I’m making MORE changes

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Ya, maybe I’ll end up burning out and maybe none of these changes will stick but I can’t help it! I’m on a wave and I have to ride it. Just like the road to running, just like my strength wave and just like that DIY project fun time I had :)

Colin says that I never “stick” with anything but I argue that I’m ALWAYS sticking to the same thing – my life path ;) I go to the next step when it’s time and to be honest I am currently running, doing strength, still being crafty AND adding new things. It’s all about balance :)  

Currently I’m trying to follow August’s Spread the Love and really focus on my own self-esteem. In doing so some small changes have transpired:

1. I’ve been attempting to eat “green” smoothies in the morning (along with my a green tea) without having coffee or black tea :)

….even Logan has been loving them

 * get your hands off my glass kid <— I actually think it’s awesome that he likes them and wants more :)  

2. I’ve been trying to be more eco-friendly/sustainable. I used to be a hard core environmental hippy tree-lover and somewhere along the line I forgot that. Colin thinks it’s because I lost my self-love so I didn’t care about anything <—- if you saw me at my lowest before I quit smoking and found running you’d agree. 

 * see I put smiley faces on everything :D  

3. I’ve been trying to make my own food, products, essentials. I am so sick of looking at EVERYTHING in this world and the massive list of ingredients on the label – half of which I can’t pronounce, let alone know what it is….AND I have a science (chem) background!!

* PS: Rex is fine! It was a minor burn on his pad from the hot pavement :( <— I forgot to check it. Hence his limp but polysporin and cold soaks seemed to have healed it :)  

I’m still using up whatever is left in our house but when it runs out I’ll be replacing it with a package-less, waste-less, chemical-free homemade product from me! (The only exception will be if the “bad” is more cost effective, as we are budgeting)

Some things I’ve made thus far:

  • Rex’s dinner: leftover kibble, RAW steak (yep I’ve been looking into a raw diet), romaine and mixed greens, splash of apple cider vinegar and a splash of olive oil. 
  • Face wash, toner and moisturizer: I’ve been using raw honey and water to wash, and I made a toner out of green tea, tea tree oil & apple cider vinegar. I rub olive oil on my face and rinse off for moisturizer. I feel great! 
  • Most food items. I’ve been eating pretty clean except for treats. 
  • I’m also growing as much food as I can in Canada, inside until I can plant a front veg garden next year. My peppers JUST sprouted baby seedlings yesterday :)  

Some things I hope to make soon:

  • most DIY eco-friendly projects on my cousins blog: cotton pads, toothpaste. 
  • bar shampoo and body wash. 
  • preserves of the farmer fresh fruit and veg I’m going to buy this Saturday :)  

4. I’m still allowing myself to indulge for good measure :) My brother came by yesterday and I can’t even tell you the last time I didn’t make a “good” food choice so I told Colin I wanted a Hot&Ready pizza from Little Cesars :) It was so good.

* The dip is my fav – 0% Greek Yogurt add dill and lemon :) YUM! 

Then my Bro bought some OMG’s candy because we saw it on a tv show: Dragon’s Den and we all had to try it. Created by the guys that made Clodhoppers :) YUM!

* that’s his attempt at hiding from the blog – you can’t hide Jay ;)

5. I’ve started a daily morning meditation! Meditating is super hard for me. I have ADHD <— no surprises there. I have a really hard time turning my attention inwards and relaxing my mind because of it.

* this is what I looked like this morning (aside from the photo taking hand up in the air) <—- I figure the internet already has panty shots of me, what’s one more ;P 

I found some tips on how people like me can meditate and pinned it :) so I started this morning and made it through 5 mins by “observing” my thoughts and letting them pass by :)

I know 5 minutes doesn’t seem like a lot but I’m excited to continue to build upon it and will most likely make it a September goal to meditate daily :)

6. I had to add this one in - We are trying to be more frugal. I am sick of being sucked into buying everything and believing I need it. I am only going to purchase things I actually need, not want. I want to save money and start paying off our debt :)  

I cut my own hair using a youtube video (I moved the ponytail further towards the back of my head, for those going to try it) and then just added some face framing layers in the front. Saved over $50!!! :) and I love it!

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Questions:

1. do you do any of the above??? any tips, tricks? secrets??

2. has your dog ever burnt his paw??? This is a first for us and we tend to take Rex everywhere…poor guy. 

3. do you make any changes to your daily life for the good of the environment?? 

No is a fine answer, there is no judging here ;)  

4. any money saving tips??

 

38 comments on “I’m making MORE changes”

  1. I too am a meditation flunkie. I’ve turned to walking meditation instead. I do it first thing in the morning and just walk some trails as the sun comes up. It’s so beautiful, peaceful and grounding.

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    • That sounds like one lovely alternative. I wish I could do that but my mind can NOT rest with Logan and Rex around ;) lol

      Maybe I’ll try going for a night walk :)

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    • Thanks Alex :) I hope we can keep each other on track! It’s so hard to save money in a world that wants you to buy everything!

      I’ve just begun to realize that if there’s one thing I want to spend money on – it’s food! I will totally splurge for good eating :)

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    • I am not going to lie, I have a great hairdresser and love her to bits. I never trust just anyone with my hair – especially me. However, I think when you have really long hair it’s easy to trim it and give yourself front layers :) besides, with long hair if you screw up you can still get it fixed.

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  4. Glad Rex is ok! Your hair looks fantastic!! As someone with curly hair, I learned early on that it is a baaaaad idea to try and cut my own hair. I never know how much it will shrink up or stick out :) Sounds like you are constantly working on making life better…nice work!

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    • Thanks I felt soooo bad about Rex (hence not talking much about it) but he looks like he is going to be just fine. and Thanks about my hair :) I was actually really REALLY impressed with how it turned out :) super happy and I doubt I’ll ever go back to the salon again ….until my hair turns grey ;P lol

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    • Thanks Danielle :) and I feel you on the buying….clothing will definitely be the hardest thing for me. I’m going to try and shop more thrift and make wiser, more fashionable purchases :)

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  6. I’m super impressed that you managed to cut your own hair and it isn’t a disaster. I have terrible fine motor skills and I truly think that cutting my own hair would result in me ending up at a salon getting a short haircut because I screwed it up so badly.

    I’ve been trying to switch to more eco friendly products or alternatives. So far I haven’t managed to find a good toilet cleaner though – if you’ve found one let me know!

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  7. I love that you’re growing so many of your own things and doing things naturally! I struggle to buy organic products because it doesn’t coinencide with my being frugal :( I can’t wait to have a garden. How do you typically maintain your vegetables? Freeze them or can them? Also, your haircut is adorable!! These goals are great, I may have to borrow them and link to you :)

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    • Patty hey :) I have to be honest and tell you that my vegetables are no where near eating ready yet ;) I don’t imagine I’ll be able to get much out of them, but I can’t wait to start an outdoor garden next spring.

      I have yet to can or freeze anything yet but plan on doing some over the next few weekends. I have been ready articles on canning and I’d like to try to do some fruit and veg….I am also looking into freezing stuff and which veg/fruits freeze the best. I’m thinking frozen berries will most likely be the best option and then I’ll jar pear, apples and peaches :)

      Unfortunately I can’t answer your question….yet :) but I hope to be able to soon.

      I also found this AWESOME site that does all do it yourself food and such called “Frugally Sustainable” It’s right up my alley b/c I dont like to spend money either. PLUS have the crap labeled “organic” really isn’t, or so I’ve read. You could try looking up a list of farmers in your area and drive right to the source, which is what I plan to do this weekend :)

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  8. I “coupon” but not to an extreme. Meaning – I buy the Sunday paper and cut out my coupons. Then I only use the coupons when the items are on sale in store (for example I’ve gotten my shaving cream for .50 cents before). Every time I go to CVS or Walgreens now I saw about 75% of what I used to. As far as the grocery store – I buy if it is on sale whether or not I have a coupon. Nothing full price. It has made a huge difference.

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  10. Wow! Way to go on cutting your hair! That’s amazing!

    I’m very, very frugal. I’m huge into encouraging couples to agree to specific saving goals and to also set a clear budget and stick with it. It’s a bit of work, but I think it’s worth it. I blogged about our budget when I put it into place in January (on my old blog…here it is if you want to look at it: http://lovetobebeckyhomecky.blogspot.com/search/label/budget ). The other thing is to really considering buying big items used. Most of the furniture in our house we got for free, and the rest we got used for cheap. That saves a TON of $$$! Also, I have set values in my mind of how much I’ll spend on things. For example, in my mind all running clothes should be $10 or under. I’ve never spent more than $10 on running shorts, skirts, shirts, or bras, because I stick to that rule and only buy running clothes on sale/clearance.

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  11. So many great goals! I am with you on getting back to being as eco-friendly as I can… our move to Texas made this tricky (lost our compost bin, can no longer walk everywhere, etc) and I love love love making my own products, jams, whatever. Makes me feel so productive!

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    • Laura, I’m going to be coming to you for tips on what/how to make jams and preserve stuff! as I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’d like to try :)

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  12. I thought Jay was in that photo do give perspective on how big the bag of candy was. And I thought ‘OMG that’s a big bag of candy’ until I saw it was only 175g. Doh!

    Glad to hear that Rex is recovering well. Give your furry son a cuddle from me.

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    • LOL – if that bag of candy was that big I’d have gained 10lbs already as once I started eating it, I just couldn’t stop ;)

      and thank you. I feel like the worst dog mom ever :( since it was just his front paws we assume it happened while sitting out on our driveway while we were contemplating whether or not it was too hot to take him ;) oops!

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  13. If the making of bar soaps and shampoos seems as daunting to you as it does to me, check out The Soap Works, a Toronto based company that makes soaps with minimal packaging (which I like!). I use the shampoo/conditioner bar, and find it works really well.

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    • Lyndz, I know you are going to be busy for the next while, as your man is in town ;) but I actually like the idea of making my own, purely for the fact that I get to pick and choose what’s in it.

      I’m currently trying to research which ingredients may be better for someone like me, with acne prone skin, as I’d hate to break out. But thank you! Maybe i’ll just order one to try :)

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  15. How I love that you are constantly trying to make the world, and especially your corner of it, a nicer place. I admire your energy and your intentions… somewhere we are kindred spirits, you and I… always looking for the next thing to try, change, experience!

    Your hair looks cute and I am glad that Rex is on the mend.

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    • Oh Elle, you know I love you :) lol I think you’ve gotta be self focused in that respect, as it’s one of the only places you can makes changes and be in charge of them ;) haha

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  16. I love your goals/changes! I cut everyone’s hair in my family. They probably wish I would watch a YouTube video so that I would actually know what I’m doing, but it turns out fine usually!:) I make my own cleaner in old spray bottles. I mix half vinegar/half water (read about it a long time ago in Martha Stewart), and it is perfect for most jobs and safe for my kids to use. For the shower I pour baking soda in a cup and add just enough bleach to wet it. Best shower cleaner, especially if you have dingy tile grout.

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    • hahaha I love it :) Colin cuts his own hair and I have cut Logan’s but now Colin does it, as I screwed it up and gave him bangs that resembled spock once ;) lol

      and I am going to be making my own cleaners from now on too – much cheaper, less packaging and better for us and our environment :) I am so glad to know you already do that. I’ll be coming to you when I have questions ;) xo

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  17. I love love LOVE this Ali!!! I have a huge smile on my face after reading this post and taking in all of the positivity :-)

    I think these are all fantastic things to be doing and I am sure they will make you feel much much better! I am doing some of these things too this month, I am stretching each morning when I get up, I’m eating clean and not snacking (the little grazed food that never makes it on the blog – guilty!) and I am trying to save money for when I finish my degree! Reading this makes me want to try to take time to meditate too, I used to but stopped at some point this year, you’ve inspired me to start again :-)

    I am very conscious about the environment, we really make a big effort to recycle in my family, we’re careful to use as little water as possible, I always turn everything off and we buy things in season etc.

    I hope you’re well you lovely woman! <3

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    • so far I’m finding that actually setting a timer for 5mins and doing it first thing in the morning is working :) I am not ready yet but I hope once 5mins becomes habitual and easier to add more time :) I’d love for you to do it with me :)

      Sophie you have always inspired me to eat better and try harder, especially when my arthritis flares up and I’m in pain :) So I hope you are having a lovely weekend xo

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  18. Tracking everything we spend helps us cut back in certain areas where we can definitely spend less. I always check my coupons (from the Sunday paper each week) and our local grocery store ad before buying groceries. I also use ebates (there’s a link on my sidebar on the blog) where I get cash back from lots of sites I order from anyway.

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