This weekend I had the opportunity to bus over to Canberra, the capitol of Australia, to visit some second cousins. While there, I was absorbed in the awesomness of meeting new family, especially Erica's two kids Fred/Freddie/Freddo (3 yrs old) and Tilly (8 months) but reflecting back, this visit was another opportunity so see sustainable living in action. There is no doubt that these kiddos kept everyone very busy and one might think that sustainable practices would be neglected however, this was not the case.
The first night I was there I was brought out to the garden to pluck our evening greens and some rhubarb that was baked into the best swedish pie I have ever had. The garden for Erica was a practical and economical way to provide lettuce and other goodies (strawberries, yes!). Erica was explaining how a flat of lettuce seedlings is about 3 dollars and lasted her all season, so thinking about all of the three dollar bags of lettuce I have ever bought in my life and how the majority of the time they go bad half way through makes having a garden just make so much sense. Take what you need for tonight and still have fresh stuff for tomorrow, Brilliant! I would also note that the garden provides a learning experience for Freddie. We had a quick mulching session before I had to leave for the bus granted it did turn into Freddie and I rolling mulch snowmen that shortly flew the air as mulch missiles...I still have grass in my hair. This is to say that not only is a sustainable practice like having a garden an economic and educational opportunity, but it is a source of FUN too!!!!
Another exemplary moment of sustanable living was going to the market. Reusable bags in hand we entered a fabulose mecca of fruits and fish and grains galore. I'm just saying, if a busy mom and her brother can remember their bags, so can we. Pre shopping, we stopped in for a coffee drink and sat down for some foamy glory. I had this thought while on my busride back about how nice it was to sit down and take this extra 15-20 minutes to enjoy our beverages and eachothers company. Sustainable plus side, intentional or not, was that taking this extra time cut out the need for a disposable cup, lid and straw. If a morning cup of coffee is something you value and if it can be done with the added bonus of company it should be a no brainer that this is worth it. Of course, if we must be go go go at all times and you know that you're caffiene dependent, the obvious solution is to always tote a mug! ( ...a nice segway to one of my goals coming out of this trip which is to only purchase a hot beverage if it comes in a washable mug, or if I can provide one of my own. If I am in a situation where this is not possible, I have decided that I will just have to live without).
Having a simple garden, remembering reusable bags, and/or utilizing a mug instead of something disposable (the last two particularly) are just a handful of the many fantastic ways to start making a difference. Some practices might be a hard habits to break at first, or may take a bit of initial investment but they are easily worthwhile and you can make them a convenient thing to do. Happily, I am getting to the point where I would treat my reusable bag like a cell phone and am obsessed with making sure I have it especially since this is as easy as clipping the caribeaner connected to my reusable bag to my purse or backback.
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