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Eating/Habits

Changing an eating habit is not an easy task but it doesn’t have to be a drastic change either. Similar to the plastic, you don’t have to throw it all away, use what you have and progress into a change. Before I became vegetarian, I took multiple steps to make it easier. I once ate meat, all kinds, all the time for almost every meal. Nothing environmental sparked my change but I limited myself on red meat and stuck with chicken mainly for healthy purposes. As time went on, I got use to eating just chicken with majority of my meals until I started to notice how much chicken I was eating. Therefore, I started to watch my portions which a healthy plate shows a small portion of meat and fruit and almost half the plate is vegetables. So, in this case I had cut out numerous meats and the portion of it. This is where I took my change to be a vegetarian, I actually watched a documentary, Game Changer that gives you different perspectives and benefits of becoming vegetarian. Due to the progress I had with my eating habits it was easy for me to completely cut out meat and not have a hard time missing it. This progress took close to a year if not more to build. Nothing comes the next day, you have to be disciplined and realistic with yourself.

Habits. A regular tendency or practice that is hard to give up. The first step is to get out of one habit into another. The one way this is accomplished is setting a short goal in order to reach the main goal. There is no wrong approach as long as there is progress, this relates to everything when wanting to be environmentally friend.

Here are some examples to get started.

-          Meatless Mondays, one day out the week no meat

-          Only one meal a day with meat

-          Only eating white meat or fish

-          Going vegetarian just for a week, week on week off

-          Portioning less meat, more vegetables

-          There are endless ways to build the habit just start!

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Meat

You never realize how much every little and big thing is connected to one another. The world has been going crazy in the last few years and as we start to piece together all the cause and effects, meat is a part of it. This issue begins from the start of caring for these animals. Many will think what I am talking about is the way they treat animals but that’s only a small part of it. Demand has become so high for meat consumption that farmers have been grazing forests like trees can regrow in a week. The more deforestation we create a chain effect begins. We lose our oxygen supply, erosion increases, species lose their homes, more forest fires occur, global warming increase, glaciers are melting, lands flooding, increased natural disasters, etc. To produce meat, it is believed that there is more harm being done due to the necessities to maintain a pastor. For instance, fossil fuel usage and animal methane are polluting, animal waste infects water supply and the levels of water and land consumption is unethical and detrimental. They are not slowing down or compensating for what they are taking. By consuming less meat this can help so many different problems at once whether you do it for your health or the environment, we don’t need the same reasons, but we do need to make the change. Please if you don’t think there is much truth here take the time to find out and see that we are all connected in the bad and good that we do.

             In the next blog, my topic will be about eating habits if you want to make a difference and learn more. After educating myself on these problems I turned vegetarian about 6 months ago and I love it, for my body, for the bigger cause, for the different receipts and all the new flavors I’m discovering. It will be a new journey that’ll be different but will have so many rewards that you won’t regret it. If you want more information Netflix has many documentaries especially Game Changer for more information on meat.

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Makeup.

Every girl loves to make themselves feel beautiful and play with makeup, whether it is just mascara or a “baked” face. No matter what approach we take there is many waste and recyclables that come about. For everything we do we must do with caution, you don’t have to feel guilty about throwing something away but realize how much of that product you are throwing away and if there is a reducible alternative. Take look in your bathroom the next time you get ready and when you take your makeup off when returning. I’ve learned that this is one of the main places that one-use waste creates great damage. An impactful change for those who are beginners or just don’t know where to start can begin with makeup remover wipes, tissues and cotton swabs. They are the peak of one-use waste and if we apply and remove make up every day using more than one of each, you can image how big the number is if majority of women do this. One of my biggest issues is many will say that one person won’t impact a world of change but in this situation, it is easy to see how much one person really contributes when using makeup, you see the difference in that small trash can sitting in the bathroom.

             A simple way to remember if you are making a difference is to ask if you are reducing product use? buying in bulk with little packaging waste? and if you can use the product for a while? Another tip, although you know of the damage some products are doesn’t mean you need to wipe them and throw all of them away because you want to make the change now. Use what you have until you need more. This will keep the waste low and spaced out in a longer period from throwing two cotton swabs a day to wasting a box with hundreds of cotton swabs.

             Solutions are easy and cheap. There are many alternatives out there as well as in your house already. For makeup remover I purchased the Garnier Skin active bottle along with a pack of cotton and bamboo reusable wipes that are cleaned in the wash. Wash clothes work just as well as makeup wipes. Other little thing that take no effort is looking into purchases of all glass containers, bamboo products, limited packaging of products, if you want to try something new look for samplers’ first before buying the full product and if you continue to take care of your brushes and wipes there will be an even longer life expectancy away from waste.

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My dad had jars full of corks doing nothing so I created a cork board for our dining table :) #quarantingz

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Grocery Shopping PT 2

PACKAGING

Anyone ever tell you to buy in bulk because it is cheaper and eco-friendlier? Everything we buy is wrapped and protected in some sort of packaging; a box, plastic, a jar, a bag inside a bag. Many of these bags are pretty useless in its purpose. By buying in bulk it holds a lot less extra packaging waste in compared to individual packs of 5 baby carrots placed in a big bag to buy as a whole. The biggest issue is realizing that they try to sanitize fruit and vegetables in plastic wrappings when they are naturally grown in the dirt and have skin to withstand these conditions. However, even if the fruit and vegetables were bare, we still find ourselves using the produce bags in order to be more portable, this is another horrible habit. After we have carried everything into the house those bags go right into the trash can, not reused like plastic bags. Their life span is roughly 30 mins depending how fast you get home. This category to me personally is one of the harder things to do because if anyone lives by themselves like me, we don’t need to buy in bulk or there is no point. The food goes bad and I can’t eat it all myself. Therefore, if you are in a similar situation my advice is to be more aware of how you shop whether you have the choice between whole carrots that you just have to chop into small ones instead of buying all those small packs do it. The only alternative buy is looking into reusable produce bags that are easy to rinse off and carry your produce.

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Going Out

Nothing is impossible or hard if you don’t take the time to try it out first. One of the biggest eco-friendly changes that takes dedication is going out. It is all about accountability with yourself and being aware if you are about to do something like grocery shopping, getting a drink, eating out, or going shopping. We use so much single waste that we unconsciously use and throw away instantly, we are all just unaware. Here is a good perspective when you get groceries, a drink with a straw, a to go box or a bag for your clothes when you shop, how many of those things do you instantly throw away or is trashed in a few days? Crazy right! You could eliminate all of these issues by doing a little extra in being prepared. This will be a bit easier for females for we like to carry bags and purses, but it doesn’t have to be a de masculinity thing for the males.

·       Grocery Shopping- bring a tote bag or a backpack, many grocery stores sell paper bags or reusable bags for cheap.

·       Drinks- metal straws or no straws and reusable cups, Starbucks gives you a discount if you use a reusable cup.

·       Eating out- bring your own tupperware or don’t order too much and eat all of your food for zero food waste.

·       Shopping- if you are unable to have a backpack, try to use one shopping bag for as many stores as possible instead of carrying five different bags with one piece of clothing in it.

I know this seems like a lot to remember or carry but when you create a habit it becomes easy and routine that you create a system of what to bring.

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Fashion

One of the biggest waste producers is the fashion industry. If you have every made a piece of clothing from scratch did you notice how much fabric isn’t used and thrown away? However, that is a bigger problem that everyday people like us can’t fix on our own. There is plenty of way to slow it down and reduce unnecessary waste. There are two main issues when it comes to clothing. Now a days we tend to wear things way less than usual because of social media perception that you can’t post two pictures in the same outfit and you never know when a good photo op comes ups. We all need to remember to value our clothing more and give it props of the different ways we can style them. Jeans can be turned into shorts and t-shirts into dresses. But what do we do when we have done all that or we just can’t find anymore ways to style that piece of clothing? Do not throw it away! “One mans trash is another man’s treasure.” As everyone gets more innovative and aware of climate change there is so many alternatives on how to get rid of your clothes. Below I will put different places and the benefits.

·       Goodwill/Salvation army- regular donation stores that accept about anything and resell it at a very low price. When you donate you get a tax deduction when preparing your tax return.

·       Uptown Cheapskate- more millennial second/firsthand store that takes higher end, name brand clothing, hats, bags, shoes and will pay you cash or store credit for the donation

·       Thred Up- a newer company of the biggest online thrifting store, you can sell and buy off of.

·       Clothes swaps with your friends- you know you always borrow each other’s clothes and might be exciting to them after you wore it for a while.

·       DIY into new pieces (after you’ve used it not when you just bought it)- Pinterest is one of my favorite sights to get new ideas and they have tricks of using old clothes for anything.

https://www.thredup.com/

https://uptowncheapskate.com/

https://www.goodwill.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6sHzBRCbARIsAF8FMpXBzDTdGVEnaOINAtvepSj4NZd3AIv8ie5zqcd0-g-RPDPZLzb07c4aAlo4EALw_wcB

https://www.pinterest.com/

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The cutest reusable cup, perfect for Starbucks

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Reusing a coconut as the bowl!

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GROCERY SHOPPING

This has already been a big movement in many states. Stores and customers have begun to take into consideration replacements for single use plastic bags. Only eight states have lawed a ban on plastic bags, which is an incredible accomplishment, but I still don’t think it is moving fast enough. Staying positive, there are plenty of stores that take initiative to provide reusable bags or paper bags including Aldi and Trader Joe’s. However, we as everyday shoppers, can change shopping habits and cut back on excessive one-use plastic bags and produce bags. A big and simple change is bringing your own bag, but there are many changes that can appear in the grocery store that I want to share. Along with all kinds of shopping, we can start to be cautious of what we buy. This is especially true when it comes down to how it is packaged and its containers because everything is eventually going to be thrown away. What we look for is cutting back on items that will be put to waste after leaving the grocery store. That includes produce bags, plastic wrappings, types of recyclable material and natural packaging. Below is a list of alternatives to eliminate and simplify grocery shopping:

- Reusable and easy rinse produce bags.  

- Tote bags and cardboard boxes that carry the products.

- Glass bottles can be immediately molded and doesn’t lose particles like plastic.

- Look for recyclable numbers 1, 2, 5 - these are easy curbside recyclables but there are 7 different types of recyclable plastics. The others require specific drop off locations and #7 is actually not recyclable.

- The best store is a farmer’s market.

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SCHOOL&OFFICE SUPPLIES

Before I get into a new topic, I want to bring a little evaluation to everyone in their everyday lives. When you are using something, anything, think how many times you use that one item and if you ever fully finish using it to the best of its ability. From evaluating myself the biggest category that came up was school supplies.

Every year we go back to school shopping and buy brand new pencils, pens, erasers, notebooks, binders, folders, etc. I know it is hard not to be tempted because it gets cuter each year. I think I’ve used a full notebook once in my school years from one class, other than that it’s always half or less. We trash them or just put them in storage when the semester is over. Who has ever used a full eraser? Mechanical pencil and just refill it with lead? A binder and repair it if the seam rips just a little bit? Use one notebook for multiple subjects? Reuse folders? Use both sides of the notebook paper? Alternative for white boards is possible? I never fully thought through each of those thoughts when buying supplies. I believe it is because we start to buy things for materialistic reasons and trends rather than practical reasons. Due to this, it is also a foundation of many other single use issues we have in other categories. That is just good marketing and they have been playing us like a piano. What many people wonder is what can we do? I don’t want my stuff looking old and used. There are so many alternatives and solutions to make back to school supplies fun and sustainable. Below is a list of products and ideas to limit pointless waste.

- Continue using notebooks or recycle used pages to transform it into a new notebook.

- DIY paint and color cover pages and binders for a new design.

- Buy mechanical pencils and refillable pens.

- Use staple-less staples.

- Find old notebooks and erasers in storage and reuse them.

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SINGLE-USE WASTE

The affects of single use waste and the solutions. Everyone knows the phrase “REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE” but not many know the purpose of the order. These three words are placed like this for a reason, from first resort to last resort. People think they are doing good by recycling all kinds of plastic but what people don’t know is many plastics aren’t even recyclable and they go through a strict regulation in order to even be recyclable. All plastic is quite different from one another and don’t break down the same way, resulting to different drop off locations of things like Styrofoam, plastic bags and glass. For those who recycle it is a great deed to do but there are more effective ways to be impactful and eco-friendly, REDUCE & REUSE. Our new goal needs to be reducing waste, even plastic, to completely eliminate any chance of misplacement and objects filling the earth. To accomplishment this mission is creating ZERO WASTE, REUSE items as many times as possible, and finding materials that can instantly be composted and reformed into a new item (bamboo, wood, glass, metal). Below will be a list and suggestions in lifestyle changes that are easy going and some that provide a little extra care.

ZERO WASTE:

- Order and serve yourself less food to ensure you eat all of it, a big waste is leftover food.

-  Finding products that have limited or biodegradable/ recyclable packaging.

- Looking into DIY, self-supplies are simpler than we think and using material you already have. (Pinterest, YouTube)

REUSE, a simple start:

-   Bring your own bottle, water bottle, coffee mug, thermos cup for your morning coffee/tea.

- Metal straws are huge impact for we use them all the time, unnecessarily, practical cost.

- Tote bags are the new grocery bags, more durable and even more impactful.

- Glass bottles/ wine bottles as water bottles, great aesthetic when having guest.

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Why the Little Things.

-          Welcome world to Tiffany’s blog on the little things. The little things are my advice and life skills I share with everyday people who do not know the impact of changing some little habits.  The purpose is to reduce one use waste products or even create zero one use waste in order to rebuild mother nature. The world is not reacting well to the change’s humans’ have made and with the technology we have now it isn’t hopeless to have an impact in hopes to at least reduce the pace of destruction. Each post will be on a different topic along with new habits to try, so feel free to hop around and see how you can help the earth. If there is anything that I do not cover please send your ideas and questions, many of the tricks I didn’t come up with on my own but would love to have the ability to share it with as many people as possible.