Know This Before You Attempt to Go Green

Many of us have dreams of being a completely "natural" mom. Once the green bug bites you, the ideas start to roll in. You want to eat all-natural, reduce your carbon footprint, have an all-natural home; the list goes on and on! Its all very exciting and then, after the initial excitement, very intimidating. It is at this point that many people may feel overwhelmed and are tempted to just forget the whole thing. I urge you not to do that.

Going green, or trying to be more natural in your home and everyday life, is a very worthy goal. Its also a very attainable one if done right. The most important thing to remember is this:

You have lived a certain lifestyle for your whole life, don't expect that lifestyle to disappear overnight!

Take it slow and go easy on yourself! Start by listing the things that are most important to you. Ask yourself what made you want to live a different lifestyle and be specific in your answer! Did you read an article about chemicals in cleaning products? Are you concerned about the products you are putting on or in your children? Pick the thing that had the most impact on changing your way of thinking.

It all began with that idea, so go with it. If you one day wondered about the cleaning product on your floor after your baby started crawling, why not start with changing your floor cleaner to a safer product? Vinegar and lemon juice do wonders on kitchen floors!

If your clothes started irritating your skin and you began to wonder what's in your laundry detergent, try a natural one! There are many natural recipes online for laundry detergent. If you're not a DIY type of person, there are also many to choose from on the grocery shelves and online.

Its okay to want to change the world, just remember that you can't do it tomorrow and you can't do alone! Find others around you that have the same interests or that are willing to try new things with you. Look online for tips. It doesn't have to be complicated and it doesn't have to be expensive.

It does help if its planned out. I'm just beginning this journey myself and I'll share everything I know, even  as I am learning it myself. I hope that if you've made this decision you'll decide to see it through. Its not always easy but I can tell you that it feels really good when you're finally able to accomplish making even one good change in the natural direction!

My Goals

I suppose a good place to start this journey is to list my goals, so here goes:

Quit Smoking

I have been smoking for about 12 years and am ready to be done with it. I just got a prescription for nicotine patches, next step - put it on. Will keep you updated.

Eat Well

My family has had many illnesses lately and this has really strengthened my determination to watch what my family eats. I never realized how bad some things are for us that we normally eat everyday. My goal is to try to cut back on meat and dairy and add more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and water to my family's diet.

I currently consume way to many Sundrops and Redbulls, had a tooth chip the other day so I have seriously got to cut down on these. Eventually I hope to eliminate them altogether but I'm going one step at a time here.

Exercise 

Having kids, I do get a moderate amount of exercise, but I would like to get much more. I am starting slowly here. I'm thinking maybe some Wii time, working in the garden, and walking.

Think well

I firmly believe that thoughts are THINGS. Bad thoughts create bad energies, good thoughts create good energies. I want to think better thoughts about everything around me and stop being so quick to judge. I'm hoping this will help me to be a calmer, more peaceful person to be around.

Live well, on a budget

I am always looking to save money, mainly because we rarely HAVE any. I want to get past the pop-tart coupons (not that I would turn those down just yet) and see what I can find to complement my current goals. I'll be looking for ways to save on healthier, greener products to benefit me and my family.

Get Organized

I am constantly trying to organize everything in my life, but I usually get so frustrated that chaos reigns again. I'll be looking for new ways to get and stay organized.

I fully expect to slip up along the way and do not expect to see this overnight, so don't be surprised if you see minute steaks on the menu one night. I know this will take time, but all the important things do. The main thing to do is to not be discouraged when I fail and keep going after the setbacks.