1. Memory Jar: Have you ever looked through your photo roll and realized you had forgotten all the awesome things you did this past year? Here is a fun thing to do with your family that costs no money. We keep a jar on the kitchen table (just pick a place you see everyday so you don’t forget it) and every time someone feels inclined to share a moment (good or bad) they write it down on a piece of paper and add it to the jar. It’s like a time capsule without having to dig a hole in the backyard. We’re always dropping fun dinner receipts, playbills and concert tickets in there too. Then on New Year’s Eve we dump out the papers and read them out loud. When you’re done reminiscing, you decide what’s next. You can keep the strips of paper in a box and reopen the box 10 years later, you can test out your scrapbooking skills, or even compost the paper. It’s a fun way to remember all the moments, big and small, that you share as a family and then the very next day you can start all over again. I love it so much I wrote a whole blog post about it that you can read HERE.
2. Clean Your Closet: I’m a huge fan of Joshua Becker and his website, becomingminimalist.com, and one idea I tried last year was on January 1st to turn all my hangers in my closet in the opposite direction. Throughout the year as I wear it I put it back on the hanger in a different direction. At the end of each season (unfortunately we’re down to two from the original four) I can see all the clothes I don’t wear and reassess for the following year. What do you do with all the clothes that don’t make the cut? Here are a few ideas. This way everything hanging in my closet is actually what I wear, and that’s how I managed to say goodbye to my cargo pants, shoulder pads and fitted vests.
3. Make 1 Eco-Friendly Change: The easiest way to go a little greener is to pick something you do every day and change just one thing. It’s not overwhelming and sometimes one change can work like a domino effect and lead to others. Sometimes it doesn’t and that’s ok too. Then you know you’re at least doing one thing to help the planet (and yourself). So what’s one thing you do every single day? It usually starts in the bathroom so here are my Top 5 Ways to Go Green and Save Money in Your Bathroom or Top 5 Ways to Go Green and Save Money in Your Shower.
4. Get Moving: Forget the “I’m joining a gym” New Year’s Resolution because no one goes. I shudder to think of how many gym memberships I bought in year’s past only to face the age old choice of “Do I go to the gym or to White Castle?”. My answer usually rhymed with “night hassle” so my hat’s off to those who made the healthy choice (I made the same resolution every damn year – Lucille Roberts, NY Sports Club, Sky Fitness, they all got my money but not my time). So from now on, start a revolution, not a resolution. Making real change in your life doesn’t have to be hard, just set goals that are realistic and achievable. So I have a revolution for you, it’s free and you can do it anywhere. Just start walking. Walking can help you maintain a healthy weight (or help you achieve it), strengthen your bones, increase your energy levels, improve your mood, help you sleep, improve your balance, strengthen your immune system and reduce stress.So yeah…it helps you with a few things. When I first started my walking revolution I wanted to do 10,000 steps a day, which sucked because when I started keeping track I realized I was only really doing 2,000 a day. Small changes to reach 10,000 were key. I started parking farther away from stores, running up and down my steps, pacing while on the phone, dancing while cooking dinner – anything to add movement. When I felt confident of my new routine I splurged, bought a FitBit (and you can too) and joined a group of friends in a weekly competition. It has completely changed my life and the best part, my friends and I are all getting healthy together. And like sex, the faster and more frequently you do it the greater the benefits, but usually with less mess.
5. Learn Something New Every Day: I’m a follower of Jim Kwik. I listen to his podcast, read his book Limitless and even took one of his reading courses which changed the way I thought about reading. His idea is that if an author takes years of their life to research a topic, become an expert, and then write a book about it and I can take one week to read that book I’ve just learned all that information in a very short amount of time. Time is our most precious resource because you can never get it back. Do I binge watch mindless TV? Yup! Do I read sappy romance novels? Hello, every single Nicholas Sparks book with a box of tissues. BUT I also really like to read (if I find a book I’m into I can’t put it down). In the last 15 years I’ve put reading low on my to do list and now that my kids are older and I have a little more me time, I vowed to read a book a week. That was my 2022 goal. Did I fall short of my goal? Yup, I only read 23 books, but I read more last year than I read the year before. That means I cried a little more (Nicholas Sparks released Dreamland), I read a young adult book with my daughter so we would have our own book club, I learned about ways to keep my dogs healthy, I reread a classic (Slaughterhouse Five), learned about our planet (thank you Neil deGrasse Tyson), read a bunch of books on investing and even read books to research a book I plan to write…and honestly, I read some of these books while walking on the treadmill. All in all, not bad for failing at my yearly goal. But the best part is I will be instituting “Ellen’s 52 in 2023 Book Revolution”, this is my year to read a book a week. And for those of you who just can’t find the time to sit down uninterrupted (or semi-interrupted) with a book, fear not…there’s an app for that. You can listen to audio books, watch YouTube videos (subscribe to my channel), have a documentary playing in the background while you’re working around the house, watch a TED Talk, pick up a new hobby or language, listen to a podcast, the ways to learn are endless.

I should have titled this article “The Last 5” but that sounds a bit more like the ending to Thelma and Louise and that’s not the vibe I’m going for. I’m always interested in learning how people plan on bringing in the new year (#5 – learn something new every day), so don’t be shy. Let me know what your 2023 revolution looks like and how you’re going to kick the new year right in the ass.

The post Goodbye 2022…Helloooooooo 2023 appeared first on Living Clean and Dirty.

1. They’re about half the size of a Top 10 list, so you can finish reading before your legs fall asleep.
2. They give you enough information to be helpful without making you eco-overwhelmed.
3. Let’s be honest, our attention spans aren’t what they used to be. I could explain this further, but you’d probably skip ahead.
4. They force me to prioritize the things I don’t want you to miss instead of dumping ten years of eco-nerd knowledge in your lap.
5. You can jump around and read whatever catches your eye. No guilt. No quizzes afterward.

It’s not like each of the 5 has a DON’T SKIP ME label on it, because that would be cheating. So anyway let’s get down to it…here are my Top 5 ways to go green and save money in your shower.

DON’T SKIP ME #1

Rethink Your Shampoo and Conditioner

You ever been at the bar late at night in your 20s when someone yells “Last Call!” Suddenly your options aren’t nearly as good as they were an hour ago. The same thing happens when you run to the pharmacy ten minutes before they close. You’ll find something that works, but it probably won’t be your first choice. To make your life easier, I did the research for you.  My point is if you want more options then you need to put in some effort.

Option #1: Shampoo and conditioner bars. They seem strange at first because they’re basically bars of soap for your hair, but after a week or two they become completely normal. You realize the bottle of shampoo was all water anyway so why waste space in your shower and all that packaging. I liked the Badger Shampoo Bar.

Option #2: Refillable subscriptions. We use Plaine Products and absolutely love them. They ship shampoo and conditioner in aluminum bottles. When you finish one, swap the pump onto the new bottle, stick the empty back in the original box, slap on the prepaid label and send it back to be cleaned and reused. If subscriptions aren’t your thing, you can simply order replacements whenever you need them.

Option #3: Zero-waste refill stores. Yep, they’re real. Bring your own container, fill it with exactly what you need and head home. It’s one of those ideas that makes you wonder why we weren’t doing this all along.

Option #4:  The DIY route. There are a ton of recipes to make your own. Skip the conditioner and make your own apple cider vinegar rinse (just google that one too). Or you can always reach out to me as I’ve done a lot of the work already. I’d be happy to share some of the recipes that have worked out for me (as well as some that haven’t).

DON’T SKIP ME #2

Drop Your Soap

I haven’t bought soap from a store since 2016! I have a soap dealer, yes you read that right. Years ago I was at a farmer’s market and came across a vendor selling homemade soap. This person was not the creator, just the seller. I had just had a conversation with my husband who swore he’d never leave his favorite green St. Patrick’s Day-themed brand of Leprechaun lather. Long story short, we never purchased green soap again (that’s a whole other story that you can read about here). Now as much as we loved our new soap it was expensive so I took out the middle man. I contacted the creator directly and we made a deal. We meet up (I’m dressed like Carmen Sandiego with dark glasses and I carry a briefcase, she dresses normal), I buy her soap in bulk and she gives me a discount. There’s no chemicals, it’s locally made, no shipping charges and lowers my impact on the environment. Biggest bonus…I’m supporting a local business and I know what’s in it. But if you can’t seem to find your own soap dealer there are tons of toxic free options on Etsy. Just be careful. My soap dealer says to make sure you read the ingredients (if they don’t list them then don’t buy it).

DON’T SKIP ME #3

Trade Razor Burn for a Safety Razor

Our shower caddy used to have at least 2-3 plastic razors in it, pink for me and blue for him. It looked like a goth gender reveal party and it was really just a lot of crappy plastic that we were paying for. Over the years we dumped the disposables and opted for buying the razor handles with the detachable heads, we were on the right track but still a lot of wasted material. Fortunately there is an even eco-friendlier option regaining some popularity. When I was a kid medicine cabinets had razor blade slots where you would toss used blades into an abyss. This was really just a hole in the wall where they would pile up. I’m not saying this is an excellent idea, especially for the contractor who finds the surprise when redoing your 1960s bathroom, BUT the old fashioned safety razor is making a comeback. It’s plastic free, sturdy (seriously this might be the one and only razor you use for the rest of your life), has steel recyclable blades and is WAY better for the environment. I have a test subject in mind (let’s call him husband) so be on the lookout for an article about that experience in the near future. Bonus option…if you’re an eco-loving, hairy crazy woman like me you can ditch the razors and shaving cream forever and go for laser hair removal. Warning – it’s EXPENSIVE but seriously it’s the best. I shave maybe once or twice a year. I figured with waxing, buying razors and shaving cream I’ll end up saving money over my lifetime.

DON’T SKIP ME #4

Low Flow Is Good to Go

I’ve been talking about low-flow shower heads for years. When low flow shower heads first came out all I heard was you’ll lose all your water pressure. Not sure what changed but they’ve come a long way and I have zero complaints about mine. My hubby loves all the different spray modes, they’re super easy to install, and they save both water and money. Here’s one of my picks to get you started. Bonus idea…you can get a Berkey shower filter to attach to make sure you’re bathing with clean, chemical free water.

DON’T SKIP ME #5

A Better Option Than Paper or Plastic

I first learned about soap bags when I cheated on my soap lady and ordered this bar of soap that caught my eye. It came with a soap bag. I thought it was just for packaging, but turns out it’s great for exfoliation and foaming up. It dries in between showers keeping it from disintegrating which also saves you money. When your soap bar gets super small it won’t matter because it’s in the bag and won’t keep falling out of your hands (which means one less thing rolling around your shower floor). So if you don’t want to be feeling around on the wet shower floor with your eyes squinted shut like Velma looking for her glasses (Scooby Dooby Doo!) then you should definitely check these out. They sell tons of them on Etsy and Amazon (like this one) and if you buy a good one, you can wash it and use it for a really, really, really long time.

I should point out, my husband made his own Top 5 Shower list for me. It went about as you’d expect.

It came as no surprise that every single suggestion somehow involved showering with me.

I chose not to publish his version.

You’re welcome.

The post Top 5 Ways to Go Green and Save Money in Your Shower appeared first on Living Clean and Dirty.

I was going to preface my own Top 5 list with all the usual motivational stuff. Change can be scary. Every journey starts with a single step. Small changes add up. Future You will thank Present You. Then I remembered this is a bathroom article. Let’s not overthink it.

So without further ado, I present my Top 5 ways to go green and save money in your bathroom.

1. Bidet Attachment: 1990 me: “This is the stupidest waterfountain I’ve ever seen.” Current me: “How did I ever live without this?” You know who has two thumbs and became a complete bidet convert? This girl. When I upgraded all the toilets in my house to low-flow models, I also tried a few different bidet attachments. I bought a moderately priced one (Hello Tushy), a more affordable big-box store version (Hello Lowe’s), and a super-cheap Amazon model for the bathroom my husband has claimed as his own. Honestly, I couldn’t tell much difference between them. Sure, you can spend a fortune on heated seats, warm water, remote controls and enough features to make your toilet smarter than your television, but the basic models get the job done just fine. You’ll use a lot less toilet paper, you’ll save money over time, and after a few weeks you’ll wonder why these aren’t standard in every bathroom. Want to know more? Check out my full bidet review right HERE.

2. Toilet Paper: Of course this landed at number two. Approximately 27,000 trees are cut down every single day just to make toilet paper. That’s a lot of trees for something we literally flush away. The first step is using less of it, which brings us right back to item number one. The second step is switching to recycled or bamboo toilet paper. Don’t panic. Recycled toilet paper isn’t recycled toilet paper. It’s made from recycled paper products that would otherwise end up in a landfill. More and more companies now make terrific eco-friendly options. Some use recycled paper, others use bamboo, which grows incredibly fast and is a renewable resource. I really like Reel because it’s made from 100% tree-free fibers, ships in plastic-free packaging and the boxes are recyclable. And yes…for my longtime readers…toilet paper still has two sides.

3. Bamboo or Recycled Toothbrush: According to the American Dental Association, Americans throw away roughly one billion plastic toothbrushes every year. That’s billion with a B. Now I’m definitely not suggesting anyone stop brushing their teeth. The people standing next to you in line would appreciate it if you kept doing that. Instead, switch to a more sustainable toothbrush. Companies like Preserve make toothbrushes from recycled #5 plastics like yogurt containers and bottle caps. When you’re finished with them, you can send them back to be recycled into something new. Another great option is bamboo. The handles are biodegradable, many brands use plastic-free packaging, and they’re available in both adult and kids’ sizes. These have become a huge hit in my house. I even bought toothbrushes for my dogs. Yes…my dogs.

4. Toothpaste Tabs: My grandma was incredibly proud of her teeth. When she was in her nineties she’d smile and tell me, “They’re all mine.” As a teenager I’d roll my eyes. Today I completely understand. She brushed after every meal and always used toothpaste powder. Back then I thought it was strange because everyone else squeezed toothpaste from a tube. Turns out Grandma was ahead of her time. Traditional toothpaste tubes are surprisingly difficult to recycle because they’re made from layers of different materials. Toothpaste tabs solve that problem. Most come in refillable glass jars, eliminate plastic waste, travel well and work exactly the way you’d expect. I’ve used Bite Toothpaste Bits for quite a while now. They’re plastic-free, come in several flavors, even make versions for kids, and they’ve earned a permanent spot in my bathroom. Sometimes Grandma really did know best.

5. Floss: When I say floss, my husband immediately starts doing the Fortnite dance. I immediately think of Pretty Woman. Remember the scene where Julia Roberts gets caught flossing her teeth and casually says, “You shouldn’t neglect your gums.” She had a point. Traditional floss usually comes wrapped in plastic and often isn’t biodegradable. When you run out, look for floss made from biodegradable materials that’s packaged in a reusable glass container. There are plenty of good options now that skip unnecessary plastics and still do exactly what they’re supposed to do. Your dentist will be happy. The planet will be happy. And your gums will be pretty happy too.

So there you have it. Five easy changes that don’t require remodeling your bathroom or emptying your wallet. Going green isn’t about being perfect. It’s about making a few better choices whenever you can. If you’ve found a great eco-friendly bathroom product that I should try, let me know. I’m always looking for my next favorite swap.

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