Where I've Been and The Slightly Altered Focus of this Blog

Where have I been lately? Good question! I've been...MAKING STUFF! It all started with finding out that cheese is not my body's favorite. See, since I didn't eat much meat before, and now eat even less now that I'm trying to be vegetarian, cheese was my primary source of protein...along with a frequent veggie burger. So with cheese out, most of my diet disappeared.

So I got to thinking, if I want to, you know, get some nutrients once in awhile, I'd better start cooking. So I went online and got the awesomest cookbook EVER: Vegan with a Vengeance. I've made cookies, and muffins, and tofu, and stir fry, and stuffed shells (sans cheese = AWESOME!), and tacos, and...more cookies and muffins.

This is amazing to me, mostly because I am not someone who ever had a desire to cook- I found it an annoying necessity and relied mainly on frozen microwavable entrees and take out. Needless to say...that's not that good for you (at least as much as I was doing it) and it’s also expensive...and being that I am also now on a pretty strict budget...this is good for both my health and my wallet. It’s also better for the environment with less packaging, less animal products, and less chemicals used to produce the food I'm eating. The biggest discovery during all this though, is that I'm enjoying it! I LIKE cooking… make things that are actually EDIBLE...and all while having...FUN?!! Who knew!?

Well...THAT’S NOT ALL! As I was cooking and realizing- “Hey...I can do this!”- I was also trying to do more reusing and 'repurposing' of household items to, again, help my budget and the environment all at the same time. One of the things I wanted to do was to repurpose some of my extra sheets and comforters I have laying around to make a DIY dog bed for my poor geriatric Pomeranian and THAT idea led to the purchase of a sewing machine from Overstock.com... which led to wanting to make my own placemats (I never could find any I liked)...which led to my mom getting me the Sew Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp...which led to...a crafty DIY addiction! (And yes…I’m a little late to the DIY game…)

This "I can make stuff" mindset led me to look around at all the paintings I have sitting around my house (I’ve taken a watercolor class every Wednesday for the past three years)…which led me to think...I could sell prints of these...which led me to think "and note cards! I can make note cards!" which led me to think...I can make prints, note cards, AND stuff I can sew...which led me to think...I should open up a shop on Etsy!

So. That's what the last few weeks have been for me: Lots of new ideas and a sort of refocusing of my life, which was LONG overdue.

So as a result, this blog might be changing focus a little and I'm going to focus more on posting the various projects I undertake using my goals to be greener by reusing things I already have (sometimes with the help of an awesome sewing machine), cooking my own vegan food (I'm not totally vegan when I'm out, but I don't make anything for myself that isn't), and attempting to raise some money for my family (and a favorite charity) by selling some things on Etsy! Still Eco-ing Myself...still going vegetarian...but with a new and improved focus!

Stay tuned...and if anyone is still reading this...thanks for sticking around. :)

Disposing of the Daily Dirt- UPDATE

Two of the blogs I follow recently posted on the issue of dog waste and how best to dispose of it. Both have good ideas so I wanted to share them:

The Mindful Merchant found some biodegradable bags that actually degrade and she did a trial with actual doggie messes to see if they were up to the job. Answer: They were! Check out her post for more info!

The Greenists also had an interesting discussion on the issue. Here's the poop!

These ideas coupled with my friend Lucy's suggestion to keep one bag (until it's full, instead of one bag per 'deposit') in the backyard and to use a shovel for pick up means that I will now be a little more environmentally efficient when picking up after my dogs.

So thanks guys, I now I know what to do with poo. :)

Disposal of the Daily Dirt

I was over at The Greenists today (which is a really cool site- thanks to The Daily Tannenbaum for the link) and I happened upon an interesting post that looks at the environmental impact of plastic grocery bags. This is an important issue and one for which I would like some insight. I posted something similar in the comment section over there, but thought that I might post it here as well in an attempt to get some suggestions.

I live in the city and have two dogs. Two dogs that poop. Being a good resident and neighbor, I pick up that poop. Normally for that purpose, I use the plastic bags that I get from the store-or that my parents get (they give me their extra for that purpose)- so I’m re-USING, but not really re-CYCLING since in the end the bags still end up in the trash. The greenest option for shopping is of course the re-USABLE bag- I have one and use it when I remember to bring it (Note to self: get better at remembering this!)- but reusable bags don’t help me pick up and dispose of the dog poo I'm faced with on a daily basis.

I would really appreciate any suggestions on the greenest way to clean up after your pet. Just to give you an idea of what I have to work with, I live in a small row house with a tiny backyard, so space is at a minimum. I’ve seen biodegradable poo bags, but are they truly ‘green’?

Please leave suggestions in the comments if you have any ideas for me. I would really appreciate any insight and would like to make whatever earth-friendly change I can while dealing with a daily chore.