Life in the Fringe

Nels and I had an interesting conversation last night. He asked me if it really was becoming more trendy to make your own non-toxic cleaning products and become more "green" or is it that I talk about these things SO much that he's just accepted that it's trendy. He said he was talking to his cousin the other day about some of the crunchy ideas we've talked about and then he started thinking to himself that maybe he was sounding like a freak. :)

He questioned whether I was becoming a bit fringy, especially when I started talking more about the benefits of humanure and family cloth.  He said that I can maybe keep telling him about these ideas but maybe, just maybe, I better not talk too much about them with other people. Funny.

So I had to ask myself, am I going overboard on some my frugal and green ideas?

Some of the concepts I initially thought were too much for me I'm now warming up to. I just ordered a Diva Cup yesterday as a way to save money on feminine hygiene products. I figured if I use it only when I'm at home it could save me about $70-$80 a year. And if I make my own cloth pads (Yay! Sewing project!) then hey, an even bigger savings plus it would mean even fewer products being sent to the local landfill. So I may try to make them while I'm on vacation this week. We'll see how it goes.

Yesterday I cleaned our kitchen and bathroom with vinegar and baking soda...and unlike the many times I used harsh chemicals, my hands weren't sore and chapped afterwards. And the vinegar smell disappears quickly, not that I mind the smell. It reminds me of coloring Easter eggs with my grandma so who could be bothered by that, right?

We took the big step (for us) of recycling today. Since we don't have recycling pick-up by our garbage hauler (boo!) we have to bring it up to the city hall, which shouldn't be a problem. We should have been recycling for years.

So it's become a period of personal growth for me, to live more simply and green, that I'm excited to explore. We're trying to eat healthier, less processed foods (My daughters now both LOVE quinoa!) and so far it's going so well. We're planning to start planning our garden soon, which is also exciting.

I'm happy that my husband is on board for most of my ideas.

And fringy? I'm not so sure but hey, I'm OK with it.