much and that I have changed things in our lives to help save the environment we live in, as well as to save us money.  The later, a bit on the selfish end, as I wish to stay at home and not go back to work, full time.  I enjoy being home.  I enjoy learning to do the things my grandmothers did.  I enjoy having the quiet instead of the rush of being out in the working world.

Here are some of the things we've started doing to help us reach and maintain a simple life for ourselves.

• We have built a 18 feet by 4 feet garden in our yard. In which we grew, tomatoes, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, several kinds of lettuce, onions, carrots, turnips
• Learned how to grow potatoes in buckets, got three small crops
• We repaired our front walk ourselves instead of hiring out
• We heat with wood, that is bartered
• We have found a local to us CSA that we joined with another couple for next year
• Found two lovely, at home, local nurseries that I bought perennials for our yard to encourage bees to visit, and butterflies.
• We try to use cloth, made in the USA, shopping bags, if we don't have one with us, we don't take a bag from the store, we carry the items out.
• I have unplugged every possible item that is not necessary when not in use.
• Watching less tv
• Turn off computer when not in use and unplug it when charged
• Turned of printer and only have one when needed
• I use the downstairs toilet as much as possible as it is a newer, more conservative toilet
• I borrowed a sewing machine to make cloth napkins
• I learned how to make butter
• learned how to can tomatoes
• learned how to make yogurt
• Built a hugel bed where blueberry bushes will be planted in spring
• Built a compost pile
• Started a worm farm
• Talked with a local Starbucks about obtaining coffee grounds a few times a week
• I'm using the local, free compost center to get compost to supplement our yard
• Dear Darling re purposed troughs to make a spot to garden on the deck
• Dear Darling made a gutter garden for our use next year on the deck
• We purchased, on clearance, a rain barrel to be installed in the spring
• We found old, old cobblestone at the dump pile that we will use somewhere in our yard
• I'm trying my hand at propagating some of this years plants
• I've saved some seed to use for the coming year
• New to me, vintage wool lined barn jacket, made in the USA
• New to us, vintage wool blanket, made in the USA
• Sewed wipes and cleaning cloths from clearance flannel material
• Using out door clothes line for drying more often
• Using indoor clothes drying rack now that fire is going
• Using cold water in washing machine
• Saving whey from making yogurt and using in baking
• Saving buttermilk from butter making and using in bread making
• Make all Dear Darlings lunches for the week
• Plan all trips in the car to make the most of each trip
• Learned how to dry tomatoes
• Froze shredded zucchini for future use
• Make our own bread crumbs, croutons and bagel chips
• Made dehydrated Kale chip
• Made refrigerator pickles
• Our Kuerig broke, I didn't buy a new one because I thought a lot about all those little cups going to the landfill
• Called the phone company and got a better bundle for our needs and saved $25.00 a month
• Also called DirecTV and got a deal that saved us $15.00 a month
• Learned about different Squash/Pumpkins, tried them and decided we like them

This list may seem like a lot of things.  Perhaps some of the things seem difficult.  Some, people may think, "why bother?"  But these are just some of the ways we are doing our part.  If everyone would just pick something, and go from there, just think what a difference it would make?

I am not a political person.  I feel, for me to make a change, says something about who I am, what I believe.  Will I share that knowledge with anyone?  Yes.  I'm sharing this with you in each post.  At least I would like to hope I'm sharing it! (smile)