tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52172276877493267842024-03-13T07:42:42.284-04:00a change a weeka couple's quest to improving their lives and reducing their footprintmunkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217227687749326784.post-55521386446307217982010-02-21T21:52:00.002-05:002010-02-21T22:07:02.859-05:00Change 4, Week Unknown: Use more environmentally friendly cleansers, part 2.<strong>Change 4, Week Unknown: Use more environmentally friendly cleansers, part 2.</strong><br />
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After my one week hiatus turned into a billion, I'm back! What didn't change is that I continued to use a few new EF products.<br />
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A few months ago, I learned about a line of products called <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/GudonyaToo">Gudonyatoo</a>. They make soap, deodorant, shampoo, and more. The products I purchased included Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Whipped Clean and Original Almond Whipped Shave Cream.<br />
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One of the perks of this company is that it is from Indiana. They, as far as I know, only sell their products through Etsy, though...so, I still have to deal with shipping which isn't a positive on my list.<br />
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The Whipped Clean smells fabulous, does not dry out or irritate my skin, and I'm not smelly the next day :) The 8 oz jar lasts about a month. <br />
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The Whipped Shave Cream was just as great as the soap--and much better than standard shaving cream. I have yet to nick myself with the razor while using this. The good news, I'm still on my first jar from a few months ago.<br />
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For those who do not want to use fragrance or dye, just ask and they will make it. This is how I'll order my products next time to see how they stand up.<br />
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Overall, this will be a product I continue to purchase and use unless I find something that meets my needs better.munkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217227687749326784.post-64412917447191884222010-01-22T11:15:00.000-05:002010-01-22T11:15:38.006-05:00Apologies...for not posting more this week. Between homework, work, and out of control allergies, I needed a break. Today I barely have a voice, and congestion doesn't even describe my current state. I'll be back next week with a change, some thoughts, and maybe a recipe using local ingredients.<br />
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Stay tuned!munkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217227687749326784.post-41190342485631907252010-01-17T19:14:00.000-05:002010-01-17T19:14:40.987-05:00Going LocalThis weekend, Matt and I had time to visit the <a href="http://indywinterfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/">Indy Winter Farmer's Market</a>--we had been there once before, but that was prior to starting the blog. Now I get to write about it! <br />
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This particular post will not be in the "change" format since it will be focusing on a particular company/family. In the future, there will be a post, but companies/families/farmers/products that get the spotlight will be written in today's format.<br />
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We were able to pick up quite a few things: greens, soap, and ketchup to name a few items. The item of focus today is the 7 Grain Pancake Mix from <a href="http://bridgetonmill.com/">Bridgeton Mill</a>. Breakfast this morning was awesome thanks to this little treat. About the 7 Grain Pancake Mix: because the many grains used, the texture of the cake was more like a corn or skillet cake rather than pancake. Regardless, they were yummy! <br />
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This falls into the "local" category because, although Bridgeton Mill isn't located in a suburb of Indy, they fall within 100 miles of Indy.<br />
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Bridgeton Mill is Indiana's oldest continually operating mill--it's been in operation for over 180 years! They are located in Bridgeton (thus, the name) in Parke County which is famous for its many covered bridges, 31 to be exact. In fact, the mill is located next a covered bridge. In their long history, they've milled various items including logs, grain, and feed. A little bonus, the family is really nice, and you can tell they enjoy what they do and have pride in their products.<br />
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From their brochure: <em><span style="color: #cc0000;">"It started as a sawmill in a log building. Folks started locating near the mill and soon asked for flour and cornmeal...The miller started cracking corn and making whiskey. A horse racing track, saloon and 'hotels ran by women' were built. The little village aquired [sic] a wicked reputation and it was called Sodom. In 1849 the 1st bridge and 1st Post Office were built. They didn't want 'Sodom' as the official name so they named it Bridgeton, after their new bridge."</span></em><br />
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If you're local or visiting, stop by the mill, take a tour, and pick up some of great products this family produces (or visit the IWFM through April :) !munkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217227687749326784.post-78628491985232741072010-01-14T15:03:00.000-05:002010-01-14T15:03:34.126-05:00Change 3, Week 3: Use more environmentally friendly cleansers, part 1.<strong>Change 3, Week 3: Use more environmentally friendly cleansers, part 1.</strong><br />
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Ahhh...this one is going to take a lot of experimenting.<br />
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<strong>Why do we want to incorporate this into our lifestyle?</strong><br />
We want to decrease the amount of toxic components we contribute to the environment. <br />
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<strong>How are we going to do this?</strong><br />
We're going to slowly incorporate EF cleaning products into our life through the form of various household cleansers and body cleansers. This week's change will focus on dishwashing pellets...very exciting!<br />
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Last week we took the plunge and decided to change up our dishwashing routine. We were out of our regular pellets, it was time. We decided to purchase Method's Smarty Dish tabs which do not contain phosphates or bleach. <br />
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<strong>Why did you choose this product?</strong><br />
We chose Method because of <a href="http://methodhome.com/natural.aspx">their choice</a> to use only natural, non-toxic ingredients in their cleansers.<br />
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<strong>What do you think?</strong><br />
This is not the product for us so far. We may continue to experiment with the pellets, or maybe we'll research other things we can do with them. They, like many products in this category, leave nasty residues on the items in the dishwasher. <br />
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To remove the residue, I placed an upright cup of distilled white vinegar in the dishwasher and ran another rinse cycle. It worked, but, in the end, it's wasting water. <br />
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Overall, this product gets 0 stars. Sure, it may be EF in its composition, but it certainly is not EF when considering extra water consumption. <br />
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Guess we'll have to try something new!munkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217227687749326784.post-48227094627375136632010-01-12T23:06:00.000-05:002010-01-12T23:06:51.945-05:00Short and SweetWork started last week, and school started today. With that, I'll keep this short and sweet.<br />
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Indianapolis has a recycling center that accepts 1-7 and cardboard! Do you know what this means for me? This means that every time I drive to my specialist and every time I drive up to visit my parents (both are in the same city an hour north), I do not have to lug 1-3 months worth of recycling with me! <br />
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About time, Indianapolis.<br />
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Bad news, it's a bit of a drive...however, it's not far from work/school (the same place). It's not really bad news. <br />
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I'll be back with the update of the week tomorrow :)munkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217227687749326784.post-52433199458714142782010-01-07T20:00:00.001-05:002010-01-07T21:14:42.917-05:00Baby StepsI broke.<br />
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Yesterday, in my mess of feeling all garbage-y (yes, a real word), I bought a bottle of soda. Cherry Coke Zero to be precise. And it was good. Good. This is the first soda I’ve purchased in over a week…maybe in over 2. <br />
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It’s not the end of the world.<br />
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I’ll recycle the bottle, cash in the points, and know that at least I didn’t buy one every day. <br />
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Changes are a progression of actions. They lead to an ultimate goal. It’s unreasonable to set a goal of, “I’ll never buy soda again!” Instead, I’ll remember the goal of merely reducing our purchases, not ceasing them. <br />
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That’s what we have to remember about changing our ways when it comes to “greening” our environment: everything falls into place when we take small steps rather than trying to change everything at once. When we try to change everything at once, things get hectic, frustration ensues, and, often, we give up.<br />
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This Munkii isn’t giving up.munkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217227687749326784.post-85826648175780752462010-01-06T22:15:00.003-05:002010-01-06T22:18:55.561-05:00Change 2, Week 2<strong>Change 2, Week 2: Stop using plastic produce bags.</strong><br />
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Let’s just jump right into this one.<br />
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<strong>Why do we want to stop using plastic produce bags?</strong><br />
Plastic produce bags are a waste. I don’t use them unless the sprayers recently attacked the leafy vegetables and I’m buying leafy vegetables. What I do if this isn’t this case—the majority of the time—is just put the produce in the basket because it has to be washed anyway. It seems like Matt always uses them…it drives me batty!<br />
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<strong>What about biodegradable bags?</strong><br />
Biodegradable bags are better but why support the need to produce them when we can re-use something instead?<br />
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<strong>What alternative will you use?</strong><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XL8MdmN0AdY/S0VRDbHInnI/AAAAAAAAALg/38E3pHom13I/s1600-h/producebags4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XL8MdmN0AdY/S0VRDbHInnI/AAAAAAAAALg/38E3pHom13I/s400/producebags4.JPG" /></a><br />
Mesh bags. I’ve thought about buying mesh produce bags for a while but never did because I hardly ever use bags anyway. Well, I changed my mind. The reason I hardly used plastic bags is because I didn’t like the waste—regardless of the handiness. With mesh, I get the convenience of 10 onions in a bag rather than 10 onions rolling around in my basket and on the conveyer belt. When they get dirty, they can be washed. It's that simple.<br />
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<strong>Where did you find your bags?</strong><br />
Etsy. we purchased our bags from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/amkdesigns">AMK Designs</a>. We chose the 6 pack with the storage bag and also 3 extra large bags. <br />
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<strong>What do you think?</strong><br />
All the mesh bags fit into the storage bag, and the storage bag clips to a handle of whatever—we attached it to our grocery bag. They offer convenience without guilt: what’s not to love.<br />
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Overall, we give it 4 ½ stars. The reason for this is that one bag was damaged in shipping. There are lots of cute designs by various sellers on Etsy. If you decide to try this out, find a seller near you to cut down on shipping and waste. <br />
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<em>*Note: This product was not given to us to test: we purchased it. The seller is currently unaware of this review.</em>munkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217227687749326784.post-74641741913594366402010-01-04T23:41:00.000-05:002010-01-04T23:41:15.375-05:00Produce: Seasonal and LocalHave you ever thought about what produce you and your family consume on a regular basis that doesn’t come from your neck of the woods? One of the changes we plan to tackle this year is buying more local items, including produce. This is not the change of the week, though—it’s just here to stimulate thought. <br />
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<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap">Epicurious.com</a> has an interactive map of the US which is somewhat handy in determining what is local. I say somewhat because according to their map, Indiana’s growing season is dormant but I recall seeing several items at the farmer’s market just a couple weeks ago: rutabaga, carrots, various greens, onions, apples, tomatoes, and various squash. Maybe they’re grown in hydroponic systems: not my favorite but maybe better than importing? I prefer dirt-fed (yes, that’s technical) produce, but I have to think about the previous sentence when it comes to produce regardless of season.<br />
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The shortfalls in our house when it comes to purchasing non-local include avocados, bananas, and citrus fruits. In the winter, tomatoes are likely to fall on this list. However, tomatoes are a rarity in our house in the winter simply because I think they’re gross. I’m very seasonal when it comes to my tomatoes. <br />
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What are your family’s must-haves regardless of where the produce comes from? Do you practice seasonal eating? Do you practice local eating?munkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217227687749326784.post-79663251647867189732009-12-30T22:43:00.001-05:002009-12-31T16:57:11.789-05:00Change 1, Week 1<strong>Change 1, Week 1: Decrease the amount of soda we purchase.</strong><br />
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Matt and I are soda fiends. FIENDS. We don’t drink it as often as some, but we drink more than enough (around 32 oz per day, sometimes more). Eventually, we’ll decrease the amount we consume, but for now we’ll concentrate on the amount we purchase.<br />
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<strong>Why do we want to decrease the amount of soda we purchase?</strong><br />
There are two reasons.<br />
<ol><li>The environment. We’re currently creating an obscene amount of unnecessary waste in the form of plastic/paper/Styrofoam cups, plastic lids, straws, bottles, and cans. We’re indirectly consuming fuel and various packaging to get the soda to the store/restaurant in the first place.</li>
<li>Money. Let’s look at the math. If a 32 oz “serving” of soda costs 1$ and both of us drink at least 1 serving per day, that’s 730$ spent in a year!</li>
</ol><strong>How are we going to decrease the amount of soda we purchase?</strong><br />
By making our own! There are many ways to make your own soda. Emily from <a href="http://under1000permonth.blogspot.com/">Under $1000 Per Month</a> uses <a href="http://under1000permonth.blogspot.com/2009/12/meet-therese-our-pet-kefir.html">water kefir</a>. Others brew with a combination of dry yeast, water, and sugar. We decided to go with the SodaStream.<br />
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<strong>What is the <a href="http://www.sodastreamusa.com/default.aspx">SodaStream</a>?</strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.t-mobilepictures.com/myalbum/photos/photo31/e9/fb/2f9b2ceb106f__1262203189000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ps="true" src="https://www.t-mobilepictures.com/myalbum/photos/photo31/e9/fb/2f9b2ceb106f__1262203189000.jpg" width="181" /></a>The SodaStream is a compact man-powered machine that is connected to a CO2 tank. Most of the components are plastic. However, they are BPA free, reusable, and recyclable. The small CO2 tank can produce about 60L of soda while the medium tank can produce around 110L. <br />
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When a tank is empty, we have the option of ordering a new tank through SodaStream and letting UPS pick it up (kind of a waste), or we can go to a local distributor of the tanks and exchange it. Regardless of the method we use, the tanks will be returned to SodaStream for inspection and refilling—they’ll continue to be used unless they have been damaged or contaminated in some way.<br />
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The water can be consumed as straight seltzer, flavored seltzer, or soda. SodaStream has a line of syrups available as well as seltzer fruit essences. <br />
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<strong>What do you think?</strong><br />
Matt and I bought one last week and began using it on Sunday. We went with the Fountain Jet Soda Value Kit for 149.99$ which comes with: the unit, 4-1L soda bottles, 2-60L CO2 tanks, 5 sodamix syrups (which make 12L soda each), and a 12 piece sample pack of 1L sodamix syrups. (We found a coupon code for free shipping.)<br />
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Over the past few days of testing the SodaStream, we’ve decided this was a good buy. It was a hit the first time we used it, and everyone loved it at our party last night. The good thing about the party is we only made 3L of soda and nothing went to waste! Normally we would buy 4 or 5 different flavored sodas (in 2L bottles) and all but the diets would go to waste because the non-diets that weren’t consumed by our guests would not be consumed by us. There was none of that last night.<br />
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Here’s a video of a sample survey (Thank you, Jackie & Josie!):<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AuQRjDesCDQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AuQRjDesCDQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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If kids love it, it must be good! The adults also enjoyed all the flavors we sampled. <br />
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While the initial cost may seem large, it should even out over time if we continue to use it and not buy soda elsewhere. Also, we don’t have to use their syrups. I’ve already Googled recipes and found some we will be trying—plus, I love to experiment. <br />
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Overall, we give it 4 ½ stars. The reason for this is that the syrup measuring cup is poorly designed and can lead to waste. I’ll update in a month and again in 3 to see if we still love it!<br />
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<em>*Note: We paid cold, hard cash for this product. In researching this product, we decided it would be a good holiday gift for ourselves—this is the only thing we spent money on for one another. SodaStream did not give us anything for free and is currently unaware of this review. The coupon was found on RetailMeNot.com.</em>munkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217227687749326784.post-86743157060630798932009-12-29T19:55:00.000-05:002009-12-29T19:55:14.162-05:00Current PracticesSince I am not quite ready to post the first change of the week, I decided to post about some of the things Matt and I already do to lessen our impact on the environment. <br />
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<ol><li><strong>We use</strong> <strong>reusable bags while shopping.</strong> Sure there are times when we end up shopping and don't plan ahead. In those times, we either tell the cashier we don't want a bag or just suck it up as a learning lesson to always bring a bag! Thankfully, we can reuse and/or recycle the rare occasion plastic bag.</li>
<ul><ul><li>Tip: Always ask about a discount for bringing your own (both Meijer and Target give customers .05 back for each bag they bring--others do as well).</li>
</ul></ul><li><strong>We use</strong> <strong>CFLs everywhere possible.</strong> Our nightlights use LED or tiny bulbs that are not available in CFLs but consume very little electricity anyway. Luckily, none have ever burnt out on us--if they do, we'll have to get to work on finding a recycling facility that accepts them.</li>
<li><strong>We recycle!</strong> This seems like it should be obvious, but it's not. This is done in two ways:</li>
<ul><ul><li><strong>We separate and collect</strong> plastics 1-7, cardboard, cans, aluminum foil, electronics, and paper. I'm sure something is missing from this list, but the point is, we make more than an effort. The goal of "bumping up recycling efforts" has to do with work AND special collection of number 5 plastics...we'll explore these soon.</li>
<li><strong>We donate or sell</strong> no longer desired items. If a sweater is in perfectly good condition and I no longer want it, why would it make sense to trash it when someone else can give it a second life? This goes for all clothes, furniture, books, CDs, DVDs, and anything else that comes up. </li>
</ul></ul><li><strong>We do not consume meat in our house.</strong> I'm a vegetarian; Matt is an omnivore. This is not my rule: it's his. This means we do not cook meat in our house and we do not bring meat prepared elsewhere into our house. Matt sometimes eats meat for lunch or if we're out for dinner. </li>
<li><strong>We do not purchase paper/plastic plates, cups, or utensils.</strong> Again, this should be obvious, but a lot of people rely on these items daily. Why use a one-time-item when I can reuse (on multiple occasions) the same item made of a sustainable material? Sometimes when we eat out, however, plastic utensils are given to us even when we decline them. These do get used for lunches at work.</li>
</ol>That's enough on this topic for today. Thanks for reading :) <br />
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Suggestions, comments, and questions are always welcome!munkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217227687749326784.post-55113120703363244432009-12-28T23:23:00.000-05:002009-12-29T17:12:57.975-05:00Introductions<b>Meet Munkii</b>: 30; part-time student; studying Interior Design; full-time university employee; loves: all things art-related (music, film, architecture, everything), traveling, reading, entertaining, cooking and baking, learning<br />
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<div> </div><b>Meet Matt</b>: 34; accounting manager at non-profit; recent MHA graduate; married to Munkii; loves: museums, movies, video games, reading, commentary, traveling, learning new languages, tickling Munkii<br />
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<div> </div><b>The Mission</b>: Adopt greener measures to improve their lifestyle and their impact on their community, society, and the planet.<br />
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<div> </div>Some of steps we plan to embrace this year include:<br />
<ul><li>Decreasing the amount of soda we purchase</li>
<li>Decreasing the amount of paper towels we use</li>
<li>Not purchasing canned food products</li>
<li>Using more environmentally friendly cleansing products (for self and home)</li>
<li>Bumping up recycling efforts</li>
<li>Ceasing the use of plastic produce bags</li>
<li>Purchasing more locally developed products</li>
</ul><br />
<div>These, of course, are just basic ideas that do not go into depth of why we’re doing them or how we plan to achieve them. That’s where the blog comes in. At least once a week, Munkii will be posting the change of the week complete with the “What, Why, and How” of things.</div><br />
<div> </div>Since this is merely an introduction, stay tuned for the change of the week! Suggestions, comments, and questions are always welcome.munkiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676293626234262129noreply@blogger.com1