Some of the lessons I've learned. Part 1.

I know it's not September 1st yet, but I think I've learned the things I'm going to learn through the process of our unplugged project. I have read more books, articles, internet articles, magazines and opinion pieces than I ever thought possible and I picked through them and took out the good stuff and chucked the rest. There have been many changes made (most of them permanent) and I think the 3 Peas have made a significant lifestyle shift. I am proud of us.
Here, in no particular order, are some of the lessons learned...

1. I hate gardening. Don't feel bad for me either - it's ok. I am happy to walk down the road and support a local farmer. Next year I am going to join a local CSA.

2. I now purchase approximately 10% of our food from a grocery store. The rest comes from local farmers.

3. Eating what is in season is good for me and I feel better.

4. I can not be a complete vegetarian. Well, I suppose I could, but I'm not going to. I don't think there's anything wrong with eating grass fed, roaming, non antibiotic treated animals. Or their eggs or milk. I now know where all my meat, eggs, milk and cheese come from and with the exception of the cheese, it all comes from no farther away than the Fraser Valley. The cheese is still from B.C.

5. My freezer is worth more to me than most other appliances in my house. I have filled it with fruit, veggies and grains - all from local gardens and fields. I have enough to keep us going through a winter time of smoothies and freshly ground flour.

6. Turning the lights off is easy and becomes a habit.

7. Buying things second hand and passing used things on to other people feels good, but sometimes you need a pair of new shoes (as eco friendly as possible, of course!)

8. When you stop buying stuff, you stop producing garbage and that is a good thing. Our garbage has decreased from two bags a week to one bag a month. We can do better and we will keep working on it.

9. When you stop buying stuff, you stop producing mass quantities of recycling. Remember, the goal is to REDUCE first, REUSE second, and RECYCLE if necessary.

10. I no longer buy cleaning products. Ok, in fairness, I don't use them a lot, but that's not why I don't buy them! I make all the stuff we use now - our laundry has never smelled better!

11. Don't yell out "I'm working the hoe!" when no one can see you. It really gives the wrong impression.

12. Where we live, living without a car is impossible.

13. Taking the bus and skytrain is not as bad as you think it's going to be, but it is extraordinarily expensive.

14. Riding my bike is ok. I don't need to drive to Ladner for every little thing and riding a bike has introduced me to the concept of multiple errands in one trip! Common sense, I know, but the habit of convenience is hard to break.

15. Kids put a kink in all the best laid plans.

I think I'll take a break here and come back to this in another day or so. I have many thoughts in the summing up and we still have a couple of weeks to go, so I don't want to jump the gun and try to finish early. I will leave you with one last lesson...

16. There is NEVER a reason good enough to use a plastic bag again. EVER.