While going through the favorites on my browser this morning I happened across Hip Mountain Mama’s “One small change” challenge. Essentially how it works is that between now and Earth Day you make one small change to help the environment each month and blog about it. Well one of my New Year’s resolutions is to “live more deliberately”, so this fits in perfectly…. and the challenge begins!
I generally consider myself pretty green. I drive a Prius, I recycle, I’m vegan… But my downfall is shopping. I’m a sucker for the dollar section at Target! I buy useless stuff, pay next to nothing for it, it breaks and ends up in a landfill within a year. So my change for the month of January is to bring no unnecessary “things” into my life.
My first test was buying garbage bags today. Target is on my way home from work and the most obvious place to pick them up. Upon entering I walked past the dollar section and so many “things” called to me… oven mitts, dish towels, cooking utensils, pads of paper (none of which I need). I made my way past them with some struggle and then came my next hurdle… candles. I have a candle addiction… it’s bad. I have a stash of about 20 unused candles that I am for some reason emotionally attached to. There were even candles on clearance, but I marched on to the garbage bags, put them in my cart and went to check out. While in line, I saw the current issue of Martha Stewart with a section on knitting! WIthout hesitation I put it onto the checkout counter. As the check out girl began to run it over the scanner I stopped her, saying that I didn’t really NEED the magazine, after all I can get it at the library. And with that I had done it, I made it out of Target with one purchase, one that I needed and it was liberating! So there we have it, day one of the challenge over. We’ll see how I do at Whole Foods this weekend!
With love,
Rosie
Thanks for joining the challenge! I think this is a great first change! Those dollar bins are very tempting…but you are right that most of it will just eventually end up in the landfill!
Good luck
Suzy
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