How I Grew Up

I grew up with parents that paid attention to the news on what could be done to live a more eco-friendly life, and made changes when they were aware of them. We tried not to buy too much food to avoid food waste, reused grocery bags, went to the farmer's market when the weather was nice, bought some organic products once we were aware of them. We tried to reduce and reuse, although recycling was always hit or miss. We had a split of new and used things. We were raised to repair things that broke and could be easily fixed: sewing buttons on, putting a screw in a wobbly chair, etc.

That said, we bought plenty of new items, drove regularly, didn't eat exclusively organic or belong to a co-op (all of which are still true). Until recently, I don't think any of us knew about low-VOC paint, and we generally use places like Craiglist or thrift shops to get rid of things, not to find them. We fly (internationally) more than the average family too. In terms of an intentional change to be more eco-friendly, this is really the first concerted effort I've made.

Both of my parents are receptive to changes: my dad uses a bike as his main mode of transportation whenever possible and gardens with (mostly) native plants; my mom shops at the farmer's market and makes her own eco-friendly countertop cleaner. My sister is much more enthusiastic and informed about this than I could claim to be: she has been very interested and invested in being eco-friendly for a long time (and has been a great source of ideas so far). My husband is generally interested but not at the front of this change: his main concern is that we make sure the bathroom soap is the foaming kind (that was also his biggest concern when we moved in together).

Is your family receptive to an eco-makeover?

Coconut Oil Cookies

I'm not going to lie- I bought coconut oil mainly because I had a coupon and I'd seen it pop up on a few blogs. I had no idea what it would taste like, or if it was better for me, but thought: why not?

Quick research says that it's on the healthier end of the range for fats (which you need in order to absorb some nutrients). Some places claim that it's better for your heart, can raise metabolism and help you lose weight. Paleo and "clean eating" websites tend to list it as an approved fat, comparing it to avocados or olive oil. I'm not a scientist or nutrition expert, but if it's helpful (and/or tasty), that's awesome. It can also be used for cosmetic purposes, and a quick search will bring up lots of interesting, homemade options.
 
I adapted this recipe from a Cooking Light Oatmeal Walnut and Raisin cookie. Because we didn't have any walnuts or raisins. And because chocolate chips are delicious. Let me tell you- these cookies taste like candy bars (the ones with dark chocolate and coconut)! I highly recommend you mix up a batch. And get the extras out of the house. Or you'll eat four within minutes. Not that I've ever done that.

Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup regular oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• just under 1 cup chocolate chips (I'd cut this back to about 1/2 or 2/3 cup next time) 
• Cooking spray
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl- cream together. Add flour, oats, and salt to egg mixture; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Drop onto cookie sheet (I got 16 cookies out of this batch). Bake at 350º for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Restrain yourself for a few minutes, then enjoy!

Where Do I Start?

Blogs without context are both boring and annoying, so it seems like the best place to start is to give you some context on me:

I'm a female in my late 20s. I'm newly married and also a newly-minted J.D. I am still searching for the right law firm for me. I live and work in an urban area. We have very distinct seasons here (and all four of them). I like to buy the cheapest comparable option, but I'm not sure how I want to weigh what is comparable. I own a home in a multi-unit building. I have two cats, a niece and a nephew, and no children of my own. My husband and I each drive our own cars, have a 20 minute or less walking commute, and try to walk or bike instead of driving when there is an option to do so. I love the feeling of exercising regularly, but have to talk myself into it each time.

I value socializing, living a comfortable life, using my money to get the most bang for my buck, entertaining well, and being environmentally friendly. I don't think it's worth it to make a major fiscal or environmental change that requires large amounts of effort with minimal payoff. The opposite is true as well- if I can make a minor change with a large payoff, it seems like a no-brainer. I do think that minuscule changes can affect the negative effect we (the human race) have had on the world, given enough time or enough people making that change.

I plan on using this blog to explore what I can do using reasonable efforts to live a more sustainable life while balancing work and social constraints, and document the pitfalls and successes along the way. If you have positive suggestions for what I can change, I would much appreciate the input!